About Our Lady of the Desert Conventual Church · Tucson, Arizona
Our Lady of the Desert Conventual Church is the chapel at the heart of the Redemptorist Renewal Center, situated on more than 100 acres in the Sonoran Desert foothills of the Tucson Mountains, about thirteen miles northwest of downtown Tucson, Arizona. It is staffed by the Redemptorist priests of the Denver Province and is part of the Diocese of Tucson. Unlike a typical parish church, the chapel serves the resident Redemptorist community, retreatants, sabbatical program participants, and visitors, and offers a small weekly Mass schedule along with periodic Eucharistic Adoration and GriefShare support. The site is also home to the Desert House of Prayer across the street, staffed by the Redemptorists for contemplative retreats.
- Established
- 1963
- Patron
- Our Lady (Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Fr. Brian Johnson, C.Ss.R.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Tucson
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Desert is less a neighborhood parish than a contemplative chapel in the desert, making it ideal for Catholics seeking prayer, silence, and spiritual direction rather than a full program schedule. It sits at the Redemptorist Renewal Center, which welcomes retreatants, sabbatical groups, and visitors for preached retreats, directed retreats (Ignatian and Alphonsian), Twelve-Step retreats, sabbaticals, and Bible study with Fr. Brian Johnson. A regular Sunday Mass, weekday Mass, and periodic Eucharistic Adoration give the surrounding Picture Rocks community a quiet place to worship, while GriefShare support reaches those in mourning.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Desert Conventual Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Adoration times
- Friday 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM (1st Friday)
About Our Lady of the Desert Chapel
Our Lady of the Desert Conventual Church is the chapel at the heart of the Redemptorist Renewal Center, a 100-plus-acre retreat campus in the Sonoran Desert thirteen miles northwest of downtown Tucson. The chapel is staffed by the Redemptorist priests of the Denver Province and falls within the Diocese of Tucson. It serves the resident Redemptorist community, retreatants on the property, sabbatical participants, and visitors from the Picture Rocks area. The Center's motto, 'The desert will lead you to your heart,' reflects its contemplative mission.
- Served by the Redemptorists (C.Ss.R.) of the Denver Province
- Diocese of Tucson
- Part of the Redemptorist Renewal Center campus
- Adjacent to the Desert House of Prayer
History of the Redemptorist Renewal Center
The Center traces its origins to Bishop Francis J. Green of Tucson, who invited the Redemptorists — long known for their preaching — to begin a retreat ministry in the diocese. The Redemptorists purchased the property at the foothills of the Tucson Mountains and broke ground on the church and residence on July 5, 1963. Over the following decades, the campus grew into a network of residences, meeting rooms, dining facilities, standard rooms, suites, and hermitages surrounding the chapel. The Center marked its 50th anniversary in 2015.
- Founded at the invitation of Bishop Francis J. Green of Tucson
- Construction began July 5, 1963
- 50th anniversary celebrated in 2015
- Church of Our Lady of the Desert sits at the heart of the property
Mass and Liturgical Schedule
The chapel keeps a simple weekly schedule oriented around retreat life rather than a full parish program. The Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 PM and two Sunday Masses (7:30 AM and 10:00 AM) serve the broader Picture Rocks community, while daily 7:30 AM Mass Monday through Friday sustains the resident Redemptorists and retreatants. Eucharistic Adoration is offered from 5:00 to 9:00 PM on First Fridays. The site also publishes recorded Masses on its YouTube channel for those unable to attend in person.
- Saturday Vigil: 4:00 PM
- Sunday: 7:30 AM and 10:00 AM
- Monday–Friday: 7:30 AM
- Eucharistic Adoration: Friday 5:00–9:00 PM (First Friday)
- Recorded Masses available on YouTube
Retreats and Sabbatical Programs
The Center is principally a retreat and sabbatical house, and the chapel's liturgical life is shaped around that ministry. Programs draw priests, religious, and laypeople from across the United States and around the world, with sabbatical participants recently arriving from Ireland, the U.K., Canada, and Australia. Retreats follow either the Ignatian principles of St. Ignatius or the Alphonsian principles of St. Alphonsus Liguori, founder of the Redemptorists.
- Preached Retreats and Days of Recollection
- Sisters' Eight-Day Preached Retreat (annual, each June)
- Directed Retreats (Ignatian and Alphonsian)
- Twelve-Step Directed Retreats
- Private Retreats
- Hermitage retreats
- Contemplative Intensive retreats
- Sabbatical programs (10-week spring and fall; 5-week summer)
Spiritual Direction and Contemplative Formation
Spiritual direction is available by appointment during visits and as a regular part of an ongoing spiritual journey. The Center also hosts the Hesychia School of Spiritual Direction, a formation program for those being trained as spiritual directors. Across the street, the Desert House of Prayer — also staffed by the Redemptorists — offers a more contemplative retreat model for those who prefer it.
- Spiritual Direction (by appointment)
- Hesychia School of Spiritual Direction
- Desert House of Prayer (across the street)
- Bible study with Fr. Brian Johnson
Sabbatical Program
Each year the Redemptorists run three contemplative study-and-retreat sabbaticals: a ten-week spring session, a ten-week fall session, and a five-week summer session. Sabbatical mornings feature a wide range of topics and speakers, including Pathways to Contemplation, Desert Spirituality, Laudato Si, Growing Old Gracefully, Forgiveness, Being a Mystic in Today's World, and Migrants & Refugees: A Call to Be Prophetic. The program also includes outings to the Kino Border Initiative, Kitt Peak Observatory, and the Grand Canyon/Sedona.
- Spring and Fall sabbaticals: 10 weeks each
- Summer sabbatical: 5 weeks
- Topics include Desert Spirituality, Laudato Si, and Contemplation
- Outings to Kino Border Initiative, Kitt Peak, and Grand Canyon/Sedona
Grief and Outreach
Our Lady of the Desert hosts a GriefShare support ministry through the Redemptorist Renewal Center, offering grief recovery support in Tucson. The Center's contemplative setting has also drawn groups such as the Sacred Sorrows ministry for bereaved mothers, reflecting its openness to those carrying loss and seeking prayerful accompaniment.
- GriefShare grief recovery support group
- Sacred Sorrows and other bereavement ministries welcomed on campus
Clergy and Staff
The chapel and the Renewal Center are staffed by Redemptorists of the Denver Province. Fr. Brian Johnson serves as pastor of Our Lady of the Desert Church and teaches a Bible study on campus. Fr. Paul Coury has served as director of the Redemptorist Renewal Center. Other named Redemptorists active in the Center's life include Fr. Stephen Rehrauer, Fr. Charlie Wehrley, Fr. David Louch, Fr. Peter Connelly, Fr. Jim Shea, Fr. Huy Vu, and Br. Dan Hall, who took on the year-round scheduling of retreats from Associate Director Peter Tran.
- Fr. Brian Johnson, C.Ss.R. — pastor
- Fr. Paul Coury, C.Ss.R. — director
- Fr. Stephen Rehrauer, Fr. Charlie Wehrley, Fr. David Louch
- Fr. Peter Connelly, Fr. Jim Shea, Fr. Huy Vu
- Br. Dan Hall, C.Ss.R.
Visiting and Contact
The chapel sits on a 100-plus-acre campus at 7101 W Picture Rocks Road, Tucson, AZ 85743, thirteen miles northwest of downtown Tucson. The main phone line is 520-744-3400 with a toll-free line at 866-737-5751. Visitors are encouraged to consult desertrenewal.org for the latest retreat calendar, sabbatical schedule, and recorded Masses on YouTube.
- Address: 7101 W Picture Rocks Road, Tucson, AZ 85743
- Phone: 520-744-3400
- Toll-free: 866-737-5751
- Website: desertrenewal.org