It was founded in 1902 by the Cistercian monks of the Abbey of Our Lady of Bonnecombe of France, as a possible refuge from the anticlerical movement at the time.

There are currently ten monks at the Abbey, although one is studying in Europe and lives in the woods as a hermit.

Much of the monk's time is spent in the chapel. They attend seven divine offices during the day, beginning with the 4am Vigil and ending with the 7:45pm Compline, as well as the daily 8:00am Mass.

The monastery is funded by milking and chicken raising operations, and the monks fulfill their traditional labour in the barns and the daily maintaining of the monastery.

When they are not praying, working, eating or sleeping, the monks do Lectino Divina (divine reading of the bible) and contemplate God.

The following is a photographic essay of a day in their lives.