"It is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life."
Bilbo Baggins, Fellowship of the Ring (Lord of the Rings movie trilogy)
Saint Brendan's Monastic Retreat Community has been raised up by God as a place of monastic prayer, retreat, and labor. Saint Brendan's is also a place of training and spiritual direction for Christian men and women, young and old, married and single, whom God is calling to test this way of life regardless of communion or denominational affiliation, particularly through our Oblate program, the Monastic Fellowship of Saint Brendan's.
Life at Saint Brendan's is patterned after our Rule of Life, an adaptation of the Rule of St. Benedict. As such, our day follows a Benedictine model of prayer, worship, study, work, and hospitality. We fulfill these monastic labors under the ancient Benedictine vows of Obedience, Stability, and Fidelity. And because Saint Brendan's also draws its influence from the early Celtic monastic saints, we live these vows within the context of celebration and joy.
Thus while the operation of the farm has its proper place, the most important activity at Saint Brendan's is the sacred labor of prayer, worship, and the celebration of the Eucharist. Prayer is observed throughout the day in the monastic "Office of the Hours", set times of prayer throughout the day that call us into the presence of God, thus sanctifying our time, our work, and our worship.
The Office of the Hours (or "Liturgy of the Hours") are observed in Holy Trinity Chapel. These times of prayer include Lauds (5:45 AM), Terce (8:00 AM), Sext (11:30 AM), None (1:00 PM), Vespers (5:00 PM), and Compline (6:30 PM). Holy Eucharist is celebrated twice a week--on Wednesdays at 11:30 in lieu of Sext, and on Sundays at 9:30 AM.
MINISTRY OVERVIEW
Saint Brendan's is first and foremost a place of prayer, formation, and retreat. Saint Brendan's is also a place of hospitality. This means we welcome guests who are seeking to spend time in monastic retreat before the Lord. 'Retreat' in this sense does not mean vacation. Monastic retreat means to fully enter into the daily rhythms of life at Saint Brendan's--labor, study, prayer, and worship. We do not charge a fee for those here on retreats; we only receive what our visitors desire to leave as a gift, praying to God that these monetary blessings are sufficient to support the ministry. Saint Brendan's will not be developed for large group conferences or seminar weekends. It is a place of quiet renewal for those who desire to come apart from the discordant noises of the world and to seek God in a quiet place.
God has strategically located Saint Brendan's in an economically depressed part of the country. What the farm produces (fruits, nuts, vegetables, milk, eggs, cheese, meat) are used to bless the local community of Dennysville and the needy of southeast Washington County, Maine.
As God places the call and desire on others who are drawn to this kind of monastic life, we look forward to the day when additional couples come to "live in community" with us; entering into the work, worship, and prayer of Saint Brendan's. We are also praying for the future establishment of a brotherhood--single men called to a disciplined, monastic life--who will be trained and raised up for religious vocation as lay brothers or clergy, giving themselves either to to the work and life of Saint Brendan's or for "deployment" to various diocese and parishes of the Anglican Church in North America according to the needs of our bishops and people.
As part of our monastic life, we fully subscribe to the Benedictine model of labor, particular with our hands in traditional skills and cottage industry. Our handcrafts will not only be for personal use, but for bartering and/or purchase. Our current interests include home roasted coffees, herbs and spices, hand-tied and knotted prayer ropes, wood-crafts, goat milk soaps and cheeses, dried fruits and nuts, etc. Many of our prayer rope items are already available. Please follow that link to our on-line store, the "Frumpy Monk Shoppe"
Saint Brendan's is also keenly aware of the many recent global developments (e.g., in scientific advances, geo-politics, environmental instability, terrorism, economic failures, etc.) which are indicators of the soon return of Jesus Christ. As such, Saint Brendan's is striving to be a testing and training grounds for how to live when our society must, by necessity, return to the practices and disciplines of a "peasant" society; living without the readily available resources of electricity or utilities, grocery stores (or other means of large-scale food distribution), fuel and transportation, medical care, and our many other familiar conveniences. This is not an alarmist posture, but one of responsible Church accountability for the people it is privileged to serve. As time and resources permit, we are learning how to do more the "old fashioned" way and are examining such issues as alternative energy, heirloom food production and storage, animal husbandry, herbal medicinals, and the like.
Life at Saint Brendan's is patterned after our Rule of Life, an adaptation of the Rule of St. Benedict. As such, our day follows a Benedictine model of prayer, worship, study, work, and hospitality. We fulfill these monastic labors under the ancient Benedictine vows of Obedience, Stability, and Fidelity. And because Saint Brendan's also draws its influence from the early Celtic monastic saints, we live these vows within the context of celebration and joy.
Thus while the operation of the farm has its proper place, the most important activity at Saint Brendan's is the sacred labor of prayer, worship, and the celebration of the Eucharist. Prayer is observed throughout the day in the monastic "Office of the Hours", set times of prayer throughout the day that call us into the presence of God, thus sanctifying our time, our work, and our worship.
The Office of the Hours (or "Liturgy of the Hours") are observed in Holy Trinity Chapel. These times of prayer include Lauds (5:45 AM), Terce (8:00 AM), Sext (11:30 AM), None (1:00 PM), Vespers (5:00 PM), and Compline (6:30 PM). Holy Eucharist is celebrated twice a week--on Wednesdays at 11:30 in lieu of Sext, and on Sundays at 9:30 AM.
MINISTRY OVERVIEW
Saint Brendan's is first and foremost a place of prayer, formation, and retreat. Saint Brendan's is also a place of hospitality. This means we welcome guests who are seeking to spend time in monastic retreat before the Lord. 'Retreat' in this sense does not mean vacation. Monastic retreat means to fully enter into the daily rhythms of life at Saint Brendan's--labor, study, prayer, and worship. We do not charge a fee for those here on retreats; we only receive what our visitors desire to leave as a gift, praying to God that these monetary blessings are sufficient to support the ministry. Saint Brendan's will not be developed for large group conferences or seminar weekends. It is a place of quiet renewal for those who desire to come apart from the discordant noises of the world and to seek God in a quiet place.
God has strategically located Saint Brendan's in an economically depressed part of the country. What the farm produces (fruits, nuts, vegetables, milk, eggs, cheese, meat) are used to bless the local community of Dennysville and the needy of southeast Washington County, Maine.
As God places the call and desire on others who are drawn to this kind of monastic life, we look forward to the day when additional couples come to "live in community" with us; entering into the work, worship, and prayer of Saint Brendan's. We are also praying for the future establishment of a brotherhood--single men called to a disciplined, monastic life--who will be trained and raised up for religious vocation as lay brothers or clergy, giving themselves either to to the work and life of Saint Brendan's or for "deployment" to various diocese and parishes of the Anglican Church in North America according to the needs of our bishops and people.
As part of our monastic life, we fully subscribe to the Benedictine model of labor, particular with our hands in traditional skills and cottage industry. Our handcrafts will not only be for personal use, but for bartering and/or purchase. Our current interests include home roasted coffees, herbs and spices, hand-tied and knotted prayer ropes, wood-crafts, goat milk soaps and cheeses, dried fruits and nuts, etc. Many of our prayer rope items are already available. Please follow that link to our on-line store, the "Frumpy Monk Shoppe"
Saint Brendan's is also keenly aware of the many recent global developments (e.g., in scientific advances, geo-politics, environmental instability, terrorism, economic failures, etc.) which are indicators of the soon return of Jesus Christ. As such, Saint Brendan's is striving to be a testing and training grounds for how to live when our society must, by necessity, return to the practices and disciplines of a "peasant" society; living without the readily available resources of electricity or utilities, grocery stores (or other means of large-scale food distribution), fuel and transportation, medical care, and our many other familiar conveniences. This is not an alarmist posture, but one of responsible Church accountability for the people it is privileged to serve. As time and resources permit, we are learning how to do more the "old fashioned" way and are examining such issues as alternative energy, heirloom food production and storage, animal husbandry, herbal medicinals, and the like.