THE ORIGINS OF THE LAY COMMUNITY

A group of students came to Worth Abbey in 1971 with an enthusiastic desire to share in the life and prayer of the Monastic Community. The monks offered them a building within the Abbey grounds which became the centre for their activities.

From those initial visitors, the Worth Abbey Lay Community was founded. Over more than 30 years, it offered Christian Formation and a link with a living monastic tradition as a way of discovering new life. As well as members throughout the country and abroad, there was a resident lay community living in St. Bruno's House at Worth Abbey until 2000, made up of lay people who wanted to live in community alongside the monks, offering hospitality to visitors. In 2000, the Centre for Spirituality (recently renamed the Worth Abbey Open Cloister) was formed, offering various retreats to visitors, including "Spirituality in the Workplace", "Prayer & Creative Arts", etc. Click here to go to the Open Cloister website.

By 2002 there were over three hundred members, young and not so young, students, people with disabilities, families, unemployed people and Christians of all traditions. We had a community magazine called Walcabout which shared news and articles written by members.

In August 2002, the Abbot of Worth Abbey, Christopher Jamison, challenged the Lay Community to form a new independent lay Benedictine movement. The community undertook a discernment process during 2002-2003 and founded the Lay Community of St. Benedict in August 2003.