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.
Reflection for Fifth Sunday of Easter, May 19, 2019
Readings: Acts of the Apostles 14:21-27; Revelation 21:1-5; John13:31-35 An essential part of being a follower of Jesus Christ is a willingness to love. How many times have we heard with our ears and our hearts the words in today’s Gospel passage, “I give you a new...
read moreReflection for Divine Mercy Sunday
On April 30, 2000, Pope St. John Paul II designated the second Sunday after Easter to be a celebration of Divine Mercy. Why this day? This is the day which the Church proclaims that Jesus, “the first and the last,” whom we put to death by our sins, comes through our...
read moreAbbot’s Notebook
“Our Monk in Rome” is now “Our Abbot in Abiquiu,” or something like that. There will no longer be new postings on the “Our Monk in Rome” page, but please proceed to the “Abbot’s Notebook” page for my news and views. At least to begin with, there might not be a weekly...
read more
Daily Martyrology for May 20, 2019
In 1444, St. Bernardino of Siena. He became a Franciscan and developed a deep commitment to poverty and to study. He became a traveling preacher. One of his favorite themes was devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus. He was also a theological writer of note. He taught moderation in the pursuit of wealth and ethical behavior in business.In 1501, Blessed Columba of Rieti. She became a Dominican tertiary at nineteen. She settled in Perugia, where she served as a peacemaker. Lucretia... 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 5:00 am Monday, May 20, 2019.
The road leading to the Monastery, Forest Service Road 151, is passable for all vehicles. This afternoon we will get some moisture but it should not make it so difficult that even a two-wheel drive vehicle couldn't make it if driven carefully.