About St. Anthony's Convent (Chapel and Grounds Open to the Public) · Catskill, New York
St. Anthony's Convent, with its chapel and grounds open to the public, is a house of prayer in the quiet hills of upstate New York, run by the Sisters of Life in the village of Catskill. The chapel sits on a long-established Catholic property overlooking the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains, which the Franciscan Friars of the Province of the Immaculate Conception occupied for over a century before handing the property over to the Sisters of Life in August 2021. The convent functions less as a territorial parish and more as a spiritual home where the sisters — devoted to a fourth vow protecting the sacredness of human life — combine a daily rhythm of Mass, Holy Hour, Vespers, and the Rosary with hospitality to visitors who come to pray.
- Established
- 1908 (Franciscan friary); 2021 (Sisters of Life era as St. Anthony's Convent)
- Patron
- St. Anthony of Padua
- Diocese
- Diocese of Albany
Why belong here
St. Anthony's Convent is not a territorial parish but a chapel whose doors and grounds are explicitly open to the public, making it a rare chance in the Hudson Valley to pray with a contemplative-prophetic community dedicated to the sacredness of every human life. Visitors can join the sisters for a daily 12:00 pm Mass, a Eucharistic Holy Hour with Vespers, the monthly Source Holy Hour, and the rhythm of the Rosary — four hours of common daily prayer centered on the Eucharist. It is an ideal place for anyone seeking silence, a young and joyful community, or a quiet retreat from the busyness of the lower Hudson Valley.
Mass times at St. Anthony's Convent (Chapel and Grounds Open to the Public)
Weekly Mass schedule
Adoration times
- Monday: 4:45 pm Holy Hour (preceded by 4:15 pm Rosary, followed by 5:30 pm Vespers)
- Tuesday: 4:45 pm Holy Hour (preceded by 4:15 pm Rosary, followed by 5:30 pm Vespers)
- Wednesday: 4:45 pm Holy Hour (preceded by 4:15 pm Rosary, followed by 5:30 pm Vespers)
- Thursday: 4:45 pm Holy Hour (preceded by 4:15 pm Rosary, followed by 5:30 pm Vespers)
- Friday: 12:45 pm – 4:30 pm Adoration, 4:30 pm Rosary, 5:00 pm Vespers
About St. Anthony's Convent
St. Anthony's Convent is the Catskill, New York home of the Sisters of Life, a contemplative-religious community whose mission is to protect and enhance the sacredness of human life. The chapel and the convent grounds are open to the public, and visitors are warmly invited to join the sisters for daily Mass, the Holy Hour, Vespers, and the Rosary. The site is in the Diocese of Albany, in the quiet hills of upstate New York along the Hudson River.
- House of prayer in the quiet hills of upstate New York
- Chapel and grounds open to the public
- Operated by the Sisters of Life
History
The Catholic life of this site began in 1908, when the Franciscan Province of the Immaculate Conception purchased the former Prospect Park Hotel overlooking the Hudson River. The friars adapted the hotel as a seminary, built a second building, and ultimately constructed the present structure dedicated in 1958 as the provincial novitiate. For over a century the friary served as a formation house, novitiate, and retirement home, and it staffed several local parishes in the Hudson Valley. On August 15, 2021, the keys were formally handed to the Sisters of Life in a Solemn Mass on the Solemnity of the Assumption.
- 1908 — Province of the Immaculate Conception purchases the former Prospect Park Hotel site
- Building used as a seminary, then novitiate, then retirement house
- Current building (third on site) dedicated in 1958
- August 15, 2021 — Franciscan friars hand over the property to the Sisters of Life
- Long-term lease held by the Sisters of Life
The Sisters of Life
The Sisters of Life are a Catholic religious community founded in 1991 by the late Cardinal John J. O'Connor of New York, with a specific call to protect and support the dignity of human life. In addition to the traditional vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, each sister professes a fourth vow 'to protect and enhance the sacredness of human life.' The community is based out of St. Andrew's Center in New York City, where the Visitation Mission serves women facing crisis pregnancies with housing, counseling, and emotional support, and also offers post-abortion retreats.
- Founded 1991 by Cardinal John J. O'Connor of New York
- Fourth vow: to protect and enhance the sacredness of human life
- Headquarters: St. Andrew's Center, New York City
- Other presences: Philadelphia, Toronto, Washington, Denver, Phoenix, Stamford (CT)
- Apostolates include Visitation Mission and post-abortion retreats
Mass and Prayer Schedule
The chapel follows a regular weekday rhythm centered on the Eucharist. A daily Mass is celebrated at noon, Monday through Saturday, and a Eucharistic Holy Hour with Vespers is held each afternoon. The Rosary is prayed before the Holy Hour, and on Fridays a longer block of Adoration stretches from shortly after noon until late afternoon, followed by Vespers.
Holy Hour and Vespers
The convent offers a daily Holy Hour in the late afternoon. Monday through Thursday the Rosary is prayed at 4:15 pm, followed by Holy Hour at 4:45 pm, and Vespers at 5:30 pm. On Fridays, Adoration extends from 12:45 pm to 4:30 pm, followed by the Rosary at 4:30 pm and Vespers at 5:00 pm.
- Monday–Thursday: 4:15 pm Rosary · 4:45 pm Holy Hour · 5:30 pm Vespers
- Friday: 12:45–4:30 pm Adoration · 4:30 pm Rosary · 5:00 pm Vespers
The Source Holy Hour
The Source Holy Hour is a monthly evening of Eucharistic prayer and music held at the convent at 7:30 pm. It draws young adults, friends of the Sisters of Life, and visitors from across the region.
- Time: 7:30 pm
- Upcoming months: September 27, October 25, November 22, January 31, February 28, March 21, April 25, May 23
Community Life and Staff
The convent is led by a local superior and staffed by a young, vibrant community of sisters whose average age is around 30 — unusually young by the standards of most women's religious institutes. The community gathers four hours a day in common prayer centered on the Eucharist and reserves one day a week for prayer alone. The current superior is Sister Brigid (Ancilla Marie), who received the keys to the property in August 2021 from Mother Agnes Mary Donovan, the superior general of the Sisters of Life.
- Local Superior: Sister Brigid (Ancilla Marie), S.V.
- Superior General: Mother Agnes Mary Donovan, S.V.
- Sisters named in early coverage: Sister Monica, Sister Madeleine, Sister Cara Marie
Location and Visiting
St. Anthony's Convent is at 24 Harrison Street in the Village of Catskill, NY, on a bluff above the Hudson River. The site looks east to the river and west to the Catskill Mountains, including the familiar 'Rip Van Winkle' profile in the range. The Rip Van Winkle Bridge is about one mile north of the property.
- Address: 24 Harrison Street, Catskill, NY 12414
- Phone: (518) 943-3451
- Setting: Hudson River bluff in the Village of Catskill
- Landmark nearby: Rip Van Winkle Bridge (~1 mile north)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Paul Guido, O.F.M.temporary administrator at handover, 2021
Final Franciscan administrator of St. Anthony Friary; turned over the keys to the Sisters of Life at a Solemn Mass on the Solemnity of the Assumption, August 15, 2021.
- Sister Brigid (Ancilla Marie), S.V.2021–present
First superior of St. Anthony's Convent under the Sisters of Life; received the keys from Mother Agnes Mary Donovan at the 2021 handover Mass.