John Michael Talbot's Little Portion Hermitage

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Can anyone tell me anything about this group of monastics in Arkansas?
 
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Everyman:
Can anyone tell me anything about this group of monastics in Arkansas?
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I am not sure that they are really “monastics” but rather a group of laity living in community.

Here is a link to their website.

The Brothers & Sisters of Charity at Little Portion Hermitage

Main reason I say this is that at their hermitage you have celibate men, celibate women, families and singles all living together. I am not aware of any religious order that has men and women in the same monastery and then adding singles and familes to that mix.
 
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ByzCath:
I am not sure that they are really “monastics” but rather a group of laity living in community.

Here is a link to their website.

The Brothers & Sisters of Charity at Little Portion Hermitage

Main reason I say this is that at their hermitage you have celibate men, celibate women, families and singles all living together. I am not aware of any religious order that has men and women in the same monastery and then adding singles and familes to that mix.
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Thank you for the link. On it, it explains that they take their example from the old Irish monastic tradition of families living in communities. Yes, as you said, celibates, singles, and families all live there.

What I wonder is who is their priest? Who consecrates the host for them? They call Talbot their spiritual leader, but he isn’t a priest, is he? I know he’s married now, so is his case one of those rare ones that allows married priests?
 
While I’ve not visited the community, I can say that the members of this community - men, women and children - just shine with joy! They were in attendance at our Eucharistic Congress, and were an amazing witness.
 
The site of New Skete provided by Orthodoc says this:

Marriage is not an obstacle to living monastic life, priestly life, or religious life in any of its manifestations.

I guess marrieds can be monastic after all.
 
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Everyman:
The site of New Skete provided by Orthodoc says this:

Marriage is not an obstacle to living monastic life, priestly life, or religious life in any of its manifestations.

I guess marrieds can be monastic after all.
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I do not buy that. Monastics undergo the monastic consecration. Do these married couples undergo it? What about their children?

These marrieds at New Skete are called companions, I believe that is for a reason. I would bet they are more like Benedictine Oblates who happen to live in community than being true monastics.

But having said that, I have been wrong before. I wonder what the Orthodox Church has to say about this.
 
Does anyone know of Talbot’s status as leader? Is he a monk, a priest, what?
 
John Michael Talbot Is A Monk, Although He Married In The Late 90’s.little Portion Was Started On His Property In 1983.
The Order Has Canonical Approval From The Diocese Of Little Rock And Also Rome.
There Are Monks
Celibates
Families
Nuns
They All Live At The Hermitage-motherhouse.

The Brothers And Sisters Of Charity, Which They Are Called Is A Catholic Based Community Also Made Up Of Integrated Monastic Expressions Of Those Who Live Throughout The World In Their Homes.

They Integrate Benedictine And Fransiscan Spirituality
 
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magdaline:
John Michael Talbot Is A Monk, Although He Married In The Late 90’s.little Portion Was Started On His Property In 1983.
The Order Has Canonical Approval From The Diocese Of Little Rock And Also Rome.
There Are Monks
Celibates
Families
Nuns
They All Live At The Hermitage-motherhouse.

The Brothers And Sisters Of Charity, Which They Are Called Is A Catholic Based Community Also Made Up Of Integrated Monastic Expressions Of Those Who Live Throughout The World In Their Homes.

They Integrate Benedictine And Fransiscan Spirituality
Click to expand...
Monks can not be married.

I believe that the married people belong to the equivlant of a secular third order like the Benedictine Oblates, Fransciscan Secular Order, or the Carmelite Third Order.

There is no such thing as a married religious. While there are married secular priests, there are no married religious priests or monastics.
 
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ByzCath:
Monks can not be married.

I believe that the married people belong to the equivlant of a secular third order like the Benedictine Oblates, Fransciscan Secular Order, or the Carmelite Third Order.

There is no such thing as a married religious. While there are married secular priests, there are no married religious priests or monastics.
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Then how do you respond to the Orthodox New Skete community? They say, “Marriage is not an obstacle to living monastic life, priestly life, or religious life in any of its manifestations.”

I am just wondering, especially since you are Byzantine.
 
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Everyman:
Then how do you respond to the Orthodox New Skete community? They say, “Marriage is not an obstacle to living monastic life, priestly life, or religious life in any of its manifestations.”

I am just wondering, especially since you are Byzantine.
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I am also Catholic.

But how do I respond to New Skete? The same way. No where have I seen any indication that the Byzantine Tradition believes that married individuals can be monastics. Part of monasticism is being celibate. This is showen in that the eparchial (diocesean) priesthood is married and the monastic priesthood is celibate. I believe that the monastic consecration that all monks and nuns undergo requires that the candidate be celibate.

I think the marrieds at New Skete are like a secular third order that happens to be living in community.
 
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Everyman:
Does anyone know of Talbot’s status as leader? Is he a monk, a priest, what?
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According to the biography on his website, he became a Secular Franciscan in 1978.

The Little Portion website describes Talbot as “the community’s founder, spiritual father and General Minister.”

According to a 2003 newsletter, Fr. Martin Wolter was their priest at Easter.

The Brothers & Sisters of Charity describe themeselves as a “Public Association of the Faithful”. That seems to have some meaning inside the Church, but I don’t know what it is so… please, could someone explain it?
 
Thanks!

So, a Public Association of the Faithful means that it has an official status within the Church, that its been given approval to pursue its official purpose, and that it must submit a yearly accounting of its finances to the Church authority which authorized it.
 
Guar Fan:
Thanks!

So, a Public Association of the Faithful means that it has an official status within the Church, that its been given approval to pursue its official purpose, and that it must submit a yearly accounting of its finances to the Church authority which authorized it.
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Yes, but it is not a religious order nor a monastic order. It is a group of laity.
 
Orders of Nuns do not have priests as members either. They get priests from nighboring diocese or from local diocese or from any Order, to assist for them.
John Michael Talbot is not a priest, but he is the founder and director, so he is like a male Mother Superior of a convent oe even an Abbot who just happens not to be a priest.
Also, there are separate houses for families and for sisters and brothers, but they all come together for everything else, same campus, different buildings, living quarters, different dorms, if you may.
The families are similar to a Secular Institute, like the Secular Franciscans, but they are more attached to the regular Order as they have a house in the same campus grounds and do all worship and apostolates with them.
So, they are a religious order just like any other, because of their celibate sisters and brothers.
 
pangaious said:
Orders of Nuns do not have priests as members either. They get priests from nighboring diocese or from local diocese or from any Order, to assist for them.
John Michael Talbot is not a priest, but he is the founder and director, so he is like a male Mother Superior of a convent oe even an Abbot who just happens not to be a priest.
Also, there are separate houses for families and for sisters and brothers, but they all come together for everything else, same campus, different buildings, living quarters, different dorms, if you may.
The families are similar to a Secular Institute, like the Secular Franciscans, but they are more attached to the regular Order as they have a house in the same campus grounds and do all worship and apostolates with them.
So, they are a religious order just like any other, because of their celibate sisters and brothers.
Click to expand...
This group is not a religious order.
 
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