The Monastery of Christ in the Desert
Our Benedictine monastic community near Abiquiu, New Mexico, warmly welcomes you to our Abbey on the banks of the Chama River.
Be our Guest
We welcome both day visitors and overnight guests for self-directed retreats. We celebrate mass daily, and invite you to pray with us.
Support Us
This monastic community is possible only by the generous support of friends like you. While the Monastery is an officially recognized Roman Catholic organization, it does not receive any direct financial support from the Church.
Visit our Gift Shop
We sell statuettes, plaques, boxes, and CDs of our chants. 100% of the proceeds support our monks and upkeep of the abbey.
Abbot’s Notes, Homilies, and News
We invite you to subscribe to our newsletters to receive homilies and news directly via email.
Abbot Guillermo Arboleda Tamayo, O.S.B., Elected Abbot President of the Subiaco Cassinese Congregation
On September 22, 2016, the General Chapter of the Subiaco Cassinese Congregation elected Abbot Guillermo Arboleda Tamayo, O.S.B., abbot of the Abbey of Santa Maria of Medellin and Administrator of Guatapè (Colombia) to be the new Abbot President. He succeeds...
read moreThe Abbot’s Notebook for September 28, 2016
The Abbot’s Notebook for September 28, 2016 Blessings to you! Home sweet home! Here I am at my own desk in my own office at Christ in the Desert. I suppose a monk should never think of the desk as his own nor the office—because one day they won’t be his but...
read more27th Sunday of the Year—Cycle C—2016
27th Sunday of the Year—Cycle C—2016 FIRST READING Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4 How long, O LORD? I cry for help but you do not listen! I cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not intervene. Why do you let me see ruin; why must I look at misery? ...
read moreTwenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, October 2, 2016
Scripture Readings: Book of the Prophet Habakkuk 1:2-3, 2:2-4; Second Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14; Gospel According to Saint Luke 17:5-10 “The just man, because of his faith, shall live,” Habakkuk the prophet announces in the first reading for Mass...
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Daily Martyrology for September 29, 2016
The feast of Michael, Raphael, Gabriel and all the angels.In 1349, Blessed Richard Rolle of Hampole. He studied at Oxford, and became a hermit in his late 20s. He eventually settled at Hampole, not far from a priory of Cistercian nuns. He spent his time praying and counseling; he wrote several works, among them The Fire of Love. One of his maxims is that “The holy lover of God shows himself neither too merry nor full heavy in this habitation of exile, but he has... read more
Prayer and Chant
Learn more about the Monastic Day or review our Daily Prayer Schedule.
Prayer Requests and Mass Intentions
We are glad to include your requests for prayer in our daily chanting of the psalms. Mass intentions (including the delivery of a Mass card) may be requested for small stipend.
Our Chanting
We have recordings of our chants available on CD and MP3.
Ave Maria
Daily Prayer and Mass Schedule
All are welcome to join us at daily worship. Click here for our daily prayer schedule which begins at 4:00am and ends at 7:30pm.
Current Road Conditions
Updated at 5:45 am on Thursday, September 29, 2016
The road leading to the Monastery, Forest Service Road 151, is passable for all vehicles.
As always, be careful and be aware of the weather, especially if it rains hard for that makes the road difficult. We will do our best to keep you posted.