Does your monastery, onsite or online have plans for the summer? Do you take a break? Gather less often? Read a different book? Read extra books? Do you have special plans for the Feast of St. Benedict on July 11? Please share your summer plans by commenting below.

Welcome an onsite monastery meeting at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Gaithersburg, MD. Listening Heart Community at Ascension Monastery has been meeting twice a month, on Monday evenings for lectio, contemplative prayer, reflection, sharing and social.

The online MOH community, Ora et Labora, has a new way of connecting and holding each other in prayer. Mary Jo McEvoy, a member, recently visited Erie and told us, “We agreed that at the same time each day, no matter where we live, we would stop and take a moment to quietly pray for each other.”

St. Symeon the New Theologian, an online-only MOH community which has been meeting for over a year has been meeting now for over a year as a “closed,” (not accepting new members) community. They have decided to re-open and welcome new members at this time.

The Heart to Heart MOH monastery is currently studying "The Nonviolent Moment" by Mary Lou Kownacki, OSB. Using the stories and poetry found in this studyguide our group is gaining the wisdom to discern and pursue a non-violent lifestyle.

Betty Thompson, a member of Monasteries of the Heart, posted the following on the Solidarity with Sisters blog on January 19 -- it is worth sharing. Thank you, Betty, for your support and for letting so many know what MOH and living with a monastic heart means to you.

We welcome our first listing of an onsite MOH in Canada. Northern Lights Monastery of the Heart has been meeting twice a month in Southern Ontario and invites others in the area to join them. They just listed their open onsite MOH on the website.

Welcome Anam Cara Monastery of the Heart

When Joan Chittister spoke at a conference in Duluth, she encourage Mary Bridget to list her onsite monastery. So they did.
Anam Cara is an onsite Monastery of the Heart with an online presence to connect the members between gatherings.

Eve Davila, the group leader of the Stepping Stones on site community in Elmira, New York, shares the following about her community who joined Monasteries of the Heart on August 11, 2011.

How is your small community experience unfolding?

The first online monasteries are now a year old and they are reflecting in different ways.

The Seaford (Long Island) Monasteries of the Heart community announces the sudden passing of one of its founding members, Joan M. Cavanaugh on June 11th. Joan (pictured, left) was an active member of the Seaford MOH community since its founding in May, 2011.

On Friday, July 20, when Ora et Labora, an online community, and the two women coordinators of MOTHS (seekers of light) Monastery which meets in prison at the California Institution for Women, Corona, CA, were visiting in Erie, we invited the other MOH communities meeting in the area for an eveni

Molly Linehan, a member of Mary the Apostle Monastery of the Heart, an on-site community in Erie, PA, was one of 12 young women highlighted by the National Catholic Reporter for their impressive work.

Welcome Heart Listening Monastery, an onsite community meeting in a United Methodist Church in Fairport, NY.

Welcome to a new open online community, Desert Heart Monastery, lead by Debra. This new MOH already has nine members. The description reads: Monastery for seekers eager to learn and follow Benedictine traditions. This monastery is for those of us who are hermits at heart.

Care for Creation is a group monastery within MOH in which its members share
and discuss a keen interest in the importance of the interdependence among
all that makes up Creation: from the smallest moss or insect to the largest

Welcome to a new onsite monastery with an online presence, The Sunday Circle Monastery, meeting at the Cathedral of Hope in Dallas, TX, a congregation of the United Church of Christ. We know other communities have formed and are gathering, but are not yet listed. Let us know if you’d like help listing your onsite monastery.

The Benedictine Study Group members of St. Hilary’s Episcopal Church in California’s high desert city of Hesperia helped coordinate the church’s Lenten studies with the Rev. Shannon Collis. The Benedictine members wore their aprons symbolizing hospitality and served homemade soups and breads.

Would you like to join a spiritual community during Easter break? Or, do you know what you’re going to do this summer? Discern with some help from your peers.

Janet, leader of “Our Care for Creation” monastery reports: Our Care for Creation community discussed what we would do in Lent.

First day of Occupy DC and 10th anniversary of the US war/occupation of Afghanistan and 5 members of our MOH community (and 2 kids) were there.

Margie and I and some members of our “Monasteries of the Heart” group heard Kathy Kelly , founder of “Voices In The Wilderness” speak at St. Bonaventure on Thursday, September 15.