A WORD ABOUT JOINING US...

It is important to understand that monastic life is mostly spent in a monastery. Monks try to serve God and their fellow men by prayer and work within the monastery enclosure, rather than by an active apostolate in parishes or outside the monastery.

Also, unlike most other Religious Orders where one can move around from one Religious House to another, a monk normally spends his entire life in the monastery where he first enters. This is not a style of life that would suit everybody.

Although some monks do become priests, many do not. The monastic vocation is complete in itself, and ordination is not the necessary or even normal goal of monastic life. It is the Superior , and not the individual, who decides whether or not a monk should be ordained. If, therefore, you feel strongly that you would like to be a priest or that you are called to an active apostolate, you should be looking at some of the more active religious orders or the seminary.

No particular academic standard is required for admission to the monastery except that the candidate should be of good intelligence, well able to read and write, and have an aptitude for reading and learning as well as work (manual and intellectual). It must be stressed, however, that those who do become priests must fulfill the normal academic requirements 5 credits in the West African Examination Council (W.A.E.C.) examination including English Language.

It is not normally possible to sit for further secondary level examinations after joining the monastery.

We do not usually accept candidates under the age of twenty-two or over the age of twenty-six. As we have only one house in Nigeria , we can only accept a small number of candidates each year. There are already numerous aspirants on our lists. Sadly, therefore, we have to refuse many applications.

If when you have taken advice and have prayed about it, you do feel drawn to monastic life, you could send us a fuller account of yourself, together with a letter from your Parish Priest or some other priest who knows you well and who can tell us about your Christian life and activities and give us his own personal opinion about your vocation.

Email Applications are not accepted but email enquires can be sent to :

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