Frequently Asked Questions

You must be very special people to live this life!

If by that is meant that we are superhuman, either physically or spiritually, then - no, we’re not. We are quite ordinary people, really!

Monastic life is one way,among many ways, of living out our baptismal consecration, the basic Christian commitment. Each baptized person is called to a particular Christian lifestyle, and receives a particular grace from God to live in that way.

Certainly, the ability to live monastic life is dependant on God’s grace; but that grace is not given because of anything special which we are in ourselves, or anything we have done, it is simply a free and mysterious divine gift to whomever God chooses.

As well as faith and a desire to seek God in solitude and silence, the human qualities needed for monastic life include an ability to live in community, flexibility, psychological balance, common sense, and a sense of humour!

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