St. Mary & St. Moses Abbey

History

Story of the Abbey

The property was originally constructed by the Roman Catholic Church in 1927 as a theological school and faculty residence. In 1961, Pope John XXIII elevated its status to the 'Corpus Christi Abbey and Benedictine Retreat Center,' serving as a monastic and retreat center for approximately four decades. The Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States purchased the property in March 2005, renaming it St. Mary & St. Moses Abbey in honour of the Mother of God St. Mary, and St. Moses the Strong because of the profound depth of repentance in his life.

Shortly after the purchase, His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef brought five monks from St. Mary El-Sourian Monastery in the Wilderness of Scetis, Egypt, to begin the monastic life. A few months later the Holy Synod officially accredited the monastery, making it the second Coptic Orthodox Monastery in North America. On August 20, 2005, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III laid the cornerstone and consecrated the altar of the abbey's largest church in the name of the Mother of God, St. Mary.

The abbey today operates under the oversight of His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef, Diocese Bishop and Abbey Abbot, and sits on 92 acres of lakeshore property in Sandia, Texas, near Lake Corpus Christi, welcoming individuals, families, and groups from across the United States, Canada, and beyond.