About Portsmouth Abbey · Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Portsmouth Abbey is a Benedictine monastery of the English Benedictine Congregation in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, on Aquidneck Island overlooking Narragansett Bay. Founded in 1918 by Dom Leonard Sargent, an American monk of Downside Abbey in England, the community lives according to the Rule of St. Benedict in prayer, work, and hospitality. The monks also run Portsmouth Abbey School, a Catholic coeducational boarding and day school for grades 9–12, and the Abbey Church of St. Gregory the Great — a celebrated 1960 Pietro Belluschi design — anchors the campus. As of 2025, the community numbers about ten monks and is part of the Diocese of Providence.
- Established
- 1918
- Patron
- St. Gregory the Great; Mary, Queen of Peace
- Rector
- Abbot Michael G. Brunner, O.S.B.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Providence
Why belong here
Portsmouth Abbey offers a rare opportunity to encounter the ancient English Benedictine tradition of the Rule of St. Benedict in a New England setting of remarkable natural beauty on Narragansett Bay. The monks welcome the public to daily Mass sung in Gregorian chant, Sunday Mass, daily Vespers, Compline, and Adoration on Fridays — all in the celebrated modernist Church of St. Gregory the Great. Lay Catholics can deepen their connection to the community through the Oblate program, by praying alongside the monks in the Liturgy of the Hours, or by participating in the Abbey's ministry of hospitality, scholarly life, and service to the Diocese of Providence.
Mass times at Portsmouth Abbey
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Available by approaching a monk soon after Mass or the Divine Office; priests will guide visitors to the confessional.
Adoration times
- Friday Adoration: 1:30 PM – 5:00 PM
- First Friday Adoration for Vocations: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM
History of Portsmouth Abbey
Portsmouth Abbey was founded in 1918 by Dom Leonard Sargent, an American monk of Downside Abbey in England, who acquired the Hall Manor property on a 70-acre tract along Narragansett Bay. Originally established as Portsmouth Priory under Downside's jurisdiction, the community grew when monks on loan from Fort Augustus Abbey in Scotland joined in 1926, and a school was added that same year with 18 students. The priory became independent in 1949 and was raised to abbatial status in 1969, with an entirely American community.
- 1918 — Dom Leonard Sargent founds Portsmouth Priory on the Hall Manor property.
- 1926 — School opens September 28 with 18 students; Dom Wulstan Knowles is first Prior; Dom Hugh Diman appointed Headmaster.
- 1949 — Priory becomes independent.
- 1960 — Abbey Church of St. Gregory the Great completed (designed by Pietro Belluschi).
- 1969 — Elevated to abbatial status.
- 1990 — Monastic library built to house collection of monastic, scriptural, and theological works.
- 1991 — School embraces coeducation for boarding and day students.
- 2018 — Fr. Michael Brunner appointed Prior Administrator.
- 2022 — Fr. Michael Brunner elected the fourth Abbot of Portsmouth Abbey.
The Abbey Church of St. Gregory the Great
The spiritual heart of the community is the Abbey Church of St. Gregory the Great, designed by modernist architect Pietro Belluschi and completed in 1960. Its octagonal plan, 28-foot clerestory, and 60-foot spire draw on San Vitale in Ravenna, while its stone walls, redwood board-and-batten siding, stained glass, and copper roofs reflect Pacific Northwestern, Scandinavian, and Japanese design precedents. Of the 27 buildings on the 525-acre campus, 14 were designed by Belluschi, making the Abbey the largest collection of his work.
- Architect: Pietro Belluschi (Bauhaus-trained, former head of urban planning and architecture at MIT).
- Sculptor: Richard Lippold — monumental 'Trinity' above the altar, 22,000 feet of gold-plated wire.
- Craftsman: George Nakashima.
- Glass designer: Henry Lee Willett.
- Seven-year, $4 million restoration reinforced the structure, refurbished the spire, and replaced all 136 clerestory frames with old-growth timber from Vancouver.
- Restoration earned AIA RI (2009), AIA CT (2013), Faith & Form (2014), and AIA New England (2016) awards.
Monastic Life and the Liturgy of the Hours
The monks of Portsmouth Abbey live according to the Rule of St. Benedict in a daily rhythm of prayer, work, study, and hospitality. The full Liturgy of the Hours is prayed in the Abbey Church and is open to the public, including Matins and Lauds, the Conventual Mass, the Little Hour, Vespers, and Compline, followed by the 'Greater Silence' from 9:30 PM.
- Matins and Lauds — 5:45 AM (Mon–Sat), 7:00 AM (Sun).
- Conventual Mass — 7:20 AM (Mon–Sat); 9:30 AM (Sun).
- Little Hour — 11:45 AM (daily).
- Vespers — 5:30 PM (daily).
- Compline — approximately 7:00 PM (Mon–Sat); after Vespers and Dinner on Sunday.
- Greater Silence observed from 9:30 PM.
Mass and Sacraments
Daily Mass is celebrated in the Abbey Church at 7:20 AM (Monday through Saturday) with Gregorian chant by the monks, and Sunday Mass is celebrated at 9:30 AM. Eucharistic Adoration is offered every Friday from 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM, and a special First Friday Adoration for Vocations is held from 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM. The Abbey notes that confession is available by approaching a monk soon after Mass or the Divine Office, who will guide visitors to one of the priests.
- Sunday Mass: 9:30 AM (English).
- Weekday Mass: 7:20 AM Monday–Saturday (English, with Gregorian Chant).
- Friday Adoration: 1:30 PM – 5:00 PM.
- First Friday Adoration for Vocations: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM.
- First Saturday Devotions: Queen of Peace devotion and rosary after 7:20 AM Mass; rosary in the Abbey Church after Compline.
- Confession: available after Mass or the Office by approaching a monk.
Benedictine Oblates and Lay Affiliation
From the earliest days of Benedictine monasticism, lay people have been drawn to affiliate themselves with a monastic community so as to profit spiritually by living according to the spirit of the Rule. At Portsmouth Abbey, oblates make a promise — generally renewable each year — to the superior of the monastery (most recently to Fr. Michael Brunner as Prior Administrator) and share more deeply in the prayer and life of the monks.
- Director of Oblates coordinates the program at Portsmouth Abbey.
- Oblates may attend the Liturgy of the Hours and receive spiritual formation from the community.
- The first seeds of the Portsmouth oblate program were sown in 1914, five years before the monastery's 1918 founding.
Portsmouth Abbey School
Run by the monks of Portsmouth Abbey since 1926, Portsmouth Abbey School is a coeducational Catholic boarding and day school for about 350 students in grades 9 through 12, set on a 525-acre campus along Narragansett Bay less than 30 minutes south of Providence and 20 minutes from Newport. The school embraces the English Benedictine tradition of learning, with a strong humanities program rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition alongside rigorous mathematics, science, and the fine arts.
- Founded 1926 as 'The Portsmouth School' (later Portsmouth Priory School, then Portsmouth Abbey School).
- Embraced coeducation for boarding and day students in 1991.
- In 1998, recommitted to the Western intellectual tradition rooted in ancient Greece.
- Signature humanities program grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition.
- 14 of 27 campus buildings designed by Pietro Belluschi.
The Monks and Leadership
As of 2025, Portsmouth Abbey is home to approximately ten Benedictine monks of the English Benedictine Congregation, governed by the Rule of St. Benedict and led by Abbot Michael G. Brunner, O.S.B., the community's fourth Abbot. The monks are present in the life of Portsmouth Abbey School from sunrise to sunset — sharing meals in the dining hall, supporting student artists, athletes, and musicians, and offering the daily example of their consecrated lives.
- Abbot Michael G. Brunner, O.S.B. — fourth Abbot (Prior Administrator from September 2018; elected Abbot January 2022). Former hotel executive, converted to Catholicism through study of non-Christian religions, professed at St. Louis Abbey (1998). Teaches Moral Theology and World Religions.
- Fr. Benedict Maria, O.S.B. (Dom Benedict Sagaya Valan Maria) — originally from India's Bay of Bengal region, software engineer by training; teaches theology; joined the faculty in 2025.
- Fr. Edward, O.S.B. — monk of St. Louis Abbey resident at Portsmouth; ordained September 2017; teaches Mathematics.
Campus, Library, and Facilities
The Abbey's 525-acre campus on Aquidneck Island features 27 buildings, 14 of them designed by Pietro Belluschi. A monastic library constructed in 1990 houses the community's collection of monastic, scriptural, and theological works and provides for scholarly research, continuing the Benedictine tradition of learning that has always characterized the order.
- 525-acre campus on Narragansett Bay.
- 27 buildings, 14 designed by Pietro Belluschi.
- Monastic library built 1990.
- Live-streamed liturgies available via YouTube.
Visiting Portsmouth Abbey
Portsmouth Abbey welcomes visitors, retreatants, and the simply curious to share in the monks' daily prayer and Mass in the Abbey Church of St. Gregory the Great. The monastery is located at 285 Cory's Lane in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, on Aquidneck Island, less than 30 minutes south of Providence and about 20 minutes from Newport. Liturgies are live-streamed via the monastery's YouTube channel for those unable to attend in person.
- Address: 285 Cory's Lane, Portsmouth, RI 02871.
- Phone: (401) 683-2000.
- Live-stream: monastery's YouTube channel (subscribe for live liturgies).
- Hospitality is a core part of the Benedictine vocation; visiting faithful are warmly received.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Dom Leonard Sargent, O.S.B.1918–
Founder of the monastery; American monk of Downside Abbey who acquired the Hall Manor property in 1918.
- Dom Wulstan Knowles, O.S.B.1926–
First Prior of the monastery at the time of the school's founding.
- Abbot Michael G. Brunner, O.S.B.2018–present
Appointed Prior Administrator in September 2018; elected fourth Abbot of Portsmouth Abbey in January 2022. Previously Headmaster of St. Louis Priory School and pastor of Saint Anselm Parish.