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Published: July 30, 2010
Churches Worth Driving To
Prince of Peace Abbey, Oceanside
 Name of Church: Prince of Peace Abbey
Address: 650 Benet Hill Road, Oceanside, CA 92058-1253
Phone number: (760) 967-4200, ext. 200
Mass times: One Mass daily; Sundays, 10:30 a.m. and Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m. Visitors are welcome to attend Mass and liturgical offices and pray in the church. In addition to Mass, the monks do a beautiful job singing their prayers. The church is more contemporary than traditional, but “faithful traditional,” which is arguably well done with much artwork. An adoration room is separate from the church, for those who wish to spend some quiet time with Our Lord.
Website:http://princeofpeaceabbey.blogspot.com/
Confessions: By appointment only
Names of priests: Leadership: Abbot Charles Wright, OSB; prior, Fr. Sharbel Ewen, OSB. About 20 others in the community are priests or brothers. The website lists names.
School: No school or catechetical classes
Homilies: The Abbey monks are prayerful men of God who strive to follow the teachings of Christ’s Church, which is reflected in their preaching and spiritual direction.
 Parking: Plenty
Acoustics: Pretty good
Fellow parishioners:The Abbey is not a parish, but does draw many in discernment seeking a quiet place to pray and reflect. Some are discerning possible religious vocations, others are seeking direction in their lives.
Additional observations: Prince of Peace Abbey is a Benedictine Monastery founded in 1958. It is located on a hill in the city of Oceanside, and has great city and valley views. Its members follow a daily schedule and are typically involved in the domestic duties of running a monastery rather than outside apostolates. Individuals and groups can use the Abbey for Days of Recollection and Retreats. There is also a gift shop inside the Visitor Center that offers a variety of religious items. There are private areas reserved only for the monks, but the gift shop, library, prayer walk with outdoor Stations of the Cross and cemetery are open to the public. Although not far from the city, the Abbey has a country-like, back-to-nature atmosphere, with many walking trails.
Posted Friday, July 30, 2010 8:18 AM By Georgia
"The church is more contemporary than traditional, but "faithfully traditional...". How can this be? The Blessed Sacrament must be centrally located in the Santuary for the church to be designed "faithfully traditional. The church should be a a place to pray and reflect, not some remote room. It is very nice to have an outside way of the cross, but do they have the stations of the cross inside the church? Fifty years does not establish tradition. It is a shame that so many people today do not know what tradition really is. May God Bless the good monks of this monastery.
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Posted Friday, July 30, 2010 11:04 AM By FrMichael
I agree with the commentator Georgia that the tabernacle should be centered in the sanctuary for parish churches, which this chapel is not. It is designed for monks with some allowance for non-monks to assist at the Mass and the Divine Office. Visitors to Prince of Peace Abbey are fortunate that the Blessed Sacrament Chapel is even accessible to outsiders: it is not a necessity for a monastery to provide a place of adoration for anybody but the monks.
And yes, there are properly erected Stations within the chapel, as well as a Marian chapel.
Well worth a visit. The article forgot to mention the music-- all-organ all-the-time-- and the use of chant at all liturgies. It is a wonderful oasis I enjoy on my rare visits to San Diego.
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Posted Friday, July 30, 2010 2:15 PM By Kenneth M. Fisher
Georgia,
I recently attended a Miles Christi Retreat at the Abbey, and I inadvertently went into the Main Church while searching for the Retreat. I found the Church to be modern but very devotional, and if I am not mistaken the Tabernacle was right behind the altar where it is supposed to be. When I was in the Church, the Monks came in for, I believe their Vespers, and it was BEAUTIFUL.
The retreat Chapel also has the Tabernacle in the right place.
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
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Posted Friday, July 30, 2010 2:26 PM By Mark from PA
The Chapel Interior of Prince of Peace Abbey is very beautiful.
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Posted Friday, July 30, 2010 4:19 PM By TotaTua
from MY personal experience, for a Benedictine Abbey, i find that St. Andrew's Abbey in Valyermo to be more "faithful" to the Magisterium. However the high desert is not a summer visit place.
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Posted Friday, July 30, 2010 5:50 PM By JLS
Tota Tua, what is less faithful about Prince of Peace Abbey? Have you ever visited Valyermo during the annual festival and noticed how Mass is celebrated?
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Posted Sunday, August 01, 2010 12:35 PM By Annie
KMF, unless they have made a change since I was there a long time ago, the tabernacle is not behind the altar in the main Church. Though the tabernacle is gorgeous, it was in a tiny side chapel.
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Posted Monday, August 02, 2010 6:07 AM By Bob
The Roman Missal allows the tabernacle to be placed centered behind the altar, on a side altar or in a seperate chapel. All three places are "correct". The placement of the tabernacle conforms to the small "t" tradition and not to the capital "T" Tradition. The large T has to do with faith, the small t has to do with religion. Two different things.
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Posted Monday, August 02, 2010 10:43 AM By Canisius
This looks like another modernist nightmare, not suprised PA thinks its beautiful. If you want to see beautiful church's with beautiful masses come to NYC, Holy Innocents, Christ the Saviour, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, not a modernist will be found I can promise you that.
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Posted Monday, August 02, 2010 3:10 PM By Gregorian
New Yorkers...ugh. It's bad enough that every one of them you meet in person can't stop talking about how great NYC is, despite the fact that they left it to live in CA. Now they're on a site about Catholicism in CA telling us how great NYC is.
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Posted Monday, August 02, 2010 3:19 PM By Mark from PA
Canisius, I think the artwork of Christ, the Prince of Peace in this photo is very beautiful. To me it is surely not a nightmare. It doesn't look like "modern" art to me. We have a very beautiful cross with the risen Christ in my parish and also an exquisite tapestry of Christ.
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Posted Monday, August 02, 2010 5:34 PM By Bob
I've seen hundreds of the old beautiful churches all over Europe and in Canada and the U.S.'
I like the modern!
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Posted Tuesday, August 03, 2010 10:56 AM By JLS
I once had a huge coffee table book of photos which included scores of European churches ... in utter ruin due to the artillery of World War I. New church buildings have to be built, and the reason that beautiful modern ones are not being designed or built is because great architecture requires great architects. There are no great Catholic architects in our time, because there are almost no great Catholics in our time. There are those who keep getting sainted, but where is the universal inspiration that the really great Catholic saints we find in a half dozen or a dozen periods of history? The Church is living in one of Her worst periods and in the worst evil of all time, which is globalized massive abortion. No Church leader has yet risen to the level of holiness and understanding and action that speaks of how Great God really can reveal. No one has even come close to putting a dent on the scourge of abortion. Yes of course there are local souls who do all in their capacity and are thus holy, but there is no leadership anywhere visible on Planet Earth who is even looking like he or she might rise to the occasion. Perhaps our present Pope is beginning to set the stage, by calling for the culling of the worst scoundrels among the clergy. But it is call which has little gusto. Hopefully like a tiny seed of faith this little gusto will grow into a conquering faith, but this may take a few generations yet, a few more popes to keep the ball rolling faster and faster in the kareoke of life, to such a point of inspiration where sentiments morph into holy actions.
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Posted Tuesday, August 03, 2010 1:11 PM By Anne T.
I usually like more subdued colors for meditation since they are more restful to me and make it easier to meditate. Nevertheless, I find this chapel quite pretty, and the flowers are a great match for the icon. The grey walls also somewhat tone down the brighter colors in the icon and make it easier on the eyes. Glad to hear, Kenneth, that the Tabernacle is placed in the center behind the altar in the Main Church.
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Posted Friday, August 06, 2010 1:58 PM By Kenneth M. Fisher
Anne T.,
As best as I can remember, that was the case. However; the next time I attend a retreat there, I will make sure.
I absolutely know it was so in the retreatant Chapel.
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
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Posted Friday, August 06, 2010 3:25 PM By Abeca Christian
It looks like a modern church. I like the traditional Cathedral type best. I hope the priests here are at least more traditional.
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Posted Wednesday, August 25, 2010 8:43 PM By Fedelis
Georgia,
Have you ever visited St Peter's in Rome?
I wonder where the Tabernacle is there?
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Posted Wednesday, August 25, 2010 10:03 PM By Rose
In Churches where there are many people coming and going as tourists, the Blessed Sacrament is usually reposed in a chapel or place where there is not so much daily traffic, out of respect.
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