The Benedictine Priory of St. Mary is a dispersed monastic community of women in the Episcopal Church.
Let’s unpack that sentence a bit!
- Benedictine and monastic – We live according to the Rule of Saint Benedict of Nursia, interpreted and adapted for the 21st Century. We are monastic; that is, the desire for union with God is the foundation of our call, which is primarily contemplative. Prayer is our primary ministry and that prayer leads us to various types of service in the world.
- Dispersed – Benedictine life has many forms. Traditionally, Benedictines lived in a monastery or abbey and rarely left the enclosure. Dispersed Benedictines are a relatively new form of community where the members live individually, not together in a monastery. We follow the Rule, share the ups and downs of life with each other, pray the daily Offices, and have all sorts of ministries in our parishes and larger communities.
- Of women – There are several Episcopal Benedictine communities for men and for mixed gender membership. The Benedictine Priory of St. Mary welcomes Episcopalians who identify as women and are called to embrace a Benedictine Monastic spirituality.
- Episcopal – We are established in the Episcopal Church in Minnesota, a diocese of the Episcopal Church, a province of the Anglican Communion. The Priory will seek recognition from the Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops once we have met the canonical requirements.
Benedictine Priory of St. Mary 