The Solemn Profession of Br Joseph Benedict
On 5th May Br Joseph Benedict made his Solemn profession during Mass in the Abbey Church. At 25 years of age, Br Joseph Benedict Donleavy has now made his final vows at Ampleforth Abbey, committing himself for the rest of his life. This moving ceremony was led by Fr Gabriel, whose full homily and welcome can be read here. When asked about his decision to become a monk Br Joseph Benedict said: "I would say that everybody needs to pray with an open spirit about their vocation, whether or not they have a sense of what that vocation is – everybody needs to hand it over to the Lord: ‘what are you asking of me?’ And this should become a natural instinct, to ask the same question about little things throughout the day. These little things will add up and produce a bigger picture. Secondly, this prayer needs to be informed by the Word of God: listening to what God is saying to you in the Scriptures. The other very important thing in working out what God is calling you to is to talk to someone else about it – someone you can trust. These are the three pillars."