The Franciscan Monastery
Our Mission
800 years ago, the Roman Catholic Church entrusted the guardianship of the Holy Land and other shrines of the Christian religion to the Order of St. Francis. This work has grown to include support of schools and missions in the Holy Land, as well as care for refugees and other needy people throughout the region.
The Franciscan Monastery in Washington, D.C., sustains this 800-year mission of the Franciscan Friars in the Holy Land through education, fundraising, recruiting vocations, promoting pilgrimages and providing pastoral ministry locally to religious and lay Catholics and to all of good will.
The Franciscan Monastery is home to a thriving Franciscan community: self-sustaining and capable of fulfilling its mission on behalf of the Holy Land, its Friars, and the Church Universal.
The Hermitage
Enter into deeper communion with God through prayer and solitude. The hermitage is a peaceful urban retreat for one person that is nestled behind the historic Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America. It is conveniently located near Metro and The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.
Accommodations
The hermitage is a separate building with a sleeping area for one person, kitchenette, bathroom and outdoor deck. It is wheelchair accessible. Bed linens, towels and cooking utensils are included. Guests are responsible for their own meals.
Mass and confession are offered daily. Guests are invited to spend time in contemplation in the historic Monastery church, Alverna Chapel, gardens, and shrines of the Holy Land and Lourdes on 42 peaceful acres.