This is a new initiative which aims both to grow our spiritual lives and anchor them in the Benedictine monastic tradition which once framed the community of this ancient Abbey Church. Drawing on the model of the Oblates of a monastery, being a Companion of the Parish Church involves devising, with support from the vicar, a simple written Rule of Life, which is then commended to God during one of the regular celebrations of the Eucharist.

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The word ‘Rule’ may sound restrictive but in fact, following the spirit of the Rule of St Benedict, it is intended to be the opposite, providing a basic pattern or framework for the individual Companion’s spiritual life. It will, for example, include a statement of intent regarding the Companion’s pattern of individual prayer, their participation in the Eucharist and in at least one of the public Daily Offices each week, together with other elements which the Companion has identified, with the vicar, as spiritually important for them. In this way, being a Companion of the Parish Church encompasses both individual and corporate dimensions, grounding them in a sense of sharing in the heritage of the ancient monastic tradition which once shaped a religious community here.

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Anyone who feels called to become a Companion of the Parish Church in this way is welcome to do so. Please contact the church contact@amesburyparishchurch.org to explore this vocation further.