Monastery News

Medical Appeal 2026

Dear Friends,
Peace and many greetings from the Chama Canyon wilderness.
I write you to you as work continues here to update our monastery kitchen, in need of a makeover after
more than thirty years of daily use. Upgrading is also taking place at our Guesthouse and Ranch House,
with the two projects hopefully being completed by this August.

Our Guesthouse will reopen soon and website self-reservation for retreats will resume in August.
We are staying well at the Monastery, but like families everywhere, we have aging members who require
medical and dental attention, which in fact is an ongoing concern for young and old alike. We are blessed
in New Mexico with excellent health and dental care.

Nonetheless, costs do quickly add up, and we are very grateful for the assistance of those who receive this
letter, which goes out each Summer specifically for medical and dental needs.

If you can assist with our 2026 expenses relating to our medical and dental care, please
consider a $10 gift, or more if you are able.

We have set the target date for the completion of this appeal at August 15th, the Solemnity of the
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

You may donate at this link: https://christdesert.org/give/MD26 or via check made out to:
“Christ in the Desert” and mailed to us at P.O. Box 270, Abiquiu, NM 87510-0270.
We pray for your good health and for all your needs and intentions. God bless you always!
Gratefully in Saint Benedict,

Abbot Christian Leisy, OSB

Belated, but heartfelt wishes for a blessed celebration of the Solemnity of Saint Benedict, Father of Western Monasticism!

We keep the day with much festivity, including a Solemn Sung Mass and an extended recreation time for the monks.

Today’s photo is of a stained glass window of Saint Benedict in the church of the Benedictine Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat in Spain, where Pope Leo recently was.

May Saint Benedict intercede for all who follow the monastic life under a Rule and an Abbot, but also hermits, oblates and friends of Benedictine monasteries around the world.

We keep you in our prayers and are grateful for yours.

Abbot Christian and the monks

Not yet finished, but here is a sneak preview of the main Guesthouse courtyard makeover. Access to the Common Room will be pleasant and easy for all.

Yes, the walkway will not stay cement-color and serious landscaping is taking place as well.

We are very happy with the Guesthouse progress thus far, and hope that all who come on retreat will be pleasantly surprised as well.

Happy USA Independence Day, with assurance of our prayers and best regards.

Abbot Christian and the monks

As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Birth of Saint John the Baptist, called the “Forerunner of the Lord,” we also recount the founding of the Monastery of Christ in the Desert on this date in 1964. Today we rejoice in 62 years of existence as a “cenobium” (community), under the Rule of Saint Benedict, Father of Western Monasticism, who lived from 480 to 547 AD.

Arriving by vehicle and trailer from Mount Saviour Benedictine Monastery near Elmira, New York, our founding Fathers Aelred, Placid and Basil drove into New Mexico on June 24th, 1964, and into the Chama Caynon wilderness and the property where the monastery was to be, a day or so later. As such, we keep June 24th as founding day. Our monastic church is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist as well.

We keep the day with a solemn Mass, the Divine Office of Saint John the Baptist, and a festive meal as a community in the evening after Vespers.

We keep in prayer all who have gone before us and all who continue to be part of monastic journey to God’s House.

Happy Solemnity of Saint John the Baptist!

Abbot Christian and the monks

With daytime temperatures now in the mid-80s (and around 50 at night), lots of flowers are blooming in our cloister garden, especially roses. Today’s photo is of an arrangement at the icon of Our Lady in our church.

Summer has officially begun, which also means the monsoon or rainy season is upon us, and we await in hope for an abundance of rainfall in the coming weeks, and few lightening strikes, which can start wildfires.

Construction work continues on our kitchen remodel as well as upgrades at the Guesthouse, all slated to be completed, if all goes well, by the end of July.

We hope by then to have our reservation process for private retreats in place on our website, meaning retreatants could return sometime in August.

During this time while the Guesthouse is closed, visitors and are still welcome, daily from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Our Giftshop is closed on Mondays.

As everyone keeps saying in these parts, “Stay hydrated,” we try to be and hope you are too.

With our prayers and we are always grateful for yours.

Abbot Christian and the monks

Less than three feet tall, bordering on being a bonsai, our jade tree remains indoors year round, easy to care for, requiring just an occasional watering, and not too often or it languishes.

The tree is located near large windows, next to our reading room, with sunlight providing nourishment for its good health.

As the Old Testament psalmist wrote some three millennia ago, “Like a tree planted by running streams,” so is the just person, steadfast despite setbacks and struggles. For healthy productivity, we all need God’s grace and “a little help from our friends.”

With greetings, prayers and thanks for your friendship.

Abbot Christian and the monks

Our neighborhood deer never hesitate to vault over fences, no matter how high, and they never miss the mark, stumble or fall.

Our sheep, donkey and chickens, though, willingly share their pastures with the deer.

Maybe a metaphor here, echoing the words of Psalm 132(133): “How good and pleasant it is when brethren dwell in unity.” An aspiration too for a world struggling to live in peace.

Prayers and greetings from the Chama Canyon wilderness.

Abbot Christian and the monks

The fountain in the middle of our cloister garden is modeled on one at the Benedictine monastery of Silos in Spain, dating from the Middle Ages. Our cloister fountain is only 30 years old, and primarily serves as a decorative element in the garden, as well as home to a couple dozen koi (goldfish).

In the monastic tradition, a fountain in the center of a cloister also acts as a reminder that Christ, the center of all Christian life, can be compared to a never-failing stream of “living water,” that is, God’s grace as “refreshment,” so to speak, for the journey of “going to God” day in and day out.

At the altar in church we daily receive the Bread of Life, that is, the Body and Blood of the Lord, and in the Sacrament of Baptism we received the water of cleaning of sin and incorporation into the Body of Christ, the Church.

We extended our greetings, prayers and hopes for a blessed week ahead. Summer seems well underway. May it be a time of refreshment, relaxation and even joy!

Abbot Christian and the monks

We’re having lovely weather these days, but it would be lovelier if accompanied by rain. So far, precious little has fallen in 2026. In fact, for the past several years that has been the case.

As they say, “Everyone talks (or complains) about the weather, but no one does anything about it.”

For our part, all we can do is pray.

With a little watering, flowers in the cloister are now in bloom, as seen in today’s photo.

A Blessed celebration of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Blood and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi), observed this Sunday by Latin Rite Catholics throughout the world.

Abbot Christian and the monks

An important monastic Conference is taking place this week, from June 4th to June 6th, focused on the life, teaching and enduring influence of Evagrius Ponticus, a desert father and one of the most influential theologians of the late fourth century Church.

The full title of the Conference, taking place in New York, but able to be enjoyed online, is:

“Sitting as a Stranger”: Evagrius in the Desert and Beyond.

Here is the link to be able to participate:

https://www.svots.edu/events/sitting-stranger-evagrius-desert-and-beyond

We are doing well, thanks be to God, as late Spring slowly turns to Summer. Our flock of Navajo-Churro sheep has now grown to thirty, with the birth of a dozen lambs several weeks ago.

Work is progressing well at our Guesthouse, main kitchen and other common rooms in need of updating. We have a very professional and faithful crew doing these projects, for which we are very grateful. They come each weekday from Santa Fe.

We’re still not sure when we’ll be able to take reservations and open the Guesthouse again, but it will be posted here once we have a better sense of when all will be ready for providing for private retreats once again.

Day visitors are welcome daily, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Our Giftshop is closed on Mondays.

In the meantime, be assured of our prayers and we are grateful for yours.

Abbot Christian and the monks

Spring/Summer 2026 Newsletter

Monastery Guesthouse Update: Renovations and Reservations

The Monastery Guesthouse is currently closed to overnight guests as we undergo a full remodeling of our commercial kitchen and substantial upgrades for Guesthouse accessibility. We hope to complete these renovations and welcome guests again by August 1, 2026.

Alongside the physical construction, our online reservation system is undergoing a complete redesign. At this time, we do not have a definitive launch date for the new system to go live. Until the redesigned system is active, we are unable to accept any reservations, process manual bookings, or hold specific dates. We kindly ask that you continue to monitor this News Page on our website for updates regarding when the system will be able to take reservations.

New Guesthouse Parameters

As you look forward to planning a future retreat, please be aware that we will be implementing a strict new scheduling structure and updated policies for all overnight guests once we reopen:

• Arrival Days: Arrivals are strictly limited to Tuesdays and Fridays.
• Tuesday Arrivals: Stays beginning on a Tuesday require a minimum of 2 nights and a maximum of 5 nights.
• Friday Arrivals: Stays beginning on a Friday are for exactly 2 nights.
• Departures: All guests must depart on Sundays. We no longer host overnight guests on Sunday or Monday nights.
• Capacity and Groups: Our maximum capacity is now limited to 10 guests. We are no longer able to host groups. All stays are for individual, self-directed retreats.

Day visitors are still welcome to visit the grounds, church and Giftshop during these months of construction, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Giftshop Hours

The Giftshop will be open to daytime visitors from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm Tuesday through 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 Giftshop is closed on Mondays and the first Saturday of each month, when the monks have a Desert (solitude) Day .

Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time of transition.

Abbot Christian and the monks

“Lord, Who conquered death, be constantly with Your Church and fill it with new life. Make us partakers of Your suffering so that we may also be partakers of Your glorious Resurrection. May Your peace and tranquility dwell constantly within our community, within our families and the entire human race. The Lord of all, forever.”

Prayers of Proclamation, from the Order of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Qurbana (Holy Mass)

Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated!
Christ is Risen, and the evil ones are cast down!
Christ is Risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is Risen, and life is liberated!

Christ is Risen, and the tomb is emptied of its dead;
for Christ having risen from the dead,
is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

To Him be Glory and Power forever and ever. Amen!

Easter Homily of Saint John Chrysostom (circa 400 AD)

“For the few witnesses of the Resurrection, it was such an overwhelmingly real happening, every doubt was dispelled and they stepped forth before the world with an utterly new fearlessness in order to bear witness: Christ is truly risen!”

from “Jesus of Nazareth,” by Pope Benedict XVI

“Joy is a grace. Among Christians it is one that is not merely an adornment of life, but one that springs from its essence. Joy is the outcome of the truths we believe, the hopes we have, the love which God allows us to have for Him.”

from “Prayer In Faith,” by Mother Janet Erskine Stuart, RSCJ (1857-1914)

May the Resurrection of the Lord be a continual reminder of God’s infinite love for humankind and the promise of Eternal Life.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Abbot Christian and the monks

Christ is Risen! Rejoice all you nations! Christ is our peace!

A blessed and holy Paschaltide to all.

Abbot Christian and the monks

Easter Sunday Vigil Mass, Midnight Saturday, April 4th

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