St. Symeon the New Theologian, an online-only MOH community which has been meeting for over a year has been meeting now for over a year as a “closed,” (not accepting new members) community. They have decided to re-open and welcome new members at this time.

Welcome St. Bennie’s Belles, an onsite monastery meeting in Lima, Ohio. Actually, they have been meeting for years for prayer, discussion and good works. Then they read The Monastery of the Heart book and decided to become an MOH monastery.

Betty Thompson, a member of Monasteries of the Heart, posted the following on the Solidarity with Sisters blog on January 19 -- it is worth sharing. Thank you, Betty, for your support and for letting so many know what MOH and living with a monastic heart means to you.

Welcome Loaves and Fishes Monastery of the Heart, a new onsite community on Erie’s east side. Christine Lundt, an oblate of Mt. St. Benedict, who leads the MOH is inviting others to join.

Welcome Anam Cara Monastery of the Heart

When Joan Chittister spoke at a conference in Duluth, she encourage Mary Bridget to list her onsite monastery. So they did.
Anam Cara is an onsite Monastery of the Heart with an online presence to connect the members between gatherings.

For their regular Friday community gathering, The Heart Listening MOH community from Fairport, New York, met at Mount St. Benedict Monastery in Erie. Though it was quite a commute for them, it was well worth the trip for each of them and for the Erie community.

The first online monasteries are now a year old and they are reflecting in different ways.

The online MOH community, Care for Creation is celebrated their one-year anniversary on August 31st with “joyous celebration, prayerful reflection and hopeful resolutions.”

On Friday, July 20, when Ora et Labora, an online community, and the two women coordinators of MOTHS (seekers of light) Monastery which meets in prison at the California Institution for Women, Corona, CA, were visiting in Erie, we invited the other MOH communities meeting in the area for an eveni

The staff is preparing to welcome two MOH communities to Mount Saint Benedict in Erie next week: Ora et Labora, an online community and the two women coordinators of MOTHS (seekers of light) Monastery which meets in prison at the California Institution for Women, Corona, CA.

Welcome Heart Listening Monastery, an onsite community meeting in a United Methodist Church in Fairport, NY.

Welcome to Kyrie Eleison Monastery of the Heart in lowertown St. Paul, MN with a special emphasis on prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and special work with homeless vets and families.

Care for Creation is a group monastery within MOH in which its members share
and discuss a keen interest in the importance of the interdependence among
all that makes up Creation: from the smallest moss or insect to the largest

Erie Benedictine Sister Marian Wehler sent this note about the MOH monastery she facilitates in prison at SCI Forest, Marienville, PA.

The Benedictine Study Group members of St. Hilary’s Episcopal Church in California’s high desert city of Hesperia helped coordinate the church’s Lenten studies with the Rev. Shannon Collis. The Benedictine members wore their aprons symbolizing hospitality and served homemade soups and breads.

The newest online Monastery of the Heart community is for adult single women.
Here’s how leader, Janey, describes it: “The Community of Saint Anna will be a non-residential ecumenical community of single women who dedicate themselves to witness to the compassionate and understanding presence of God through prayerful listening and intercession for all."

Janet, leader of “Our Care for Creation” monastery reports: Our Care for Creation community discussed what we would do in Lent.

These three members of the Monastery of the Heart meeting in Marquette, MI attended the Call to Action Conference in Milwaukee Nov 4 to 6. Pictured are Sarah, Martha and Cindy. Their MOH meets weekly and currently has six members.