About Christ the King Monastery · Cullman, Alabama
Christ the King Monastery is a small Benedictine monastic community located at 5060 County Road 1635 in rural Cullman County, Alabama, within the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama. Originally founded around 1984 by Father Leonard Giardina, OSB (formerly of nearby St. Bernard Monastery), it is devoted exclusively to the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass (the Tridentine rite / extraordinary form) and the singing of the Divine Office in Gregorian chant. After decades existing outside full canonical communion, the two remaining monks were formally reconciled with the Catholic Church in 2011 and are now diocesan hermits under the Bishop of Birmingham. Today the monastery is best known as a quiet pilgrimage site in north Alabama for the faithful attached to the Traditional Latin Mass.
- Established
- c. 1984
- Patron
- Christ the King (Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama
Why belong here
Christ the King Monastery offers the Traditional Latin Mass exclusively, celebrated daily in the extraordinary form of the Roman rite, with Gregorian chant and the full Tridentine liturgy — a rare offering in north Alabama. The monks live the Benedictine life of prayer, chant, and manual labor in a quiet rural setting just outside Cullman, and welcome the faithful and visitors who want to worship at a monastery attached to the Church's older liturgical tradition. For Catholics devoted to the traditional Latin Mass it is essentially the only such monastery in the Diocese of Birmingham and one of the few in the Deep South.
Mass times at Christ the King Monastery
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM (per Latin Mass Directory)
- Sunday 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM (per CatholicChurchTimes)
- Sunday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (per CatholicChurchTimes)
- Monday – Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM (per LatinRiteMass.net)
- Sunday 7:00 AM – 7:45 AM (per LatinRiteMass.net)
Adoration times
- Saturday 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Sunday 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
- Monday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
The Monastic Community
Today the resident community consists of two professed Benedictines, Brothers Sebastian Glentz and Michael Sauntner, both of whom have lived at Christ the King for more than thirty years and were received as canonical hermits under the Diocese of Birmingham in 2011. Because the Holy See has not yet definitively recognized the validity of their ordinations, neither brother currently functions as a priest; the monastery is served pastorally by visiting priests. The brothers follow the Rule of St. Benedict, sing the Divine Office in Gregorian chant, and perform manual labor on the monastery grounds.
- Brother Sebastian Glentz, OSB — Benedictine hermit
- Brother Michael Sauntner, OSB — Benedictine hermit
- Visiting priests celebrate the public Masses
- Rule of St. Benedict; Gregorian chant Office
Mass & Liturgical Schedule
The monastery celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass (extraordinary form) exclusively, with two Sunday Masses and a daily Low Mass on weekdays. Schedule information is published through the Latin Mass Directory, the LatinRiteMass.net database, the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament pilgrimage packet, and the diocesan pilgrimage resources; minor variations between listings exist, so visitors are encouraged to confirm before traveling.
- Sunday Low/Sung Mass: 10:00 AM (Latin)
- Sunday Mass: 5:30 PM (Latin)
- Monday – Saturday Low Mass: 7:30 AM or 8:00 AM (Latin)
- Only the Traditional Latin Mass is offered; the new rite of Mass is not celebrated here
Visiting & Pilgrimage
Christ the King Monastery is often visited by traditional Latin Mass faithful making a pilgrimage through north Alabama, typically in conjunction with the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in nearby Hanceville (about six miles from the Hwy 91 / Hwy 31 junction) and the other Catholic sites in the Cullman area. The monastery sits on rural County Road 1635 in Cullman County; road directions are published by the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, which is the most common pilgrimage hub for visitors to the area.
- Address: 5060 County Road 1635, Cullman, AL 35058
- Often visited alongside the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Hanceville
- Not affiliated with St. Bernard Abbey (the other Cullman monastery)
Contact & Practical Information
The monastery's official website at ctkmonastery.com is its primary online presence; phone contact has historically gone through (256) 796-5515, with (256) 735-4096 also listed on Shrine pilgrimage materials. The mailing address is P.O. Box 1616, Cullman, AL 35056. The monastery has no regularly published email address or active social media channels in the verified sources.
- Official website: http://www.ctkmonastery.com
- Phone (primary): (256) 796-5515
- Phone (alt. listing): (256) 735-4096
- Mailing: P.O. Box 1616, Cullman, AL 35056
- No verified official social media accounts
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Leonard Giardina, OSBc. 1984 – January 7, 2011
Founder and Abbot. Left St. Bernard Monastery in Cullman after Vatican II; established Christ the King as a traditional Benedictine abbey. Buried with a Low Mass at the monastery after his death.
- Brother Sebastian Glentz, OSBMay 2011 – present
Received vows as Benedictine canonical hermit under Bishop Robert Baker on Divine Mercy Sunday 2011; does not presently function as a priest while the validity of his ordination is examined.
- Brother Michael Sauntner, OSBMay 2011 – present
Received vows as Benedictine canonical hermit alongside Brother Sebastian on Divine Mercy Sunday 2011; same canonical status regarding ordination.