Who might live at St. Anthony's in 2014?

[Servant Team]

Space at St. Anthony's did not become sacred some magical way, but because of the real presence of persons who prayed there every day. Capuchins have called St. Anthony's a home since 1919. Other residents have included lay members of a core team and caretakers of property and programs.

For St. Anthony's to continue as a spirituality center an apparently essential factor is some intentional faith community who lives there. Guest presenters and facilitators of retreats and other programs may come and go as scheduled. Some trustworthy, resident core group is needed to guarantee daily hospitality and prayer.

• What kind of intentional faith community do you envision living at St. Anthony's? (Provide links for examples you find on the internet.)
• Do you know an existing religious order, lay or religious/lay group who might be interested?
• Do you know individuals who might be interested to form or join intentional community and make a commitment to live at St. Anthony's for some number of years?
• Not all 75 bedrooms need to be reserved for retreatants. Who else might be residents at St. Anthony's on a more regular basis?
  

Share your views on the importance and characteristics of a residential core group for the future of St. Anthony's.

[Julia]

This is a great idea! Maybe for the future, when the full programs are up and running...

It would be nice to have a few committed people continue to live there right now to help with spiritual direction, liturgies, prayer services, whatever!

It seems like most centers are either focused around a faith community as primary or being a retreat center, but it is certainly possible to invite people to take up a simple prayerful life there and or allow for longer term sabbaticals. I think this typ of "alternative" committed secular religous life is a way of the future that may become increasingly popular.

 

These are a couple of centers in which religious men, women, and secular oblates are living together successfully in community and allowing others to come for limited longer term retreats.

 

Little Portion, Arkansas 

http://www.littleportion.org/index.cfm?active=1

Holy Trinity Monastery, St David, AZ

http://www.holytrinitymonastery.org/

[Servant Team]

Julia,

Just sent you an email about your response to the August questions you emailed this afternoon. Let us know if we can post that response as a reply to the appropriate posting on this web site for all the world to see.

- Leo