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.
GUESTHOUSE NEWLY REFURBISHED
The Monastery of Christ in the Desert is pleased to announce a major refurbishing of the guest quarters at the Monastery’s Guesthouse and Ranch House. Prior Benedict MacCaffree, OSB, said that “We try to take quite seriously the Rule of St. Benedict which commits us...
read moreThe Abbot’s Notebook for May 24, 2017
The Abbot's Notebook for May 24, 2017 Blessings to you! Spring seems to come and go this year. There are days which are almost hot and yet not quite. Other days, it seems like it might snow again. We have had snow this late in May before so it is possible that it...
read more7th Sunday of Easter-Cycle A-2017
7th Sunday of Easter-Cycle A-2017 FIRST READING Acts of the Apostles 1:12-14 After Jesus had been taken up to heaven the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they entered...
read moreImpressions of Italy: Mountains, Lakes and an Island
Impressions of Italy: Mountains, Lakes and an Island Italy is a land of nearly infinite beauty. This reality is always brought home to me when I travel outside of Rome. Rome itself is filled with beauty, of course, especially in its art and architecture, much of it...
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Daily Martyrology for May 28, 2017
At Paris, in 576, St. Germanus. He lived a quasi-monastic life for about fifteen years, then was ordained. He was made abbot of St. Symphronien in Autun, then bishop of Paris. He took care of the poor, worked for peace, and promoted the veneration of the saints. He was buried at Saint-Germain-des-Pres.In 812, at Gellone, St. William. William was the son of the count of Toulouse, and served at Charlemagne’s court. He led successful campaigns against the Moors, and was... 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 on Sunday, May 28, 2017
The road leading to the Monastery, Forest Service Road 151, is passable for all vehicles.