Our Lady of Dallas Abbey

Our Lady of Dallas Abbey is a Cistercian monastery in Irving that encompasses 80 acres with a chapel featuring artwork created by resident monks, classrooms for the preparatory school, and spacious grounds. The complex integrates monastic life with educational facilities and religious spaces.

Hungarian Cistercian monks founded the abbey in 1955 after fleeing communist authorities who had dissolved their original monastery in Zirc, Hungary. This establishment reflected the post-World War II migration of European religious communities to the United States.

The monastery observes traditional Cistercian practices and operates a preparatory school for boys. Monks contribute as faculty members to the intellectual life of the nearby University of Dallas.

The abbey is located west of Dallas city limits near DFW International Airport and offers daily Mass, the Divine Office, and confession opportunities on Wednesday afternoons. Visitors should be respectful of the monastic setting and dress appropriately when entering the chapel.

The abbey church built in 1992 was designed by an architect who attended the school and serves as a teaching model for architecture students. The building earned recognition from the Dallas Morning News for its architectural qualities.

Location: Irving

Inception: 1955

Website: http://cistercian.org/abbey

GPS coordinates: 32.85388,-96.92231

Latest update: December 12, 2025 12:06