Bordering the 288 freeway as it crosses over the James River there is a Benedictine Abbey. In it live 15 men who have vowed their entire lives to a way of life called monastic. These men follow an ancient monastic rule. Their Rule was codified by a holy man named Benedict of Nursia who lived in central Italy in the sixth century and so they are called Benedictine monks.

Benedictine monks have been living, working, and praying in Richmond since 1860. They currently have their home in the Far West End. Here they dedicate their lives to prayer and service to the wider community, both at their River Road home and at Benedictine High School, which they operate in the Fan District of Richmond. Their form of monastic life is decidedly Christian. However, monasticism in itself is not necessarily Christian; in fact, some of its non-Christian forms predate the time of Jesus Christ and still exist today among Hindus and Buddhists.

Monasticism, then, as a worldwide phenomenon can be described simply as a way of life in which men (monks) and women (nuns) seek a goal that transcends the objectives of earthly life (such as wealth, power, property, progeny). It is the attainment of the goal that is the one thing necessary for them (hence the word "monastic" from a Greek root meaning one or single; consequently, it also means that the monk or nun is unmarried and celibate).

IN GENERAL, monasticism has three essential elements: separation from the world, ascetical practices, and prayerful aspirations. Some monks live alone and are called hermits, but most live in small, intentional communities.

Christian monasticism dates back to about the late third century. It is difficult to ascribe its earliest form to any one person, but most historians agree it was a man by the name of Antony, born in Egypt about the year 250, who was the founder of Christian monasticism. He wished to leave all things behind in order to follow Christ totally, and he inspired many others to do the same. Thus Christian monks consecrate themselves to the person of Jesus Christ and are illumined by his love and example -- he is for them "the one thing necessary."

In past ages Christian monasticism flourished in much of the known world; before the advent of Islam there were thousands of monks and nuns who populated the deserts of Egypt, Asia Minor, Palestine, and North Africa. Anyone familiar with Western European medieval history knows the strong influence monks and monasteries had on the daily life of people in those times.

Today in the U.S. and Western Europe relatively few men and women are choosing this way of renunciation and singular pursuit of the divine as a life-long commitment. But at the same time there has been a dramatic resurgence of interest in monastic spirituality by people of all walks of life, Protestant and Roman Catholic alike. Consequently, today the more than 100 Christian monasteries throughout the United States offer different kinds of prayer and retreat experiences to accommodate such interest.

NONETHELESS, the contemporary dearth of vocations to the monastic life raises the question: Is monastic life still a reasonable way of life for 21st-century men and women? Apparently as the world becomes more prosperous and more confident in its own powers, fewer people are knocking at monastery doors. Yet, as some modern psychologists tell us, our affluence and ability to control our destiny have not filled the inner spiritual void we all have.

Organized religion and churches try to fill this void in most cases but there are always those who want something more intense, with fewer distractions -- and the monastic way of life attempts to provide that.

Modern monasteries such as Mary Mother of the Church Abbey in Richmond, then, carefully screen all candidates who seek to enter in order to weed out those who might be looking only for a refuge from the crush and stress of the world. They seek mature, well-balanced people whose first desire is a closer union with God and who at the same time wish to be free to dedicate more of their time and energy to helping those in need and making a better world.
Abbot Patrick Moore, OSB, lives, works, and prays at Mary Mother of the Church Abbey in Richmond. Contact him at abbotpatrick@mmotcva.org.