St. Andrew's Abbey is a male Benedictine monastery of the Congregation of the Annunciation located in Valyermo, in the Mojave Desert, northern Los Angeles County, southern California.HistoryIn 1929, St. Andrew's Abbey in Bruges, Belgium founded St. Andrew's Priory in China, and until 1953, the monks of the Priory conducted missionary work among the people of China.In 1953, the Communists expelled all foreign priests as well as all religious brothers and sisters from the country. Forced to leave China behind, in 1955 the monks purchased the Hidden Springs Ranch where the monastery is now located. St. Andrew's Priory thus began its ministry in Valyermo, which is located in the High Desert of Southern California and within the boundaries of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. It is not far from the communities of Palmdale, Lancaster and Wrightwood, California.