FAQ
Who can apply to discern for vocations with House of Initia Nova? Anyone! Because of the variety of vocational lifestyles that are available in our household, just about anyone who senses a call to a deeper spiritual walk with accountability to community should consider House of Initia Nova. So long as you are of adult age, anyone who is a member of a church within the worldwide Anglican Communion (Episcopal/Church of England/Anglicans elsewhere in the world); or a church in full communion with the Episcopal Church/Anglican Church/Church of England (such as the Lutheran Church in America or United Methodist Church) would be able to seek religious life with us.
Do I have to move away from my home? Maybe… House of Initia Nova members live out their vocation in one of two ways: in the traditional way within our Motherhouse, Genesis Abbey, in Puerto Rico; or “on mission” in the world in their own homes.
What does “membership” in the community look like? There are three main ways of exercising your vocation with House of Initia Nova, depending on where you sense you are being called:
Professed: These are people who enter a religious life in a more traditional formation process (at least 5-and-a-half years).
Conversi: These are people who enter a vowed religious vocation, but because of circumstances have a less onerous and academically challenging formation process (at least 1 year). Examples: just got out of seminary, has health issues, current work circumstance does not allow for a more intense formation, believe that this vocation is a starting point, knowing that all Benedictine vocations are life long.
Oblates: These are a people who wish to align themselves to a monastic House and strengthen their own paths to Christ via the Rule of St Benedict, and learn of the benefits of community life.
While single vowed/professed may seek to live in community at the Motherhouse, vowed/professed, conversi, and oblates may all live out their vocation wherever they are.
So those in a professed vocation can be married? Those who exercise their vocation outside of the Motherhouse may be married, yes. Special circumstances can exist for mixed vocations to live at the Motherhouse. Special conversations need to be had with the Abbot concerning living arrangements.
What vows do your members make? Benedictines take three vows:
a. Stability: this means one is committing themselves to a community for life.
b. Obedience: this means placing oneself under the authotiry of both the Abbot (who seeks to lead the community like Christ) and of your fellow Brothers and Sisters.
c. Conversion of Life: This basically means vowing to give oneself to the process of being changed and transformed by God as one lives in community.
Do I have to wear a habit? We recognize that the habit is a powerful symbol in the world; but also that care should be taken in it’s wearing so as not to cause offence or a stumbling block to others. While we wear the habit when we are together for convocation, how often and where you wear the habit while outside the Motherhouse should be based on careful consideration, prayer, and discussion with the Abbot.
What does community life look like? Every week, all of our community (Oblates, Conversi, and Professed) meet together for prayer via an online Zoom call. Throughout the week, we commit to private prayer of Morning, Midday, Evening Prayer, and Compline; seek guidance from God on how to intentionally allow our religious vocation to shine through our daily work; take time for contemplative reading and study of the Scriptures and other texts to form us spiritually and vocationally; and look for ways to enter into serving our local community and parish congregation. It is also an expectation that all members will take refular time through the week to interact with the Community via our online “monastery” portal. The intensity of this will vary depending on the vocational calling you are walking in. Those who live in the Motherhouse in Ponce serve the local community that surrounds the Motherhouse under the direction of the Abbot. Then twice a year the community gathers for Convocation and spends a few days together in community life, meetings, and prayer. These are expectations of life in our Community. Should you not be able to fulfil these for any reason, even if only for a short period of time, one is expected to consult the Abbot.
Traditional monastic communities also share things in common in the monastery. How does House of Initia Nova do that? The Rule of St Benedict speaks of the community as having all things in common (“Let everyone have all things in common, as it is written, no one kept anything as his own.” RSB 33) All who come into community with us seek to live from this non-possessive position, seeing the things that they have not as their own but as God’s. Those who live at the Motherhouse work for the common good of all who live at the Motherhouse. Those who exercise their vocation on mission in the world, while living in their own homes, still see the Motherhouse as “home” and central to the life of the community in keeping with the Rule of St Benedict. These members make an ongoing financial pledge to the community proportionate to their income as representation of their being a part of life in community. What this looks like is unique for each individual commensurate to their circumstances in consultation with the Abbot.
Does it make a difference if I am ordained as a priest or deacon? Since in entering religious life you are making vows to the community and Abbot, the Abbot will talk to you and your local bishop and seek his approval for your entry into community.
What does the discernment and formation process look like?
- Enquiry: Make contact with one of the people below and begin an initial conversation with them and our Abbot to have your questions answered.
- Application/Discernment: Once you are sure you want to enter into a discernment process, you will fill out an application form and submit this to the Abbot. On the basis of your form and further discussion with the Abbot, you will both discern your initial call to religious life with House of Initia Nova; and which of the ways of exercising your vocation (professed, conversi, or oblate**).
- Postulancy: From those discussions you will being a time of learning called postulancy. During this period you will do some initial reading, reflecting, and assignments on religious life under the direction of a formation guide.
- Novitiate: Once the Abbot is satisfied with your progress, you will be invited to the Novitiate. In this season, you will begin a more intense learning and formation (the length and depth of which is varied depending on the particular vocation you are called in community).
- Vows: Once the Abbot is satisfied with your progress, you will be invited to make application to the Abbot to take vows. Once accepted: Conversi will take their vows; professed will take their first/simple vows, and after further formation, their solemn vows.
- Ongoing Formation: Growing in Christ never stops. As a result, we understand that ongoing formation, in the form of reading, prayer, and reflection are vital to our growth as Christian religious. Therefore, all members of HIN engage in some form of ongoing formation work as prescribed by the Abbot, under the direction of a formation guide.
- **Oblates, once received, are directed in ways of formal formation in their vocation under the support of a formation guide.
Who do I reach out to and express my desire to consider vocations with House of Initia Nova?
To make initial contact, or simply to ask questions you may have, please email:
The Americas/Carribean//Africa:
Abbot Michael-John Austin via abbot272727@hotmail.com
United Kingdom/Europe:
Dom John-Aelred Lane via brjohnaelred@gmail.com
Australia/Asia/Pacific:
Br Frederick-James via brfrederickjames@gmail.com