Saint Leo Abbey, Benedictine abbey in St. Leo, Florida, United States.
Saint Leo Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in St. Leo, Florida, made up of several historic buildings spread across a wooded campus. The complex includes a Romanesque-style church, monastic quarters, and structures now used by the neighboring university.
The monastery was founded in 1889 by monks from Saint Vincent Archabbey in Pennsylvania and received the formal status of an abbey in 1902 from Pope Leo XIII. Shortly after its founding, the community also opened a school that eventually grew into the university present today.
The monks still follow the Liturgy of the Hours, which shapes the rhythm of each day on the grounds. Visitors who arrive at the right time can hear the community chanting together inside the church.
The grounds are located in the small town of St. Leo in rural central Florida and are most easily reached by car. Visitors should dress modestly and be aware of prayer times, as the monastery is an active religious community.
The town of St. Leo takes its name directly from the abbey, which served as the area's main landmark long before the surrounding community grew. It is rare for a monastery to give its name so directly to the town that formed around it.
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