The Congregation of Norbertine Sisters in California is one of the branches on the family tree of the Norbertine Order which lives according to the age-old inspiration of St. Norbert (1080-1134) and the Rule of St. Augustine.
Our community was founded by the General House of the Congregation of Norbertine Sisters in Slovakia. The Congregation was originally established in 1902 in the Czech Republic by Fr. Vojtech Frejka, a Norbertine Father from the Abbey of Strahov in Prague, to renew the Norbertine way of life in the region. In 2006, Fr. Thomas Nelson, O.Praem from St. Michael’s Abbey in Orange County, California, spoke with the Norbertine Sisters’ Superior General, Mother Hermana, to establish a new community of active Norbertine sisters in the USA.
In 2011 three sisters from Slovakia responded to that invitation and came to Wilmington, California, where they resided in a convent belonging to SS. Peter and Paul Parish which was built in 1950. In 2019, the community branched out to St. John the Baptist Parish in Costa Mesa, CA. As God began blessing the sisters with new vocations, in December 2024, the community closed the convent in Wilmington and moved their formation house to a larger convent located at Mary Star of the Sea Parish in San Pedro, CA.
Our life is centered on daily Mass, praying the Divine Office, and Eucharistic Holy Hour. We strive for unity of mind and heart which overflows into a love that embraces all people. We humbly implore the Virgin Mary to teach us to be completely devoted to God and to serve His people with total dedication.
As Norbertines, we are not bound to any specific apostolate, but in the spirit of St. Norbert, we are “prepared for every good work.” Our ministry includes teaching religious education to children in Catholic schools and CCD Programs, hosting various events for young adult women and teens, and helping in the parish office. In the spirit of St. Norbert, the Congregation has sought to maintain a balance between liturgical prayer, zeal for souls, and contemplation.