Our Chapter
The Our Lady of Sorrows Chapter is an ecumenical Benedictine community of Oblates and Associates within the International Benedictine Community of the St. Joseph of Arimathea Skete. In true Benedictine tradition, we welcome Christians of all faith traditions to become a part of our family. We do not emphasize one faith over another, but teach Benedictine spirituality, while respecting the varying faith traditions of our members.
We meet year-round on the first Saturday of every month via Zoom. Most meetings, from start to finish, last less than 90 minutes. We also have an all-day Chapter retreat each May, at a local retreat center. If you would like to attend a meeting, contact us for more information. You can also visit us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OblatesOLSOSB
Our Story
We were founded in 2006 as an independent community of laypeople following the Rule of St. Benedict. In 2008 we became an Oblate Chapter of a Benedictine monastery in New York and finally, in January 2021, we became part of the St. Joseph of Arimathea Skete, which is the home of the International Benedictine Community.
Our foundress, Sr. Mary Joseph, OSB, made her life Oblation in October 2008. At that time our independent community became Benedictine, was renamed the Holy Family Chapter and Sr. Mary Joseph became our first Director. For several years we were a part of a parish in Pennsylvania, but when the pastor reposed in 2020, we needed to find a new home.
In January of 2021 we were blessed to be introduced to our current Abbot, Mar Melchizedek, OSB, Metropolitan of the Holy Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Epirus (OCE), based in Lincoln, Nebraska [link to OCE]. His Eminence graciously agreed to accept us as the first Oblate Chapter in the Synod (there were already other monastic communities) and we re-organized under our original name of Our Lady of Sorrows Chapter. Sr. Mary Joseph remained our Director and we welcomed new Oblate members into our family, as well as beginning our Associates program. [link to Associates page]
In 2022 the Lincoln Benedictine Oblate Chapter, based in the Skete, was established and other monastic communities came into the church, so in 2023 the International Benedictine Community of the OCE was begun. [link to IBC page]
As our world continues to become more secular, with fewer and fewer people attending church or having any interest in religion, our Chapter and the IBC continues to grow. We welcome anyone interested in becoming part of our family to contact us as we encourage each other in the journey towards the ideal of union with Christ in the spirit of our Father Benedict.
We meet year-round on the first Saturday of every month via Zoom. Most meetings, from start to finish, last less than 90 minutes. We also have an all-day Chapter retreat each May, at a local retreat center. If you would like to attend a meeting, contact us for more information. You can also visit us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OblatesOLSOSB
Our Story
We were founded in 2006 as an independent community of laypeople following the Rule of St. Benedict. In 2008 we became an Oblate Chapter of a Benedictine monastery in New York and finally, in January 2021, we became part of the St. Joseph of Arimathea Skete, which is the home of the International Benedictine Community.
Our foundress, Sr. Mary Joseph, OSB, made her life Oblation in October 2008. At that time our independent community became Benedictine, was renamed the Holy Family Chapter and Sr. Mary Joseph became our first Director. For several years we were a part of a parish in Pennsylvania, but when the pastor reposed in 2020, we needed to find a new home.
In January of 2021 we were blessed to be introduced to our current Abbot, Mar Melchizedek, OSB, Metropolitan of the Holy Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Epirus (OCE), based in Lincoln, Nebraska [link to OCE]. His Eminence graciously agreed to accept us as the first Oblate Chapter in the Synod (there were already other monastic communities) and we re-organized under our original name of Our Lady of Sorrows Chapter. Sr. Mary Joseph remained our Director and we welcomed new Oblate members into our family, as well as beginning our Associates program. [link to Associates page]
In 2022 the Lincoln Benedictine Oblate Chapter, based in the Skete, was established and other monastic communities came into the church, so in 2023 the International Benedictine Community of the OCE was begun. [link to IBC page]
As our world continues to become more secular, with fewer and fewer people attending church or having any interest in religion, our Chapter and the IBC continues to grow. We welcome anyone interested in becoming part of our family to contact us as we encourage each other in the journey towards the ideal of union with Christ in the spirit of our Father Benedict.