You are welcome here.
The Chapel is the beating heart of our monastery. We gather to pray and celebrate the Eucharist, joining our voices with the Church around the world. Whether you are a lifelong Episcopalian, new to liturgical worship, or simply seeking a quiet place to rest in God’s presence, you are welcome to join us. There is no need to register or announce yourself—simply come as you are.
Our Daily Rhythm of Worship
The monastic day is shaped by the ancient practice of daily prayer—a cycle of psalms, scripture, and prayer that sanctifies the hours.
Welcome. Invite. View our schedule changes here.
You are invited to join us for any or all of our worship:
Sunday
7:00 a.m. Morning Prayer
9:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist*
12:15 p.m. Noonday Prayer
4:00 p.m. Second Evensong*
Monday
No public worship (Brothers’ Sabbath).
Tuesday
7:00 a.m. Morning Prayer
12:15 p.m. Noonday Prayer
6:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist*
8:30 p.m. Compline*
Wednesday – Friday
7:00 a.m. Morning Prayer
12:15 p.m. Holy Eucharist*
(Contemplative on Wednesdays)
6:00 p.m. Evening Prayer*
8:30 p.m. Compline*
Saturday
7:00 a.m. Morning Prayer
9:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
12:15 p.m. Noonday Prayer
6:00 p.m. Evening Prayer*
8:30 p.m. Compline*
* is livestreamed.
Please note that the Chapel is open for private prayer outside of public worship. We open daily before Morning Prayer and close after Compline Tuesday through Saturday and Evening Prayer on Sunday.
If this is your first time visiting a monastery or attending the Chapel, here’s what you need to know. You are invited to join us for any or all of our public worship.
Plan Your Visit
First-time visitor?
We recommend you arrive a few minute early so a brother can orient you to our worshiup materials. You may site anywhere. We process out in silence after
The Chapel is open all day for silent prayer in addition to our public worship. Whatever your faith tradition, you are welcome here.
You may sit anywhere in the Chapel, including past the gates when they are open. Wooden signs mark reserved seats.
Brothers process out in silence after worship, except for the Holy Eucharist. If you would like to connect with us and get to know the community, please connect with us.
Questions?
Contact us at monastery@ssje.org or call (617) 876-3037.
Silence and Stillness
The gift of silence we seek to cherish is chiefly the silence of adoring love for the mystery of God which words cannot express. In silence we honor the mystery present in the hearts of our brothers and sisters, strangers and enemies. We invite you to experience this gift and give it to others in our Chapel.
Participation
You are welcome to participate as much or as little as you like. In worship, we alternate silence and word. Please sing quietly in order to follow the volume, pitch, and tempo set by the Brothers. Know that you participate fully with your presence.
Accessibility
The Chapel is wheelchair accessible via the main entrance on Memorial Drive. If you need assistance or have questions about accessibility, please contact us in advance.
Parking and Directions
Limited street parking is available on surrounding streets. The monastery is a short walk from the Harvard Square MBTA station (Red Line). Paid parking is available at the University Place Garage (45 University Rd., Cambridge, MA 02138).
If you are attending the Holy Eucharist on Sundays, Tuesdays, or on select feast days (including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day), free parking vouchers are available there. Use the voucher in lieu of your credit/debit card. Please request a voucher from the greeter.
Know that you participate fully just by the gift of your presence.
A Place of Encounter
For generations, this Chapel has been a place where people have encountered the living God—in the beauty of sung prayer, in the silence between the psalms, in the breaking of bread. We offer presence.
Our faith must recognize the one who comes to us in the person of the guest, the stranger and the pilgrim. If we are to give them bread and not stones, and truly meet Christ in them face to face, we must realize the gifts the Holy Spirit has given us for the ministry of hospitality, and remember how deeply people are yearning for the things of God.
Come and see what it means to pray with a community that has been keeping this rhythm for generations.
The Chapel of Saint Mary and Saint John is considered by many to be the masterpiece of Ralph Adams Cram, the great American architect who defined sacred space for a generation. Built in the French Romanesque style, it is an intimate room of Indiana limestone arches, marble floors, and stained glass designed by Charles J. Connick, all gathered beneath a baldachino that crowns the altar. It’s a small space but it doesn’t feel small.