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.
The Monastery Church and Art Gallery, will be open to daytime visitors, each Monday through Saturday, from 09:00 am to 5:30pm.
The Giftshop will be open to daytime visitors from 09:30 am to 12:30 pm and 2:00pm to 3:30pm Tuesday-Saturday.
On Sundays, the Conventual Mass is at 9:15 am and the Giftshop will be open from 10:30 am to 3:00 pm.
The Gifsthop is closed on Mondays and during certain monastic observances.
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.
Explore the Monastery
We warmly invite you to explore a photo gallery that shows where we live and how we go about our monastic life.
Monastery News & Homilies
We invite you to subscribe to our newsletters to receive these directly via email.
October 16th: Last Rose of Summer
If you are getting tired of seeing roses on this News Page, fear not, because this will be the last posting of a rose for many months to come, as it is in fact the last rose of Summer (though technically is is already Autumn). We've had a very mild Autumn thus far,...
Twenty-Ninth Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year A
Scripture Readings: Book of the Prophet Isaiah 45:1, 4-6; Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians 1:1-5; Gospel According to Saint Matthew 22:15-21 The first reading this Sunday, from the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah, indicates that a secular leader, in this case...
Daily Martyrology for October 17, 2026
About 105, in Rome, St. Ignatius, bishop of Antioch. He was arrested and sent to Rome to be executed. On the way, he was welcomed by members of various churches and wrote seven surviving letters. One letter to the church of Rome asked Christians there not to interfere with his impending martyrdom. In his other letters, addressed to churches in Asia Minor, he urged unity with the bishop and in the Eucharist and stressed the reality of Christ’s humanity and divinity. He told the... read morePrayer 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
Friday, October 16th, 4:00 pm Forest Service Road 151 leading to the Monastery is dry, though there are some bumpy sections along the way.. Always drive cautiously, as there is often traffic in both directions. Be on the watch for hikers and bicycle riders, also often on the road. .