Program Overview

Saint John's Abbey, Collegeville, MN, initiated the Saint John's Benedictine Volunteer Corps (SJBVC) in 2003 and continues to serve as the sponsor. The Abbot of Saint John’s assigns staff the tasks of cultivating host monasteries, recruiting participants, assessing sites and participants, developing programming for volunteers, training volunteers, building the budget, creating and communicating expectations of the host community and volunteer, orientation of the volunteer, and facilitating communication between the host site and the volunteer.

Saint John's Abbey provides an appropriate monthly stipend to the volunteer, (ex. Hanga $150, Newark $250), one round-trip air fare and five hundred dollars towards health coverage for the time of service.

The host monastery provides an on-site contact person, meaningful work, food, and lodging for the volunteer. The host monastery provides access to transportation for the volunteer as needed.

The volunteer will spend no less than two weeks in a monastic experience program at Saint John's Abbey. During this time the volunteer will live and work according to the daily schedule of the monks of Saint John's. The volunteer will also study The Rule of Saint Benedict and related texts on contemporary monastic life during his entrance retreat.

While on site, the volunteer is expected to participate daily in the prayer schedule of the host community, and eat with the community at least once a day. The volunteer is expected to participate in the apostolic work of the host monastery at least thirty hours a week and no more than forty.

Coordinated by Brother Paul Richards OSB, SJBVC is funded by the Giles Nathe Mission Grant of Saint John's University and other contributors.