About Mount St. Francis Hermitage -Oratory · Endicott, New York
Mount Saint Francis Hermitage is a Roman Catholic retreat center and oratory in Endicott, New York, set on 150 acres of wooded hills straddling the border of Endicott and Maine, NY. It is staffed by the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate (FI), a religious institute devoted to total consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary after the example of St. Maximilian Kolbe. The site functions both as a novitiate/formation house for young men discerning a Franciscan vocation and as a quiet place of prayer, daily Mass, confession and solitary retreat for the lay faithful. Holy Mass is offered daily in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite in the oratory at the Marian Friary, dedicated to Our Lady, Spouse of the Holy Spirit.
- Established
- 1973
- Patron
- St. Francis of Assisi (hermitage patron); community patron saints include St. Joseph Spouse of the Virgin Mary, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare of Assisi, St. Maximilian Kolbe, and St. Pio of Pietrelcina.
- Rector
- Fr. Jacinto Mary, F.I. (Guardian of the Hermitage)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse
Why belong here
Mount St. Francis is less a parish in the conventional sense than a working Franciscan friary and formation house that opens its oratory and grounds to the public. Daily Mass, regular confession, Eucharistic adoration and the option of a multi-day solitary retreat in a rustic cabin make it an unusual oasis for Catholics in the Southern Tier who want silence, traditional Marian-Franciscan spirituality and a genuine encounter with religious life. The hermitage welcomes visitors from dawn until dusk, hosts the monthly Mission of the Immaculate Mediatrix (MIM) formation day on the third Saturday of each month, and broadcasts Holy Virgin Mary Radio (WHVM 91.9 FM) from the property.
Mass times at Mount St. Francis Hermitage -Oratory
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday – Saturday: 11:30 am – 12:00 pm
- Sunday: 8:15 – 8:45 am
- Available on request at any time — ring the doorbell at the main friary
- Third Saturday of the month (MIM day): 11:15 – 11:45 am in the main friary
- First Saturday of the month: 8:00 am at St. Patrick's Church, Binghamton
Adoration times
- Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament on weekdays (refer to parish homepage for the current week's times)
History of the Hermitage
Mount St. Francis Hermitage was founded in 1973 by Fr. Stephen Valenta, a Conventual Franciscan. Working with lay volunteers he built a small chapel, retreat center and 13 cottages on 150 acres of rural Southern Tier hill country. In January 1998 the property was entrusted to the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, who transformed the retreat center into a Marian Friary dedicated to Our Lady, Spouse of the Holy Spirit. A new 18-cell friary was constructed and officially blessed on August 14, 2006, the Feast of St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, and the site also became home to Holy Virgin Mary Radio (WHVM 91.9 FM) on June 12, 2010. Today the property continues its dual vocation as a Franciscan formation house and a place of solitary retreat for the lay faithful.
- 1973: Founded by Fr. Stephen Valenta, O.F.M. Conv.
- January 1998: Entrusted to the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate
- Friary rededicated to Our Lady, Spouse of the Holy Spirit
- August 14, 2006: New 18-cell friary blessed (Feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe)
- June 12, 2010: Holy Virgin Mary Radio (WHVM 91.9 FM) goes on the air
The Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate
The hermitage is staffed by the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate (FI), a religious institute of pontifical right founded by Fr. Stefano Maria Manelli and Fr. Gabriele Maria Pellettieri. The friars live a Rule and life drawn from St. Francis of Assisi, and are distinguished by the Marian Vow of Unlimited Consecration to the Immaculate, which gives a 'Marian flavor' to the classic vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. They strive to be conformed to the poor, humble, crucified Jesus through charity, supernatural charity and poverty, after the example of St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe.
- Fr. Jacinto Mary, F.I. — Guardian of the Hermitage
- Fr. John Joseph Mary Cook, F.I.
- Fr. Ignatius, F.I.
- Patron saints: St. Joseph, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare of Assisi, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Pio of Pietrelcina
First Saturday Devotions
Each First Saturday of the month the friars travel to St. Patrick's Church, 9 Leroy Street, Binghamton, NY 13905, where they lead a full morning of First Saturday devotion. The day includes 8:00 am Mass and Confession, the Holy Rosary, the Litany of Loreto, a meditation talk on the Mysteries of the Rosary, and Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
- Location: St. Patrick's Church, 9 Leroy St., Binghamton, NY 13905
- Time: 8:00 am
- Includes: Mass, Confession, Holy Rosary, Litany of Loreto, meditation talk, Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Note: No Mass at the hermitage on First Saturdays
Mission of the Immaculate Mediatrix (MIM)
The Mission of the Immaculate Mediatrix is a Roman Catholic public association of the faithful that allows lay men and women to share in the Marian-Franciscan charism of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate. MIM meets at Mount Saint Francis on the third Saturday of every month, beginning at 9:00 am and running into the early afternoon. Meetings are open to members and non-members alike; visitors are asked to call ahead to confirm.
- 9:00 am — Rosary and Confessions
- 9:30 am — Holy Mass and thanksgiving
- 11:00 am — General Conference (plus youth track for children until 1:30)
- 12:00 pm — Angelus and break
- 12:15 pm — Chapter Meeting
- 12:45 pm — Formation Classes for different levels of membership
- 1:30 pm — Pot-luck lunch
- Contact: Fr. Jacinto Mary, (607) 754-0001
Retreats at the Mount
Mt. St. Francis offers a rustic, ascetical retreat experience on its 150 acres of woods, fields and ponds. Retreatants stay in isolated single-room cabins with electricity but no running water; water is drawn from an outdoor pump or the laundry center. Each cabin has a gas stove/oven, small refrigerator, microwave, propane and electric heaters, linens and blankets, and a wooden-board bed with foam pad. Toilets are outhouses; a heated supply building with showers, bathroom, washer/dryer and clean linens is a short walk away. A larger two-bedroom cabin (three beds) with full bath, kitchen, A/C and heating is available for small families or couples. The hermitage is a retreat facility, not a vacation spot — modesty of dress and silence are expected, and no set fees are charged (the cabins are treated as an apostolate supported by donations).
- Roughly a dozen isolated rustic cabins
- Individual cabin: single room, no running water, outhouse, foam pad on wooden bed
- Larger cabin: 2 bedrooms, 3 beds, full kitchen and bath, A/C and heating
- Reservations: at least one week in advance, by calling (607) 754-0001
- Entrance gate: opens ~6:00 am, locked ~9:30 pm; retreatants to arrive by 7:00 pm
- Modesty of dress required; silence respected
- No set fees — retreat cabins supported by donations
Holy Virgin Mary Radio (WHVM 91.9 FM)
The friary is home to Holy Virgin Mary Radio, WHVM 91.9 FM (Owego). Founded and operated by the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, it went on the air on June 12, 2010, the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and was the first Catholic radio station in the United States owned and operated by the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate. Programming is also produced from the Franciscan Friary in Griswold, Connecticut.
- Frequency: 91.9 FM (Owego, NY)
- On the air: June 12, 2010
- Owned and operated by the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate
FI Sacred Music
The hermitage's website highlights FI Sacred Music — sacred music recordings by the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate. (No further detail is published on the hermitage site itself.)
Contact, Directions & Friars' Needs
The hermitage can be reached at 120 Edson Rd., Endicott, NY 13760, telephone (607) 754-0001. Both mail and shipped packages can be sent to that address (the property still uses its Maine, NY PO Box for some mail). Driving directions are available on the parish website via Google Maps. The friars welcome practical support as well as prayerful support: gift cards for groceries from Sam's Club, Walmart, Weis, Aldi and Wegman's are particularly appreciated.
- Address: 120 Edson Rd., Endicott, NY 13760
- Phone: (607) 754-0001
- GPS: 42.157460, -76.059306
- Appreciated gifts: grocery gift cards (Sam's Club, Walmart, Weis, Aldi, Wegman's)
- Facebook: facebook.com/Mount-Saint-Francis-Hermitage-108137525894379/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Stephen Valenta, O.F.M. Conv.1973 – c. 1997
Founder; Conventual Franciscan who established the original retreat center, small chapel and 13 cottages/hermitages on the 150-acre site.