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New Norcia Benedictine Community New Norcia Road New Norcia WA 6509
People visit New Norcia for many reasons; for spiritual retreat, to join a tour and see inside the magnificent buildings or sometimes just to walk around the town and enjoy the peace and beautiful scenery.
In this section you will find all the information you need for your visit to New Norcia. Details of places to eat and places to stay, details of the town tours and information about some of our favourite things to do in Australia’s only monastic town.
We recommend your first port of call is the Museum & Art Gallery to speak to one of the staff about the attractions and experiences New Norcia has to offer. The Museum & Art Gallery is also a Visitor Information Centre and is the point from which town tours leave.
Stay at New Norcia
There are so many different options for accommodation at New Norcia.
The Guesthouse is perfect for a quiet, retreat like experience - a world away from the rigours of modern life. You can join a Benedictine retreat here or be housed in the Hermitage for a silent retreat. Groups can be accommodated in the Old Convent or the historic boarding school colleges. Smaller groups are also able to book the Hostel, with its comfortable rooms, neo-classical architecture, scenic deck and heritage veranda, as well as St Ildephonsus' Cottage.
Please click on the areas on the right for more information.
Eat & Drink
Hospitality is a tenet of the Rule of St Benedict, the Rule by which the monks of New Norcia live, so wherever you choose to eat in town, our aim is for you to experience warm monastic hospitality.
Education & Research
From the earliest days of its foundation New Norcia has been focussed on education. The first Abbot, of New Norcia (Rosendo Salvado) established the Aboriginal girls and boys schools and the second Abbot of New Norcia, Fulgentius Torres built and opened the European girls and boys schools, which closed in 1991.
Since the closing of the schools, New Norcia's school buildings and grounds have been utilised by groups undertaking education programmes.
However, New Norcia also has a tradition of research and academia, with its impressive archival records and library collection, and scholars and researchers alike have delighted over the years in the information available in the town's records.
This section also provides information on the archives and library and provides link to forms which will give you access to the records of New Norcia.
Protecting a Unique Heritage
New Norcia is Australia’s only monastic town and has a unique heritage. Founded in 1847 by Spanish Benedictine Monks, the town has had many purposes; a mission, a monastery, a provider of education and now as a place of spiritual retreat.
Delve into the town's unique history, discover the ongoing and completed work necessary for the upkeep and restoration of this special part of Australia.
But it is not only the majestic buildings set amongst the Australian bush that sets New Norcia apart; its history is also encapsulated in the archival records of New Norcia and in the library and museum collections.
In this section we also have information about how you can donate to New Norcia to help the Community restore and maintain this treasure.
What's Happening at New Norcia
We hold a diverse array of events throughout the year at New Norcia.
Each year we host a full programme of events including a spiritual retreat programme presented by the Institute for Benedictine Studies, dinners at the New Norcia Hostel and a few other surprises!
Watch this space for all the updated information about "What's on at New Norcia".
In March 2023, Oleksandr Shtohrin and Yuliia Chvorun came to us as a refugee Ukrainian couple, employed on the olive harvest. They were then offered full time employment and a house, and have continued to endear themselves to everyone who has anything to do with them.
On Saturday 25th November at 2pm, when the temperature was a mere 41 degrees (thank God it clouded over), they were married in an intimate civil ceremony in the gardens of St Gertrude’s College.
After the photographs were taken, we all moved to the Hostel for much needed drinks and a festive wedding meal, generously hosted by the Abbot representing the Benedictine community. New Norcia parishioners and visitors were treated to a slice of wedding cake – the happy couple having left for their honeymoon in Augusta.
Fire Pump Awareness Training
Handling the hose under full pressure is a two-man task.
On Friday 17th November the Grounds and Maintenance team were instructed by Rick Adams of A1 Fire Risk Services in the connection and use of the Monastery’s trailer mounted firefighting booster pump.
L-R - Oleksandr, Rick (A1), Chris, Jim, Tyler and Dean.
The unit, which delivers enormous pressure to help suppress a fire, was hooked up to the fire hydrant in the Guesthouse carpark. The training is important especially now that the warm weather has arrived, along with the warnings regarding a high-risk fire season this summer. It is imperative that the team are familiar with how to handle the equipment safely and efficiently.
Olive Oil Awards and Conference - Canberra
Australia’s premier olive competition, the Australian International Olive Awards (AIOA) is run annually by the Australian Olive Association (AOA) and opened to international entries in 2017. Judging is also international, with 2023 entries evaluated by expert panels in China, Spain, France, Tunisia, New Zealand and Australia. This year’s Conference and Awards night was held in Canberra.
Event Convenor and Chief Steward Trudie Michels said this year’s results speak for themselves, with the average score once again more than 82. That equates to a very high Silver and continues the trend of rising quality and scores. The percentage of entries awarded medals was also up this year, with Gold or Silver accounting for 154 of the total 178. That’s really impressive in such a challenging year.”
(L-R) Rick and Lindy De San Miguel President Olives WA, Karen and Ian Smith from New Norcia.
The 2024 Abbot Placid Scholar is announced!
The Abbot Placid Spearritt Memorial Scholarship selection committee proudly announces the awarding of the 2024 Scholarship to esteemed Australian mezzo-soprano, Allegra Giagu.
Allegra’s journey into the world of opera began with her début at the Sydney Opera House at the age of eleven. She has worked with Opera Australia and sung as a soloist with the Sydney Symphony and the Australian Chamber Orchestra amongst others.
She is an ABC Classic Artist, nominated for an Aria Award, featuring on Evergreen Ensemble’s, Curious Caledonians. Allegra is also featured on the Oscar-nominated and Ivor Award-winning film soundtrack of Anna Karenina, written by Dario Marianelli; and other soundtracks, advertisements and recordings.
On October 18th, our long-term creative partner Axiom came up with a videographer for a day of filming.
The aim of the day was to capture video content that showcased New Norcia from a refreshing angle, focusing on the lesser-known experiences on offer.
Abbot John, Director of Visitor Services, Carmel, and a few other staff members both starred and assisted in the production. The day started at the crack of dawn, using a drone to capture New Norcia at sunrise. This was followed by a tour of New Norcia, filming a range of locations including the museum, art gallery, the monastery library, and the colleges.
Keep your eyes peeled - the New Norcia website will be updated with videos from the day soon.
Divine Will Retreat
From October 23rd - 27th, a group of 24 priests attended the Divine Will Retreat, hosted at the Benedictine Monastery Guest House. This bi-annual retreat was a great success, with the attendees stating the monastic environment, neat and orderly rooms, and the food preparation gave lots of encouragement and serenity.
Below are some of the comments from the attendees.
“It is amazing to see that each retreat has a great set of priests from various countries, with the preacher Fr Gabriel Barrera coming all the way from the USA for the last two years. We have a global priest/deacon group as their countries of origin are from all over the world: UK, Nigeria, Kenya, India, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Samoa, Philippines and of course Australia.”
“I am privileged to be here. It is a wonderful experience for me and an eye opener to the teachings of the Catholic Church on the Divine Will. Thanks a lot for the opportunity given to me.”
“The food and hospitality were excellent. Nothing to improve here.”
“The retreat has been a very powerful and inspiring experience while the hospitality and the food were fantastic - it all tasted homemade! Please pass on my thanks, as the food really does help to provide a fruitful retreat experience.”
The Linda Klarfeld Donation
New Norcia is delighted to have received an outstanding donation of five religious statuettes from renowned Australian sculptress, Linda Klarfeld.
Linda Klarfeld
The donation was made under the Cultural Gifts Program administered by the Department of the Arts and joins other valuable and unique collections such as the John Dowson collection of rare books on Australiana, Beric Henderson’s 2018 artwork Terra Nova and Stephen Miller’s extraordinary collection of over 1,000 art catalogues (to give just a few examples of recent donations).
Born in Prague in the Czech Republic, Linda’s family moved to Australia in 1980. Her father was a drummer with various rock bands including Framus Five and The Cardinals, and Linda credits his influence on her developing creativity.
Linda has created several sculptures of well-known Australians, including Dr Victor Chang, cricketers Keith Miller and Bill Woodfull, AFL footballer Neil Roberts and former Mayor of Mosman, Cr Dom Lopez OAM. In her private work she began focusing on the world of business and created the Board of Directors series, a collection of semi-abstract sculptures depicting the archetypes of the business world. This was followed by an exhibition recognising eleven leading Australian business identities in a collection of realistic portrait busts called “Icons of Business. Since then, Linda has created numerous sculptures on a religious theme and over forty public monuments around Australia. She is the first woman in Australia to be commissioned to create portrait busts for the Prime Ministers Avenue whilst her well-known religious pieces include St Marcellin Champagnat (2012) and St Mary Mackillop (2011). (Adapted from Linda Klarfeld - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia).
Linda’s donation to New Norcia comprises five statuettes titled Mary and Girls, Angel of Love, Angel, Dancing Madonna and Our Lady Help of Christians. At the moment, the statuettes are gracing the Archives but it is hoped that we will be able to mount an exhibition of her work in the near future.
L-R: Mary and Girls, Angel of Love, Angel, Dancing Madonna, Our Lady Help of Christians.
Abbot’s Table: Summer
We are pleased to announce the date for the first Abbot’s Table dinner of 2024, to be held at the grand old New Norcia Hostel:
La Table de l’Abbé’ The Abbot’s Table SUMMER: Saturday 17th February 2024
This series celebrates a set four-course menu of fresh seasonal produce and showcases New Norcia wood-fired bakery products, olive oil, Abbey Ale and Abbey wines, to be shared with family and friends – or strangers – in this special place, a town like no other.
The Papal Prophecies of Blessed Joachim of Fiori Translated for the first time by New Norcia’s Fr. Robert Nixon
Fr. Robert Nixon’s translation of the papal prophecies of Blessed Joachim of Fiori has recently been published by Sensus Fidelium Press, and is now available through New Norcia’s gift shop. Blessed Joachim was a fascinating and somewhat controversial figure in the late mediaeval church. Born in 1135, he was a contemporary of St. Francis and St. Dominic and brought together elements of monastic and mendicant spirituality in his own life. After departing on a solitary pilgrimage to the Holy Land while still a teenager and living therefore for several years as a desert hermit, he returned to Italy to found a Benedictine monastery which later evolved into a congregation. His reputation for wisdom, sanctity and miracles, and particularly his prophetic insights, caused him to be deeply venerated while he lived, and popes and emperors frequently sought his advice and counsel.
Joachim’s papal prophecies comprise thirty mysterious oracles, each accompanied by an image, which foretell the career and actions of future popes. These were extremely popular in the late Middle Ages and early-Modern period, with countless manuscript copies surviving, and about a dozen printed editions appearing in the 16th and 17th centuries. Today, the popularly known papal prophecies are those attributed to St. Malachy which, however, are clearly much later forgeries. But the earlier and much more cryptic collection attributed to Bl. Joachim has received very little attention in recent centuries outside of scholarly circles.
This new book makes these enigmatic and beautiful works available for the curious modern reader for the first time, together with reproductions of the fascinating artwork from the rare 1589 Venetian edition.
You can purchase Fr. Robert Nixon’s translation through New Norcia’s gift shop.
The Easter Triduum is the greatest solemnity of the Church
For many Christian churches, Easter is the joyful end to the Lenten season of fasting and penitence. The earliest recorded observance of Easter comes from the 2nd century, though it is likely that even the earliest Christians commemorated the Resurrection, which is an integral tenet of the faith.
The Easter Triduum is the greatest solemnity of the Church’s liturgical year and staying at New Norcia over these three days is a wonderful and unforgettable way of being immersed in the great beauty, mystery and splendour of this occasion.
New Norcia is delighted to be able to offer packages including accommodation, meals and participation in the liturgy and other events to our guests.
The Monastic liturgy of the hours will also be prayed and are open to our guests.
Times for these will be included in the information booklet.
The events over these days include:
Date
Event
Holy Thursday - 28th March
Mass of the Lord’s Supper (7.30pm)
Good Friday - 29th March
Liturgy of the Passion of the Lord (3.00pm)
Taize Chant and Prayer (7.30pm)
Holy Saturday - 30th March
Holy Saturday Musical Recital (10.30am)
Easter Sunday - 31st March
Vigil Mass of Easter (4.30am)
Easter Sunday Morning Mass (9.30am)
The accommodation options include:
Options
Inclusions
Price
1
Accommodation and meals from Holy Thursday until Easter Sunday afternoon
$400 pp
2
Accommodation and meals – one night only
$160 pp
3
Bed and Breakfast only
$ 110 pp/night
4
Day Visit only with lunch
$35
For full details and to book your tickets please go to:
Hot off the press - the 2024 New Norcia calendar features the works on paper of Fr. Lesmes Lopez OSB from an exhibition in St Ildephonsus’ large and small dining rooms.
This calendar shows the liturgical calendar as celebrated by the Benedictine Community of New Norcia.
With a prize pool of over $50,000, Mandorla is Australia's most significant thematic Christian art prize. The Mandorla Art Award actively fosters a relationship between contemporary fine artists and the writings of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. Open to all artists across Australia, working in any medium, Mandorla invites artists to think laterally and with sensitivity by interpreting anew theme for each iteration of the award.
