Are there any traditional Catholic communities for lay people similar to the Amish?

[Tis_Bearself]

I was thinking of St Benedict Center in New Hampshire. Unfortunately, I see that as of Jan 2019 the Diocese seems to have kicked them out of the Church for teaching error.

 

[OraLabora]

It is then up to like-minded people to create it. It won’t fall out of the sky. However I am extremely sceptical about the chances of their long-term survival.

I think it is quite different. St. Benedict was an evolution of monasticism and the Desert Fathers. John Cassian was perhaps his greatest influence. Starting as a hermit, he founded monastic communities and wrote a Rule adapted to his times and in some aspects quite radical. He didn’t invent monasticism but perfected it.

One of the key elements of his rule is nearly absolute obedience to an abbot. I’m not convinced that this notion, already difficult enough in a community of like-minded celibate men, is something that a disparate community of laymen and woman could ever adhere to. Throw lust, pride, avarice and all the rest of into the mix, especially sex, and you couldn’t imagine a greater gap from monasticism. An abbot even has the power to tell a monk what his job will be for the rest of his life.

With instantaneous communications nowadays, we don’t even need to live on the same continent to form networks of like-minded individuals for mutual support. We need Christians interacting with the world to effectively evangelize. Even monks are world-aware. Through their charism of hospitality, they welcome the world to them. They may not live in the world, but, at least for the monks living under the Rule of St. Benedict, they are not cut off from it.

 

[GordonP]

I was thinking of St Benedict Center in New Hampshire. Unfortunately, I see that as of Jan 2019 the Diocese seems to have kicked them out of the Church for teaching error.

Try 1953, and it wasn’t just a diocese, it was Pope Pius XII.

Unfortunately

What’s unfortunate or too bad about the bishop warning his flock that the group in question is not Catholic in any way whatsoever, and is in fact an antisemitic hate group that has long been in schism because they reject multiple Catholic doctrines, but persist in posing as actual Catholics in order to deceive and defraud?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

“Unfortunately” is a figure of speech.
Although I could argue that it’s always unfortunate when a bishop has to kick people out of his flock.

Also, the particular diocese issued its letter forbidding Catholics from having anything to do with the St. Benedict Center in January 2019, not in 1953.

https://www.catholicnh.org/about/stay-informed/media-releases/st-benedict-center-status/

This is not related to Pope Pius XII or whatever you’re on about. There is another St. Benedict’s Center in another state that is in communion with the Church, and the Bishop of New Hampshire was trying to build a bridge with the one in his diocese, including by allowing a priest of the Diocese to say Mass there on a regular basis. But it didn’t work out so he gave them the boot.

I would suggest you might want to factually acquaint yourself more with the background of what’s going on with the various groups before you respond on here.

 

[GordonP]

The group in New Hampshire has never been in communion with the RCC in any way since 1953. The bishop tried to convince them to return to the Church, but he failed and gave up.

He never allowed a priest to act in any connection with the group whatsoever. What he did was allow the EF to be said in a nearby town without any involvement of the group, but apparently to lure some of the members and hangers on back to the Church.

He didn’t kick them out, because they were never in to start with. They remain a rabid hate group that rejects Catholic teaching but still poses as Catholics, which is what the bishop warned the public of earlier this year.

Another splinter of the Feeneyite movement in Massachusetts did finally return to the Church in 2017.
That’s another story, though.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

My point is that until recently Catholics were permitted to attend Mass and receive sacraments from a Diocesan priest there, and also it appears from the Bishop’s letter that people were permitted to participate in their other activities (summer camp, etc.) Since January 2019 people are not.

I myself don’t support the group, and I also noted in my posts that permission from the Bishop is important when starting or joining these types of groups because they often lose their way.

Muting the thread now, have a nice day.

 

[GordonP]

Thanks for explaining.

 

[Maximus_Power]

Thank you.

It’s easy enough to control what’s in your home. One doesn’t need to have entertainment devices. It’s nice to go outside and experience society, but something’s are just inappropriate for children to be around. Like Antifa protests, naked bike rides, gay pride parades, and transgender story time in the park.

 

[MikeInVA]

Actually, in today’s disconnected world, you don’t need to be part of a physical community. I like (most of) my neighbors but we don’t really socialize beyond saying hello when we pass. Pretty much all of my social activities revolve around my parish or the Church. With the Knights of Columbus, Legion of Mary and all of the other groups, my wife and I pretty much spend all of our “social time” with Catholics. When my kids were younger they attended the parish school and were part of the parish’s scouting groups. Our house may be in a secular neighborhood but we live as part of a Catholic community.

 

[midori]

Has anyone ever checked out a Catholic Worker Farm or a Catholic Worker Community?

Catholic Workers live a simple lifestyle in community, serve the poor, and resist war and social injustice. Most are grounded in the Gospel, prayer, and the Catholic faith, although some houses on this list state that they are interfaith. Each Catholic Worker house is independent and there is no “Catholic Worker headquarters”.

Income for Catholic Worker houses can come from outside jobs held by members or by cottage industries developed by the community, but most houses survive on donations. Every Catholic Worker house can use donations of money and/or specific items like food, clothing, etc…Most can also use volunteers from the surrounding community to help with the work. If you feel called to do something about poverty and homelessness in your community, your local Catholic Worker house would be a great place to start. This is a list of all the Catholic Worker communities that we know about, indexed by state or country.

 

[Jen7]

Can you join a 3rd order religious community to meet like minded folks but still be somewhat “under authority” so you (or you + a team of your friend) aren’t responsible for “vetting” future members? That kills friendship right there.

As an aside, I grew up somewhat attached to a “fringe” Catholic Group. My parents thought it was full and of good, Holy families. But while all the adults may have presented themselves like that, the kids (ie my friends) told the reaaaaal stories, haha. I’ll just say this - you will never know why some adults want to go “off grid” with you. You will only know the reasons (true or not) that they TELL you. Your kids may find out the truth from their kids one day. It may be too late by then, though. Just sayin’.