Thinking of Becoming A Monk?

If you are considering entering the monastic life, the best thing you can do is to contact your nearest monastery and arrange to spend a few days with them and see what you think.  Every monastery will have a guest house, and if you write to the Abbot or the Novice Master and explain why you want to visit, they will be very happy to help you out.

Most monasteries now have good websites; the Benedictines also produce a yearbook (see http://www.ampleforth.org.uk/acatalog/Benedictine_monasticism.html ) which gives details of the abbeys, priories, parishes and schools of the monks and nuns following the Rule of St Benedict in Great Britain, Ireland and their Overseas Foundations.

There are different orders of monks and nuns; some - like the Franciscans - live and work in the community.