Holy Cross Abbey

901 Cool Spring Lane Berryville, Virginia 22611

Welcome to Our Lady of the Holy Cross Abbey

The monastery is a school of the Lord's service where Christ is formed in the hearts of the brothers and where in solitude and silence they aspire to that interior quiet in which wisdom is born. By generous hospitality they share with their fellow pilgrims the peace and hope which Christ has freely given.
(Constitutions of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance 3:2-3)

Read more about our life

Upcoming Chant Retreat in the New Year

A Special “Chant Retreat” is planned for the second week of August 2025

(More information can be found by clicking on the Retreat House Tab above)

Our Monastery Chapel is, once again, open to the public for Daily Holy Mass and all the Divine Offices.

SCHEDULE FOR HOLY WEEK 2025

PALM SUNDAY: Blessing of Palms and Holy Mass 10.00 a.m.

HOLY THURSDAY: Mass of the Lord’s Supper 4.30 p.m.

GOOD FRIDAY: Passion of the Lord 4.30 p.m.

HOLY SATURDAY: Easter Vigil 8.30 p.m.

EASTER SUNDAY: Easter Day Mass 10.00 a.m.

PLEASE NOTE: THE GIFT SHOP WILL BE CLOSED ON HOLY THURSDAY (April 17) AND ON GOOD FRIDAY (April 18). HOWEVER, THE GIFT SHOP WILL BE OPEN ON HOLY SATURDAY (April 19) AND AGAIN ON EASTER SUNDAY AT THE USUAL TIMES>

The Gift Shop is also open again and the hours are Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, from 2.15 until 4.15. On Saturdays the Gift Shop is also open from 10.00 – 12.00 Noon, and again from 2.15 until 4.15. PLEASE NOTE: Our Fruitcakes are again available in the Gift Shop—both the large round cakes and the smaller loaf cakes. Barring unforeseen circumstances, these fruitcakes will be available in the Gift Shop from now until just before Christmas, when they are usually sold out.

Also, our Chocolate-covered fruitcake slices are once again available in the Gift Shop—both individual slices and boxed

Our Retreat House is open but until further notice, access to the confessor/counselor will be very limited and not always guaranteed. For more information on safety measures being implemented in our Retreat House and for making a reservation, please email Carol Hensley at information@hcava.org Also, we will continue to livestream daily mass and the main offices of the day: Lauds and Mass at 7.00 a.m. (Sunday Mass at 10.00 a.m.); Vespers at 5.30 p.m. and Compline at 7.30 p.m. (Please be aware that the quality of both image and sound is far less than ideal because of technical limitations)

  • Anyone wishing participate virtually in our liturgies need simply Click Here to be redirected to our livestreaming page.

ONLINE SALES OF SOME OF OUR PRODUCTS

Fruit Cakes, (through our friends at DeFluri’s) Creamed Honeys, and Monastery Truffles can still be purchased online at: www.monasteryfruitcake.org

News

Fr. James’ Homily for Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday, YR C: Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Col 3:1-4; Jn 20:1-9For us, as for the people in this Gospel, isn’t knowledge of the Resurrection posited by indirect evidence? The Risen Jesus has yet to appear to them. In all four Gospels, he will come to them, though he is often not recognized at first. Does this suggest that even if his disciples remembered his predictions of being raised from the … Continue Reading

Liturgy

Abbot Joseph’s Homily for the Easter Vigil

Having celebrated, in orderly sequence, the last supper, the arrest and crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ, and now his resurrection from the dead, we can naturally consider these as simply past events, annually recalled, and reverently honored. However, the truth is that they are not merely past events; instead, all the saving acts of Christ are eternally present and together constitute the … Continue Reading

...more liturgy posts

From the Abbot’s Lectio Notebook

On Sunday (in the course of reading the Passion) we will again hear Jesus pray: Father forgive them, they know not what they do. And in this incredible expression of mercy and forgiveness, Jesus carries out his own teaching according to which we are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you. In our struggle to obey this extremely difficult instruction, we may find ourselves … Continue Reading

Retreat House

Staying a few days at the Abbey's Retreat House is the primary way guests can get a taste of our monastic life, by entering into silence and solitude, the natural beauty of the setting, and the monastic liturgy throughout the day. Retreat House guests commit to maintaining the silence and contemplative environment of the place.

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Gift Shop

The first building many of our guests visit when they come to the monastery is the Gift Shop/Porter’s Cottage located at the end of the entrance road to the monastery.

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Bakery Products

If you’re local or able to make a trip to visit us, we would appreciate a visit the monastery in person and you can get your fruitcake at the best price directly from the Gift Shop.

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Donation

We must be intentional in making sure the ongoing financial support needed to keep the Abbey running is acquired. You can make a one time gift or, better yet, you can become a Sustainer.

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Cool Spring Natural Cemetery

Cool Spring Natural Cemetery is maintained and managed by the Cistercian Monks of Holy Cross Abbey where, for over sixty years, monks have lived on land made sacred by their lives of worship, prayer, and hospitality offered to all who visit. The cemetery thus constitutes a tangible extension of the monks’ life of worship, prayer, and their long tradition of hospitality.

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Holy Cross Abbey

901 Cool Spring Lane
Berryville, Virginia 22611-2700
Phone: (540) 955-4383

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