Why visit St. Leo Abbey?
It is too narrow to think the Holy Spirit will have the same purpose for every visitor, but Pope Benedict XVI on his visit to Heiligenkreuz Abbey, Austria, in 2007 gave a good answer, the Pope said, “A monastery is above all this: a place of spiritual power.” When you witness or participate in a divine office with Benedictine monks, you will be seeing one of the most ancient of all Church traditions and one that can trace its roots to the liturgical (public prayer) practices of the Jews during the Second Temple Period before the birth of Jesus. St. Leo Abbey is a 120-year-old Catholic Benedictine monastery of monks (map) located 45 minutes north of Tampa on Lake Jovita in St. Leo, Florida, in the rolling hills near Dade City. The abbey is located in the St. Leo Abbey Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Visited by many Catholics and non-Catholics, St. Leo Abbey is a Florida treasure. Here are some tips for a first visit: Who may visit. Everyone from any
