When you become a member of Monasteries of the Heart you receive free weekly practices that can help you develop a monastic spirituality—prayer, lectio (reflective reading), good works, study and community. You also receive free inspirational words each week from three monastic blogs, including one by Sister Joan Chittister. And you join a worldwide community whose members discuss meaningful issues and are intent on impacting the times.
Member login
In addition to new weekly content, Monasteries of the Heart offers regular online courses, retreats and book discussions. While some of this curriculum content is free, many of the courses and retreats have a small fee. Courses and retreats usually include several emails a week, exclusive video or audio content and a facilitated discussion. Click here to see all available offerings. You must have a free membership and be logged in to register for and access courses and retreats.
Course or Retreat in session now
Instruction on monastic spirituality and way of life is essential if members of Monasteries of the Heart are to carry forward and keep alive the ancient Benedictine tradition.
Initial Monastic Formation for New Members
Study based on the book
The Monastery of the Heart by Joan Chittister
A Gentle Invitation
In her book, Insights for the Ages, Sister Joan explains that the Rule of Benedict "is not concerned with a single time and place, a single set of devotions, or a single ministry...
Next Course or Retreat to be offered
Four to six courses and retreats are offered each year at Monasteries of the Heart. This is our next online offering.
We all have extraordinary times of trial and transition—illnesses, the death of a loved one, divorce, job loss, a troubled child. It’s part of life. The question is: What do we learn from life’s challenges about ourselves and about God? How do we grow from our experiences into more loving people, with deeper faith and trust? What gifts do we receive during our extraordinary times that enable us to endure and even thrive despite our suffering and loss? Who accompanies us during these times? How can our hearts, scarred from loss and grief, heal? These are the questions we’ll explore together during this three-week eCourse.
Laura Dunham, author of Extraordinary Time: Spiritual Reflections from a Season with Cancer, Death, and Transition, is the facilitator of this eCourse. >>>FULL DESCRIPTION
eCourse runs April 1-19