Worth Abbey
‘Who among you delights in life?’
Worth Abbey is a Benedictine monastery, a sanctuary where the Gospel of Christ is expressed through a community life of prayer and service. At the heart of Worth is a community of Catholic monks who follow the life-giving guidance of the Rule of St Benedict.
The monks of Worth continue the Benedictine tradition of education and hospitality with their school and their retreat house. They also serve the local Catholic parish. Alongside these traditional works are more fluid responses to the changing needs of church and society.
In 1933 Downside Abbey bought part of the Paddockhurst Estate from Lord Cowdray in order to found a new monastery and prep school, the place now called Worth Abbey. In 1957 Worth became independent from its mother house and began to develop in new ways. The School grew to be a senior school from 1959 onwards.
Lay participation in monastic life was developed, growing to become the present Lay Community of St Benedict. An experimental urban monastic community existed for a number of years in South London and the work of formation in Christian spirituality which began there is continued at Worth in The Open Cloister. Worth monks have also founded a parish in one of the most deprived areas of Lima and they continue to support the work of local church communities throughout Peru, including health projects, orphanages and disaster relief.
