ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS

Monastic Retreat Hospitalityholycrossmonastery.com

Holy Cross Monastery is an Anglican Benedictine monastic community in West Park, NY that welcomes approximately 3,000 guests annually for individual and group retreats, while operating a South African priory, school, gift shop, and Associates program under a private nonprofit structure.

Company typePrivate
Founded1884
HeadquartersWest Park, New York, United States
Headcount1–10
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS does

Holy Cross Monastery is an Anglican Benedictine monastic community located in West Park, New York (Ulster County), founded in 1884 by Rev. James Otis Sargent Huntington as a religious order within the Anglican Communion. The community formally adopted the Rule of St. Benedict in 1984 and is currently composed of approximately 17 monks in various stages of formation (14 fully professed, 2 novices, and 1 postulant as of 2026). Its primary ministry is hospitality — welcoming approximately 3,000 guests annually for individual, directed, and group retreats within an on-site guesthouse that operates Tuesday 2pm through Sunday after dinner. The monastery's underlying "technology" is a centuries-old contemplative tradition anchored by a daily liturgical schedule (Matins, Holy Eucharist, Diurnum, Vespers, Compline) and practices including Centering Prayer, Lectio Divina, the arts, and the Jesus Prayer, delivered in an intentionally technology-free, no-Wi-Fi environment. Supplementary activities include a Monk's Cell Book and Gift Shop (featuring calligraphy, icons, incense, and photography created by monks, sold via Etsy), vocational discernment, an Associates program for laypeople committed to Benedictine values, and an Archivist/Librarian function. The community also operates St. Benedict's Priory alongside the Volmoed Community in South Africa (established September 1, 2019) and the Holy Cross School, a bilingual isiXhosa/English Anglican primary school 5km from Makhanda. Chefs are trained at the Culinary Institute of America, providing professionally prepared meals for all retreat guests.

Revenue is generated through suggested minimum donations for retreat stays (weekday $115/night, weekend $130/night, day rates $20–$30), group facility and meal fees, extended-stay weekly ($600/week) and monthly ($2,000/month) rates, scheduled retreat program fees ranging from approximately $110 to $1,135, transactional gift shop sales, and voluntary donations/financial contributions from guests, Associates, and the broader community. Financial assistance is available for those who cannot afford full suggested donations, deposits are nonrefundable, and the entity operates as a private nonprofit with no external investment or venture capital structure. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via on-site guesthouse reservations (email/phone), supplemented by digital channels (YouTube with vocation profiles and retreat recordings, Instagram, Facebook, Flickr, two blogs, email newsletters through US17, and the Etsy storefront). Geographic reach is concentrated in the Northeast US with secondary presence in Southeast Africa.

ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS firmographics

Firmographics

Name: ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS
Legal name: Holy Cross Monastery
Website: https://holycrossmonastery.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1884
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 1–10 employees
Short description: Holy Cross Monastery is an Anglican Benedictine monastic community in West Park, NY that welcomes approximately 3,000 guests annually for individual and group retreats, while operating a South African priory, school, gift shop, and Associates program under a private nonprofit structure.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS industry classification

Industry

Product category: Monastic Retreat Hospitality
NAICS: Religious Organizations (8131)
SIC: Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)
akta.pro primary industry: Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents) (BPAGAJAC)
akta.pro secondary industries: Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL), Religious Retreats & Spiritual Wellness Travel Agencies (THAKAHAM)

Keywords

Monastic retreats
Spiritual direction
Guesthouse hospitality
Contemplative prayer
Benedictine community

Where ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: West Park, New York
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

Retreat Guest Donations: Suggested minimum donations for retreat stays based on length and day of week. Includes accommodations and all meals.
Group Retreat Facility Fees: Group-use fees for designated monastery spaces plus per-person meal costs for day group retreats
Book and Gift Shop: Monk's Cell Book and Gift Shop featuring calligraphy, icons, incense, and photography created by the monks
Donations and Financial Contributions: Voluntary donations and financial support from guests and the broader community; hospitality assistance available for those who cannot afford full suggested donation

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Individual Retreat - Weekday Nights
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Individual Retreat - Weekend Nights
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Day Individual Retreat with Room
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Day Individual Retreat without Room
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Day Group Retreat
Subscription	Weekly	Extended Stay - Weekly Rate
Subscription	Monthly	Extended Stay - Monthly Rate
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Scheduled Retreat Programs

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Holy Cross Monastery, an Anglican Benedictine community in West Park, New York, operates a guesthouse retreat ministry welcoming approximately 3,000 guests annually for individual, directed, and group retreats. The monastery offers overnight stays, day retreats, extended sabbatical-style residencies, scheduled contemplative programs (Centering Prayer, Lectio Divina, Advent Contemplative Days), and a book and gift shop featuring monk-made calligraphy, icons, and photography.

Product overview

Holy Cross Monastery is an Anglican Benedictine community offering hospitality through its guesthouse ministry, welcoming approximately 3,000 guests annually for individual and group retreats. The monastery provides various retreat programs including contemplative days, spiritual direction, and educational retreats focused on prayer, the arts, social justice, and mission. Additional offerings include a book and gift shop featuring calligraphy, icons, incense, and photography created by monks; daily liturgical worship services; and associate membership programs for those seeking to incorporate Benedictine spirituality into their daily lives. The monastery also operates a school in South Africa through its affiliated Order of the Holy Cross.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Individual Overnight Retreats
Day Individual Retreats
Group Retreats
Extended Stays
Scheduled Retreat Programs
Holy Cross Associates Program
Monk's Cell Book and Gift Shop
Holy Cross School

Quantifiable outcome

Approximately 3,000 guests welcomed annually for retreats

Companies that use ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS

Customer profile

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

St. Benedict's Priory (Volmoed Community)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2019St. Benedict's Priory arrangement exists alongside the larger Volmoed Community in South Africa. Three brothers began community worship life at Volmoed on September 1, 2019 and set about making a working priory. This arrangement has proven life-giving for both Volmoed and St. Benedict's, bringing the Order's presence in South Africa back into close contact with Archbishop Tutu, who is one of the patrons of Volmoed and continues to be a source of inspiration.
Holy Cross SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnglican faith-based primary school set on grounds of former Hillendale Monastery, 5km from Makhanda, South Africa. Founded by the brothers of the Order of the Holy Cross with brothers serving on the board of directors. Bilingual isiXhosa/English school with passionate teachers, small classes (largest class has 18 children), and strong environmental focus.
Culinary Institute of AmericaminorOthersThe monastery's chefs are trained at the Culinary Institute of America, providing professional food preparation for guest meals.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

St. Gregory's Abbey: Episcopal Benedictine monastery for men in Three Rivers, MI, the closest US peer to Holy Cross on denominational lineage (Anglican/Episcopal), contemplative practice, and small monastic community with guest retreats.
Volmoed Retreat Centre: Ecumenical retreat and conference centre in Hermanus, South Africa alongside which Holy Cross's St. Benedict's Priory operates, directly comparable on retreat hosting and spiritual programming with shared patrons including Archbishop Tutu.
Society of Saint John the Evangelist: Episcopal monastic brotherhood in Cambridge, MA offering a guesthouse retreat ministry rooted in Anglican tradition, directly comparable to Holy Cross in denominational lineage, contemplative practice, and individual/group retreat programming.
New Camaldoli Hermitage: Benedictine Camaldolese hermitage in Big Sur, CA operating a guesthouse retreat program with contemplative focus, comparable to Holy Cross on monastic tradition, individual retreat offerings, and spiritual direction.
Weston Priory: Benedictine monastic community in Weston, VT welcoming guests for retreats, sharing Holy Cross's Benedictine framework, guesthouse hospitality model, and small-community structure with comparable retreat programs.
Monastery of the Holy Spirit (Conyers): Trappist monastery in Conyers, GA with a large retreat house serving thousands of guests annually, providing a directly comparable monastic guesthouse and retreat ministry model on a larger scale.
St. Paul's Monastery (St. Paul, MN): Benedictine monastery in St. Paul, MN with an established retreat house serving individuals and groups, directly comparable to Holy Cross on Benedictine identity, retreat ministry scale, and hospitality offerings.

Broad incumbents

Omega Institute for Holistic Studies: Holistic learning retreat center in Rhinebeck, NY (Hudson Valley, near Holy Cross) offering workshops, retreats, and wellness programming, comparable on retreat format and regional guest base though secular/commercial in orientation.
Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health: Large-scale yoga/wellness retreat center in Stockbridge, MA serving tens of thousands of guests annually with contemplative and spiritual programming, comparable to Holy Cross on retreat/retreatant economics though broader and more commercial in delivery.

Emerging players

1440 Multiversity: Contemporary retreat and learning campus in Scotts Valley, CA focused on personal growth, mindfulness, and contemplation, comparable on the spiritual retreat format and target guest seeking intentional experiences.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries1 record

ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS

What does ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS do?

Is ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS a public or private company?

ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS founded?

ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS was founded in 1884. It employs 1 to 10 people.

Where is ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS based?

ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS is headquartered in West Park, New York, United States, in the North America region.

How does ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS make money?

Four revenue lines are on record. Retreat Guest Donations are the primary driver. The others are group Retreat Facility Fees, book and Gift Shop and donations and Financial Contributions.

Who are ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are St. Gregory's Abbey, Volmoed Retreat Centre, Society of Saint John the Evangelist, New Camaldoli Hermitage, Weston Priory, Monastery of the Holy Spirit (Conyers) and St. Paul's Monastery (St. Paul, MN). Broad incumbents are Omega Institute for Holistic Studies and Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. 1440 Multiversity is listed as an emerging player.

Does ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS have an API?

No public API is recorded for ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS.

What industry is ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS in?

ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS's product category is Monastic Retreat Hospitality. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAJAC, Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents), with a secondary code of BPAGAJAL, Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites). Its NAICS code is 8131 and its SIC code is 7000.