2020 Masters of Monastic Tradition:

An intensive study for young men pursuing undergraduate or graduate

studies, hosted by the Benedictines of Saint Benedict Abbey, Still River, MA

The saint Benedict Institute

Presents

Saint BENEDICT of NURSIAAugust 16-22, 2020

saint Benedict Abbeywww.abbey.org • (978) 456-3221252 Still River Road • PO Box 67

Still River, MA 01467

How to Apply

Those interested in the Saint Benedict Institute should apply online:abbey.org/visit/saint-benedict-institute

Applications must include a Statement of Interest and a Letter of Reference from a professor to the Institute Director, Dr. Mark J. Clark. (Those who attended in previous years need no new letter of reference.)Application and documents are due by July 1, 2020.Those selected will be notified of their acceptance within a few weeks of complete application.

For questions or other information, please contact Dr. Mark Clark:markjohnpaulclark@yahoo.com

Saint Benedict of Nursia, regarded by many as the found-

er of monasticism in the Latin West,

is as famous for his sanctity and

miracles as he is for the Rule, which

became the basis for monastic life

in the Benedictine Order that he

founded and in its many reforms

and offshoots. Both his life, recount-

ed by Pope Saint Gregory the Great

in a magisterial biography, and the

Rule that he composed have been

profoundly influential in the Latin

West, and it would be impossible to

overstate his influence on Christian

souls within and without monastic

communities.

For its third annual Masters of the

Monastic Tradition seminar,

the Saint Benedict Institute invites

ten young men currently pursuing

undergraduate or graduate studies

to come to Saint Benedict Abbey

in Still River, Massachusetts, to

participate in a weeklong intensive

seminar studying the work of St.

Benedict of Nursia.

What is the saint Benedict institute and the Masters of Monastic tradition PrograM?

The goal of The Saint Benedict Institute is to offer young men the opportunity to study the thought of Catholic spiritual masters in a contemplative at-mosphere with the assistance of quali-fied teachers. The first several years of the Program concentrated on a series of seminars on the thought of Masters of Monastic Tradition. After studying Saint Augustine in 2018 and Saint Jerome in 2019, participants in summer 2020 will begin an intensive study of St. Benedict of Nursia, the founder of monasticism.

The tutors, as before, are Profes-sors Mark J. Clark and Timothy B. Noone of the schools of theology and philosophy respectively, of The Catholic University of America.

institute details

Participants will be guests at the Abbey for the week of August 16-22, 2020, arriving on Sunday afternoon and departing on the morning of the following Saturday.

There will be two study sessions daily: two hours in the morning, and two hours in the afternoon. There will be ample opportunity not only for Mass but also for conversations started in the lecture hall on the beautiful grounds of St. Benedict Abbey.

Recreations formal and informal will also be an integral part of the week. On one day, after morning class, we take the rest of the day and go to the beach at Manomet, five miles south of Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Guests will be invited to join the monks at dinner, if they so choose, and all will be welcome to attend the daily monastic offices. All guests will receive free room and board for the week plus a stipend of up to $300 to cover costs of travel.

aBout st. Benedict aBBey

Recognizing that a monk’s life, first and foremost, is dedicated to liturgical and private prayer, the monks of Saint Benedict Abbey gather for common prayer seven times each weekday and four times on Sunday for a total of three hours each day.

Celebrated in Latin according to the Novus Ordo, infused with the sublime beauty and ancient nobility of sacred chant, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and Divine Office form the support-ing pillars in the structure of our daily schedule, and are privileged times in our conversation with God.

The monks pray not only for them-selves, but for all God’s children.The Abbey’s pastoral location in Still River, Massachusetts, overlooking the Nashua Valley, lifts up the soul and makes it easy to say with the psalmist,

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God, and the firmament declares His praise.” St. Benedict’s is, at once, a place of peace, a place of prayer, and a place apart where visitors encoun-ter God in such a way that their lives bear witness to His love for all men and women.

Hospes venit, Christus venit, “When a guest comes, Christ comes,” is a Benedictine maxim that we take to heart, as we invite our guests to enter with us into the friendship of God through prayer, fellowship, and the contemplation of His creation.

Apply for the Institute at abbey.org