About Carmelite Monastery · Pittsford, New York
The Carmelite Monastery of Rochester, located in Pittsford, New York, is a Discalced Carmelite convent dedicated to a life of prayer, contemplation, silence, and community. Founded in 1930 by Mother Beatrix of the Holy Spirit, it moved to its current location in 1956. The monastery is modeled after historic Spanish Carmelite monasteries and serves as a spiritual center for the Carmelite tradition in the United States. It offers daily Mass, prayer requests, and vocation discernment for those interested in religious life.
- Established
- 1930
- Patron
- Our Lady and St. Joseph
Why belong here
The Carmelite Monastery invites visitors to experience a life of prayer and contemplation, offering daily Mass, prayer requests, and vocation discernment. The community is dedicated to interceding for souls and the world, providing a spiritual oasis modeled on historic Carmelite traditions.
Mass times at Carmelite Monastery
Weekly Mass schedule
Our History
The Rochester Carmel traces its roots to colonial America, beginning with Ann Matthews, who founded the first Carmel in the U.S. in 1790 in Maryland. The community later moved to Baltimore and eventually to Rochester in 1930, founded by Mother Beatrix of the Holy Spirit. In 1956, the nuns relocated to their current monastery at 1931 West Jefferson Road in Pittsford, New York, designed to support the Discalced Carmelite way of life.
Our Daily Life
The Discalced Carmelites live a life of solitude and contemplation, following a rule established by St. Albert in 1206. The order was restored by St. Teresa of Jesus in the 16th century. The Rochester Carmel provides a 'paradise set apart' for prayer, contemplation, silence, and community.
What Our Saints Say About Carmel
St. Elizabeth of the Trinity: 'A Carmelite is a soul who has gazed on the Crucified...'. St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross: 'Those who join the Carmelite Order are not lost to their near and dear ones...'. St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face: 'I felt that Carmel was the desert in which God wished to hide me too.'