Society of Mary (S.M.) (See Marist Fathers and
Brothers.)
Society of St. Paul The Society of St. Paul is an
international congregation of priests and brothers
founded by Blessed James Alberione for the sole
purpose of bringing Christ to the world today through
the means of communication. The priests and brothers
share a common life style and profess the vows of
poverty, chastity, obedience and fidelity to the Pope.
Fortified by an intense spiritual life consisting of daily
meditation, mass, recitation of the liturgy of the hours
and one hour adoration before the Blessed Sacrament
as well as personal prayer so that by living Christ in
their lives they may give Christ to others through
their apostolate. Paulines in imitation of St. Paul, who
preached and wrote about Jesus Christ, are on fire to
spread the good news of Jesus Christ in the most rapid
and far reaching ways. Through books, magazines,
tapes, videos, CD’s, radio, television and the Internet,
Christ is preached to millions of people around the
world. For information write or call: Society of St.
Paul, Vocation Office, 2187 Victory Blvd., Staten
Island, NY 10314; (718) 982-5709; e-mail: Vocation@
stpauls.us; website: www.vocationoffice.org.
Code #149.
MEN’S COMMUNITIES
Somascan Fathers and Brothers (C.R.S.) The
Somascan Fathers and Brothers minister at the
following facilities: Pine Haven Boys Center, a
residential treatment center for disadvantaged boys
ages 7-15 in Allenstown, NH; Assumption Catholic
Church and Christ the King Catholic Church in
Houston, TX. Both parishes have a strong presence
of immigrants from Latin America. Also in Houston,
Somascan Hall, the House of Formation next to the
Christ the King Church. All vocation inquiries should
be addressed to Fr. Italo Dell’Oro, CRS, Vocation
Director: (713) 880-8243; e-mail: somascans@
yahoo.com. For more information please visit: www.
somascans.org.
See ad on page 47. Code #120.
Spiritans (C.S.Sp.) [Congregation of the Holy
Spirit] For over three centuries Spiritans have
crisscrossed the globe—living particularly among
people who are suffering, being a pastoral presence
and advocate for justice, and teaching the message
of the Gospel. In parishes, schools, and missions we
go where there is a need, bearing God’s Spirit of joy
and hope. Today Spiritan Priests and Brothers are
over 3,000 strong, an international congregation on
an adventure of the Spirit. We are committed to the
poor, dedicated to justice, and open to all cultures, and
grounded in community and prayer. Vocation Office,
Vocation Director, 6230 Brush Run Rd., Bethel Park,
PA 15102-2214; (412) 831-0302; e-mail: vocations@
duq.edu; website: www.spiritans.org. See our web ad
at www.VocationNetwork.org.
See ad on page 29. Code #164.
T
Trappist Cistercian Monks (O.C.S.O.) Ava, MO—
Assumption Abbey Our monastery is located in the
Ozark hills and hollows of southwest Missouri. With,
3,400 acres of forest, this is the ideal environment for
prayer and solitude. We support ourselves by baking
fruit cakes, which is quiet, prayerful work. Our call is
to leave all and follow Christ on a desert journey in a
community of monks and family brothers. Our guide
is the Benedictine monastic way in the contemplative
142
tradition of St. Bernard of Clairvaux and Thomas
Merton. Our task is to glorify God and to build up
the body of Christ by a life of contemplative and
intercessory prayer and sacrifice. We have room for
family brothers, and are flexible regarding age and
education. Br. Francis Flaherty, O.C.S.O., Assumption
Abbey, RR5, Box 1056, Ava, MO 65608; (417) 683-
5110; e-mail: avavocations@hughes.net; website:
www.assumptionabbey.org.
See ad on page 105. Code #121.
Trappist Cistercian Monks (O.C.S.O.) Berryville,
VA—Our Lady of the Holy Cross Our community
is oriented by St. Benedict’s Rule for Monasteries,
living a life of prayer, supported by the work of
our hands, serving the community and our natural
environment. We seek to know the Lord through
hospitality, sacred reading and study, the celebration
of the liturgy, and our communal life; we seek to
spread the Gospel through our contemplative life
in the Diocese of Arlington. We cultivate priestly
ministry within our Cistercian tradition, in service
to our monks and nuns; this formation begins after
solemn profession. Catholic men over the age of 24 are
invited to join us. A high school education is necessary
and further education is welcomed but not required.
Candidates may apply through our website: www.
virginiatrappists.org on the vocation page under the
tab “Join Us.” An inquiry form is available there that
will be directly emailed to the Vocations Director. See
our web ad at www.VocationNetwork.org.
Code #415.
Trappist Cistercian Monks (O.C.S.O.) Conyers,
GA—Holy Spirit Monastery In the quiet of the
Georgia Piedmont 40 of us share life in a contemplative
community. Ages range from 25 to 100. We have joined
our neighbors in “going green” by fostering stream
restoration, an organic vegetable garden and a green
cemetery, with more to come. We value kindness and
compassion, the Eucharist, personal and communal
prayer, friendship and forgiveness. Commitment,
fidelity, and accountability are important to us, as are
manual labor, hospitality, solitude and inner silence: a
dynamic energy vibrating at the deepest level of soul.
We honor the good in our society. But in our own way
we challenge its illusions and unrealities, especially
the cultural assumption that our identity and value
depend on what we do, and on what others think of
us. We work with hardships and challenges, knowing
that these contribute to spiritual and emotional
maturation. Experience reminds us of how good they
are at leading or even pushing us beyond resistance
to giving ourselves away, at ever deepening levels.
Contact: Br. Michael, 2625 Hwy 212 SW, Conyers, GA
30096; (678) 964-2018; e-mail: michael@trappist.net;
www.trappist.net/vocation. See our web ad at www.
VocationNetwork.org.
Code #415.
Trappist Cistercian Monks (O.C.S.O.) Huntsville,
UT—Holy Trinity Abbey For 64 years we have
upheld a strong Catholic witness in Utah. Through
our life of personal prayer and prayer in community,
we deepen our relationship with God and with one
another. Seven times a day, our community of 15
senior monks chants the hours of the Divine Office.
Unpretentious Quonset buildings reflect the simplicity
of our lifestyle. Our monastery is located on 720 acres
of fertile farmland in a peaceful mountain valley. We
maintain a retreat house and a bookstore that attracts
visitors of all faiths. Inquire about our volunteer
program. Good physical and emotional health
required, and a desire to seek God alone. Contact: Fr.
Charles Cummings, 1250 S 9500 E, Huntsville, UT
84317; phone: (801) 745-3784; e-mail: hta@xmission.
com; website: www.holytrinityabbey.org. See our web
ad at www.VocationNetwork.org.
Code #415.
Trappist Cistercian Monks (O.C.S.O.) Lafayette,
OR—Our Lady of Guadalupe Trappist Abbey We,
the monastic community of Our Lady of Guadalupe, are
located in Oregon’s lush Willamette Valley. Presently,
our community is comprised of 28 monks whose life
experience expands over three generations. We are
contemplative monks who, following the Rule of St.
Benedict, live by the work of our own hands. Because
of our contemplative nature, all four of our industries,
bookbindery, bakery, wine warehouse, and forestry,
lie within the enclosure. It is important to us that
we should be self-supporting, but our work does not
dominate our life, rather it is our prayer that takes
precedence. Our prayer consists of chanting the Divine
Office, daily Eucharist, private prayer, and lectio divina.
For men interested in vocational discernment, we do
offer Monastic Life Retreats every other month. Br.
Chris Balent, P. O. Box 97, Lafayette, OR 97127; e-mail:
Chris@ TrappistAbbey.org; website: www.trappistabbey.
org/. See our web ad at www.VocationNetwork.org.
Code #415.
Trappist Cistercian Monks (O.C.S.O.) Moncks
Corner, SC—Mepkin Abbey We, the monks of
Mepkin Abbey, are responding to God’s call to live in
solitude and silence in and for the Church according
to an ancient form of radical Christian discipleship
focused on seeking and finding God in community
where we “are of one heart and soul and everything
is held in common” (Acts 4: 32-33). We live the
Rule of Saint Benedict embodied in the Cistercian
tradition, praising God in our prayer, our meditative
reading of Scripture, our work, and our hospitality,
obeying the call of the Holy Spirit to ceaseless prayer
and sharing the sufferings of the present time until
the Lord returns (Rm 8: 18-23). All Cistercians of the
Strict Observance (Trappists) bear witness to this
contemplative monastic tradition in a particular place
and time by living our vows of stability, obedience
and “conversatio morum” (conversion of life) in the
rhythm of praying the liturgy of the hours and our
manual labor—striving always for deeper union with
God. If you believe God may be calling you to live
this way of life with us at Mepkin, kindly contact our
vocation director. Fr. Kevin, O.C.S.O., 1098 Mepkin
Abbey Rd., Moncks Corner, SC 29461; (843) 761-
8509; e-mail: frkevin@mepkinabbey.org: website:
www.mepkinabbey.org. See our web ad at www.
VocationNetwork.org.
Code #415.
Trappist Cistercian Monks (O.C.S. O.) Peosta, IA—
Abbey of New Melleray Founded in 1849 by Mount
Melleray Abbey in Ireland, our community is located
in the heartland of Northeastern Iowa, twelve miles
from Dubuque. As a contemplative monastery wholly
ordered to a life of prayer according to the Rule of St.
Benedict, we are members of the Cistercian Order of
the Strict Observance founded in 1098 at Citeaux in
France. We support our way of life by carpentry—
Trappist Caskets—supplemented by income from
our 1,900 acre farm, our 1,300 acre forest, and a
