The guesthouse has beautiful views. Close to the St Leo Abbey Church and walking distance to the grotto. Beautiful mass and prayers. Jesus Christ is King of Kings. The meals where made with love. The gift shop full of joys. This place has many areas to sit and reflect. You can feel the peace. read more

See all

Beautiful, peaceful place to visit. It's an easy, scenic drive. My family and I went up on. Saturday afternoon, hoping to catch mass but they do not have mass on Saturday evening. The drive was still worth it. read more

See all

My mother and I made the trek north to the tiny enclave of St. Leo to visit the Abbey yesterday. Many people who've been here speak of it in hushed terms, wanting to keep this place to themselves, and I understand why now. It's located in between the slightly larger San Antonio to the west (absolutely adorable) and more normal sized town of Dade City to the east. The Abbey is literally surrounded by St. Leo University now and backed by Lake Jovita. We entered the Abbey by driving past it on 52, then entering in the University gates and turning back on Bowman. Followed the signs to the Gift Shop. There is parking marked "Gift Shop and Church Parking." There were literally no other cars in sight, so we parked there. Sadly, because of the pandemic, both the Gift Shop and the Welcome Center were closed, but the church itself was open since it has now resumed services. We walked around, took pictures and admired the beautiful architecture. We had already read the brochure, since the monks had thoughtfully, and thankfully, uploaded it online to their website and were familiar with the story and it's history. We did see students walking around to and from class but they were extremely respectful; as soon as they saw us, they masked up and walked around us. In front of the church, there are signs/instructions on what to do before service. The water at the hand washing station was turned off while we were there, obviously to conserve. The wood front doors (absolutely gorgeously hand carved), were locked as well. No worries, we followed the sign on the far corner that said "Cloister Walk" and found a small door that led into the vestibule and we walked into the nave. Breathtaking. The clouds had swept away and the sun was out in full force and we were blessed, literally, with a glorious view of the gorgeous stained glass in all it's magnificence. It is something you have to be there to see. Unfortunately, we were unable to stay long enough for a service. I do want to come back with my husband so he can experience this himself. But wait, I'm not done... Yes, this is one of the most beautiful man-made treasures to be found in Florida. I am speaking of the Abbey (church) and it's grounds, but also of the secret to be found across the road. I've noticed none of the other reviewers have mentioned it. The real reason my mother and I came here is because of the Grotto. Across the street from the Abbey is a golf course, named appropriately, The Abbey Golf Course. Pull in there and park. Get out of your car and walk on the paved walkway west (away from the golf course) toward a locked chain link fence and walk around it to the right. (It's ok, it's just there to stop cars, not people. I spoke to a monk and he explained it to me.) You will see a statue of Mary on your left next to a path. That will lead you to the Grotto. (Note: If handicapped, call the monks to ask for advice on access.) The Grotto is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. It has a WWII Memorial in honor of the young men from the university who perished along with a statue of the Resurrected Christ. It has a Grotto depicting Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. Most popular, it has a shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes along with stations of the cross. The first Abbot of Saint Leo's Abbey is buried in front of Our Lady. People leave notes & prayers in holes in the wall and can light candles at her shrine. (Tip: bring your own lighter, candles are supplied. Bring your own pen & paper as well. Donations can be left in a secure site, Pope Pius XI decreed this site as a plenary indulgence.) The entire area is filled with overgrown plants, wild and beautiful. Birds and butterflies were everywhere. It's the end of August, the middle of hurricane season, the humidity is stifling, but inside that grotto it was almost cool and we could breathe deep. Yes, there were mosquitos, but they didn't bite. It's pretty much the end of flowering season, but we still saw a few hanging in there, along with berries here and there. It was so peaceful and sacred there, that it was hard to believe the world was right there, just a few feet away... read more

See all

I live in Land O'Lakes and was searching for a very traditional celebration of the Mass on Sundays in an inspiring, old-fashioned church. I decided to try the Abbey Church which is only a 25-minute drive from where I live. (I have to access Route 52 via the very treacherous Ehren Cutoff Road.) The following e-mail will explain what happened to me when I attended Mass on Nov. 1, a holy day of obligation on the Solemnity of All Saints. "Dear Director of Security, I have attended Mass at the Abbey Church just twice: once a few Sundays ago and today. I know NOT to park in a Yellow Decal Required area and so I park as close to the Church as possible (no sign indicating parking only for university people) since I am handicapped and can't walk far, in the area right across the lawn from the Post Office, I guess. No parking space is reserved for the handicapped. Today, I got a citation for parking where everyone else attending the service parked. I don't know if they have a decal to park there. Frankly, I don't know where to park so that I can easily walk to the Church without being given a fine and citation with a threatening note 'Next ticket you get, your car will be booted' (underlined). Luckily for me, the ticketing officer was talking to another gentleman who also got a citation. He told us to go to the security office and explain our circumstance and that the 'tickets' would be eliminated. I went to the Security Office and the nice lady told me that she had no authority to do this and that I would have to write this e-mail to you. I would appreciate that you cancel these citations. The ticketing officer was very unclear as to where I could park if I came back to attend Mass on Sunday or a holy day. I doubt I will return to St. Leo Abbey Church anyway. If there is a decal I can apply for or if there was a clear indication where Mass goers are permitted to park, I might reconsider attending Mass at the beautiful Abbey Church. Thank you and God bless you and yours on this holy day," Bill Ploplis P.S. If you are sensitive to the smell of incense, you might want to wear a mask. A lot of incense is used during the service. Also, if you want to hear the homily clearly, you might want to sit up front and near the aisle, unfortunately the mike system and acoustic blur the preacher's words. Btw, the e-mail response was quick and the fine and citations were cancelled. All of this tarnished the happiness I experienced in attending Mass at St. Leo Abbey Church. read more

Lovely abbey adjacent to Saint Leo University in St. Leo, between the lovely and historic town of San Antonio and county seat Dade City. Behind the abbey there was a lovely citrus grove. But it caught the blight and was destroyed. Hopefully they will plant other fruit trees: avocado, longan, loquat, sugar apple, rambutan, lychee, guava, etc. The Abbey overlooks, in the back, Lake Jovita. The area was a Catholic settlement. Night masses are held at 7 p.m. I believe 7:15 a.m. also on Wednesdays. I heard that some of the choir singers they get from the college have great voices. The architecture and decorations are lovely. There is a monastery associated with the abbey. It's an interesting set up all around and a lovely area to walk around and explore. People are friendly. Local is an interesting restaurant nearby and there are taco stands on Lock Street in Dade City. There is a Saint Leo Abbey Tavern, but I have not been to it. San Antonio, settled as a Catholic colony, and the Local gastropub there are also fun to visit when you're in the area. St. Joe is known for kumquats and the annual kumquat festival held in Dade City. And Lock Street up the road in Dade City is great for authentic Mexican food stands. Bless you one and all. Go with God. read more

See all

Although I'm so happy a place like this exists, the Sisters need to do better in replying back to the very people who need them the most like myself. I've tried to reach them multiple times and when I finally did get a call back, I felt like I was gaslighted with the one Sister claiming that I did get a call back. I monitor my phone, I never got a call or email which I emailed. The email address available on the webpage doesn't work I've had the same address bounce back to me. I was disappointed, It's great that the sisters follow their vocation but please take a minute of your time to talk to a person who is desperately trying to heal because out here in the real world it is brutal, I'm not blessed with loving support or any support I'm all on my own. There's nothing loving about living alone. Solitude isn't my thing, I'm about family but never got the opportunity as I grew up around nothing but toxic people full of petty jealousy who were adults that acted worse than children! read more

We attended the World Beloved A Bluegrass Mass at Abbey. It featured the St. Leo String Ensemble and the St. Leo Chamber Singers. Wonderful entertainment and excellent performance by all. Can't wait for the next one. read more

Saint Leo Abbey and Benedictine Monastery - Front View - Churches Near Me - Saint Leo, Florida

See all

This is an awesome 80 year old church to learn about, built in trade with an abbey in Indiana. (62 trucks of sculpted limestone for 62 trucks of oranges). Ten altars, beautiful stained glass. Lovely place to ponder or pray. We enjoyed listening to the monastic prayer we lucked into hearing, "Gregorian chant" style by the Benedictine monks. I wanted more available information (gift shop closed) than googling on line. (Who are the featured saints? Who are the artists? Does the organ ever play? I didn't find obvious signs of when masses are.) So took a star for the missed opportunities to teach us. Still, a wonderful vibe. read more

See all