Benedictines Of Mary, Queen Of Apostles

Established in 1995 as a Roman Catholic religious order in Gower, Missouri, the Priory of Our Lady of Ephesus consists of nuns who make up the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles and devote roughly five hours each day to singing during their prayer observances while managing other responsibilities. Their debut recording, Christmas at Ephesus, appeared in 2008. Decca issued the first Benedictines of Mary album under its imprint, Advent at Ephesus, in 2012; the following year brought Angels and Saints at Ephesus. Both projects earned widespread acclaim and reached the top position on the Billboard classical traditional chart, prompting Billboard to name the Benedictines of Mary Classical Traditional Artists of the Year in 2013. After several further releases on Decca and De Montfort Music, the group assumed control of distribution with Adoration at Ephesus in 2016. In 2018 Our Lady of Ephesus was elevated to abbey status, and its new Abbey Church was consecrated the same year. The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, whose members integrate singing into their daily worship rituals, released Tenebrae at Ephesus and The Holy Trinity at Ephesus in 2022. Proceeds from these and earlier albums now fund building projects, ministry efforts, and the community of the Abbey of Our Lady of Ephesus.