About Benedictine Monastery of Thien Tam · Kerens, Texas
The Benedictine Monastery of Thien Tam (Thiên Tâm, Vietnamese for "Heavenly Heart") is a small Vietnamese Benedictine monastery of men located on a 297-acre former ostrich ranch between Dallas and Houston in rural Kerens, Texas. Founded on September 19, 2009 as a dependency of the Abbey of Christ in the Desert in Abiquiu, New Mexico, it belongs to the Subiaco Cassinese Benedictine Congregation (English Province) and serves the Diocese of Dallas. The community follows the Rule of St. Benedict (Ora et Labora — prayer and work), keeping the Divine Office six times daily in Vietnamese and English, and is open to retreatants, visitors, and priests seeking a place of prayer and hospitality. Its property is notable for the Holy Relics Chapel (built 2011) and a bilingual English-Vietnamese exhibit of 126 Eucharistic Miracle displays.
- Established
- 2009
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus (Thiên Tâm — 'Heavenly Heart')
- Rector
- Father Matthew (Mát-thêu Gẫm) Nguyễn Đình Dâng, OSB — Prior (appointed 2023)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Dallas
Why belong here
Thien Tam offers a rare combination of contemplative Benedictine monastic life and warm Vietnamese Catholic hospitality, set on a quiet 297-acre property outside Kerens and open to all visitors. Daily Mass and the sixfold Liturgy of the Hours are offered in both Vietnamese and English, and the community welcomes self-directed retreat groups, priests, and religious for days of prayer. Two distinct attractions make it a destination in its own right: the Holy Relics Chapel with its collection of first-class relics of saints, and an exhibit of 126 bilingual English-Vietnamese frames documenting approved Eucharistic miracles worldwide. The monks also live a working Ora et Labora life on their farm and orchard, giving visitors a glimpse into the Benedictine tradition of prayer and labor that has shaped Western monasticism for fifteen centuries.
Mass times at Benedictine Monastery of Thien Tam
Weekly Mass schedule
Adoration times
- Sunday evening: Eucharistic Adoration during the Divine Office (in place of Lectio Divina)
History of the Benedictine Monastery of Thien Tam
In 2008, monks from the Abbey of Christ in the Desert in Abiquiu, New Mexico, traveled to Texas to find a home for a new Vietnamese Benedictine foundation. They purchased a 297-acre former ostrich ranch with a five-bedroom house outside Kerens for about one million dollars. On September 19, 2009, Bishop Kevin Farrell of the Diocese of Dallas celebrated the inaugural Mass that officially established the Benedictine Monastery of Thien Tam, with Father Dominic Hanh Nguyen, OSB, appointed founding Prior. The Abbot President erected Thien Tam as a dependent house of Christ in the Desert on May 21, 2012, and a novitiate was opened in November 2013. The monks blessed a monastic bell and bell tower on January 3, 2010, and built the Holy Relics Chapel in 2011 to house their growing relic collection.
- September 19, 2009 — official founding and inaugural Mass presided over by Bishop Kevin Farrell
- January 3, 2010 — blessing of the monastery bell and bell tower
- 2011 — construction of the Holy Relics Chapel
- May 21, 2012 — erected as a dependent house of the Abbey of Christ in the Desert
- November 2013 — novitiate established
- Christmas Day 2022 — death of founding Prior Father Dominic Hanh Nguyen, OSB
- March 2023 — canonical visitation by Provincial Abbot Cuthbert Brogan and Abbot Christian Leisy
- 2023 — appointment of Father Matthew Nguyễn Đình Dâng, OSB, as new Prior
- By late 2023 — Thien Tam recognized as an independent monastery
Benedictine Life and the Rule of St. Benedict
Thien Tam follows the sixth-century Rule of St. Benedict, the foundational text of Western monasticism written for the abbey of Montecassino. The community lives the Benedictine motto Ora et Labora — prayer and work — balancing six daily prayer offices with manual labor, lectio divina (sacred reading), self-study, and formation classes. The monks range in age from their mid-twenties to their eighties and run a working farm of cattle, chickens, and other poultry alongside a sizable fruit orchard. By 2023 the community numbered twelve professed monks and two novices, all of Vietnamese origin by birth or family background.
- Six daily prayer offices in Vietnamese and English
- Manual labor on the farm and orchard
- Lectio divina and self-study
- Formation classes
- Diocesan prayers offered daily for the Bishop, clergy, and faithful of the Diocese of Dallas
The Holy Relics Chapel
Built in 2011, the Holy Relics Chapel houses a substantial collection of mostly first-class relics of saints, including Saints Peter and Paul, Sts. Benedict and Scholastica, several Popes, and St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta. The Catholic practice of venerating relics holds that God can bless the faithful through incarnational and material means connected to the saints. The chapel is open for prayer by visitors and retreatants who arrange their visit in advance.
- First-class relics (parts of a saint 's body)
- Second-class relics (objects used by a saint)
- Third-class relics (objects touched to a first-class relic)
- Site of Sunday 11:00 AM English Mass
Eucharistic Miracle Display
A second building on the monastery grounds contains 126 bilingual English-Vietnamese framed displays documenting Eucharistic miracles that have occurred throughout the world and that have been scientifically investigated as attesting to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. This teaching exhibit has become a pilgrimage stop for Vietnamese-speaking Catholics and others visiting the monastery.
- 126 framed displays
- Bilingual English and Vietnamese labels
- Worldwide compilation of approved Eucharistic miracles
Retreats, Hospitality, and Vocations
Thien Tam keeps hospitality at the heart of its mission. The monks welcome self-directed retreat groups, priests, and religious, as well as visitors of any background who come for personal reflection. They hope to be 'a simple presence in this community not only to Catholics but to people of all walks of life, regardless of religion, age, national origin or background.' Larger groups can be accommodated in buildings on the property. Men discerning a monastic vocation may contact the Vocation Director at the monastery address or by email.
- Self-directed retreats for laypeople
- Retreats for priests and religious
- Day visits for prayer in the Holy Relics Chapel
- Vocation inquiries via the monastery address or [email protected]
Community and Staff
The current leadership of the monastery was confirmed in 2023 after the canonical visitation. Father Matthew (Mát-thêu Gẫm) Nguyễn Đình Dâng, OSB, serves as Prior and continues the work begun by founding Prior Father Dominic Hanh Nguyen, OSB (1969–2022). Father Paulavang Vuong, OSB, serves as Sub-Prior, and Mrs. Christa R. Richmond assists the Prior as his administrative assistant. The current membership comprises twelve professed monks and two novices.
- Father Matthew Nguyễn Đình Dâng, OSB — Prior
- Father Paulavang Vuong, OSB — Sub-Prior
- Mrs. Christa R. Richmond — Assistant to the Prior
- Twelve professed monks and two novices (as of late 2023)
Contact and Directions
The monastery is located in rural Navarro County, Texas, between Dallas and Houston. Visitors should call or email ahead to arrange visits to the Holy Relics Chapel, the Eucharistic Miracle display, or retreat stays.
- Address: 13055 SE County Road 4271, Kerens, TX 75144
- Telephone: (903) 396-3201
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://thientamosb.org
- Approximately 78 miles southeast of Dallas
- Approximately 175 miles northwest of Houston
- Approximately 165 miles southwest of Austin
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Dominic Hanh Nguyen, OSB2009–2022
Founding Prior appointed by Bishop Kevin Farrell at the September 19, 2009 inaugural Mass. Born in Vietnam on February 2, 1969; came to Christ in the Desert in 1990, professed vows in 1992, ordained in 2004, and earned a Licentiate in Canon Law at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome. Served as Prior for more than thirteen years until his death on Christmas Day 2022 at age 53 in Dallas.
- Father Matthew (Mát-thêu Gẫm) Nguyễn Đình Dâng, OSB2023–present
Appointed Prior in 2023 following the canonical visitation by Provincial Abbot Cuthbert Brogan, OSB (Farnborough Abbey) and Abbot Christian Leisy (Christ in the Desert). Leads the now-independent monastery of twelve professed monks and two novices.