Would you live in a Catholic commune?

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MooCowSteph said:
Has anyone read about the Catholic community that the Dominos pizza founder is building?
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Yes, I read a bit about it. He’s building a town, and I had the
impression it would be like a gated community, but I may be mistaken on that point. Sounded like a good place for the upwardly mobile, not those wanting simplicity. Maybe there’s more about it online.
 
wacky_wonderful said:
Yes, I read a bit about it. He’s building a town, and I had the
impression it would be like a gated community, but I may be mistaken on that point. Sounded like a good place for the upwardly mobile, not those wanting simplicity. Maybe there’s more about it online.
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I found it. www.avemaria.com
I couldn’t afford to live there unless Donald Trump adopted me. Nope, not for those wanting simplicity.
 
I certainly would–after I pay off some debts and my retirement fund has grown adequately.

I’m looking possibly for a Franciscan community, third order/secular. I like the idea of living with both genders and even kids, though I have none myself. I’m a youthful widow of 40 something and in excellent health, a teacher with degrees and credentials, and I know how to work cooperatively in a community.

I am drawn to the Franciscans because I’ve always felt very close to nature. However, I am also attracted to the Jesuits because of a strong and very wide background in education. I have started attending Opus Dei lectures and delight that they are both traditional in their devotions–even in their frequent use of Latin (a language I once studied), but they also are modern in their inclusion and support of women.

A priest once warned me of the instability of lay communities and sure enough, one that I knew of twenty years ago broke up and another has only a few members left who are becoming quite aged. I think they are leaving their community to some kids they had adopted. They also had some run-ins with the Church in Africa over distributing condoms to AIDS stricken communities they support there and since then have not really affiliated themselves with the institutional Church and seem to have melded their Catholicism with other contemplative spiritualities.

If anyone knows of a stable secular Franciscan community or something that might be a good fit for me, please post.
 
No one yet mentioned the Catholic Worker communes.

They are scattered across America and exist in other countries as well.

Many are farm communes and they live according to a code of simplicity and hospitality.
For me, however, they are far too political. They have aligned themselves strongly with pacifism and the Left. In many ways, however, I think they could be prophetic in an Old Testament sense, after all, it is not only ridiculous but also immoral that our world spends so much on weaponry and not in meeting human needs. Nevertheless, I am a pragmatist who will not take up a protest sign against those who guard our nation from invaders.
I am also uncomfortable with Catholic groups who align themselves with the Right.

However, I strongly, strongly recommend reading the Catholic Worker classic, “Easy Essays for Catholic Radicalism” which was written in a semi-poetic style by the French historian and CW co-founder Peter Maurin back in the 20s or 30s, I believe. You can bet it will really get you thinking about things we rarely question–usury, economic injustice, industrialism vs. agrarianism, and the meat of the gospel. The CW purposefully never had the book copyrighted. I think you will probably have to go through a CW community to find a copy. Also very stimulating are the CW newspapers. The main one which has been around nearly a hundred years comes from the NY City community and there is also an interesting one from L.A. called (!!) “The Catholic Agitator.”
 
Not a commune so much but in a Catholic community.
As an old hippie lady I lived in 3 non Christian communes in my younger days. I know that’s not exactly my style.
But sometimes I really long for a neighborhood of Catholics who worship together and spend time together as a parish.
Our parish has over 8500 parishioners. It has 5 masses each weekend. There are lots of activities but I am an in-betweener for them or they are held in the daytime. I am a 56 year old employed wife and grandmother. And our evening women’s group died for lack of attendence (weird). People my DH’s age and mine are apparently supposed to be retired already. Don’t ask me how that works. I cannot imagine.
Our next door neighbors take their kids to RE but I never see them at Mass. She speaks Spanish and he is gone most of the time.
I tried to get involved in the Neighborhood Catholic groups which in our case stretch out 2-3miles from my house. But that isn’t really feasible in that large an area. And in that area there are only maybe 20 Catholics in various states of activity.
My son and his wife and son have begun attnding a Disciples of Christ Church where the people welcomed them and really worked to draw them in. They have not converted yet thankfully.
But a nieghborhood of parishioners would be very nice. At least I think so.
 
just found this forum. have been googling everything possible to get info an active catholic communes, if there are any and where. iknow of j.m.t’s but was thinking of something out west farther. in the 1960-70’s lived in a commune (not christian) in no. cal… now with Christ , i would like to practice that lifestyle again, with other catholics who are serious about prayer and humble christlike daily life. anyone out there know of any ?? thanks
 
It’s best said by Bob Dylan, " I ain’t gonna work on Maggie’s farm no more".

Communes, no matter how noble, generally aren’t the best idea.
 
Gertabelle said:
As I’m writing this, I’m seeing that there is actually a desire growing within me to make a difference in the world through a community witness such as this. I’m certainly going to bring this to prayer and see where God leads. Please keep me in your prayers as well.

Gertie
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You can certainly try to create this right where you live now. We were part of an effort to do this. A family that lived on a nice street in a neighborhood with good schools and shopping nearby, recruited friends to move into the street as houses became available. It just happened that many of the neighbors were elderly, so as they moved to retirement communities or died (:bighanky:) houses regularly went on the market. We decided not to move for a variety of reasons one being that the group was not necessarily Christian.

I would love to do this near our current parish. We live on the very edge of the parish boundries, but have talked often about moving closer.
 
Little_Mary said:
What’ s the guys name who founded Dominos Pizza? Anyway, I think he is building an actual Catholic town somewhere in S. Florida …
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I have heard something about this and would like to know more. I would love to find a place where you could live in a Catholic community and pray and attend daily mass together. I’m sure there would be problems because there is no perfection, no complete paradise on this earth–I know from living in different monasteries!
 
Michaelgutowski said:
I have heard something about this and would like to know more. I would love to find a place where you could live in a Catholic community and pray and attend daily mass together. I’m sure there would be problems because there is no perfection, no complete paradise on this earth–I know from living in different monasteries!
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The town in Ave Maria and it’s practically in the Everglades. It’s fairly new and has Ave Maria University there. It’s pretty Catholic as far as rules and regulations go. No birth control at drug stores, women who work at school have to wear skirts, etc.

The housing situation is bad. It was hit hard by the downturn, like much of Florida. I don’t think it’s anywhere near capacity as far as the number of people living there. I think it has also been at odds with the Diocese of Venice over some things as the town was brought about as a private enterprise and had little to do with its creation and or running.
 
Back in the day (late '80s) when I attended the Franciscan Univ of Steubenville, Catholic communities were very popular. Many of the staff members belonged to one and many of the students came from families that were in a community. I dated a girl whose parents were in a community a couple of hours away. After our third date she told me that if we were back home where her family was, we would be engaged.

I know they and many rules/policies I thought were too restrictive.
 
mojave19: your response is a lot like mine. So it’d be great to have you as a next door neighbor! 🙂
 
No, not unless I took vows and entered a convent. I think the world needs us to be visible and working for their conversion!

I’m not interested in any exclusive community. That’s why I’m on this forum. LOL.
 
Outside of religious/monastic life, the a Catholic commune does not seem like a good idea to me. Has there ever been any example, in 2000 years of the Church’s existence of such of thing having any durability? I know people will point to the example of the early church in Acts, but that seems rather small scale to me, it could not have been all of the converts, and it does not appear to have lasted very long. The Church has never actively promoted them, has it? I am very wary of modern innovations such as these.

For one to work, strict discipline is needed, hence the idea of monastic rules, and definite obedience to authority. In a religious life, where one gives himself totally to God, it is a wonderful thing. In a lay, family life, it does not seem so wise at all.
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mojave19:
I certainly would–after I pay off some debts and my retirement fund has grown adequately.
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Retirement fund? This would imply that the idea of a commune is not well understood.
 
I think it is possible to have prayerful Catholic community without living in a commune. I am blessed in that I attend a Scriptural Rosary once a week with about 6 other women. We pray together for an hour, and then we have coffee.

Another group I belong to meets once a month for the same thing and about 20 women attend that. There is a Scriptural Rosary, intercessory prayer and faith sharing. When there is a known need we bring things to share - such as baby food for the local crisis pregnancy center, household items for those who lost their homes during hurricane Ivan, etc.

Parish groups that meet for prayer, Bible study or helping the homeless are also active.

I checked out the Ave Maria community through the website offered, and I don’t think I could be happy there. It seems too upscale and elite. I hope I am mistaken about that.
 
wacky_wonderful said:
If you could, would you live in a Catholic commune/intentional community? Yes, no, maybe…share your thoughts, please.
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Have read through this thread entirely and feel the following:
  • Community is a good thing
  • Our church is our community
  • This board is our community
  • Jesus Christ is our community
  • My prayer group is a community
  • My prison ministry brothers and sisters are a community
  • My family is a community
I guess my point is we have many communities surrounding us already, we can join others in retreats to gain spirtiual renewal on regular basis, or join permenantly if that is our vocation.

I think God has placed many of us in the middle of the secular world to do his work and spread the Word. It’s hard to do that if we isolate ourselves, although isolation has it’s benefits. 🙂
 
Onedayatatime said:
Have read through this thread entirely and feel the following:
  • Community is a good thing
  • Our church is our community
  • This board is our community
  • Jesus Christ is our community
  • My prayer group is a community
  • My prison ministry brothers and sisters are a community
  • My family is a community
I guess my point is we have many communities surrounding us already, we can join others in retreats to gain spirtiual renewal on regular basis, or join permenantly if that is our vocation.

I think God has placed many of us in the middle of the secular world to do his work and spread the Word. It’s hard to do that if we isolate ourselves, although isolation has it’s benefits. 🙂
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I agree! If we develop strong relationships in all the communities we are in, with the grace of God we can help evangelize others!
 
Yes, I absolutely would. I am a young married man who would work very hard to achieve this. I have studied a long time about communal living as far as the living goes, raising chickens and all of that stuff.

Would the Pope support such a thing. I know the Church is having a tough time paying for the retired clergy, could we set up a commune to care for them? This way the Church would be investing rather then donating.
 
Tabohand said:
Yes, I absolutely would. I am a young married man who would work very hard to achieve this. I have studied a long time about communal living as far as the living goes, raising chickens and all of that stuff.

Would the Pope support such a thing. I know the Church is having a tough time paying for the retired clergy, could we set up a commune to care for them? This way the Church would be investing rather then donating.
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I am sure there are many ideas that would work to the good of the Body of Christ, the Church!

We have an example of the saints who obeyed their superiors in all that the Holy Spirit inspired them, and in spite of opposition and “setbacks” they remained firm in their obedience to the Church. In this way the Lord can work through His people to bring about His Will!
 
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