Community News & Reflections

The Community of Reconciliation

April 8, 2010

 
“Ora et labora, pray and work, is a Benedictine motto, and the monastic life aims to join the two. This perspective liberates prayer from God-talk; a well-tended garden, a well-made cabinet, a well-swept floor, can be a prayer.”
—Kathleen Norris, The Cloister Walk

REFLECTIONS

The Cloister Call

From the Director

It was time for my visit to the abbey.
 

Overlooking the city, surrounded by neighborhoods of neatly ordered row houses below and bordering a winding campus roadway shared with a renowned private school, the abbey holds sacred a few acres of land set apart for prayer, study, renewal, work, and hospitality. A small copse of trees sways on the scented hill—spring washed—everything clean and sparkling. And the monks of St. Anselm’s Abbey attend to the rhythms of work and prayer while Washington DC swirls below.
 

Simon McGurk, prior of St. Anselm’s, extends mashed potato and meat loaf hospitality with his invitation… Read full article »

LISTENING, HEARING, AND LIVING SERIES

A Cloister in the World

April 24 10:15 AM-1 PM (Perry Auditorium)

Is it possible to recreate cloister rhythms of silence and refreshment right in our own homes? In the middle of doing the laundry, paying the bills, shuttling the kids to soccer and ballet practice—can we experience “a garden of the heart?” Join, Simon McGurk, prior of Saint Anselm’s Abbey here in Washington, D.C., as he speaks about the life of a Benedictine monk within the cloister. Learn how that experience can be shared with those whose lives call for a different kind of cloister—a cloister in the world. Learn more and register »

CALENDAR AT A GLANCE

Welcoming Balance

Spring and Summer with the Community

Spring and summer are brimming with opportunities for reflection, learning, community, and renewal through events at the Cathedral and through a constellation of events. Welcome balance into your life at one of the many gatherings and events of the Community—each designed to orient us to the rhythms of balance and reconciliation.
 

NEW EVENT

The Way of Benedict

MONDAY, MAY 3 10:15 AM-4 PM

A weekday pilgrimage of discovery with Greg Finch.

SPECIAL EVENT

Entering Into the Mind of Christ

May 15 9:30 AM

This all-day workshop begins a weekend of prayer and practice with Cynthia Bourgeault, author and lecturer. It is also part of the Listening, Hearing, and Living series.

SPECIAL EVENT

The Wisdom Jesus: Transformational Teaching for Today’s Times

May 17 7:30 PM

Cynthia Bourgeault, author and lecturer, joins Dean Sam Lloyd for an evening of presentation and dialogue.

Visit Full Calendar »

MAKING CONNECTIONS

Belonging

Connect with the Community of Reconciliation

Sign up to receive updates on events, resources, and gatherings of the Community. A constellation of gatherings anchored at Washington National Cathedral offer support, resources, and encouragement along the journey of radical balance in life that fosters reconciliation in the world. Stay Connected »

CONSTELLATION GATHERINGS & EVENTS

Benedictine Experience

June 23-27 (Dallas, TX)

Join Dwight Logenecker, Catholic priest and author, and Sr. Donald Corcoran of Transfiguration Monastery in Windsor, New York, along with directors George Trauth and Lynn Witherspoon at the Catholic Conference and Formation Center. Hosted by the Friends of St. Benedict, Benedictine Experiences offer a unique opportunity to step outside the daily routine to more fully experience the rhythms of Benedictine Life in community. Learn more and register »

RESOURCES FOR BALANCE & RECONCILIATION

New Audio Resources Available

Explore a growing collection of online complementary video, audio, music, formation guides, and links to additional resources that will nourish your spirit and help bring the life of balance into your daily reflections. New audio resources include Esther deWaal, Tim Carrington, and Ron Conner. All resources are available without charge as part of the Community’s work of encouraging balance in life that fosters reconciliation in the world. Explore online resources »

BUILDING COMMUNITY

The Work of Giving

Volunteering, Serving, and Giving

The way of Benedict reminds us that our work, our acts of charity, our financial resources, and our hospitality comprise our care for the very communities that renew us. Learn more about giving, volunteering, and serving alongside The Community of Reconciliation. Learn about opportunities to serve »
 

Make a donation now » Select the Community of Reconciliation button to direct your gift.

 
“Life is a way of walking through the universe whole and holy.” —Margaret Guenther

The Community of Reconciliation at Washington National Cathedral is an expanding, ecumenical network of individuals seeking balance in life and a deepening commitment to reconciliation in the world. Anchored through a complement of gatherings and resources at Washington National Cathedral and experienced through an expanding constellation of individuals, communities, and organizations, the Community engages the ancient yet evergreen Christian wisdom and practices of Benedictine spirituality to discover the balance and harmony found in a cloistered community—right in our own environments—family, the workplace, and daily life in a complex world. People of every faith and tradition are welcome.

 
The Community of Reconciliation at
Washington National Cathedral
3101 Wisconsin Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20016
companions@cathedral.org | (202) 537-6217