The Benedictine Volunteer Handbook

Saint John's Abbey

The Benedictine Volunteer Corps

I Came as a Guest, and You Received Me Matt 25:35

A Message from Abbot John

We believe that wherever there are Benedictine monasteries and whatever their work is - because this work is done in the context of prayer and community living – the work of God is being done. On this foundation and because of our desire to be of service to our brother monasteries around the world and to provide a rich service opportunity for the graduates of our university we have established The Saint John’s Abbey Benedictine Volunteer Corps.

The Tenth Abbot of Saint John's

About the Benedictine Volunteer Corps

What is the BVC?

The purpose of the SJBVC is to provide Saint John’s University alums with 12 months of volunteer service at a Benedictine monastery and an opportunity to participate in the monastic life of that community. The BVC supports the life and the apostolic work of the host monastery.

Who Sponsors BVC?

Saint John’s Abbey, Collegeville Minnesota is the sponsor of the SJBVC. The Abbey provides an appropriate monthly stipend to the volunteer and round-trip transportation (See below for further expectations of Saint John’s Abbey)

What does my site provide?

The host monastery provides a site director, a safe living environment, meaningful work, food, lodging, and prayer for the volunteer. The host monastery provides access to local transportation for the volunteer as needed. (See below for further expectations of the host monastery)

Being a Volunteer

BVC expects all volunteers to serve with these expectations:

Participate in a two-week monastic experience and volunteer orientation program at Saint John's Abbey following graduation.

Attend each monthly information session

Participate in the prayer schedule of the host monastery.

Participate in the apostolic work of the host monastery at least 30 hours a week and no more than 40.

In addition, volunteers are highly encouraged to participate in a reorientation retreat after their time of service. (See below for further expectations of the volunteer).

BVC Ethos

Participation in Community Life

Life in Community is central to Benedictine Monasticism. Benedict’s first Chapter in The Rule makes a distinction between monks who live alone, monks described as the kind who do whatever they want, monks who wander around from monastery to monastery never putting down roots, and those who live in a community under a rule and an Abbot The Saint concludes this chapter with a strong admonition to not even speak about any but the monks who live in a community.

Association with Monks

One of the unique features of the Benedictine Volunteer Corps is its association with monks and living in or proximate to a monastery during the year of service. Benedictine Volunteers are expected to take advantage of this relationship through prayer, meals, and as many other aspects of the community life that The Abbot or The Prior of his host monastery allows Experience has shown us that a close relationship with the monks of the host monastery is part of a rich year as a Benedictine Volunteer.

Prayer and Work

Prayer and Work are pillars of Benedictine Life. Saint Benedict tells us: Idleness is the enemy of the soul. Therefore the brothers should have specified periods for work and prayer.

Elements

In most cases, the length of service for a Benedictine Volunteer is 12 months A Benedictine volunteer is expected to work at least 30 hours per week and, at most, 40 hours per week during service. Time in prayer is considered part of the calculation.

The expectation to participate in two prayer services of the monastic community each weekday, with one of the prayer services being a morning service, is a non-negotiable part of the commitment as a Benedictine volunteer.

There are no personal side jobs during the time of service. And cash gifts, etc., belong to the host community, not the volunteer

Leisure Time

Benedictine Volunteers must have ample time to learn about and experience the countries where they serve and have time to renew themselves during the year of service.

The corps considers that 3 weeks (in total) away from the monastery in a 12-month commitment is an appropriate length of time for vacation, discovery, and renewal.

When planning a vacation or being away overnight, the site director should always be notified and consulted.

Living Simply

Benedictines do not take a vow of poverty. The Rule, however, is clear on living simply, with what has been supplied, and in moderate relationship to things. A simple lifestyle is an important witness to restraint in the communities we serve. Benedictine Volunteers are expected to observe simplicity in their lifestyle.

Traveling home during the time of service is considered a luxury and is NOT ALLOWED.

Stipends and Expectations

The host monastery provides food, lodging, laundry facilities, access to local transportation, and other basic needs.

Saint John’s Abbey provides a monthly stipend ($350.00) that is considered adequate to cover personal needs, entertainment, and vacation.

Benedictine Volunteers are discouraged from relying on additional resources from family to supplement their monthly stipend. An exception may be made in the case of travel for enrichment and vacation.

Health and Wellness

Benedictine spirituality puts a high premium on self-awareness and personal responsibility in pursuing a mature and whole Christian life. Please remember that volunteers are their best agents in assuring their health and well-being, so it is your top priority to be aware of your situation Also, please don't hesitate to contact your site director and the BVC program director for urgent cases.

The risks for Benedictine Volunteers may include disease, accidents, personal boundary violations, depression, loneliness, and isolation.

Benedictine Volunteers are required to have health insurance BVC also strongly encourages all volunteers to purchase travel insurance covering emergency rescue and medical care expenditures during the entire time of service, regardless of site countries' requirements (many of them do request proof of health or travel insurance when applying for visas).

Saint John’s Abbey will assist in paying for health-related travel expenses (such as immunizations) for those whose country of service requires it – up to $500.00.

It is vital (and REQUIRED) for volunteers to get the required travel shots before departure. You are often only allowed to board the plane if you have the correct vaccination (Scan the left QR code below for more information)

Always be aware of global and local public health information and updates during the postCovid time A public health emergency (e g , epidemics broke out) could lead to travel restrictions and limited access to healthcare without prior notice.

Check public health advisories (The CDC and the health ministry of your site country) before your departure (Scan the right QR code below for more information).

Healthcare Access

For the East African BVC sites (Hanga, Tororo, and Nairobi), monasteries have a clinic attached to them or directly nearby. You can use them in case of an emergency.

Some regions may have limited medical facilities, or a lack of specialized care. Consider traveling with a basic first-aid kit and medicines if you wouldn't find at your site.

Alcohol and Drugs

Saint Benedict counsels his followers to observe moderation in all things Although a short one – he devotes a chapter in his Rule On the Measure of Drink in Chapter 40:

“We read that monks should not drink wine at all, but since the monks of our day cannot be convinced of this, let us agree to drink moderately and not to the point of excess – for wine makes even wise men go astray.”

BVC does NOT tolerate any use of illicit or controlled substances in accordance with federal, state, local, and international law

For wine makes even wise men go astray

Rule of Saint Benedict, Ch 40

Let us agree to drink moderately...

Safety

Being aware of your safety is another essential part of high-premium self-awareness. BVC has always put volunteers' safety as the highest priority. The overall safety risks among all sites are manageable Nevertheless, in a changing world, we believe your volunteers are the best for being responsible for your security during services and travels. Moreover, BVC will monitor international and domestic updates regarding any emergencies.

Travel Advisory

In extreme situations, the risks of traveling abroad or within your site countries for Benedictine Volunteers may include civil unrest that follows travel restrictions with few or no prior notice, delays/cancellations of flight or transit that lead to overextended layover, public security concerns like robbery or violence, natural disasters, or humanitarian crisis

Be sure to check the travel advisory frequently before and after departure, including the travels between home and sites and domestic travels in your site countries BVC highly encourages all volunteers to keep updated with information from public authorities and site communities. The BVC will always ensure it is safe to travel from the US to your site.

The US Department of State publishes and updates its global travel advisory and marks each country and region with four caution levels (level one is the lowest). You can find all travel advisories on the US Department of State website (see below the QR code)

The US Department of State and US Embassies across the globe suggest a couple of ways for travelers to stay informed and connected.

In all the suggested way, volunteers can choose to register Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), which will send you notification and alarms to your email and allows the embassies to contact you if any emergency happens (Scan the QR code below).

You can also subscribe to email notifications on the US Department of State website for a list of countries. The embassies will email you any updates on travel advisories (Scan the QR code to subscribe)

BVC strongly discourages volunteers from traveling when public authorities issue a high alarm level (e.g., the level 4 warning"Do NOT Travel" from the US Department of State). Volunteers who are still present in these areas shall either leave or search for shelter immediately.

Safety Guidelines

Please be aware of any emergencies around your site and report to the BVC office if needed BVC will evacuate you from your situation to a different site or back home due to serious safety concerns effective immediately.

BVC expects volunteers to NOT travel for personal reasons during their designated work time. As page 6 indicated, Volunteers should consult site directors for any outside overnight stays It is always a good idea to travel with your site partner, volunteers, staff, or site director from the site community. Always notify someone if you'' be away for some time in a different location.

Social Media and Internet

The Rule of Saint Benedict has good wisdom to guide us regarding communication – including the explosion of immediate and global communication capability over the past decade. In Chapter 6, entitled Restraint of Speech, Saint Benedict writes,

“There are times when good words are to be left unsaid out of esteem for silence For all the more reason then, should evil speech be curbed.”

The BVC asked you, as volunteers to respect what you write and the pictures you post and view on websites, blogs, and social media accounts, especially the ones regarding the monks they live with and work for and the people they serve

Sensitivity needs to be shown, and privacy needs to be respected

The hours consumed surfing the internet and chatting can quickly detract from engagement with the people proximate to them whom they have agreed to serve.

Good words are to be left unsaid out of esteem for silence.

Rule of Saint Benedict, Ch. 6

Terms and Policies

Termination and Quitting

A man's year in service as a Benedictine Volunteer is one of growth, risk-taking, opportunity, vision, and formation. Mistakes will be made. For our purposes, we, too, will be slow to terminate the relationship with our men.

However, in cases of legal infractions, we have no choice but to respect the civil laws of the host communities In cases of repeated violations of the mores of the host community, we may need to consider termination.

Termination Policies

The BVC never tolerates behaviors that seriously violate local and federal civic and criminal laws Under extreme cases, your service will be immediately suspended when BVC receives any report of such misconduct. BVC also retains all legal rights to claim compensation as things go further.

The term of your services demands you to behave appropriately and to fulfill your duties administrated by your site communities BVC will consider termination if we receive information of rules violation and misconduct (e.g., absence from work, offensive behavior to the community members, etc.) at your sites.

In case a volunteer either experience or have a high risk of getting serious physical harm or mental breakdown, the BVC will suspend your service and provide necessary aid to leave the site and receive medical treatment in a prompt manner

BVC will also monitor both local and global security and Public health emergency of international concern Under extreme scenarios, the BVC will end the oversea programs and volunteers will be sent home.

Quitting

The cost of sending a Benedictine Volunteer for a year of service is nearly $8,000 annually. This includes administration expenses, travel, food, lodging, and stipend. The Saint John’s monastic community and donors to The Benedictine Volunteer Corps are eager to support the BVC and expect the volunteers to take advantage of the full-year service

If a volunteer needs to leave their site for personal reasons or termination, the BVC encourages the volunteer to continue their year of service at Saint John's Abbey.

Retreat and Seminars

Benedictine Volunteers are expected t in a 2-week retreat that begins the day graduation in May. A re-entry retreat for mid-July after the time of service. A reunion retreat is scheduled for late D following the year of service.

Meetings with volunteer develo personnel with take place once Attending these are required as essential to learning the skills to be a qualified volunteer.

Communication with Home Office

Volunteers are expected to respond quickly to requests from The BVC staff for communication. This includes monthly check-ins and requests from the home office for pictures, articles, reflections, etc. Please also respond as soon as possible about natural disasters, current events, and other climate issues

The volunteer is expected to return any form of communication from the home office within three business days

During the emergency situation, BVC demands volunteers to respond immediately. We expect volunteers to be aware of incoming messages and phone call from BVC in the normal practice.

For any instance, contact program manager Logan Lintvedt at 612-4375938 (US and WhatsApp)

Problem-Solving and Grievance

Benedictine Volunteers are encouraged to bring issues related to their community life and work to the site director(s) of the host monastery. For exceptionally difficult or sensitive issues, please contact the director of the BVC.

Site Directors

The site directors at Benedictine Volunteer Corps sites have a two-fold responsibility. They are responsible for assigning and monitoring the work of the volunteer and assuring that the volunteer is welcomed to and participating in the community and prayer life of the monastery. It is ideal if one person can fulfill these two tasks. Therefore, as a volunteer, you are the most direct person who needs to be aware of your work and prayer schedules

Travel Fees and Visa Application

BVC covers expenditures of round-trip flights between home and sites and visa application fees. Usually, the host community will take care of volunteers' trips to their sites.

The BVC will reimburse up to $50 of baggage fees for departure and return flights ($100 total) Be sure to keep your receits.

Visa Application

For the sites within the US territory (Newark, Puerto Rico, and Collegeville), volunteers with US citizenship or immigrant visa do not need to obtain any visa The F-1 student visa holders have to request and receive approval for Optical Practice Training (OPT) status before their post-undergrad program grace period is over (normally 60 days after graduation).

Volunteers traveling to overseas sites MUST apply for a visa from their site countries that covers their entire service period before departure.

Be sure your passport is valid to cover your entire year of service and have several continuous pages unused. If yours doesn't match these requirements, obtain it before applying for visas

Check your visa application requirements on our site guidebooks and the embassies of your site countries. Call or email these embassies if you need clarification.

Since obtaining a new passport, changing legal status, and applying visa requires a long process, we strongly urge volunteers to start the application process as early as possible to match up with their beginning time of services.