Contact the Abbey

If your concern has to do with accessing your online retreats or any other issue related to the learning platform we use, please contact their customer service at university@ruzuku.com. They generally respond within a few hours. If you simply need to find the link for your retreat use this web page to log in (there is a password reset button as well if you have forgotten).

Send us a message using the form above. You will receive an auto-reply which confirms that we have received your request and will be in touch if a space opens.

Currently our online programs are listed in U.S. dollars $ and our live retreats and pilgrimages are listed in Euros €. When you pay by credit card your bank will automatically convert the cost to your own currency. Some credit cards charge small foreign transaction fees.

Currency exchange rates do fluctuate, please check a website like xe.com for the most current rates.

We would love to hear from you. Christine will be forwarded all love notes and although she may not be able to reply to every one, she cherishes each of them.

Christine is not taking on new clients for spiritual direction at this time and is unable to respond to requests for individual guidance. Please check our Wisdom Council page where many of our members are available for spiritual direction by Skype or phone for a fee.

Due to the large numbers of these requests, we are unable to offer any travel advice for Ireland (or Austria, Scotland, Germany) except to those who are registered for our live retreats and pilgrimages. We thank you for understanding.

Please get in touch with us and your inquiry and we would be happy to help you discern. We want people to make wise and informed choices before making a financial commitment.

We are not affiliated with any particular institution and open our doors to people from any denomination or none at all. We strive to create a place of welcome and hospitality where we might dialogue with one another and grow. Our own spirituality is shaped very much by the rich Catholic mystical tradition, and we also treasure being catholic, that is universal, in our outreach.

Please consider carefully your selection prior to registering as there are no refunds for online classes similar to a transaction you would make to purchase a digital album or book or a consultation with a professional. There are no exceptions to this policy. We have discerned this as the best way to keep our work sustainable.

We have this strict policy in place to reduce the heavy burden of administration as we do not have enough support to handle this and thank you for your understanding and support for helping the Abbey to thrive. If you become ill and cannot participate, please know the online materials stay available to you for indefinitely, so you can always return to them at a later time. This is one of the gifts of the online format.

Live programs all have nonrefundable deposits to hold your space. Once the final payment due date has passed the entire payment is no longer refundable either. Please purchase trip cancellation insurance for retreats or pilgrimages to cover yourself in case of an emergency. This is a requirement for your participation.

To get to know more about the Abbey’s approach there are many free or low-cost ways to find out more about what we do: read the Abbey blog, subscribe to the Abbey email newsletter, or purchase one of Christine’s books.  If you already feel a kinship to the Abbey’s approach to the spiritual life and are willing to invest your time and energy in the practices suggested by the online courses, the journey will be a transformative one.  We always welcome constructive feedback on any of our classes or offerings.

If the class is in a online community/discussion-based format you may transfer your payment to another program up to one week prior to the course starting date.  Within one week of the class start date we are unable to transfer you to a later date.  (Please note this applies only to scheduled community online classes which have not started, all other online classes including self-study programs and live classes have different policies ).

We cannot transfer enrollment for self-study classes as you receive all of the materials upon registration.

For live programs, we can only transfer enrollment if we are able to fill your space. Please keep in mind that you will be asked to pay the deposit again, and then your initial deposit will be deducted from your final payment.

Currently we accept payment by credit card through Paypal (our online classes also process credit cards through a credit card processor called Stripe). We do not have the capability to take your credit card number by phone. If credit card payment is not possible, we do accept checks either in US$ or in Euros. Please contact us for the payment address. We can also accept bank transfers and payment in Euros if preferred.

Abbey of the Arts is committed to making our online programs financially accessible. We have limited funds to assist those experiencing economic hardship and supporting people in ministry to those on the margins.

Please email us to inquire about the possibility of financial assistance for one of the online class offerings.

Include the following information:

• who you are and a brief description of your background
• which class you would like to take and your specific interest in the subject
• what other financial resources you will be drawing upon to support your participation (these might include churches, other scholarship programs, work funds for continuing education)
• what specific scholarship amount you are requesting.

Registration in an online class/retreat entitles you to hold one copy of the material for your own personal use.  Please do not share the password with anyone who has not made a payment for their own access to the materials.

All of the online retreats have group registration discounts when you gather 3 or more persons together to participate. Please contact us if you would like to register a group.

We encourage book groups to form to discuss Christine’s books. For any other materials please include attribution.  Please contact us for more information and to request permission for use of any materials beyond what would be considered fair use.

All of our online courses and retreats have “lifetime” access, meaning there is no time limit for you to complete the program.

Anyone who has a longing to commit to deep inner work and is able to access the materials in their online format. Many of the class participants are artists, ministers, spiritual directors, and others involved in soul care or creative pursuits, but anyone is welcome who feels a sense of resonance with the class descriptions and a longing for deepened contemplative and creative practice.

An open heart and a spirit committed to regular practice. Just like any spiritual path, what the Abbey offers only has effect when integrated into your life which takes some discipline and commitment. Be gentle with yourself however and remember St. Benedict’s advice to always begin again.

Please check your spam folder.  After you submit your payment an automatic confirmation is sent out from Ruzuku for your class (this is in addition to a payment receipt from Paypal or Stripe).

Please note that due to the high number of requests we receive, in general the answer is no unless you have a long-standing connection to the Abbey and Christine through participation in programs, and even then, we have very limited time to give to other projects.

We are always deeply honored when you share this work with others. Thank you for all of your support.