Portsmouth Abbey is a community of Benedictine monks on Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. Our mission is to seek God guided by the Gospel, the Rule of St. Benedict, and by prayer and work to sanctify ourselves and our community.
The monastery was founded in 1918 by Dom Leonard Sargent, an American monk of Downside Abbey in England. In keeping with the congregation’s early history, we run a college preparatory boarding school for boys and girls. The monks also focus on scholarly and artistic work, hospitality, as well as helping local parishes.
The English Congregation of which Portsmouth Abbey is a member is the oldest of the Benedictine congregations. It has canonical continuity with the first congregation erected in the 13th century by the Holy See.
The monks run schools attached to their monasteries and look after 27 small parishes and mass centers near them. In addition, 30 parishes and 14 mass centers in England and Wales are served by EBC monks.
It should also be noted that a tradition revived by Fr Augustine Baker in the early 1600′s laid great emphasis on contemplative and mystical prayer. This tradition continues in the EBC and at Portsmouth Abbey today.