AN ANTIDOTE TO AI?

More connected than ever. More distracted than ever.

Artificial intelligence can answer questions, write essays and generate images in seconds.

But it cannot offer monastic silence.
It cannot offer real monastic prayer.
It cannot offer genuine human community.
It cannot offer real Benedictine monastic wisdom.

For over 1,500 years, Benedictine monasteries have provided something increasingly rare: a place to slow down, listen, reflect, find peace and rediscover what matters most.

At St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth near Guildford, members of the public of all faiths and none are welcome to join the monks for Mass, Gregorian Chant, quiet prayer, retreats, overnight stays and time away from the relentless demands of modern life.

In an age of constant notifications, perhaps the greatest luxury is inner silence.

In an age of artificial intelligence, perhaps the most radical act is contemplation.

Visit. Reflect. Reconnect with yourself.

St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth
A Roman Catholic Benedictine monastery in the Surrey Hills near Guildford

Daily Mass • Gregorian Chant • Retreats • Monastic Guesthouse • Prayer • Study days

Discover more: visit, stay, pray.

Could you be called to something deeper?

Take the Benedictine vocation quiz here.

The world offers information. Monastic life offers transformation.

15 June 2026