Sanctifying the ordinary through prayer, work and study...

The Canon Communities of St. Benedict (OSBCn) provide a contemporary Anglican framework for the living out of Benedictine Christianity. It is, in part, a recovery of the English tradition of canon communities that flourished before the English Reformation but is also an adaptation of St. Benedict’s Rule suitable for Christian living in today’s world. The order of Benedictine canons, founded by Fr. Martin-Joseph Brokenleg, the late Fr. Warren Shoberg, and the late Bp. Creighton Robertson on St. Patrick’s Day 1996, makes it possible for men and women of the twenty-first century to better grow into the stature of Christ by living the vowed life according to St. Benedict’s Rule.       

Members can be found in Victoria & Vancouver, British Columbia; Brandon, Manitoba; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and Tempe and Tucson, Arizona, where they live according to the Rule of St. Benedict, adapted for non-cloistered life. They profess the traditional Benedictine vows of stability, obedience and conversatio (conversion of life by living in a monastic way). As Benedictines, they strive to live in harmony with God and each other by finding the balance between prayer, work and study and by placing a special emphasis on hospitality. Benedictines seek God in the ordinary things of life and are known for their respect of others, their devotion to prayer and liturgy, and their stewardship of the resources God provides. The Brothers and Sisters meet in chapter, worship together and come together spiritually several times a day in prayer by praying the Daily Office.

Living a Christian life according to the Rule of St. Benedict is not difficult, but does require a commitment to community and daily, dedicated time in prayer and meditation. The rewards of attending to the wisdom of the Rule are plentiful and profound.