We are a monastery; that is, we are a community of monks, living and praying together.

 

A typical day here begins at 6:00 am with Vigils. Many of the monks rise earlier for lectio and prayer in their rooms. Vigils end at 6:30 am or so, and then there is an interval for private prayer until Lauds at 7:30 am. Following Lauds, monks go to the kitchen for a breakfast. The mornings usually have a large amount of time in solitude to be devoted to prayer, lectio, study and exercise. For those in formation, there are morning classes on some days. In addition, some of the work assignments require morning work.

 

Eucharist is at 11:00 am, followed by our one communal meal. We take turns cooking. There is an afternoon work period, although a number of the work duties have different hours. The days are structured to give time for silence and solitude, as well as work of various kinds. Vespers is at 6:00 pm, with a group meditation before Vespers at 5:30 PM. There is no formal evening meal. The remainder of the evening is free. Compline is at 8:30 PM in the Cloister after which there is silence until breakfast.

 

Each month a monk may take a Desert Day. On this day the monk is excused from all communal activities, in order to have a day of more intense solitude and prayer. There is time each year for the monk to have a personal retreat in the silence and solitude of the room. We have a communal retreat of eight days each year, and a number of workshops and conferences throughout the year. We also have a monthly Recreation Day that can include a day trip away from the Monastery.

 

We do not have any permanent ministries outside of the Monastery. Occasionally a monk will give a retreat outside the Monastery, but the bulk of our day-to-day life is lived here. We offer hospitality to the guests who come and stay at our retreat accommodations (3 rooms). We do have events and classes open to the public.

 

Our life includes an ever-shifting balance of work and prayer, solitude and communion. Depending on your life experiences, we may seem more or less active than what you may be used to. As with many things, however, a written description such as this can only convey so much about the life--it needs to be experienced.