Alsike monastery, Religious monastery in Knivsta Municipality, Sweden.
Alsike Monastery occupies the former school building beside Alsike Church in Knivsta Municipality, 15 km south of Uppsala. The Sisters of the Holy Spirit have lived and worked there since 1964; the chapel, installed in the school's old handicraft room, was extended and consecrated on 18 October 1980 by Olof Herrlin.
The Sisters of the Holy Spirit arrived in Alsike in 1964 and established themselves in the converted schoolhouse. Since then, the monastery has grown into a place of support and refuge for those seeking assistance.
The monastery's name comes from Alsike parish, where the Sisters of the Holy Spirit have lived since 1964. A sign in the courtyard declares the monastery a refuge for refugees in need, citing Genesis 4:15 and Matthew 25:35. Visitors can join Mass in the chapel on Tuesdays and Fridays at 8:30.
The monastery stands beside Alsike church in Knivsta Municipality, 15 km south of Uppsala. Visitors are welcome at mass in the chapel on Tuesdays and Fridays at 08.30; the sisters otherwise follow the daily office, with Laudes prayed in private. The former warehouse was converted into a guest house in 1975.
On 24 November 1993 police searched the monastery under paragraph 20 of the Police Act, looking for foreigners; the raid drew wide attention in Sweden. The sisters had housed people refused asylum since 1978 and in 1990 formally declared the monastery a church sanctuary. A sign in the courtyard quotes Genesis 4:15 and Matthew 25:35.
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