In the
1990s, St. Paul's
Parish fell victim to changing demographics, but it refused to
die.
Some people didn't want to move. Some who moved away trekked back
every Sunday. Then Father Thomas Fraser, the rector, had an
epiphany.
As we shrank, the parish changed. Those who stayed were
intentional.
They were stable. We had become, he said, a non-residential
Benedictine
community.
We had no idea
what that meant.
The Parish Council
started working
on a Rule of Life. It sounded
ominous.
In 1997, it was published, and it really wasn't so bad. They were
just guidelines. It piqued some interest.
The rector
typically goes to St.
Gregory's Abbey in Three Rivers, Michigan to clear heart and
head at the start of his annual vacation. What was that
about?
Some parishioners tried it. It's really very nice. The
rector
bought Benedictine books for our parish library. People read them.
Benedictinism, we
began to realize,
was just Anglicanism with a structure. Save for monks and nuns,
Anglicans
are the most Benedictine of Christians. It's so much a part of
who we are, we usually just don't notice it.
In 2003, five
people formed a Benedictine
study group and began meeting monthly with the rector. Interest
grew.
In 2004, the
Bishop of Chicago granted
permission for us to formally establish St. Paul's Benedictine
Community. Building
on St. Paul's Rule of Life,
a constitution was written
incorporating
Benedictine principles. From it's more general early interests, it eventually
adopted the apostolate of the parish Development Committee,
which, perforce, limited its size and interests.
In the meantime, a
member offered an introduction to Benedictinism called "St. Benedict
101." It was so popular, that the group continued on as "St.
Benedict for Today." This group has no membership requirements or
written rules, save for that of St. Benedict. It's only purpose
is to aid those seeking a closer relationship to God adapting the
teachings of St. Benedict to life in the modern world. This is
the larger and more accessible Benedictine group at St. Paul's.
Interested parties should speak with Mary Mouw, who would be the Prior
if the group were more formal.
