Saint Mary's Abbey is the first monastery of Cistercian Nuns in the  United States. Located in scenic New England in southern Massachusetts close to the Rhode Island border the Abbey is easily acessible from Boston or Providence.  The sisters come from all parts of the United States and from several other countries. 

The first sisters arrived in 1949 from St. Mary's Abbey (Glencairn, Ireland).The community grew rapidly and in 1964 the first foundation was made in Dubuque, Iowa.  Our Lady of the Mississippi was followed by Santa Rita Abbey , Sonoita, Arizona in 1972 and Our Lady of the Angels, Crozet, Virginia in 1987.Today that first generation is passing into the mature years, the golden years that crown a lifetime of fidelity.  At present there are 48 sisters at Wrentham.

In 1998 the newly renovated Church reopened and was dedicated on April 26.  October, 1999 marked the Golden Jubilee of Foundation, and the Abbess from Glencairn and one of the surviving Irish foundresses (all the Irish had been recalled to Glencairn in the mid 1950's) joined the MSM Abbey community for the celebration. That same year our first daughter house, Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey, sent sisters to Tautra, Norway to bring Cistercian life again to that country.