Maria-Rickenbach

Maria Rickenbach Monastery

Maria Rickenbach Monastery, officially the Benediktinnerinnenkloster Maria Rickenbach, is a Benedictine monastery for Religious Sisters located in Niederrickenbach, Switzerland. The monastery was founded in 1857 by a small group of women who desired to embrace a monastic way of life and established the practice of Perpetual Adoration as a central element of their community. Historically, it is closely associated with Engelberg Abbey, under whose guidance the sisters were established and later formally incorporated into the Benedictine Order.

Niederrickenbach itself has a long-standing tradition of pilgrimage, dating back to the 16th century, centered around a statue of the Virgin Mary. A chapel for pilgrims has been documented since 1565, with the present chapel consecrated in 1869 and known for its collection of votive offerings. The monastery buildings were largely constructed in the 1860s, including a school for girls that operated until 1981, later converted into a guesthouse.

As of 2023, Maria Rickenbach Monastery is home to fifteen sisters who adhere to the Rule of Saint Benedict. Their daily life involves prayer, the Divine Office, and the Eucharist, alongside their commitment to continuous adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Beyond their spiritual practices, the sisters engage in artisanal work, cultivating an herb garden from which they produce teas and a distinctive gold liqueur, sold in the monastery shop. The monastery has also played a role in establishing monastic communities abroad, notably in the United States, where sisters from Maria Rickenbach helped found Benedictine communities in South Dakota and Missouri.

The monastery is accessible to the public via a cable car from Niederrickenbach Station, though a private road also leads to the village. The surrounding landscape offers opportunities for spiritual reflection and recreation, including the 'Benedictine Way Engelberg' hiking trail that links Maria Rickenbach with Engelberg Abbey.