The abbey has an astonishing history. It seems there's been some kind of praying community here since the early fourth century, and the present community was founded in 515 and named in memory of Saint Maurice and the Theban Legion (a group of Christian Roman soldiers who were executed / massacred when they refused to renounce their faith). For the first few centuries they practiced the laus perennis: the ancient name for 24/7 prayer. For centuries! Then they calmed down a bit and for the last millennium or so they've had the usual round of monastic daily prayers.
And get this: the service was entirely sung, in French and Latin, to the traditional ancient Georgian chant melodies.
I prayed in this amazingly beautiful church with a community who've been praying constantly for 1,500 years and then some, singing chants that have been part of the churches worship for at least a thousand of those years. Stunning. A foretaste of heaven.
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