Skip to content
St. Mary & St. Moses AbbeySt. Mary & St. Moses Abbey
  • St Mary & St. Moses Monastery
  • St. Mary & St. Moses AbbeySt. Mary & St. Moses Abbey
  • Home
  • About
    • St. Mary & St. Moses Abbey
    • The Coptic Church
    • Holy Theotokos Saint Mary
    • Saint Moses the Strong
    • His Holiness Pope Tawadros II
    • His Grace Bishop Youssef
    • Bishops from our Monastery
  • Donate
  • Gallery
  • Retreat Registration
  • Daily Schedule
  • Retreats & Visits
    • Statement of Faith
    • Abbey & Retreat House Rules
    • Service Schedule
  • Resources
    • Audio
    • Monastic Library
  • St. Moses Bookstore
  • Live Stream & Media
    • His Grace Bishop Youssef YouTube Channel
    • SUSCOPT Video Stream
  • Contact
  • Please take a few minutes to thoroughly read and understand the rules and guidelines of St. Mary and St. Moses Abbey and that of the retreat house.

    Visiting the Monastery

    St. Mary & St. Moses Abbey is a Holy Monastery of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a place of repentance and redemption for those men leading a monastic life and for the pious visitors. Yet, St. Mary & St. Moses Abbey welcomes all visitors, but through advance arrangements for those who would like to stay overnight.

    Daylight Visit

    The Abbey's grounds are open to those who wish to visit from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM—Evening Prayers—each day.

    Retreat Center Facilities

    The Retreat Center's facilities include two buildings — St. Mary Hall and St. Moses Hall. St. Mary Hall, for women, contains 17 rooms and each room has four beds and a full bath. This building accommodates 70 occupants. St. Moses Hall accommodates for men. All retreatants must bring their own bed sheets and pillow cases to use during their stay the Retreat Center.

    If you are driving, please note that the gate hours of operation are from 4:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily. Also, those with cars who are planning to go out during the length of their stay, please notify the 'Robetta', or Economus - the Father repsonsible for the monastery before doing so. Thank you for your cooperation.

    If you will stay more than two weeks, you are required to submit a permission letter from your father of confession explaining why you will be spending an extended period at the Abbey prior to your booking.

    As much as possible, the monastery attempts to check retreat requests daily and respond accordingly. Typically, you will receive a confirmation for your request within three days after the monastery receives your permission letter. Therefore, please work with your father of confession to ensure it is submitted.

    If your application is denied, you will be notified through e-mail. The Abbey reserves the right to deny any application without explaining the reasons.

    If your final flight destination is not Corpus Christi, you will need to book a bus ticket to Corpus Christi West bus station.

    Permission Letter

    A permission letter is required from every individual that visits the monastery for the first time. Once you submit your registration, a permission letter will be sent automatically to your father of confession via email. Please note that the registration will not be complete except if the individual's Confessor Father or the Church Priest sponsoring the overnight retreat at the Abbey has approved your retreat.

    Female Retreatants

    Female retreatants are allowed to stay for an overnight retreat at the Abbey only when accompanied for the whole duration of their stay by:

    1) a Priest,

    2) father,

    3) husband,

    4) brother - only if he is 18 years of age or older,

    5) son - only if he is 18 years of age or older.

    6) son in law.

    In order for your registration to be approved and not denied, you have to provide the name of the priest that will accompany you.

    Please note: Any female retreatant coming alone and staying at a local hotel, for the sole purpose of visiting the Abbey, is only permitted to visit the Abbey once for a day visit. Daylight visitors should leave immediately after Vespers prayers. Thank you for your understanding.

    Helpful Tips:

    • The Abbey's mailing address is: 101 S Vista Drive, Sandia, TX 78383 - Do NOT use for driving directions.
    • The Abbey's physical address: 102 Scout's Path, Sandia, TX 78383
    • Corpus Christi Airport (CRP) is approximately one (1) hour and 15 minutes, 56 miles, away from the Abbey.
    • If you fly in, we will pick you up and drop you off at the airport in Corpus Christi.
    • We will only pick up and drop off visitors at the Greyhound bus stop at W Corpus Christi Stripes. Please see details here.

    Please read the rules and guidelines of St. Mary & St. Moses Abbey and also of the retreat center.

    For registration inquiries, please contact us at (361) 236-7589 or send an email to stmarystmosesretreathouse@gmail.com

    Thank you.

    Please scroll all the way down in order to confirm that you've read the rules and guidelines. Thank you.

  • Group Registration COVID-19 Release Waiver Submission:

       

    1) The Trip Coordinator should download the “Visitors COVID-19 Waiver Release Form” from the link below and send a copy of the waiver to all the adults who wish to possibly visit the monastery.

    2) Each visitor should agree on the terms in the waiver by adding his/her initials, print his/her name, and sign the waiver.

    3) All visitors under 18 years of age must also have a Parent/Guardian sign this waiver as well.

    4) The Trip Coordinator should upload all the signed waivers for EACH GROUP MEMBER.

    Note:

    All waivers can be easily filled out and signed electronically using Microsoft Edge software.

  • Download Visitors COVID-19 Waiver Release Form

  • Please upload all the signed waivers for EACH GROUP MEMBER down below.

    Drop files here or
  • Very Important:

       

    -No females are allowed in ALONE for a daytime visit. Any female must be accompanied by one of the following in order to come for a day visit: 1) a Priest, 2) father, or 3) husband, or 4) brother, or 5) son in law, or 6) son, only if they are 18 years of age or older.

    - All daytime visitors MUST leave the Abbey grounds by 5:30 pm.

    - For the sake of social distancing, the only Church which visitors are allowed to enter is the Church of St. Mary. All other Churches are not permitted to be entered at any time without exception.

  • Please enter a number greater than or equal to 9.
  • Very Important:

       

    -The Abbey is open for daytime visitors between the hours of 4:00 am to 5:30 pm.

    - All daytime visitors MUST leave the Abbey grounds by 5:30 pm.

  • Date Format: MM slash DD slash YYYY
  • :
  • :
  • Are you coming and leaving the monastery for only one day or for several days (without an overnight stay)?
  • Date Format: MM slash DD slash YYYY
  • Donation Information
    Once you have submitted this form, you will be redirected to the diocese website. Please donate there by selecting “St. Mary and St. Moses Abbey” or one of our project designations as the option. Thank you for all of your support.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
St. Mary & St. Moses Abbey

Mailing Address

101 S Vista Dr Sandia, TX 78383

Driving Address

102 Scout's Path Sandia, TX 78383

Contact

(361) 547-3257

General Inquiries

Retreats & Visitation Inquires

Sayings of the Desert Fathers
monks learning

#55

إذا حَسُنَ لك الزنى أقتله بالتواضــع وإلجــــــــــأ
بنفسك إلى اللـه فتستريح، وإذا حُوربت بجمال
الجسد فتذكر نتانته بعد الموت فإنك تستريـــــح
القوى القديس الأنبا موسي

If adultery is beautified in your eyes, kill it with humility, take refuge in God and you will be comforted. If you are tempted with the beauty of the body, remember its stench after death and you will be comforted.

-St. Moses the Strong

Prayer Request
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Copyright 2021 © St. Mary & St. Moses Abbey
Glory be to the Holy Trinity, our God, unto the Ages of all ages, Amen.
  • Home
  • About
    • St. Mary & St. Moses Abbey
    • The Coptic Church
    • Holy Theotokos Saint Mary
    • Saint Moses the Strong
    • His Holiness Pope Tawadros II
    • His Grace Bishop Youssef
    • Bishops from our Monastery
  • Donate
  • Gallery
  • Retreat Registration
  • Daily Schedule
  • Retreats & Visits
    • Statement of Faith
    • Abbey & Retreat House Rules
    • Service Schedule
  • Resources
    • Audio
    • Monastic Library
  • St. Moses Bookstore
  • Live Stream & Media
    • His Grace Bishop Youssef YouTube Channel
    • SUSCOPT Video Stream
  • Contact