In this Jubilee Year, themed Pilgrims of Hope, Our Lady of Grace Monastery celebrates 200 years of faith, spiritual solace, and history in Monastery, Nova Scotia.
Located on 234 acres just off Exit 37 of the Trans-Canada Highway, the Monastery includes a retreat house, chapel, the Porter House, and an outdoor shrine with. Holy Spring. The Monastery is situated in old growth forest with a river running through the property that once provided power for the working farm and self-sufficient community that was monastic life in the early 19th and 20th centuries. Today, the setting is sacred and serene, a rare oasis in an increasingly busy and ‘concrete’ world, for individual visitors and for group retreats and activities.
Our Lady of Grace Monastery has been home to a number of religious orders beginning with the French Trappists in 1825 and most recently the Augustinian Contemplative Nuns who were at the Monastery 2008-2022.
Our Lady of Grace Monastery Foundation is now the owner and operator of the Monastery. A Canadian Registered Charity, the Foundation provides local ownership and governance for the property and operations through a Board of Directors, chaired by Bishop Wayne Kirkpatrick.
Visit the Monastery
The Monastery chapel is open daily 8 am – 5 pm, and the outdoor shrine is open year-round, weather permitting, welcoming all visitors who seek solace and space to immerse in prayer, reconnect with nature, and breathe deeply for mind, body, and spirit. In addition, the chapel offers daily Mass at 1o am and weekend Mass on Sunday at 10 am, celebrated by chaplain Fr. Albert MacPherson, OSA.
Upcoming Events
For this 200th anniversary year, the Monastery has a series of retreats and events scheduled.
See those here.
As part of the Jubilee Year in our Diocese, Monastery is a destination on our Pilgrim’s Way,
with a special celebration being planned for around the Feast of St. Augustine, August 28.
To learn more about Our Lady of Grace Monastery:
