Vocations

 If You Would Like a Life ...

• lived in community with others who share your ideals;
• marked by the rhythm of the monastic Liturgy of the Hours and daily Eucharist;
• rooted in the 1500-year-old tradition of Saint Benedict, yet contemporary in its response to human need and Church ministry;
• lived in prayerfulness, hospitality, simplicity, and peace;

Who are Benedictines?

Benedictines are women or men who seek God by living and praying in community, following the 1500 year old Rule of Saint Benedict, under the leadership of a prioress or an abbot. Their life is regulated by the rhythm of the Liturgy of the Hours and Eucharist, and overflows into a variety of ministries that both support the monastic community and respond to the contemporary needs of Church and world.

Who are the Benedictine Sisters of Elizabeth, New Jersey?

The Benedictine Sisters of Elizabeth are a community of Catholic women who live according to the Rule of St. Benedict. Our days are punctuated by Morning Praise, Midday Prayer, Vespers, Compline, and Eucharist. In addition, each sister pursues her personal prayer life through lectio divina (the reflective reading of Scripture) and other forms of prayer. We make a threefold monastic profession of stability, obedience and fidelity to the monastic way of life.  These vows are lived within a lifestyle that places first priority on common life and prayer. Under the leadership of our prioress, we maintain a variety of ministries that include education, health care, pastoral care and retreat work. Other ministries may also be pursued, so long as they are compatible with the community's primary commitment to prayer and the common life.

How are the Benedictines of Elizabeth unique?

Some communities were founded primarily for ministry and their style of community and prayer support their life of ministry. The purpose of Benedictine life is to seek God in community and to respond in prayer and ministry. Community life and prayer together is our priority and our ministry flows from it. Benedictine monasteries are located all over the globe, each is independent and has a spirit shaped by the members, the geographic location, and the local customs as well as a 1500 year old spiritual tradition. The Benedictine Sisters of Elizabeth have worked, prayed together and shared all things in common since 1867. Through active lives balanced by contemplation, we witness to Jesus Christ in community, hospitality and ministry.