Benedictine Oblate and Consecration to Mary

[codefro]

Hello all,

I wished for some thoughts on a topic I was thinking about as of late:

I am currently going through St. Louis De Montfort’s preparation for the Act of Consecration to Mary. At the same time, I am discerning becoming an Oblate through the Benedictine Order. I am in the Ordonariate of the Chair of St. Peter and found a group who are wishing to become Oblates while exercising their Anglican patrimony, i.e. Anglican Use Mass, Ordinariate Divine Office, chanting the Psalms similar to St. Dunstan Psalter, etc.

So here are my two questions.

1. when becoming an oblate through a monastery- does one NEED live near said Abbey? This monastery is out of state and I wonder how one can become an Oblate through it if one does not live near it. I have another fellow at my parish who wishes to do this with me as well.
2. as I am going through the consecration, are there any oblates here who have done both as well? If so, what spiritual disciplines do you have? The consecration seems to focus on the rosary, crown of Mary, etc. while oblate spirituality revolves around the offices, lectio divina, etc. very curious to hear others’ take on this.

 

[Catholic1954]

Hello all,

I wished for some thoughts on a topic I was thinking about as of late:

I am currently going through St. Louis De Montfort’s preparation for the Act of Consecration to Mary. At the same time, I am discerning becoming an Oblate through the Benedictine Order. I am in the Ordonariate of the Chair of St. Peter and found a group who are wishing to become Oblates while exercising their Anglican patrimony, i.e. Anglican Use Mass, Ordinariate Divine Office, chanting the Psalms similar to St. Dunstan Psalter, etc.

So here are my two questions.

1. when becoming an oblate through a monastery- does one NEED live near said Abbey? This monastery is out of state and I wonder how one can become an Oblate through it if one does not live near it. I have another fellow at my parish who wishes to do this with me as well.
2. as I am going through the consecration, are there any oblates here who have done both as well? If so, what spiritual disciplines do you have? The consecration seems to focus on the rosary, crown of Mary, etc. while oblate spirituality revolves around the offices, lectio divina, etc. very curious to hear others’ take on this.

My husband is a Benedictine Oblate. We live near the monastery, and he is attached to it, but he does not have to attend the monthly meetings. I suggest that you call the monastery that you are interested in and ask to speak the person in charge of their oblate program. He can give you the information you need. The oblates do center their secular life according to the Rule, as much as their state in life permits. Holy Father Benedict is quite a saint!

 

[Don_Ruggero]

Hello all,

I wished for some thoughts on a topic I was thinking about as of late:

I am currently going through St. Louis De Montfort’s preparation for the Act of Consecration to Mary. At the same time, I am discerning becoming an Oblate through the Benedictine Order. I am in the Ordonariate of the Chair of St. Peter and found a group who are wishing to become Oblates while exercising their Anglican patrimony, i.e. Anglican Use Mass, Ordinariate Divine Office, chanting the Psalms similar to St. Dunstan Psalter, etc.

So here are my two questions.

1. when becoming an oblate through a monastery- does one NEED live near said Abbey? This monastery is out of state and I wonder how one can become an Oblate through it if one does not live near it. I have another fellow at my parish who wishes to do this with me as well.
2. as I am going through the consecration, are there any oblates here who have done both as well? If so, what spiritual disciplines do you have? The consecration seems to focus on the rosary, crown of Mary, etc. while oblate spirituality revolves around the offices, lectio divina, etc. very curious to hear others’ take on this.

1. No, it is not necessary to live near the abbey to become an oblate of their oblature. Normally, there is a provision for having contact remotely. In that case, the director of oblates at the monastery would delegate your parish priest to conduct the investiture ceremony as well as the ceremony of final oblation, if you could not travel to the monastery for either occasion.

(It also need not even be an abbey; convents of Benedictine Sisters also have oblates. There are, I believe, only two abbeys of Benedictine nuns in the United States, one of French foundation and the other of German foundation, as I recall. Thus, there are many more Sisters than Nuns.)

Given that you are Anglican Use, you may wish to consider the three houses in the United States that are part of the English congregation of Benedictines: Saint Louis Abbey in Saint Louis, Missouri, Saint Anselm Abbey in Washington, DC and Portsmouth Abbey in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. They are especially situated to help preserve the English Church patrimony that you cherish. It would also tie you to the Benedictines in the United Kingdom.

1. I happen to know that total consecration according to De Montfort is quite dear on the campus of Benedictine University which is collocated with Saint Benedict Abbey in Atchison, Kansas, and the campus ministry may have some practical suggestions of books and articles and authors for integrating the two spiritualities in your prayer life. (The combination of these two spiritualities, actually, is a hallmark of the French school of spirituality. You may wish to look to some of the writings, for example, of Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange.)

You should definitely be aware of the Tyburn Benedictines. These nuns, who have perpetual exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, maintain a shrine in London, near Marble Arch and Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park to the Tyburn martyrs. The Tyburn gallows stood right near their present convent. They are quite an exceptional community. They have, however, historically made no provision for at-distance oblates, sadly.

tyburnconvent.org.uk/

 

[codefro]

1. No, it is not necessary to live near the abbey to become an oblate of their oblature. Normally, there is a provision for having contact remotely. In that case, the director of oblates at the monastery would delegate your parish priest to conduct the investiture ceremony as well as the ceremony of final oblation, if you could not travel to the monastery for either occasion.

(It also need not even be an abbey; convents of Benedictine Sisters also have oblates. There are, I believe, only two abbeys of Benedictine nuns in the United States, one of French foundation and the other of German foundation, as I recall. Thus, there are many more Sisters than Nuns.)

Given that you are Anglican Use, you may wish to consider the three houses in the United States that are part of the English congregation of Benedictines: Saint Louis Abbey in Saint Louis, Missouri, Saint Anselm Abbey in Washington, DC and Portsmouth Abbey in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. They are especially situated to help preserve the English Church patrimony that you cherish. It would also tie you to the Benedictines in the United Kingdom.

1. I happen to know that total consecration according to De Montfort is quite dear on the campus of Benedictine University which is collocated with Saint Benedict Abbey in Atchison, Kansas, and the campus ministry may have some practical suggestions of books and articles and authors for integrating the two spiritualities in your prayer life. (The combination of these two spiritualities, actually, is a hallmark of the French school of spirituality. You may wish to look to some of the writings, for example, of Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange.)

You should definitely be aware of the Tyburn Benedictines. These nuns, who have perpetual exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, maintain a shrine in London, near Marble Arch and Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park to the Tyburn martyrs. The Tyburn gallows stood right near their present convent. They are quite an exceptional community. They have, however, historically made no provision for at-distance oblates, sadly.

tyburnconvent.org.uk/

This was very helpful, thank you!