“Everybody has his weakness ; the mine is friendship.” The sisters and brothers of the Abbey of Saint Lioba like these words of Gregory of Naziance , a Church Father of the 4th century! Benedict was a man of peace and infinite friendship: “If you see your brother, you see God.”
Since the beginning of monasticism, monasteries offer grace of peace to those, who visit them. The monks and nuns of Saint Lioba have also “friends” which help them with advice and support.
An Association, called “The friends of Saint Benedict and Saint Lioba”, was founded. The monks and sisters send regularly information to their friends on different events in the community and once a year they organise a “day of friends”!
Each friend donates every year at least 16 Euros (the cheque is made out to “The friends of Saint Benedict and Saint Lioba”). But everyone can also become “a friend” by “living a spiritual community” with the monastery and by helping sometimes with any other service; the monks and sisters are very grateful for that.
The oblates of the abbey
Among all the people, who visit our abbey, there also persons, who – according to an ancient tradition – want to live more closely with our community: the oblates. They have experienced that our communities help them to live as the disciples of Christ in the world. One sister is responsible to inform them about the different events in the community and to see how it is possible to fulfil their expectations. Once a year the oblates come together in the abbey for a retreat.
