O U R   C O M M U N I T Y

We are a monastic order of men within the Continuing Anglican Church. The Order was Instituted on August 28, 1981 at the Call, and by the Order of, The Right Reverend Addison Hosea, Bishop of Lexington of the Episcopal Church; and on December 13, 1986 we were Received into the Anglican Catholic Church and Regularized by The Right Reverend William O. Lewis, the Bishop of the Midwest.

Our 'rule of life' is the Rule of Saint Benedict, traditionally interpreted, and our life is that of the traditional monk with all that implies. The life of the monks is centered and grounded in the historic Benedictine Spirituality in all its elements -- worship, prayer, study, meditation and work. The usual vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience are not professed, but rather the far more ancient vows of Stability, Obedience and Conversion of Life as contemplated in the Rule. The full monk's habit is worn, as is the tonsure. Through these three traditional vows the monks, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, seek the mind of Christ. Their personal freedom is consecrated to God in acknowledgment of His ultimate control over life, and their lives deliberately seek to conform to the life and manner of Our Lord, as St. Benedict teaches in the Holy Rule. God has made Jesus sovereign over all creation and the monks, by means of these three vows, are seeking to live in witness of "thee who alone art truly God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent". (John 17:3)

Our community is not completely cloistered, thus providing us the ability to work outside the grounds of the monastery, if need be, with the poor and disadvantaged to who we have been ministering. But, we are not an active order in the usual sense, and we believe the Holy Spirit is leading us toward becoming even a more contemplative order than we are.

We are ruled by a Prior, so the monastery is known technically as a Priory; if we were ruled by an Abbot , it would be known as an Abbey.

The monastery building is made up of some sixteen rooms, providing everything the monks need in their day to day lives -- bedrooms or 'cells', common rooms, office area, kitchen, refectory, etc. The community library (St. Gregory's Library) contains over 4,000 volumes and is a center of study.

It is in the monastic chapel that the monks do their most important work, prayer. The monks' life is centered in the chapel. Our Chapel of St. Mary the Virgin is as well "appointed" as a small parish church, and it is open to the public. As well, there is a chapel/Oratory in the cloistered area, which is not open to the public.

We are presently located in the inner city area of Lexington, but our hope is that as we become a more contemplative order the Holy Spirit will lead us into a quiet, rural setting, where we would expect to be somewhat more self-sufficient.

Chapel Schedule

6:00 9:00 Noon 3:05 6:00 9:00

Morning Prayer Terce/Chapter Mass/Sext None/Intercessions Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Stations (Friday) Holy Hour (Saturday) Evening Prayer Compline

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