About New Camaldoli Hermitage · Big Sur, California
New Camaldoli Hermitage (formally Immaculate Heart Hermitage) is a Camaldolese Benedictine hermitage perched at roughly 1,300 feet in the Santa Lucia Mountains of Big Sur, California. Founded in 1958 by two monks from the motherhouse at Camaldoli in Tuscany, it is the American expression of an ancient eremitic tradition begun by St. Romuald in the late 10th century, combining solitary prayer in individual cells with communal liturgy of the hours and Eucharistic celebration. About a dozen monks live in separate cottages divided by high walls and gardens, sustaining their life through a guest/retreat ministry, a gift/bookshop, a small monastic bakery, and writing. The hermitage sits within the Diocese of Monterey in California, and welcomes retreatants of any faith—or none—for silent, individually-directed stays overlooking the Pacific.
- Established
- 1958
- Patron
- Immaculate Heart of Mary
- Rector
- Ignatius M. Tully, O.S.B. Cam. (Prior)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Monterey in California
Why belong here
New Camaldoli Hermitage is not a typical parish but a working Camaldolese Benedictine monastery whose public ministry is hospitality: individuals and groups of any—or no—religious background are welcome to make a silent, individually-directed retreat, to join the monks in their chapel for the Liturgy of the Hours and daily Mass, and to walk the surrounding trails above the Pacific. Visiting retreatants and day visitors become part of a rhythm shaped by St. Benedict and St. Romuald, where prayer, lectio divina, manual labor, and silence are lived together by a small community of monks and a worldwide circle of lay oblates.
Mass times at New Camaldoli Hermitage
Weekly Mass schedule
Adoration times
- Voluntary half-hour of silent group meditation in the rotunda of the church following daily Vespers
History of New Camaldoli Hermitage
New Camaldoli Hermitage was founded in 1958 by two Camaldolese Benedictine monks sent from the Sacro Eremo of Camaldoli in Tuscany. The land, part of the historic Circle M (Lucia) Ranch on the Big Sur coast, had passed from a 1920s Wyoming rancher named Moore, to radio personality John Nesbitt in 1942, to the Smart brothers of King City, before being acquired by the monks. The land is believed to have been inhabited before the Spanish era by the Salinan Antonianos subtribe. The hermitage was consecrated under the title Immaculate Heart of Mary and is known by that name in formal records; its common name, New Camaldoli, links it directly to the 11th-century Italian motherhouse of the Camaldolese order founded by St. Romuald.
- Founded 1958 by two monks from Camaldoli, Italy, after two years of searching the U.S. West Coast.
- Co-founder Fr. Agostino (Ugo) Modotti, O.S.B. Cam., a former Jesuit missionary and WWII-era chaplain, is buried on a hillside under a Lourdes-style Mary statue.
- Site acquired from the historic Circle M / Lucia Ranch (Moore → Nesbitt → Smart brothers).
- Two daughter houses founded from Big Sur: Incarnation Monastery, Berkeley (1979) and Monastery of the Risen Christ, San Luis Obispo (2014).
Camaldolese Benedictine Charism
The Camaldolese branch of the Benedictine family was founded by St. Romuald in the late 10th century, building on the sixth-century monastic tradition of St. Benedict. Camaldolese life uniquely combines the eremitic and cenobitic: monks live in solitude in their own cells for personal prayer, lectio divina, and study, while gathering several times a day with the community for the Liturgy of the Hours and Eucharist. The official charism is summarized in three elements: solitude for personal prayer and meditation; communal prayer and work within the monastery; and the promotion of contemplative spirituality in the world.
- Solitude — for personal prayer, meditation, and lectio divina in the cell.
- Community — communal prayer, meals, and work shared with the brethren.
- Mission — promoting contemplative spirituality in the wider world through hospitality and example.
Daily Liturgy and Schedule
The monks' day is structured around the Liturgy of the Hours and the Eucharist. The chapel is open 24/7 and visitors are welcome to pray the Divine Office with the monks. The current published schedule (per Big Sur California Chamber and the Hermitage's own listings) is: Monday through Thursday — Vigils 5:30 am, Lauds 7:00 am, Midday Prayer 12:10 pm, Vespers with Mass 5:00 pm; Friday — Vigils 5:30 am, Lauds 7:00 am, Mass 11:30 am, Vespers 6:00 pm; Saturday — Lauds with Mass 6:30 am, Office of Readings 12:10 pm, Vespers 6:00 pm; Sunday — Vigils 5:30 am, Lauds 7:00 am, Mass 11:00 am, Vespers 5:00 pm. Vespers is followed by a voluntary half-hour of silent group meditation in the rotunda of the church.
- Daily Vigils and Lauds in the chapel, open to retreatants and visitors.
- Sunday Mass at 11:00 am; weekday Mass typically integrated with Vespers at 5:00 pm (Mon–Thu) or 11:30 am on Friday.
- Silent group meditation in the rotunda after Vespers.
- An older monastic-life description lists Vespers at 6:00 pm with the rotunda meditation — current published times list Vespers at 5:00 pm weekdays; guests are advised to confirm on arrival.
Hermitage Life — Solitude and Community
Each of the roughly dozen monks at New Camaldoli lives in his own small cottage, called a 'cell,' separated from neighbors by a high wall and including a private garden. These cells are the heart of the eremitic dimension: a place for lectio divina, silent prayer, and study. The communal buildings — chapel, refectory, retreat house, bookstore, and bakery — express the cenobitic dimension of life lived with one's brothers. Upon solemn commitment, a monk vows poverty, chastity, obedience, and stability.
- Individual cells with private gardens for eremitic prayer.
- Communal chapel, refectory, and workspaces for cenobitic life.
- Solemn vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and stability.
- Many monks came to monastic life as a second career (former teachers, artists, engineers, psychologists, military, and priests from other orders).
Labors of the Brothers
St. Benedict's balance of prayer, work, and study is lived out at New Camaldoli through a variety of labors assigned to the brothers. Public-facing work supports the community's life of hospitality and contemplation.
- Guest and retreat ministry — welcoming individuals and groups for silent retreats.
- Monastery bookstore and gift shop.
- Monastic bakery (monastery-made goods, including items sold to visitors).
- Writing, original art, pottery, and music.
- Cooking, gardening, and maintenance of the 899-acre property.
Retreats and Hospitality
Hospitality is the hermitage's primary public ministry. Men and women of any religious background — or none — are welcome for silent, individually-directed retreats, typically lasting from a weekend to a week or longer. Day visitors are also welcome at the chapel and grounds without advance arrangement. Overnight stays require a reservation through the guesthouse coordinator (e.g., Katee Armstrong, [email protected]); guests should note that the retreat is silent and that there is no Wi-Fi for retreatants and no cell signal within roughly 40 minutes of driving. The Hermitage also hosts occasional seminars and offers spiritual direction.
- Silent individually-directed retreats for men and women.
- Day visits to chapel and grounds (no advance booking required).
- Reservations required for overnight stays; contact [email protected].
- No Wi-Fi for guests; no cellular signal nearby — silence and disconnection are part of the experience.
Lay Oblates
Alongside the monastic community, New Camaldoli is supported by a worldwide circle of approximately 700 lay oblates — people living in the world who affiliate with the monastery, follow a rule of life shaped by St. Benedict and the Camaldolese tradition, and practice daily prayer, lectio divina, and physical labor. The oblate program has become a major part of the Hermitage's reach beyond its walls.
- About 700 oblates affiliated with the Big Sur community.
- Oblates adapt the monks' prayer rhythm and lectio divina to life outside the monastery.
- Many oblates visit the Hermitage regularly for retreats and community days.
Community Leadership — Priors
New Camaldoli Hermitage is led by a prior elected by the community. In January 2024, Father Ignatius M. Tully, O.S.B. Cam., was elected prior. He succeeds Father Cyprian Consiglio, O.S.B. Cam., who served from July 2013 (installed July 20, 2013, reconfirmed in January 2018) until January 2024, when he returned to work in music, writing, and interreligious dialogue. Consiglio's predecessor, Father Robert Hale, O.S.B. Cam., stepped down in mid-2013.
- Current prior: Fr. Ignatius M. Tully, O.S.B. Cam. (elected January 2024).
- Fr. Cyprian Consiglio, O.S.B. Cam. — prior July 2013 to January 2024; scholar of Eastern and Western spirituality.
- Fr. Robert Hale, O.S.B. Cam. — prior until July 2013.
- Founding prior: Fr. Agostino (Ugo) Modotti, O.S.B. Cam., d. at the Hermitage.
Visiting New Camaldoli
The hermitage is at 62475 Coast Highway 1, Big Sur, CA 93920, between Monterey (about 55 miles north) and San Luis Obispo (about 85 miles south). The closest major airport is Monterey (MRY). From Highway 1, a winding road nearly two miles long climbs to the monastery at roughly 1,300 feet, offering views of the Santa Lucia Mountains and Pacific. Day visits to the chapel are open to the public; overnight retreatants should reserve in advance and prepare for silence and limited connectivity.
- Address: 62475 Coast Highway 1, Big Sur, CA 93920-9533.
- Phone: +1 (831) 667-2456.
- Email: [email protected].
- Approximately 2 miles off Highway 1; 0.75 miles south of the Lucia Lodge.
- Closest major airport: Monterey (MRY).
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Agostino (Ugo) Modotti, O.S.B. Cam.1958 (founding)
Former Jesuit missionary to India and Australia; arrived at Camaldoli in 1950; co-founder and first prior. Buried at his request on a hillside at the Hermitage beneath a Lourdes-style statue of Mary.
- Robert Hale, O.S.B. Cam.until July 2013
Prior who stepped down in mid-2013.
- Cyprian Consiglio, O.S.B. Cam.July 2013 – January 2024
Elected prior July 2013, installed July 20, 2013; reconfirmed for another six-year term at the end of January 2018; completed his term in January 2024 and returned to work in music, writing, and interreligious dialogue.
- Ignatius M. Tully, O.S.B. Cam.January 2024 – present
Elected prior of the hermitage in January 2024.