Immersed in the 900-year tradition of our order, we Norbertine Fathers live a monastic common life of liturgical prayer and care for souls. Our abbey here in Orange consists of nearly fifty priests and thirty seminarians studying for the priesthood.

As canons regular, our primary mission is to consecrate the entire day to God by the singing of his praises. To that end, our life at St. Michael’s Abbey is organized according to prayer of the Church: the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours. “Seven times a day I praise You,” says the Psalmist, and by chanting together the prayers of the Divine Office, our Norbertine canons do the same. From morning until night, we “continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God.”

Formed by the graces flowing from this monastic oasis, we then go forth to be priests and fathers to God’s people. For more than fifty years, we Norbertines have served the Christian faithful here in Southern California—“lifting high the Holy Eucharist over the miseries and errors of this world,” as Pope St. John Paul II fittingly described the charism of our Order. Our community’s apostolic ministries are many and various, but they all find their source in our common life of prayer and fraternal charity.

The priests of our canonry operate parishes and teach in schools. We provide chaplains to colleges, the military, and communities of religious women. Some of our confreres write books and articles, while others have ministries through internet and radio. We celebrate the sacraments and teach religious education in prisons, youth facilities, hospitals, and nursing homes. Our abbey is the site of numerous retreats and Bible studies, as well as a popular summer camp run by our seminarians. Our community’s main apostolate is its preparatory school for young men.