Monastic Map

The register

Dechtice, Trnava Region, Slovakia

Katarínka, the Monastery of St Catherine

Kostol a kláštor svätej Kataríny Alexandrijskej (Katarínka)

Katarínka, the Monastery of St Catherine
Photograph: Tibor Kádek (Kandy Talbot), CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Photograph taken in 2008.

What it is

The ruins of a Franciscan church and friary in the forests of the Little Carpathians, founded by Count Krištof Erdődy in 1618 and dissolved by Joseph II in 1786. Since 1995 young volunteers at summer work camps have been stabilizing the walls by hand; the 30-meter church tower has been conserved and in 2017 was opened to the public as a viewing tower.

What it needs

The volunteer project runs four two-week camps each summer to rebuild damaged walls and carry out archaeological research, aiming to conserve the site as a ruin rather than rebuild it. Its May 2026 appeal says support from the Ministry of Culture, which used to cover part of the costs, has ended, and asks donors to pay for the volunteers' food; its Darujme page also raises money for building materials, tools and expert supervision.

Before you act. A small volunteer-run conservation project: the sums involved are thousands of euros, not millions, and there is no overall budget. The association does not intend to rebuild the monastery.

Sources

Last checked 9 November 2026. Responsible body: Katarínka (the volunteer project, Šándorova 8, Bratislava).

Other houses to consider

Staniątki, near Niepołomice, Poland

Staniątki Abbey of Benedictine Nuns

In 2018 the nuns began an EU-funded project, 'Wirydarze dziedzictwa benedyktyńskiego', to convert historic buildings into a museum, library and reading room. They say costs rose by about 150% after COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine, and an audit has now required the project to be settled by December 2026 instead of 2027. They are asking for 4 million PLN to finish it; if it is not settled on time the grant must be repaid with interest from 2018, which they say would be practically impossible for the abbey.

Status
Appeal open
Still needed
PLN 4m
Community
In residence
Order
Benedictine
Founded
1228

Saint-Nicolas-lès-Cîteaux, France

Cîteaux Abbey

The Définitoire was damaged by fire in the 19th century, is largely disused and is described by the Fondation du patrimoine as in a state of peril; walls and roof come first. Once saved it is to house a study and research center holding the archives of the order, plus exhibition space. Works began in March 2025 and the donation drive is under half way to its target.

Status
Appeal open
Works cost
€8m
Community
In residence
Order
Trappist
Founded
1098