Visit Conception
There are many reasons to visit Conception Abbey! Whether it’s to join the monks in their daily cycle of prayer, to visit the Gift Shop, or make an overnight stay in the Abbey Guest Center, the monks of Conception Abbey welcome all.
Monday – Saturday
| Vigils | 6:00 a.m. |
| Lauds | 7:15 a.m. |
| Eucharist | 11:45 a.m. |
| Daytime Prayer | 1:00 p.m. |
| Vespers | 5:15 p.m. (on Thursdays, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament immediately following Vespers until 6:10 p.m.) |
| Compline | 7:15 p.m. (no public Compline on Tuesdays) |
Sundays and Solemnities
The following solemnities will follow the Sunday schedule: Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8), Passing of our Holy Father Saint Benedict (March 21), Annunciation (March 25), The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Aug. 15), and All Saints (Nov. 1).
| Vigils | 6:20 a.m. |
| Lauds | 7:45 a.m. |
| Eucharist | 10:30 a.m. |
| Daytime Prayer | 12:30 p.m. |
| Vespers | 5:30 p.m. |
| Compline | 7:15 p.m. |
From Kansas City: (90 miles), take I-29 North to U.S. 71 North towards Maryville to Highway U. Turn East (right) on Highway U, continuing to Highway N. Turn South (right) on Highway N, continuing to Highway V V. Turn East (left) on Highway V V. Continue on Highway V V to the Abbey entrance, on your right.
From Omaha: (120 miles), take I-29 South to U.S. 136 East through Maryville. Go past Conception Junction to Highway VV at Conception. Turn South (right) on Highway VV to the Abbey entrance. Alternate route: take I-29 S. to Hamburg, then 333 East from Hamburg to 59, the J-64 to Braddyville. Go South on 71 to Maryville and continue as above.
From Des Moines: (125 miles), take I-35 South to U.S. 136 West (right) at Bethany. Continue on U.S. 136 to Highway VV at Conception. Turn South (left) to the Abbey entrance.
The Conception Gift Shop in the St. Raphael Welcome Center is the perfect place to buy religious cards, gifts, books, and products made at Conception Abbey including items from The Printery House, along with cookies, and coffee. We also have cookies from our kitchen and items from our Abbey Oven, along with soaps and lotions from the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in Clyde, Missouri.
Regular Gift Shop Hours:
| Monday-Friday | 9:00-11:15 a.m. 1:30-4:30 p.m. |
| Saturday | 8:30-11:15 a.m. 1:30-4:00 p.m. |
| Sunday | 8:30-10:00 a.m. 12:00-3:00 p.m. |
Holiday Gift Shop Hours:
Saturday, December 24: Closing at 3:00 pm
December 25–27: CLOSED
Open New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
The JPII Fitness Center features basketball, racquetball, handball, badminton, pickleball, and handball courts as well as a cardio fitness area and strength training equipment.
JPII is currently closed to community membership. Once memberships are available again, it can be used at the following times:
| Monday-Friday | 5:00-9:00 a.m. & 5:00-9:00 p.m. |
| Saturday-Sunday | 5:00-9:00 p.m. |
Community members can purchase a membership by contacting the Conception Abbey Business Office at (660) 944-2812 or by emailing tstoll@conception.edu.
Family membership is $240 annually, and a single membership is $120.
Prorated memberships are available.
The beautiful grounds of Conception Abbey feature four different trails for walking and running.
The Stations of The Cross Trail begins at the southeast corner of St. Gabriel’s Guest House and makes a short circuit behind the building with 14 crosses representing the traditional fourteen stations in the devotional practice.
Connected to the Stations Trail is the Orchard Trail that goes east on the Abbey property through the orchard, around the farm buildings, and ends at the JPII Fitness Center.
The Lake Placid Trail begins at the JPII Fitness Center and loops around Lake Placid. On the southwest end of Lake Placid, a fork allows one to take the 2-mile Grotto Trail loop to the southern edge of the Abbey farm and come back to the JPII Fitness Center from the east.
