In 1973 a young man came to the German town of Werningshausen with the desire to restore the local church, which, like other churches in the area, was about to be torn down. He formed a community of helpers that eventually became the monastery of St. Wigbert.

The community is made up of both Lutheran and Catholic members who live according to the Rule of Saint Benedict, the father of monasticism in the Western world. Monks are rare in the Lutheran church, and it took some time before church authorities approved the guidelines for the monastery, which had received encouragement from the local Lutheran bishop. Though small, the community is making a contribution to the ecumenical movement of closer ties between Christians.

The community welcomes villagers to Mass and parish activities, and it receives the support of an association of friends as well as a group of young people who stay in close contact with the brothers. Besides regular prayer, the monks of St. Wigbert also make communion wafers, host guests, and, true to its founding spirit, restore ruined and abandoned churches in the area.