Portsmouth Abbey is a

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

, on

Aquidneck Island Aquidneck Island ( ), officially known as Rhode Island, is an island in Narragansett Bay in the state of Rhode Island. The total land area is , which makes it the largest island in the bay. The 2020 United States Census reported its population as ...

Narragansett Bay Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound covering , of which is in Rhode Island. The bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor and includes a small archipelago. S ...

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. As of 2025, the abbey has 10 monks. The monks run

Portsmouth Abbey School Portsmouth Abbey School is a coeducational Catholic, Benedictine boarding and day school for students in grades 9 to 12. Founded in 1926 by the English Benedictines, the school is located on a 525-acre campus in Portsmouth, along Rhode Island's N ...

History and description

The monastery was founded in 1918 as Portsmouth Priory by Dom Leonard Sargent, an American monk of

Downside Abbey Downside Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in England and the senior community of the English Benedictine Congregation. Until 2019, the community had close links with Downside School, for the education of children aged 11 to 18. Both the abbey ...

in England. In keeping with the congregation’s early history, the monks run a college preparatory boarding school for boys and girls. The monks also focused on scholarly and artistic work, and hospitality, as well as helping local parishes. The

English Benedictine Congregation The English Benedictine Congregation (EBC) is a congregation of autonomous Abbey, abbatial and Priory, prioral monastic communities of Catholic Church, Catholic Benedictine monks, nuns, and oblate (religion), lay oblates. It is technically the o ...

(EBC), of which Portsmouth Abbey is a member, is the oldest of the Benedictine congregations. It has canonical continuity with the first congregation established in the 13th century by the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

. The monks of the EBC run schools attached to their monasteries and look after 27 small parishes and mass centers near them. In addition, 30 parishes and 14 mass centers in England and Wales are served by EBC monks. A tradition revived by Fr Augustine Baker in the early 1600s laid great emphasis on contemplative and mystical prayer. This tradition continues in the EBC and at Portsmouth Abbey today.Portsmouth Abbey website
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References

Notes Sources
Portsmouth Abbey websitePortsmouth Abbey School websiteEnglish Benedictine Congregation website: Portsmouth Abbey

External links

* {{English Benedictine Congregation , state=collapsed Benedictine monasteries in the United States Buildings and structures in Portsmouth, Rhode Island