Come Join Us!

Is there a longing deep in your heart for God?

Do you want to be a transforming agent for the world? For the Church?

Do you want to live with others who long for God?

Welcome to St. Placid Priory,
a School of the Lord's Service.

Come visit us
to get a taste of who we are.

For more information see: Do I Have a Vocation? Composing Your Life Monastic Experience Opportunity

The Search

• Monastic:

  Prayer and community is the heart of this form of vowed life; ministry flows from prayer and community. Examples include Benedictines and Cistercians.

• Mendicant:

  In these communities Gospel witness is on preaching the Word; peacemaking and life lived in community. Franciscans and Dominicans are mendicant traditions.

• Active-apostolic:
  Mission and Ministry of Jesus are the primary determining factor of this form of vowed religious life. Holy Names and Providence Sisters are examples of apostolic congregations.

• Cloistered:

  Prayer, silence, solitude embrace the social issues of our day as the focus here. Contact with the outside world is minimal. Carmelites and some Visitation Sisters are examples of cloistered communities.

St. Placid Priory

If you are considering a monastic vocation to a Benedictine community, .

Sister Monika Ellis, OSB

Monastic Experience Opportunity

Come stay with us for a few days and begin exploring the possibility of a religious vocation. If you have wondered whether you might be called to religious life, and have questions about how to discern God's call, a stay in our monastery (for single, Catholic women) is a helpful way to begin. You will have an opportunity to enter into the rhythm of monastic life, joining the Sisters for Liturgy of the Hours, Eucharist, meals and social gatherings. Other possibilities: Be introduced to monastic prayer (Liturgy of the Hours, Lectio, contemplative prayer), the formation process, practical issues, and daily life in the community. Come and see!  Contact 360-438-1771 for arrangements.

Return to The Search above,
or return to Spirituality Center Program Schedule

On Being Benedictine

What are characteristics of Benedictine spirituality?

As an ancient desert monastic once replied to the question, "What do you do in the monastery?"-- "We fall and get up, fall and get up..." but we strive for these qualities:

Seeking God in the present moment.

Hospitality of heart (an openness to all of life).

Faithfulness to a rhythm of life (sticking to the same thing everyday).

Reverence for persons and creation.

Living, praying, listening and playing in community.

Being nourished and formed by the Scriptures and other Sacred Texts.

Valuing the environment.

Doing justice.

What is the Monastic Promise Benedictines make?

The Benedictine way is one of total self-surrender to God and a particular monastic community. We leave our independent self at the altar and become one with the monastic community. Our promise includes:

Obedience--A way of listening within the context of community to all of life, and discerning God's call in the midst of this.

Conversion of life--attentiveness to daily change and transformation.

Stability--living faithfully with God in a particular community.

Celibate lifestyle and inclusive, nurturing friendships.

Simplicity: goods shared in common.

Will I be able to continue or develop a profession?

Benedictines are involved in a variety of professions. Benedict does not specify any particular work. At St. Placid we encourage each person to use her gifts and to work in a profession that is in keeping with the monastic life.

Can I still maintain a relationship with my family and friends?

We encourage family and friends to visit St. Placid Priory and to stay as guests at The Priory Spirituality Center. Community members also keep in contact by telephone, e-mail, snail-mail, visiting with family and friends.

The Fundamentals of St. Placid Priory

A woman considering our community is:

Roman Catholic active in a faith community

Cultivating a prayer life

Unmarried (if divorced, an annulment has been granted)

Financially free (no credit card debt; no obligation to support someone else)

In good health; physically and emotionally able to make mature and free decisions

Enjoying happy, healthy friendships. Able to live with one's own and others' limitations.

Generally 25-45 years old. Exceptions considered on an individual basis.

What are some signs that I might be ready to talk to the Vocation Director?

I feel strongly drawn to St. Placid Priory.

I am deeply attracted to a contemplative, monastic way of life.

I am comfortable with silence.

I want to pray the Liturgy of the Hours.

I feel like there is "something more" to life than I have now.

The Monastic Stages

What are the stages of entering at St. Placid Priory?

Affiliate: a woman who chooses to publicly associate herself with St. Placid's community for the sake of learning more about the Benedictine life with the intention of seeking admission. Usual length of time: Four months to two years.

Pre-Novitiate: a woman begins to live the Benedictine monastic life in our community. We balance her schedule of classes and work with the need to maintain contact with family and friends. Moving into monastic culture and our particular way of life is a significant life transition. Usual length of time: Six months to two years.

Transitional Novitiate: a woman begins to live the monastic life more fully, continuing classes and work. Her awareness of what it means to live under the Rule, the Prioress and the Living Tradition of our community deepens. Usual length of time: One year.

Canonical Novitiate: the novice limits her contact outside community in order to immerse herself in our life. This allows her to deepen her discernment of her call with the Initial Formation team. She studies the Rule of Benedict and the meaning of Monastic Profession during this year. Usual length of time: One year.

Temporary Profession: the newly professed Sister is fully involved in the life and work of our monastery. She enters into ministry or may begin preparation for a new ministry. Length of time: Three to six years before perpetual profession.

Perpetual Monastic Profession: At Perpetual Profession, we surrender fully and finally our lives of prayer, ministry and leadership. Our gifts and limitations now belong to the community. Our profession ring, which dates back about 800 years to Nonnberg Abbey (Austria), is received as the mark of our profession.

Ongoing Formation: Every monastic woman strives continuously for conversion and to deepen in holiness. Our community provides ongoing opportunities for growth.

Application Process

What is included in the application process?

You will meet regularly with the Vocation Director and Prioress.

Leadership and other members of the community will get to know you.

We encourage you to be in spiritual direction.

We ask you to write a faith journey reflection.

An assessment on whether you have the gifts and skills to live a Benedictine life will be arranged.

Before becoming an Affiliate, a psychological examination will be arranged.

We ask you for: A medical and dental examination. Sacramental certificates. Educational records. A work history. Three letters of recommendations. Financial considerations: We dialogue with each woman about room and board, health and car insurance and the upkeep of her car during the pre-novitiate.

What other ways are there to live Benedictine spirituality? If you are a person who identifies with Benedictine spirituality but wants to continue living outside the Benedictine community, then consider becoming an Oblate or Associate. Discernment may seem puzzling and a bit overwhelming at times. Take a break and relax with a quick puzzle.

Suggested Reading If you are interested in Benedictine Spirituality or discernment skills and want to read more, we suggest the following: Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation --by Parker Palmer Following God's Call: Scripture Meditations for Vocation Discernment --by Judette Gallares, r.c. Discovering Your Personal Vocation: the Search for Meaning through the Spiritual Exercises --by Joan Chittister, OSB Seeking God: the Way of St. Benedict --by Esther de Waal Engaging Benedict: What the Rule Can Teach Us Today --by Laura Swan, OSB Lectio: a Way of Being with God and Life --by Christine Paintner and Lucy Wynkoop, OSB The Forgotten Desert Mothers: Lives, Sayings and Stories of Early Christian Women --by Laura Swan, OSB These and other books are available through The Priory Store.

Vocation Director:

You are welcome to e-mail

call (360)438-2595;

or write to:

St. Placid Priory
500 College St NE
Lacey, WA 98516

Or to email the Prioress (community leader),

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