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.
September 11th: Guesthouse Arrivals
As indicated on the Guesthouse Reservation section of our website, we now receive guests coming here on private retreat only on Tuesday and Friday afternoons. Check in and room availability is from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Tuesdays and Fridays. The first meal available...
Twenty-Fourth Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year A
Scripture Readings: Book of Sirach 27:30-28-7; Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans 14:7-9; Gospel According to Saint Matthew 18:21-35 The Gospel passage for this Sunday revolves around the question Saint Peter addresses to Jesus, “Lord, when someone wrongs me, how often...
Daily Martyrology for September 12, 2026
In Ireland, in the sixth century, St. Ailbe, a bishop and missionary much revered in Ireland, though little is known about his life.In 1622, six Japanese Christians who were martyred by burning at Omura, a few miles north of Nagasaki. 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
Friday, September 11th, 11:00 pm Forest Service Road 151 leading to the Monastery is currently dry. Please drive carefully on the road, as there is often traffic in both directions, especially in the Summer month. There are often hikers and bikers on the road as well. Be courteous by letting faster vehicles pass. Simply pull to the side and allow them to go ahead. Safe and peaceful travels.
