Ministry living with a religious community?

Unofficial Reverand Alex

Pray in silence...God speaks softly
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Greetings to all! I'm currently discerning communal religious life. Living in prayerful community & doing meaningful work sounds like a very good way to spend my life. So to discern this step, I started investigating volunteer programs, where I would live in a community with consecrated religious folks, getting a firsthand experience of this noble lifestyle.

I'll put a link* below of the list of programs I've found. This is for the benefit of anyone else here who may wish to live among those who have given their entire lives to God in a very special way. I come here, not just to prayerfully share these opportunities, but to ask: Do any of you know of other ways I could live in a religious community, with meaningful work & bountiful prayer? I'm committed to a different volunteer program 'til July, so I have plenty of time to weigh options & see what any of you recommend.

Thank you.

* Program Search Results | Catholic Volunteer Network
 

Paidiske

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There might be other ways. For example, running (or working in) a retreat centre. A few years ago I looked seriously at applying for the job of chaplain here: Lee Abbey Devon - Christian retreat, holiday and conference centre (unfortunately my citizenship situation made me ineligible for that one).

Another way might be to live in a small household that forms an unofficial intentional community; I've had friends who have done that. Like all situations, it has benefits and drawbacks; being a small group means that stability is harder to maintain.
 
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