A Place of Peace

In the Middle Ages, Christians believed that to mature in holiness they needed to separate from society. A great deal of them escaped into the wilderness and resided as hermits in caves. Later on, groups formed and built homes called monasteries or abbeys. The head monk was reverently called abbot, meaning father. Most of the monks were capable of reading and writing. They made many copies of the scriptures and other documents. The monks astutely kept documents of special and current events. Monasteries started becoming a place for learning. These abbeys were helpful for many travelers to take refuge during their journeys. Monasteries freely welcomed and lodged penurious travelers. [#5] If, the travelers didn't have any money the monks didn't charge because they chose to be hospitable. Monasteries were a place of peace and hope to escape from worldly conceptions.