In 1922, Halldór joined the Abbaye S"aint-"Maurice"-"et"-"S"aint-"Maur in Clervaux, Luxembourg, where the monks followed the rules of Saint Benedict of Nursia. In 1923 he was baptized and confirmed in the Catholic Church, adopting the surname Laxness after the homestead on which he was raised and adding the name Kiljan, the Icelandic name of Irish martyr Saint Killian). While staying at the abbey Laxness practiced self-study, read books, and studied French, Latin, theology and philosophy. He became a member of a group that prayed for reversion of the Nordic countries to Catholicism. Laxness wrote of his experiences in the books "Undir Helgahnúk" (1924) and "Vefarinn mikli frá Kasmír" (1927), the latter book hailed by noted Icelandic critic Kristján Albertsson: