To
become a monk at Downside you need to be a confirmed
and practising Catholic, a man over the age of
17, in good mental and physical health, if possible
involved in the life of your parish community or
something similar, unmarried, with no dependents.
A person usually applies after staying in the monastery
a few times to consider things with the Novice
Master and abbot. If the application is accepted
you will be invited to come as a postulant for
six months.
Postulants live in the Novitiate and share fully
in the life and work of the Novitiate. This is to
help newcomers and monks get to know each other,
but most especially it is to help them consider what
God wants. The Novice Master will also be considering
a person’s vocation, and want to help them
examine what monastic life in a particular community
will involve.
Postulants attend the community’s prayer and
recreation and they study some aspects of monastic
life and prayer. All is designed in such a way as
to assist the process of discernment. In the light
of this experience he can apply to join the Novitiate.
Of course, a postulant may leave at any time.
On completing the postulancy, a man may ask to enter
the Novitiate. The novitiate is the first formal
period of training to be a monk. Over the course
of a full year, the novice will study the Rule of
St Benedict, the Constitutions of our Congregation,
possibly some Latin and monastic history. He will
also learn more about prayer and lectio divina,
and the liturgy. All studies are tailored to meet
individual needs.
The main purpose of the Novitiate is to continue
is to continue the search for God under the guidance
of the Novice Master, an experienced monk, and to
discern whether the novice may truly have a vocation
to the monastic life in that particular community.
During this time of monastic formation progress is
regularly assessed, and if the novice or the community
comes to the decision that his vocation does not
lie within the community, then he may leave.
If a novice wishes to commit himself properly to
monastic life, the whole community will consider
his application before he can make his Profession.
In the first instance this is a temporary commitment,
usually for three years. It consists in making vows
of stability, obedience and conversatio morum.
This time is when the junior (as he is now called),
will normally begin theological and philosophical
study, as well as receive more practical formation
in the work of the community. This study is intended
to help one deepen a person’s knowledge and
understanding of the ways of God, as well as his
understanding of the place of monastic life in the
life and mission of the Church.
When he is ready to do so, after three years, a junior
may ask to make his Final Profession of monastic
vows for life. This is generally called Solemn Profession,
and it binds a monk for the rest of his life. After
solemn vows the monk will be a member of the Chapter,
and have the right and duty to discuss and vote on
issues concerning the community.
Many of our monks are also ordained to the Priesthood;
this requires further training, and the Abbot decides
about this at the time of Solemn Profession. If the
monk is to be ordained to the priesthood, he may
be sent to Rome, or some other Catholic Institute
in order to complete them.
If you want to find out more about vocations or the
monastic life in general, please go to Contact
Us.
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