Subsequently, he joined a contemplative Benedictine monastery in France, Notre Dame de Fontgombault Abbey, along with other graduates of the Pearson program at the University of Kansas.

[1] Upon completion of his monastic formation and receiving ordination to the priesthood in 1984, Father Anderson, along with a group of others, was sent to establish a new monastery in southern France, Notre Dame de Triors.

In addition to the growth of the monastic community, a number of families have relocated to live in the vicinity of the abbey, leading to the formation of a burgeoning Catholic village.

In 2010, the monastery was elevated to the status of an abbey, and Father Anderson received the blessing as the first abbot of Our Lady of Clear Creek on April 10, 2010, from Bishop Edward Slattery.

Abbot Philip Anderson's life journey, from his early days in Kansas to his leadership of a thriving Benedictine monastery in Oklahoma, is a story of faith, commitment, and service.