If you are considering a monastic
vocation, the first step in discernment is to pray about it! Ask God
what His will is for you. Place all of your fears and questions in His
loving hands. The second step would be to talk to your parish
priest, or some other priest or monk/nun you know. You will find that
they have traveled the road of discernment and will be able to
offer some insights and direction that can help you along the first
steps in your journey.
The next step is to make contact
with monastic communities that interest you: check out their website-
write and request information- and talk with their Superior or Vocation
Director. If you feel you might be interested in the life at Saint Joseph’s Monastery, we invite you to
contact us by phone or e-mail. After initial contact, you should plan
to come and visit the monastery for 3-5 days.
This will provide you an opportunity to live, pray and work with
us, and get a real sense of what our day-to-day life is really like.
Should your interest in the monastic as it is lived here deepen, a
longer visit of 2 weeks to one month will be required prior to
application. We require a full Physical Examination and
Psychological Evaluation as a part of the application process.
Below are listed
some prerequisites for consideration as a candidate for entrance:
- Sufficient
health
- Emotional
wholeness and a willingness to be formed
- The ability
to live happily within community
- Sufficient
age and maturity
- A proper
motive
- Ability to
continue learning and growing
Each Inquirer/Applicant is evaluated on an individual basis.
It is important to remember that we don't come to community to
"do our own thing", nor do we come making demands or announcing
what we will and will not do- rather, as the Rule of our Father
St. Benedict instructs, we come to the monastery to be a student
in "the school of the Lord's service" - open and willing to
being formed and molded into a good and faithful monk.
At the bottom of this page you
will find a link from which you can download and print a copy of our
Monastery Brochure, and other links to continue reading about the
Monastic Vocation. Know that
if you are asking the questions, God is working in your life, and the
journey ahead of you is an exciting one!
Be assured of our daily prayers for you as you seek His will in
your life. Click the links below to continue reading about
the monastic life.
Monastery Brochure
Discernment Questions
A Day in the Life of a Monk
