Mission
The monks of Saint John's Abbey, initiated the Saint John's Benedictine Volunteer Corps in 2003. The mission of the SJBVC is to provide an SJU student or alumnus with 9 to 12 months of volunteer service at a Benedictine monastery while he participates in the monastic life of that community. SJBVC supports the life and the apostolic work of the host monastery.
Saint John's Abbey serves as the sponsor of the SJBVC. The Abbot assigns staff the tasks of cultivating host monasteries, recruiting participants, assessing sites and participants, developing programming for volunteers, training volunteers, building budget, creating and communicating expectations of the host community and volunteer, orientation of the volunteer, and facilitating communication between the host site and the volunteer. Saint John's Abbey provides an appropriate monthly stipend to the volunteer, (ex. Hanga $100.00, Newark $150.00, Rome $175.00), one round-trip air fare and $500.00 towards health coverage for the time of service.
The host monastery provides an on-site contact person/director, meaningful work, food, and lodging for the volunteer. The host monastery provides access to transportation for the volunteer as needed (could be public transportation).
The volunteer will spend no less than two weeks in a monastic experience program at Saint John's Abbey. During this time the volunteer will live and work according to the daily schedule of the monks of Saint John's. The volunteer will study The Rule of Saint Benedict and related texts on contemporary monastic life.
The volunteer is expected to participate daily in the prayer schedule of the host community (at least one service a day). The volunteer is expected to eat with the community at least once a day. The volunteer is expected to participate in the apostolic work of the host monastery at least 30 hours a week and no more than 40.
Coordinated by Brother Paul Richards OSB, subprior of Saint John's Abbey, SJBVC is funded by the Giles Nathe Mission Grant of Saint John's University and other contributors.
Photo at top by Simon-Hoa Phan OSB:
Members of the 2005 Saint John's Benedictine
Volunteer Corps,
l. to r.: Andrew Krueger,
Andrew Dirksen, Mark Hoffman, Michael
Hahn, Paul Richards, OSB (director), Paul
Conroy.
Bottom photo: Lew Grobe and Derek Johnson on the beach at Mbamba Bay, Tanzania.
For more information about SJBVC, contact
Brother Paul Richards OSB
Saint John's Abbey
31802 County Road 159
Collegeville, MN 56321-2015
Tel. 320-363-3007
prichards @ csbsju.edu
Rev. 09-Oct-2006