To uphold the world in prayer
Here we cradle the world in prayer and welcome all as Christ.
See recent photos of life at the monastery
We are a community of monastic women, followers of a way of life that has leavened the world for 1500 years. As a community we share life up close and personal. We live as one and rub shoulders daily. We share a common table and pray together three times each day. We meet to make decisions and use our gifts to serve one another and others.
Together, we follow a rule of life which St. Benedict wrote in the 6th century. The life outlined in the Rule is a way for ordinary Christians to live a relationship with God and others in an extraordinary way.
A Living Tradition
Benedict of Norcia, Italy (480-547) wrote what he called A Little Rule for Beginners in which there was to be “nothing harsh, nothing burdensome”. Although his rule was originally for monastic communities of men and women, it is equally applicable to anyone who is “truly seeking God” and who wants to make Christ the centre of their lives. Benedict based his teaching on the scriptures and the monastic tradition he had inherited from the past. Yet he adapted it to the needs of people in his own day. He invited his followers to live “with the Gospel as their guide” with a listening heart, open to the call of the Spirit.
That invitation still resonates today at St. Benedict’s.
Each month the sisters have a quiet day as a community. On Solitude Sunday there is silence, time for rest, personal prayer and two hours of adoration.
The monastic life, with its heartbeat of prayer, is in many ways ordinary and unexciting. We are pleased to be here for the people of God whom we have shared life and ministry with for 111 years.
The rhythm of prayer, both individual and communal, is an essential element of Benedictine life. The community celebrates the Liturgy of the Hours (Opus Dei) three times daily - morning, noon and evening. This prayer is “a recurring sign of the monastery’s unity with Christ.”
Photo: Sister Dorothy Levandosky, Canonical Administrator
Daily the sisters engage in the spiritual practice called Lectio Divina. This is a tradition of pondering the Word of God and involves reading a short passage slowly and attentively and listening for a word that touches you in some way. Next we repeat that word as if savouring its flavour and then dialogue with God about it. Finally we simply rest in the Word.
“Lectio Divina is the principal nourishment for individual and communal prayer.”
It is our practice on weekday mornings to maintain quiet from the time of rising until 9:00 am for reflective personal prayer.
It is our hope that you will feel free to join us for prayer in our new Monastery Chapel. Call us.
Morning prayer: Sunday 10 am; Monday-Friday 8:30 am; Saturday 9 am
Midday Prayer daily: 11:50 pm
Evening prayer: 4:45 pm
Our mission is to live the gospel through contemplative living in community, hospitality and service.
Ora et labora (pray and work)
Benedict viewed prayer and work as partners, and believed in combining contemplation with action. The Latin phrase ora et labora expresses the need to balance prayer and work in monastic settings. At our monastery we have responded to various calls of the Church and the world by:
Building rural hospitals Staffing parochial, private and public schools
Administering personal care homes Establishing an academy for girls
Providing pastoral care in parishes and personal care homes
Providing religious instruction in person and through correspondence
Serving as homemakers Ministering as retreat directors and spiritual guides
Providing leadership in prayer, spirituality and liturgy
We are happy to continue serving through hospitality, spiritual direction, and programs offered elsewhere through annual donations through Dorais Charities.