Community Life

“These remained faithful to the teaching of the apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers”, Acts 2:42ff. “The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, as everything they owned was held in common”, Acts 4:32

Our calling is to be like the disciples, gathered around Jesus, living close to him and in communion with each other. The experience of the early Christian community (koinonia) in Jerusalem, gives us inspiration for our life. The early believers, aware of the presence of the Risen Christ among them, came together in friendship to live a common life. In this same experience of encounter with the Risen Lord, we seek to be united in heart and mind, witnessing to the newness of life found in Jesus.

Community life offers what St Benedict calls a “school of the Lord’s service”. In this 'school' we learn from Jesus, and are daily transformed. It's a life of conversion in which we seek to live our Baptismal vocation to the full, to be conformed completely to Christ so that it is “no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).

Community creates a context of support and encouragement so that - weak and frail as we are - we can keep going forward in our discipleship of Christ. We serve each other, striving to foster “good zeal” and mutual love, “supporting with the greatest patience one another’s weaknesses of body or behaviour, and earnestly competing in obedience to one another” (Rule of St Benedict Chapter 72). In this “school of love” (St Bernard), we learn how to die to self in order to live for others.

Our members live together in a number of houses, gathering to celebrate the Divine Office and the Eucharist, meeting regularly for fellowship, formation, and to listen together for the will of God. Like the early Christians, we pool our resources. 

Our way of life is emerging as one in which our charism is shared by people of different states of life (single, married and those pursuing religious vocation); each state of life, however, is lived out in a distinctive way, appropriate to the particular mission and needs of that vocation. Explore the membership page to find out more.

It is possible to join the community for one year of formation and mission - see A Year in Community.