Listening with the ear of the heart
A welcoming experience
A Benedictine monastery for today's world
We do things a bit differently
- We accept what is broken and needs healing in you because we are broken and in need of divine healing too.
- We won't ask if you're Catholic.
- We use inclusive language in songs, scripture, and other readings.
- We greet you on Sundays at the front door and offer a name tag so we learn your name.
- We celebrate the Liturgy of the Eucharist with the help of several brother priests.
- We feed your spiritual journey at least once a month with Sister Lucy's cinnamon buns.
We are all seeking something
Where are you on your spiritual journey?
Accepted exactly as you are
When Tyler interviewed with Sister Mary Colleen for the Benedictine Spiritual Director Training Program, he was astonished that she wanted him in the program. He remembers extending his arms out to her skeptically, “You want me? With all these tattoos?” Mary Colleen just smiled and answered, “Each one of your tattoos is a story, right? I want to hear them all.”
"It was through this interview that I knew, without a doubt, this is the program I wanted to be in. If I was going to be a director who held sacred space for others to be themselves and find God in their story, I wanted to learn from folks who did that for me."
What it means to be truly welcoming
Benedictine women have extended hospitality to strangers arriving at monastery doors for over 1,500 years. More than a foundational principle, this welcoming spirit is a daily practice here at Benet Hill.
Language inclusive of all
If you've been hurt by the exclusively male pronouns used in most worship services, we know how you feel. We decided to adopt inclusive language a long time ago and the process continues today.
Families of all shapes and sizes
If you, your life partner, and the rest of your perfectly unique family weren't welcomed somewhere, try Benet Hill. You may see a couple or a family that looks like yours.
More than buzzwords
We’ve all heard of faith communities that shout “All are welcome!” followed by “We love the sinner but hate the sin!” That doesn’t sound truly welcoming to us.
Welcoming in action:
- We love having children and babies visit the monastery.
- We ask adults to be vaccinated / boosted against COVID.
- We welcome other faith traditions
- We especially welcome those with no faith or hope.
Where nature meets spirit
If your spirit simply needs a walk in the forest, we invite you to visit the grounds during daylight hours. There’s no need to check-in with us. Come and be.
