Sangha of the Sacred Heart
Rooted in the ancient tradition of Benedictine and Buddhist Spirituality, the Order of the Sacred Heart is a Christian monastic order that exists to blend the wisdom traditions of both Eastern and Western monasticism. Focusing on intentional living and meditation, our vowed monastic and spiritual practitioners live in the world in a monastery without walls. Explore and learn more...Vocations – Who Can Enter the Program?
The particulars are simple. You must be 21 years of age or older, male or female, married or single. You must be in good health, of sound mind, and demonstrate spiritual maturity.
That’s the simple part. The more difficult part is a matter of discernment between you, God, and the Community you wish to be a part of.
– A deep desire to have union with God or the divine.
– A craving for prayer and sacrament.
– A long felt unnamed desire to be complete.
– A longing to be of service to your community and world.
– A desire for the sacred and mystical.
Monastic Vows
A monastic life is a life dedicated to the search for God, and knowledge of self. An individual monk undertakes spritual formation and training in meditation for assistance in this search.
One of the basic tenets of searching for God, and a basic step along the path to finding what is being sought, is to intentionally lose the aspects of self that prevent success in this endeavor. The monastic vows are an aid in losing these aspects of self. Sacred Heart monks take four vows—obedience, stability, conversion of life, and a vow of nonviolence.
In the Order of the Sacred Heart you have the option of taking monastic vows whether or not you choose to pursue priestly ordination. Note: only ordained clergy can perform the sacraments of the order, such as the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.
Unlike monasticism in the traditional Western sense, you can be married or single, with our without children. We believe, while occasionally providing slight additional obstacles, it is possible to live a monastic life if you are married or in a relationship.
Before under taking spiritual formation you are required to obtain the consent of your significant other – as their support will be critical during your formative years and beyond.
None of our spiritual practitioners live in community at this time. Some day we hope to have a fully self-sustaining retreat center where practitioners from all faith traditions can come to perform group or solitary short term or long term retreats.
Becoming A Monastic Practitioner
When Jesus calls us to follow him, the path is not always immediately clear. Every vocation story is unique and often full of surprises.
Nevertheless, the stages of our life prior to final commitment are for the most part the same:
Candidate: A young woman or man visits the monastery over a period of time, and speaks to the vocation director and/or the superior, who help the person discern their call.
Postulancy: The candidate enters the monastery and begins to live as a member of the community, receiving instruction from the novice director.
Novitiate: After some months as a postulant, the man or woman is clothed with the monastic habit and becomes a member of our Order, continuing to receive guidance and instruction from the novice director. The novitiate lasts one or two years.
Temporary Vows: After the novitiate, the novice may be admitted to temporary vows. The years of temporary profession are a time for further study and absorption of the monastic way of living the Gospel, and deeper integration into the community.
Final Vows: After at least 3, and no more than 9 years of temporary vows, the young professed sister or brother may be admitted to final vows, which are taken for life.
Priestly Ordination – Answering the Call
Anyone may apply to the ordination program. Please note the Order of the Sacred Heart does not discriminate based off of race, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, or disability.
Candidates should know the clergy are responsible for their own ministries, and that the church does not provide any type of salaries or stipends for clergy.
The path towards ordination takes approximately 4 years depending on prior life experience and education.
The Path to Ordination
During the course of your time at seminary you will have the opportunity to study: monastic history, meditation techniques and approaches, pastoral counseling, theology, chaplaincy, christology, comparative religions, pastoral ethics, sacramental theology and how to perform the sacraments, and much more.
Upon completion of the seminary program you will be granted a licentiate of ministry, whether to publically practice the sacraments as a priest, or a licentiate authorizing you as a lay mediation teacher and member of the sangha. Based off of previous education or spiritual experience prior to entering the seminary, you may be granted advanced standing. Please note that graduation from the seminary does not guarantee ordination.
The clergy of the Order of the Sacred Heart are ordained with valid Apostolic Succession as passed down from Jesus Christ and the other apostles. Our priests are ordained, and our bishops are consecrated with the lines of succession of the Roman Catholic Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, The Russian Orthodox Church of Moscow, the Anglican/Episcopal lines of succession, and many other lineages from Eastern traditions.
Would you like to know more about vocations or incardination? Your first step is to contact us today.
