Programs Candle Lighting Mission Carmel

In keeping with our mission to "restore the sacred," we welcome guests to the Priory for prayer, solitude, rest and renewal. The Priory Community includes people from the cities and towns of Northern California, as well as cities and towns of countries all around the world.

Our gardens are available every Tuesday afternoon, from May until November, for silent prayer and reflection. Once a month the Priory hosts a "Day Apart" which includes not only time to enjoy God centered quiet, but, if desired, basic instruction in Benedictine Spirituality and contemplative prayer. It is a time when Priory guests are enabled to deepen their inner life and at the same time gain fresh understanding and inspiration.

Four times a year CCS members and guests enjoy a Pilgrimage Day to one of the nearby monasteries or to one of the many California Missions in the area, as well as other sacred sites. Two of our most recent days were spent at the Carmel Mission where faithful pilgrims have been lighting candles and saying prayers for over three hundred years, and to Mission San Juan Bautista, one of the oldest missions in continuous use as a house of worship.

Mission San Juan Bautista Around the hearth or in the garden, hospitality is extended and time is spent in prayer.

We would be delighted if you would join us for any of our program offerings. Contact the Priory for our current schedule and for directions.

Priory Garden flower