Dom Victor Dammertz, O.S.B, Abbot Primate of the Order of St. Benedictine, invited Roseman and Davis as his guests at the abbot's residence, the Badia Primaziale Sant'Anselmo, in Rome, in late winter of 1979. Roseman made the journey to monasteries across Europe with Davis, who wrote the letters to monasteries to introduce his colleague's work, relate the artist's interest in monastic life as a subject for his paintings and drawings, and make a request for a sojourn. Davis helped plan an itinerary and as he had done for their Lappland journey, took on the responsibilities of organizing the project on the monastic life.