Monastery News

Palm Sunday, March 29th, Mass at 9:15 am

Holy Thursday, April 2nd, Mass at 5:00 pm

Liturgy of Good Friday, April 3rd, 3:30 pm

Easter Sunday Vigil Mass, Midnight Saturday, April 4th

Easter Sunday Day Mass April 5th, Mass at 11:00 am

All of the available Guesthouse reservations have been fully booked as of now, up to April 12, 2026.

Beginning April 12, 2026, the Monastery will begin a full remodeling of our commercial kitchen and a substantial upgrade for accessibility to the Guesthouse. The work is projected to last into the Summer of 2026. From April 12 until mid-Summer we will not be receiving overnight guests.

Before the Guesthouse reopens next Summer, there will be changes to the way guests make reservations for their self-registered retreats. With this in mind, for now, we are not accepting reservations.

As soon as construction work is finished and the planned changes to our reservation system are completed, the possibility of making reservations will resume. Thank you for your understanding.

Day visitors are still welcome during these months.

Abbot Christian and the monks.

Some might argue that an abbot shouldn’t have to cook the meals of the brethren. An abbot might reply that it is a relaxing and even enjoyable endeavor (a craft perhaps), and that the meals don’t have to be complicated or an all-day chore.

This abbot does cook, usually twice a week, and so far, so good, at least from the abbot’s point of view.

Bon appetit, as they say.

Greetings and prayers as we begin the Lenten journey toward Paschaltide.

Abbot Christian and the monks

As regularly happens, our Christmas cactus are blooming outside the Christmas season, but we don’t mind. They are always lovely and a pleasant sight along the way to church.

We are currently experiencing unseasonably warm weather, and still no sign of rain or snow. We keep praying for either or both. Perhaps a possibility in the day ahead. Oremus.

Greetings and prayers.

Abbot Christian and the monks

Actually, we don’t live on the coast, but the snow has mostly melted. Forest Service Road 151 leading to the Monastery is dry, so day visitors are welcome once again.

In today’s photo, Brother Jude is busy making our “Abbot’s Blend” cloister cologne, available in our Giftshop.

Temperatures are chilly, but we are staying well and of course our buildings and living quarters are heated. The sunny skies are a welcome sight as well.

Be assured of our prayers and please keep us in yours. Thank you.

Abbot Christian and the monks

We have gotten some inches of snow and we are very grateful! Until now it has been a dry Winter.

Along with the beauty, comes icy and slippery walkways, paths and steps. At this time, in the interest of safety, and until some change in the weather, we are not receiving visitors or pilgrims until further notice. Best advice at this time in many parts of the nation: stay indoors! We plan to do so too!

Prayers and greetings to all.

Abbot Christian and the monks

The Monastery Guesthouse will be closed during the month January of 2026, with guests being received again beginning February 1, 2026. However, all of the available Guesthouse slots have been fully booked as of now, up to April 12, 2026.

Beginning April 12, 2026, the Monastery will begin a full remodeling of our commercial kitchen and a substantial upgrade for accessibility to the Guesthouse. The work is projected to last into the Summer of 2026. And so, from April 12 until mid-Summer we will not be receiving overnight guests

Additionally, before the Guesthouse reopens next Summer, there will be changes to the way guests make reservations for their self-registered retreats. With this in mind, for now, we are not accepting reservations.

As soon as construction work is finished and the planned changes to our reservation system are completed, the possibility of making reservations will resume. Thank you for your understanding.

Day visitors are still welcome during these months.

Abbot Christian and the monks.

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On January 1st we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God, the beginning of a new civil year 2026 and the World Day of Peace.

Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to all of good will!

A Blessed and Happy New Year 2026!

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you!

Abbot Christian and the monks

The Monastery Guesthouse will be closed during the month of January 2026, for a time of solitude for the monks, with guests on retreat being received again beginning February 1, 2026. However, all of the available Guesthouse slots have been fully booked up to April 12, 2026.

Beginning April 12, 2026, the Monastery will begin a full remodeling of our commercial kitchen and a substantial upgrade for accessibility to the Guesthouse. The work is projected to last into the Summer of 2026. From April 12 until mid-Summer we will not be receiving overnight guests.

Additionally, before the Guesthouse reopens next Summer, there will be changes to the way guests make reservations for their self-registered retreats. With this in mind, for now, we are not accepting reservations.

When changes to our reservation system are completed, the possibility of making reservations will resume. Please keep an eye on this News Page for updates.

This is all being announced with some sadness, since our apostolate is Benedictine hospitality, but in order to upgrade our facilities and to better receive guests, we appreciate your understanding and patience.

During the month of January, while the Guesthouse is closed, day visitors are welcome. Our church will be open daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The Giftshop will be open on Saturdays from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, and on Sundays from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.

A Blessed and Merry Christmas to all!

Abbot Christian and the monks

Advent is almost over, with Christmas just a week away, but throughout these past three weeks, since the First Sunday of Advent on November 30th, our refectory has been graced with the traditional Advent wreath with its three purple candles, for the first, second and fourth weeks of Advent. The rose-colored candle is for the third week of Advent–this week in fact–days associated more with rejoicing, as the days of the Lord’s coming draw near.

Each day during Advent we light the appropriate candles at the beginning of our prayer for the midday meal and call to mind the “reason for the season,” as we await the celebration of the Birth of the Lord on December 25th.

The background of today’s photo is a portion of the mural on our refectory’s east wall, depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Juan Diego, Saint Francis and Saint Benedict. May they intercede for us all!

These past weeks have been unseasonably warm, but with no rain or snowfall. This has been pleasant enough, but of concern for the continuation of drought-like conditions in the great Southwest. We await and pray for moisture in this part of the world.

To all our families, friends and benefactors and oblates, we wish a peaceful Christmas preparation and assure you of our prayers. Please keep us in yours. Thank you.

Abbot Christian and the monks

We have been enjoying some beautiful sunsets these days, reminiscent of William Turner skyscapes. In this case, it’s the Master Artist providing the celestial paint.

Advent has begun and the present shortening of days reminds us of the soon-to-occur lengthening of days later this month, fitting as we celebrate the coming of the “Unconquered Sun,” Christ the Lord.

Noteworthy saints being commemorated the first two weeks of December include: Saint Francis Xavier, Saint John of Damascus, Saint Juan Diego, Our Lady of Loreto, Pope Saint Damasus, Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Lucy. Saints of God, intercede for us all as we prepare for Christmas!

With assurance of our prayers in this Advent Season. Please keep us in your prayers. Thank you,

Abbot Christian and the monks

We have now completed our annual monastic retreat, which began on November 16th and ended on November 22nd, under the guidance of Abbot Elijah of Subiaco Abbey in Arkansas.

Abbot Elijah’s ten conferences and daily homilies at Mass were encouraging, enlightening, challenging and helpful in our monastic journey at this time and in this place. We are very grateful for Abbot Elijah’s insights, humor and seriousness(!) when it comes to living the Benedictine life. His emphasis was on “Seeing Christ,” “Being like Christ” and “Sharing Christ” with all we meet.

During the retreats days we were blessed with some rain and today’s photo shows it falling in our cloister garden on the “very last rose” of Summer. It’s hard to believe it is almost Thanksgiving Day and we have still been able to enjoy one final rose. The rosebud in the background of the photo never made it to full bloom, due to colder morning temperatures after the photo was taken.

On his Thanksgiving break lasting over a week, one of our student-monks, Brother Savio, is home from studies at Saint Joseph Abbey Seminary College in Louisiana, and will be here until after Thanksgiving.

We are deeply grateful to all who have responded to our annual appeal for purchase of propane for the Winter months, for heating buildings, especially the Guesthouse, and supplying fuel for cooking.

Our sincere thanks to all, and we’re almost, but not quite completely, caught up with sending personal thanks to each donor. Your patience is appreciated if you haven’t heard from us yet.

Be assured of our prayers and we are grateful for yours. May all have a peaceful preparation for Thanksgiving Day and a joyful celebration.

Abbot Christian and the monks

Even monks “go on retreat,” an annual week of greater silence, solitude, prayer and rest. We do it at the monastery, not somewhere else, and it becomes a pleasant and even enjoyable time for the monastic community.

This year we are greatly blessed to have Abbot Elijah Owens, monk and leader of Subiaco Abbey in Arkansas, as our retreat-giver. He is a dynamic speaker and no one comes late to his conferences, which occur twice a day, each lasting about half an hour. His picture below was taken today in our chapter room.

Abbot Elijah’s theme for the retreat conferences he is giving flows from a saying of the famous 11th century Abbot Hugh of Cluny Abbey in France: “For it is the light of Christ we seek, the likeness of Christ we become, and the peace of Christ we share,” which Abbot Elijah abbreviates as: Seek, Be and Share.

In his introduction to the retreat, even before he got here last Saturday, Abbot Elijah let us know that, “We will enter these days of retreat not to escape the monastic life that God has given us, but to look at it anew in the light of Christ.”

When all is said in done, Abbot Elijah wants us to be ever more ready to say with Saint Paul: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Letter to the Galatians, chapter 2, verse 20).

Outside of the conferences, we carry on the monastic horarium (schedule), praying the Divine Office, celebrating the Conventual Mass, and engage in some amount of work, to keep the house running, especially cooking, some office work, care of our animals (sheep, donkey and chickens) and tending the Giftshop in the mornings.

Abbot Elijah is also giving a homily each day at Mass, based on the Gospel of the day and applying it to our monastic journey in the desert.

We are deeply grateful to Abbot Elijah for his inspiring conferences and edifying presence in our lives this week.

Please keep us in your prayers during these days of retreat, which will end this coming Saturday, November 22nd. We keep you in our prayers as well.

Abbot Christian and the monks.

Though it may be rare, sacred art can in fact be whimsical. Look at today’s photo below, of a 13th century Byzantine icon recounting the biblical passage of the famous “Wedding Feast at Cana,” found in the Gospel According to Saint John, chapter 2, verses 1 to 12.

Starting from left to right, Mary, the Mother of Jesus, is drawing attention to her son that the wine has run out at the wedding feast. Jesus turns to listen to his mother. Next to Jesus is presumably the groom, who is observing Jesus and his mother. Next to the groom is the bride, then perhaps the mother and father of the bride. The latter raises a cup indicating a need for more wine. It is a lovely scene, and in its own way almost humorous, of a near disaster that is ultimately averted by Jesus turning water into wine.

At the conclusion of the passage about the miracle, Saint John indicates: “Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him” (John 2, verse 11).

Whimsical, or perhaps simply joyful, the Wedding Feast at Cana should be a reminder to us that “God provides,” and our lives are in his providential care.

In the Old Testament, Psalm 104:15 makes reference to God providing “wine to cheer man’s heart.” The reference uses wine to symbolize joy, blessing and the bounty provided by God, the source of our happiness and well-being.

Be assured of our prayers and please keep us in yours. Thank you.

Abbot Christian and the monks

We are still having above average temperatures for November, though the leaves of the deciduous trees have pretty much turned and fallen. The photo of the tree in front of our church was taken some days ago, and the view is now changed to “late Autumn” mode, with the tree absent of leaves.

No one is complaining about the nice weather at present, but we do need rain. None has fallen for many weeks, which is an going concern in the great Southwest and in many other parts of the country. On the other hand, an abundance rain, typhoons and destructive weather has plagued parts of the United States, the Caribbean, the Philippines and Vietnam in recent weeks. We extend our sympathy and assurance of prayers for those who have died, those who have lost loved ones or property.

We have welcomed as guests a number of consecrated religious in recent weeks, coming here for some days of retreat and sharing our monastic life, including Franciscans, Brothers of Saint John of God, other Benedictines and Cistercians. We are always encouraged by their good zeal and attendance at the Divine Office, even at early morning Vigils! And of course, they are always present for daily Conventual Mass at 7:00 am on weekdays and 9:15 am on Sunday and Solemnities.

We are very grateful to all who have responded to our annual appeal for the purchase of propane for heating and cooking during the Winter months. Thank you from the heart!

Be assured of prayers and please keep us in yours.

Abbot Christian and the monks