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Holy Cross Abbey

901 Cool Spring Lane Berryville, Virginia 22611

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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

Holy Cross Abbey

August 27, 2025

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

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.

Our Chocolate-covered fruitcake slices are presently unavailable—we expect them to be available by mid to late October.

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

A Word from Our Cistercian Fathers

September 4, 2025

The martyrdom of the Virgin – which we named as the twelfth star in her crown, if you remember – is mentioned in the prophecy of Simeon as well as in the account of the Lord’s passion.  For the holy man says of the infant Jesus Behold, this child is set for a sign that shall be opposed, and he said to Mary, and a sword shall pierce your own soul.  Truly, blessed Mother, a sword … Continue Reading

  • A Word from Saint Augustine on his Feast Day
  • A Word from Gertrude the Great

Liturgy

Fr. James’ Homily for the 21st Sunday

August 24, 2025

24 August, 2015, 21st Sunday, Year C: Isaiah 66:18-21; Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13; Luke 13:22-30I don’t believe that Jesus is being evasive when he doesn’t reply with a number to the question, “will only a few people be saved?”I suspect he’s indicating that his interlocuter is asking the wrong question. What is as stake here is not statistics but my relationship with God.I suppose the question could … Continue Reading

  • Abbot Joseph’s Homily for the 19th Sunday
  • Abbot Joseph’s Homily for the 17th Sunday

...more liturgy posts

From the Abbot’s Lectio Notebook

October 1, 2025

It is a rare soul that sets a hand to the plow and never looks to what was left behind. For some, this looking back results in their leaving the monastery and returning to the world. For others, it is less radical and can involve a gradual weakening of their resolve to follow Christ wholeheartedly. And so their fervor wanes, and their commitment to ongoing conversion falters. Thus, they can find … 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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