Benedictines are Christian men and women who live according to the rule (guidelines for monastic living) written by Saint Benedict of Nursia in the early 500’s. Most Benedictines are members of the Roman Catholic Church, but there are also Anglican and Lutheran Benedictine communities.
After a training period called a novitiate, Benedictines take perpetual vows of obedience to the rule and the abbot or abbess. They also take vows of conversion of life and stability, in which they promise to remain within the monastery where they completed their novitiate. After taking these vows, they become professed (lifetime) Benedictines. Some Benedictines, especially nuns, are cloistered. They take solemn vows to lead a life of prayer and contemplation within the monastery. Others take simple perpetual vows. They are not cloistered, but teach, perform social work, and serve as missionaries. Other Benedictines, called Benedictine oblates, are lay people who make promises to live a spiritual life outside the monastery. The focus of Benedictine life is the celebration of the Divine Office, observed at various times during the day. The Divine Office consists of psalms, hymns, and Scripture readings.
