1. Period of Inquiry

The vocation inquiry begins with an email, a phone call, or a Zoom conversation, whereby you begin establishing a relationship with the vocation director. The purpose of these initial conversations is to answer basic questions about monastic life and for the vocation director to understand your background.

After several of these conversations, the next step is a vocation discernment Visit, which is usually a 3-day visit, often over a weekend. It is a time to meet monks of all ages, to experience community prayer and Eucharist, to do some work, to be with monks in quiet and recreation, and to dine with the community.

Depending on your experience, you may know immediately that monastic life is not for you. Or the visit may be interesting, and over the course of time, you may make additional visits. Each time you will get to know more monks, deepen your prayer experience, and come to a deeper understanding of what monastic life is all about. During this time, you will be in conversation with a vocationally seasoned monk for guidance.