abbey of the genesee

We first discovered the Abbey when visiting our daughter at SUNY Geneseo. The Abbey is tucked away in the valley and the Monks are famous for their delicious "Monk Bread". The peace and calmness of the Abbey is well worth a retreat weekend to renew your faith and regain your sanity.The Abbey is currently being renovated. Even in this stage the grounds, buildings and Brothers share a special spirit that you can not experience any where else on earth.

We have been enjoying Monk's bread for years, and with the recent purchase of a convertible we've been actively seeing the local sights. So, acting on the advice of the blurb on the bread label to come tour the facility, we did ... but found there WERE NO TOURS. No harm, though. We ended up with several jars of very tasty homemade jellies and jams, and tried a few new varieties of bread. Staff was pleasant and very helpful.

I work not far from the Abbey in Piffard and make it a habit to stop there to buy fresh bread. The view is magnificent, and when you enter the peace of the building into the small bread store, you can feel the atmosphere of contemplative living. I always purchase the raisin bread, and have never been disappointed. The prices are very reasonable as well.

We stopped into the Abbey to buy some bread. The property is well marked as you make your way through the town of Pfiffard. It is a beautiful property with bluebird boxes lining the driveway. The bread store shares a building with the chapel. We did enjoy the bread, but the orange/cranberry biscotti was beyond wonderful. We came back to the abbey two days later and bought several bags for our trip, and then ordered more when we got home. The staff in the store are not monks, and are very friendly. There are several books for sale in the store and just outside the store about the Roman Catholic religion, the pope, and the tradition of several of the brotherhoods of monks. There are also mugs and tote bags. The shop also has restrooms. The entrance is flat,

We stopped at the Abbey to purchase bread which is baked by the monks. I went to college nearby and never knew this place was here. It was an easy drive to get to. There is construction going on so you cannot see much. The bread is sold in a small gift shop and the prices are right. You can even buy a gift box to send the bread to people who aren't fortunate enough to live here anymore. If you are in the area, a great place to stop.Tip for visiting: Check the website for information on the construction and the Abbey. Remember the monks are private and most of the buildings are not for tourists to visit.

Have been coming here for the past 39 years for retreat. The rooms and food are basic. What do you expect...it's a Trappist Monastery! Praying with the monks really slows you down and relaxing at their 2000+ acre Abbey is something that will calm the spirit as the dust settles! You don't have to be Catholic to appreciate this experience. The monks also make delicious bread. Check out their web site.

The Abbey is no "church", it's a Catholic Abbey. Big difference. The service is, however, excellent. Set out in the country, it is surrounded by miles of lush, green countryside. The services are held in a dark and tasteful setting, wherein the readings and hymns are magnified by the closer and intimate surroundings. Frankly, I enjoyed my experience there far better than those in bigger churches. Here you feel closer to it all; closer to God? One note, though: The seating is on narrow wooden bench seats, with very straight backs. But as they have no cushions, if you have a bad back you have a problem. You will NOT fall asleep on these seats. Forewarned is forearmed; if you have a bad back bring a pillow or fold your jacket to sit on!

We have been passing the end of the access road to the Abbey several times a year for the past four decades and never stopped previously. What a shame! Here the pace is sedate, the artisanship impressive, the atmosphere contemplative and the spiritual engagement feels genuine. You probably won't see any of the resident monks, who maintain a high degree of separateness from the public except during religious services. Although the Trappists are a Roman Catholic order, people of all faiths are made very welcome. The thick wooden doors and magnificent stained glass are added attractive features, as is the expansive view from the visitor's entrance. Not to forget the handmade breads, cakes and pottery - deliciously worthwhile in their own right. There is no hype, no preaching and no proselytizing - just the opportunity to catch a glimpse of human dedication to selfless religious devotion.

And jams/preserves and rum fruitcake. Yum! The monks make it all here. On State road 63 going north toward Batavia, NY to pick up I90. Turn right and go down the road a little way. it is on the left.The breads are delicious. Pick up a couple. It would be a lovely gift for someone you are going to visit. We had the raisin bread for morning toast on our trip. The doors to get in are quite heavy so pull hard. If you can't stop, the bread is available in grocery stores and even Walmart. A friend had told us to stop at the Abbey; we were really glad we did!

Visit the Abbey of the Genesee and stop in their bakery outlet store and get a supply of bread. If you need or want bread with lots of additives, check this out. I love the sunflower seed bread as it makes great toast and has very little sodium.

I had not visited the Abbey of the Genesee for about 50 years and was pleased to see how well the monks are doing. The last time I was there they were celebrating Mass in a quonset hut! Now they have a beautiful Abbey Church (a hexagonal church with the altar in the center - a very unusual design for a Cistercian Abbey). The grounds at the entrance road through rolling farm land are just beautiful. Of course, only the store and church are open to the public due to the enclosed rule of the Trappists. The store offers the Abbey's famous bread, as well as other baked goods and jams and jellies from St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, MA, as well as books and artwork. (As a bird watcher, I was surprised at how many birds I found along River Road and on the abbey grounds itself.)

My family stayed in a very large guest apartment while vacationing in western NY state. The Abbey is home to a community of Trappist monks who are famous for their "Monk's Bread" (and rightfully so). We "played and prayed" while we stayed. We did some fun area activities (Niagara Falls and Darien Lake) but we set aside plenty of time just to enjoy the Abbey and its grounds. Our rooms were located in a farmhouse about a half-mile walk away from the Abbey proper. The guest rooms were great. A huge dining room, 5 BRs, bath, fully stocked kitchen and a large golf-course manicured lawn. Each day a monk dropped off loaves of their bread and milk. Our family often stays at monastic guest facilities. These compared very well. Given the size of the space and the cost (suggested donation of $50 per person per night), it was a good value compared to a conventional hotel. I attended several of the Liturgy of the Hours services in the Abbey church. It is a beautiful building, very rustic looking. The famous Catholic spiritual writer Fr Henri Nouwen helped with its construction back in the 70s during a long stay with the monks. Today, however, the church appears to be in need of some updating. Between services, the lights are out and the interior is pitch black, so it is not a place one might go and pray if one is trying to read a prayer book or Bible. Even during the services, lighting is dim, making reading difficult. The Mass schedule also is different most days making it difficult for first time visitors to find the "rhythm" of the place. Because Trappist spirituality is more contemplative and interior-focused, Trappist monks are more secluded and less visible to guests. A regular conference, however, is offered by one of the monks, which was profound on so many levels. The gift shop is small with many excellent books on Catholic and Benedictine/Cistercian monastic spirituality. And of course there's the bread. Absolutely wonderful and guests will want to order it when they go home, it's that good. Our quiet time was spent reading, praying, and just quietly sitting out on the lawn and watching the deer and all manner of birds native to NY flying by.

It's always fun to go there in the summer when the sunflowers are in full bloom. You can also buy your favorite Monk's Bread in the shop (for less than you pay in the store). It's a wonderfully peaceful place to visit.

Peaceful and you can buy great bread. Nice ride to get there. Nice thing to do on a Saturday afternoon.

A quiet and prayerful place to stop and recharge the battery. the Monks are most welcoming and their bread store is a stop not to be missed.