About St. Leo Abbey - Benedictine Monks · Saint Leo, Florida
Saint Leo Abbey is an American-Cassinese Benedictine monastery of monks in Saint Leo, Florida, founded in 1889 as the only Benedictine monastery in the state. The monks follow the Rule of Saint Benedict in a life of prayer, work, and hospitality, celebrating daily Mass in the Church of the Holy Cross, a 1936–1948 Italian Romanesque basilica overlooking Lake Jovita on the campus of Saint Leo University. The abbey serves as pastor for the local Catholic community and welcomes retreatants, students, and pilgrims to its historic grounds, which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Established
- 1889
- Patron
- Saint Leo the Great (Pope)
- Rector
- Br. Apollo Rodriguez, O.S.B. (Administrator, June 2025–present); currently overseen by Canonical Administrator Abbot Jonathan Licari, O.S.B.; the position of Abbot is vacant following the removal of Abbot Isaac Camacho, O.S.B. in June 2025
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Petersburg
Why belong here
Saint Leo Abbey is the only Benedictine monastery in Florida, with a 130-year legacy of prayer, Gregorian chant, and Benedictine hospitality on the historic grounds above Lake Jovita. Visitors can worship at the Italian Romanesque Church of the Holy Cross, join monks for Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours, make a directed retreat at the on-site retreat center, or become an Oblate and incorporate the Rule of Saint Benedict into ordinary life. The community is deeply welcoming to students, retreatants, families, and seekers of every background, drawing people who value a contemplative rhythm of life rooted in work and prayer.
Mass times at St. Leo Abbey - Benedictine Monks
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM (during school year)
- Tuesday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (during Adoration, during school year)
Adoration times
- Tuesday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Student Praise & Worship Adoration (when class is in session)
- Gregorian Chant and Liturgy of the Hours daily (Morning Prayer, Midday Prayer, Evening Prayer, Night Prayer)
About Saint Leo Abbey
Saint Leo Abbey is a monastic community of men seeking God through the Gospels and the Rule of Saint Benedict. As Vatican II teaches, the monks' divine worship becomes the voice of the Church's prayer, especially for those who do not pray and for the intentions of the Holy Father. As monks, they consecrate time to making God's presence a constant reality through the Liturgy of the Hours, daily Mass, lectio divina, and monastic work, while welcoming retreatants, students, and visitors into the rhythm of Benedictine life.
- Mission: a monastic community of men searching for God, holding the Gospels at the center while following the Rule of Saint Benedict.
- Following the American-Cassinese Congregation of the Order of Saint Benedict.
- Mother house: Saint Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe, Pennsylvania.
History
The roots of Saint Leo Abbey lie in the Catholic Colony of San Antonio, founded by Judge Edmund F. Dunne in 1882. After the arrival of Father Gerard Pilz, O.S.B., in 1886, the Benedictines established Saint Leo College and the abbey mission on June 4, 1889. The mission became an independent priory in 1894 and was elevated to an abbey on September 25, 1902. The present Church of the Holy Cross was begun in 1936 under Abbot Francis Sadlier, O.S.B., and consecrated on January 29, 1948. In January 1998 the abbey complex was placed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
- 1882 — Catholic Colony of San Antonio founded by Judge Edmund F. Dunne.
- 1886 — Father Gerard Pilz, O.S.B., arrives as the first Benedictine in Florida.
- June 4, 1889 — Saint Leo College (now Saint Leo University) and the Benedictine mission are chartered.
- 1894 — Saint Leo becomes an independent priory.
- September 25, 1902 — Elevated to abbey status by Pope Leo XIII; Charles H. Mohr, O.S.B., elected first abbot.
- 1936–1948 — Construction of the Church of the Holy Cross.
- 1948 — Consecration of the Church of the Holy Cross.
- 1969 — Transfer of Saint Leo University to an independent board.
- January 7, 1998 — St. Leo Abbey Historic District added to the National Register of Historic Places.
- 2007 — Isaac Camacho, O.S.B., elected sixth abbot.
- June 2025 — Abbot Camacho removed; Abbot Jonathan Licari appointed Canonical Administrator; Br. Apollo Rodriguez named Administrator.
Abbots: Present and Past
Saint Leo Abbey has been led by six abbots since its elevation in 1902, with a period of administrators from 1996 to 2007. Following the June 2025 transition, the abbey is overseen by a Canonical Administrator and an Administrator.
- Charles Mohr, O.S.B. (1902–1931) — first abbot
- Francis Sadlier, O.S.B. (1929–1954) — built the Church of the Holy Cross
- Marion Bowman, O.S.B. (1954–1969)
- Fidelis Dunlap, O.S.B. (1970–1985)
- Patrick Shelton, O.S.B. (1985–1996)
- Several Administrators (1996–2007)
- Isaac Camacho, O.S.B. (2007–June 2025) — sixth abbot
- Abbot Jonathan Licari, O.S.B. — Canonical Administrator (2025)
- Br. Apollo Rodriguez, O.S.B. — Administrator / Prior (2025–present)
Worship with Us
The monks of Saint Leo Abbey celebrate Mass and the full Liturgy of the Hours each day in the Church of the Holy Cross, in the Benedictine tradition of Gregorian chant and reverent liturgy. Visitors are warmly welcomed to join the monks for these prayer services and for daily and Sunday Mass.
- Sunday: 7:30 AM Morning Prayer, 10:00 AM Mass, 12:00 PM Midday Prayer, 5:00 PM Solemn Evening Prayer, 7:00 PM Student Mass (school year).
- Monday–Friday: 12:00 PM Mass and 5:00 PM Mass, with the Liturgy of the Hours morning, midday, and evening.
- Saturday: 7:00 AM Morning Prayer, 12:00 PM Mass with Midday Prayer, 5:00 PM Evening Prayer.
- Gregorian chant is a hallmark of the monastic liturgy.
Retreat Center
Saint Leo Abbey's Retreat Center welcomes groups of all faiths and spiritualities to share in the abbey's contemplative environment overlooking Lake Jovita. Guests stay in the renovated Saint Leo Hall — the former prep school dormitory — at double occupancy for up to 60, take meals with the monks in the monastic dining room, and may celebrate Mass and the sacraments with the community.
- Overnight Adult Retreats — minimum 2-night stay; meals included.
- Day at the Abbey — field-trip style program with monastic talks, Q&A, historical tour, Mass and Gregorian chant (minimum 12 guests).
- Youth Retreats — with priests to celebrate the sacraments.
- 3rd-floor meeting room with a view of Lake Jovita and a private chapel for groups.
- Abbey Church reservable for private use.
- Office: (352) 588-8625; [email protected].
- Guestmistress: Sister Kerry Smith, Oblate of Saint Benedict.
Vocations
The abbey welcomes men who feel called to the Benedictine way of life. The formation process is intentionally slow and supportive, designed to help each candidate discern without pressure. Stages include postulancy (about six months), novitiate (about one year, with the monastic scapular and a new name), simple profession of vows renewable annually for three years, and finally solemn vows binding the monk for life.
- Stage 1 — Postulancy (~6 months): monastic tunic; discerning monastic life in community.
- Stage 2 — Novitiate (~1 year): wearing the scapular, receiving a new monastic name.
- Stage 3 — Simple Profession: annual vows for three years; full monastic habit.
- Final Stage — Solemn Vows: lifelong commitment after three years of simple vows.
- Core practices of formation: prayer, work, lectio divina, study of the Holy Scriptures, the Rule of Saint Benedict.
Benedictine Oblates
The abbey's Oblate program allows lay men and women to affiliate with Saint Leo Abbey and live a spiritual life patterned after the Rule of Saint Benedict as their state in life permits. Oblates make a promise — not vows — to the monastery, 'offering' themselves in spiritual union with the monks.
- Director: Abbot Isaac Camacho (teaches balance of prayer and work).
- Coordinators: Lucius and Kerry.
- Teachers: Abbot Isaac, Lucius, and Apollo.
- Practices: lectio divina, the Divine Office, the Rule of Saint Benedict.
- Volunteer opportunities in the gift shop, reception, manual services, and liturgical ministry (lector, EM, greeter).
Saint Leo University Ministry
Saint Leo Abbey hosts Saint Leo University's Catholic campus ministry, offering daily Mass and a full calendar of faith activities for students, faculty, and staff of Saint Leo University. The abbey church is the spiritual heart of campus life.
- Daily Mass in the Abbey Church (noon and 5 PM during the school year).
- Eucharistic Adoration with Praise & Worship (Tuesday evenings).
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults).
- Men's Group (Mondays 7 PM, Kirk 122) and Women's Group (Mondays 7 PM, TECO Hall).
- Music Ministry with Music Minister Lucas Nocera.
- Imago Dei pro-life club, Theology on Tap, Service Trips and Alternative Spring Break.
- Campus Ministry phone: (352) 588-8498.
Church of the Holy Cross — Architecture & Historic District
The Church of the Holy Cross and the surrounding St. Leo Abbey Historic District embody more than a century of Benedictine presence in Florida. The three contributing buildings — Saint Leo Hall (1912–1920), the Church of the Holy Cross (1936–1948), and the Carmelite Convent / Carmel Hall (1941–1942) — were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
- Style: Italian Romanesque Revival (basilica plan).
- Architect: Frank Parziole of Tampa.
- Groundbreaking: September 19, 1936; cornerstone blessed April 4, 1937; consecrated January 29, 1948.
- Materials: white cement brick with red sandstone trim; red cedar ceiling; Spanish clay tile roof.
- Bell tower: 24-foot square, 86 feet tall, with arched openings and limestone balustrade.
- 42 stained and painted glass windows installed in 1943.
- Altar crucifix by Frank Aretz, modeled on the Shroud of Turin; crypt murals by Urban Louis Sprugg.
- Historic district: 100 acres encompassing Saint Leo Hall, Church of the Holy Cross, and Carmelite Convent.
Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto
Across the street from the abbey stands the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, constructed under the first abbot, Charles Mohr, O.S.B. Today the grotto serves as a reclusive and meditative spot for retreatants and visitors.
- Built under Abbot Charles Mohr, first Abbot of Saint Leo Abbey.
- Dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
- Favored meditative spot for retreat groups.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Charles Mohr, O.S.B.1902–1931
First Abbot of Saint Leo Abbey upon its elevation by Pope Leo XIII on September 25, 1902; built early structures, died April 1931.
- Francis Sadlier, O.S.B.1929–1954 (Coadjutor 1929–1931)
Commissioned and built the Church of the Holy Cross; consecrated the abbey church in 1948.
- Marion Bowman, O.S.B.1954–1969
Abbot during the period leading to the Benedictines' transfer of Saint Leo University to an independent board in 1969.
- Fidelis Dunlap, O.S.B.1970–1985
Fourth Abbot of Saint Leo Abbey.
- Patrick Shelton, O.S.B.1985–1996
Fifth Abbot of Saint Leo Abbey.
- Several Administrators1996–2007
Interim leadership between Abbot Shelton and the election of Abbot Camacho.
- Isaac Camacho, O.S.B.2007–June 2025
Sixth Abbot; elected October 27, 2007; ordained priest at Saint Leo Abbey December 22, 2001; removed by the Abbot President of the American-Cassinese Congregation in June 2025.
