Memorial for Bishop John H. Drais

John Drais

On January 15th, 2014 John H. Drais passed away. John was above all a wise, compassionate, visionary man, extremely knowledgeable on a wide range of topics with a sharp wit and keen sense of humor. These are perhaps some of the reasons he touched so many people's hearts so deeply and in so many ways.  He applied his attributes and kindness with great focus and passion to his life's work. The Paracelsian Order and Madre Gande Monastery are the continuing manifestation of his compassionate intentions, and although he himself will be missed, his spirit remans very much alive and well.

His work at Madre Grande Monastery family is continued by two fellow monks Monica Maghiar and Sally Lee, many friars, former monks and people who have made pilgrimages to this sacred place.


The Paracelsian Order is a theosophical monastic order for men and women of all faiths and cultural traditions. It is a religious corporation expressly established to make religion more theosophical. Monks are not required to believe anything in particular. It is only necessary that they follow a positive path to spiritual fulfillment. This is an Order for healers and teachers, therefore, the various "Halls" in this web site present our healing and teaching practices. 

Members of the Order are either Monks or Friars. Monks reside in and belong to monasteries. Friars of monasteries belong to a monastery, but are not residents of them. Friars of the Order are not attached to monasteries. All members, men and women, are called Monks or Friars and no distinction is made regarding gender.

The Paracelsian Order is the parenting body for theosophical monasteries. We use two fictitious names. They are Madre Grande Monastery in San Diego County, California, and Live Oak Monastery in San Luis Obispo County, California. The Paracelsian Order is a California Church Corporation with 501(c)3 tax-exempt status. It is authorized to "do business" in the states of California and New York.

For access to the "Divine Plan" webinars of John Drais, click to download compressed files: Chapters 1-3 - Chapters 4-6 - Chapters 7-9 - Chapters 10-12

For inquiries about updated monastery activity please call 619-468-6869 or 619-468-6869 or e-mail reservations@madregrande.org

The website you are on is a study website. It was designed by our Abbot John Drais as a guide for the general public to understand our purpose and mission as monks. You may support our work by making a donation to us into our PayPal Account. You do not need a Paypal account yourself to make a donation. 


FREE Publications: 

(You will need Adobe Reader for these files. If you don't have it, you can download it free from Adobe. You can use this link to download it.)