Some out-of-state Super Bowl fans said they received divine intervention when booking rooms for the big event.

Residents at Our Lady of Guadalupe monastery near University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, the site of today's Super Bowl XLII, placed ads on Craigslist.com and in multiple East Coast newspapers advertising rooms at the sanctuary for a mere $250 a night.

The ads were answers to prayers for Super Bowl fans across the country.

"We saw this as a fundraising opportunity and did not want to take advantage of anybody," said community member Bibi Hernandez.

The monastery is the quiet neighbor at the end of West Pinchot Avenue near 83rd Avenue and Thomas Road in Phoenix. As guests pull up to the monastery, run by the Sisters of St. Benedict, they are greeted by harsh-looking iron gates.

But once inside, they find a quiet retreat with a pet peacock roaming the grounds.

Hernandez said 20 football fans made reservations for the monastery's dorm-style rooms as their own sanctuary for the weekend.

She said community members devised the plan to house the out-of-towners as a way to raise money to pay off a land debt of $460,000.

The $250 nightly fee includes a double-room sharing a communal bathroom - plus all the amenities of a regular hotel, even breakfast, Hernandez said.

Hernandez said the monastery did not want to overcharge for the rooms just because the hotel market was hot due to the influx of Super Bowl fans. She said the Catholic values of the residents guided their business strategy.

Three land parcels make up the area of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The monastery started out buying one plot at a time and now owns two of the three plots, Hernandez said.

"Our debt is based on loans borrowed for the second plot that was purchased recently," she said.

All of the money raised will go toward paying off the debt because the community donated the food and time to house the guests, Hernandez said.

Hilda Rosales, a member of at least six years, said a special Super Bowl weekend committee has orchestrated the entire weekend,including gathering information on local events to give to the guests.

Those arriving Friday received a traditional Mexican dinner at the monastery, and beds were adorned with towels and small boxes of chocolates.

Rosales said the weekend is not just about the Super Bowl, but also about the community of Our Lady of Guadalupe coming together for a cause. She said the monastery is a small community that has ties just like a family.

"We have become friends beyond the monastery," she said.