Sarah Mitchell
Becoming a Catholic monk in the UK involves a journey of self-discovery and a commitment to a monastic life of prayer, work, and community. Candidates must be male, practising Catholics in good health, unmarried, and without dependents. The process typically begins with visits to a monastery to discern one's vocation through prayer and conversations with monks and directors. This is followed by a trial period called postulancy, where candidates live within the community and further discern their vocation. With the abbot's consent, candidates then enter the novitiate, receiving monastic habits and instruction in Scripture, theology, and liturgy. After this formative period, monks make temporary vows, becoming junior monks for a minimum of three years. Finally, with the community's approval, monks make their solemn vows, committing to the monastic life and becoming full members of the chapter.
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What You'll Learn
Visiting the abbey
Abbeys and monasteries are places of reflection, peace and simplicity. They are perfect for those seeking an escape from the stresses of modern life. Many abbeys in the UK open their doors to day visitors or those looking to stay for a longer period to go on a retreat. You do not have to be religious to visit an abbey.
Westminster Abbey, for instance, welcomes guided tour groups of up to 20 visitors when accompanied by a Blue Badge Tourist Guide. The abbey has hosted many of Britain's most significant historical events, including every coronation since 1066 and 16 royal weddings. Over 3,000 famous people are buried here, including writers, musicians, scientists, politicians, and noblemen and women. The abbey is also known for its glorious late medieval architecture, spectacular fan-vaulted ceiling, and high stained-glass windows.
Downside Abbey, the senior Benedictine monastery of the English Benedictine Congregation, also welcomes visitors. It was originally founded at Douai in Flanders in 1606 and moved to its current location in 1814. The abbey's library, specialising in Theology, Philosophy, and Ecclesiastical History, holds about 500,000 volumes, with the earliest texts dating back to the 11th century.
Quarr Abbey, a monastery on the Isle of Wight, is home to a small group of Benedictine monks. Visitors are welcome to attend worship in the Abbey Church, visit the gardens, and learn about the monastery in the Visitor Centre. The Farm Shop offers home-grown produce, while the Monastery Shop sells religious articles, books, and souvenirs.
Fountains Abbey, founded in 1132, is one of the largest and best-preserved Cistercian abbeys in England. Tintern Abbey, founded in 1131 and located near the village of Tintern in Monmouthshire on the border of Wales and England, was the first Cistercian foundation in Wales.
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Discerning your vocation
The first step to discerning your vocation is to visit the monastery several times. This allows you to take the time to consider your vocation by praying and talking with the Vocations Director and monks. You should also do some research and thinking. It is important to remember that there are different types of abbeys, each doing different types of work, so you should visit a few to find the right one for you.
The signs of a vocation to the monastic life are a desire for God and for the way that leads to God. Monks bind themselves by solemn vow to stability in the community, conversion of life (which includes chastity and poverty) and obedience. The monastic call is always to a specific monastery, and the monastery where the monk makes his profession is home for the rest of his life.
The next step is to contact the Novice Master and discuss your feeling of vocation. If both parties believe God is calling the candidate, the Novice Master offers the chance of a month in the novitiate, to experience life 'on the inside'. The novitiate is a time of discernment to help the novice discover if he is ready to commit himself to the monastic life. It is designed to give time and space to foster a life of prayer through the practice of lectio divina, and the liturgy. Studies would include the Sacred Scriptures – including the Psalms, the Rule of St Benedict and monastic history and tradition.
At the end of the novitiate, there is a vote of the community to allow the novice to take temporary vows. These vows last for a minimum of three years during which time the junior monk receives further formation in Scripture, Catholic Theology and Liturgy, to enable him to live a fruitful monastic life. After another vote of the community, he may proceed to Solemn Vows which make him a full member of the community. There is thus ample time, at least five and a half years, to make a free and informed decision to commit oneself to the monastic life.
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Understanding the community
The first step to becoming a monk is to visit the monastery several times to get a sense of the community and whether you feel called to serve God alongside them. Monasteries welcome visitors to their grounds, gardens, and shops, and visitors are also invited to attend worship in the Abbey Church.
During these visits, you will have the opportunity to meet and speak with monks about your feelings of vocation. You can also pray and talk with the Vocations Director and Abbot. This is a chance to ask questions and learn more about the community and the daily activities and duties of the monks.
The community is an essential aspect of monastic life. Unlike other religious orders, monks belong to a particular community and are not transferred to other religious houses. The monastery where a monk takes his vows will always be considered his "'home," and the community will be his "family." This sense of stability and belonging is a unique feature of monastic life.
Monks come from diverse backgrounds, with varying ages, experiences, abilities, and interests. They are united by their shared dedication to a life of prayer, work, and community. Their work often includes household jobs, gardening, and practical tasks in service of the community.
The monks follow a monastic rule of life, such as the Rule of St. Benedict, which guides their daily routines and practices. This rule emphasizes simplicity and a balance between prayer, contemplation, and community service.
Before applying to join a monastery, it is important to consider whether you feel a genuine connection to the community and their way of life. Ask yourself if you can seek and find God in this place, with these people, and through this work. This self-reflection is a crucial part of discerning your vocation and ensuring a good fit with the monastic community.
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Taking temporary vows
In the Catholic Church, the vows of members of religious orders and congregations are usually of two durations: temporary, and, after a few years, final vows (permanent or "perpetual"). The temporary vows are taken after the novitiate, a period of time—generally the first year of monastic life—during which the novice learns from the Novice Master and the community about monastic life and the vows they will later take. This is a time of discernment to help the novice discover if they are ready to commit to the monastic life.
At the beginning of the novitiate, the candidate is given the monastic habit to wear—the traditional garb of the Benedictine monk: a tunic and belt, scapular and hood. The candidate will spend this time in prayer and learning about the Sacred Scriptures, including the Psalms, the Rule of St Benedict, and monastic history and tradition.
After this initial period, if the novice wishes to continue and the Abbot and community agree that they show signs of a monastic vocation, they will take Simple Vows, promising to live by the monastic vows for a trial period of around three years. During this time, the junior monk is free to leave at any time while they discern if they have a true vocation to live the monastic life.
The vows taken at this stage are the traditional Benedictine vows: stability, obedience, and conversatio morum (conversion of manners or life). Stability means that the monk will remain in the community they have joined for the rest of their life. The monastery where they take their vows will always be considered their "`home", and the community will be their "family". The vow of obedience means undertaking to listen deeply to God, as well as to the Abbot, who is believed to take the place of Christ in the monastery, and to the other members of the community. The vow of conversatio morum means being faithful to the monastic way and seeking God single-heartedly. Although not taken explicitly, this vow also encompasses the traditional vows of chastity and poverty.
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Becoming a full member
The process of becoming a monk begins with staying at a monastery a few times. This allows you to take the time to consider and discern your vocation by praying and talking with the Vocations’ Director and Abbot. During this time, you can visit a Benedictine monastery and speak to one or more of the monks about their feelings of vocation.
After several visits and upon recommendation by the vocation director, the candidate makes an application to enter the community as a postulant. Postulancy is a trial period when a candidate lives within the community for an extended period of time, usually between three months and two years. During this time, the postulant becomes accustomed to the monastery's manner of life and further discerns their vocation.
At the end of the postulancy period, the candidate applies to the abbot to become a novice. The novitiate is a time of discernment to help the novice discover if they are ready to commit to the monastic life. The candidate is given the monastic habit to wear—a tunic and belt, scapular and hood—and a copy of the Rule of St Benedict. Studies include the Sacred Scriptures, the Psalms, monastic history and tradition.
After the novitiate, there is a vote of the community to allow the novice to take temporary vows and receive the white habit. These vows last for a minimum of three years, during which the junior monk receives further formation in Scripture, Catholic Theology and Liturgy.
After three years, a junior may ask to make his Final Profession of monastic vows for life. With solemn vows, the monk becomes a full member of the community. The monk becomes a member of the Chapter and has the right and duty to discuss and vote on issues concerning the community. The monk promises stability, fidelity to monastic life, and obedience.
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Frequently asked questions
The requirements to become a Catholic monk in the UK include being male, Catholic, unmarried, and in good physical and mental health. It is also necessary to be over the age of 17, or 20 according to Pluscarden Abbey, and to have received the Sacrament of Confirmation.
The first step is to visit the monastery several times to discern your vocation and determine if this is the right path for you. If both parties believe it is a good fit, the candidate makes an application to enter the community as a postulant. This is a trial period where the candidate lives within the community and becomes accustomed to the monastery's way of life. After this period, the candidate can apply to become a novice.
Monks in the UK lead simple lives dedicated to the glory of God. Their time is split between prayer, contemplation, and community service. They live and work in a monastery, abbey, or priory under a monastic rule of life.
There are different types of abbeys in the UK, including enclosed (contemplative) and active (apostolic). Monks will follow either the Rule of St Basil or the Rule of St Benedict.
