A vowed religious community in the monastic tradition of the Episcopal Church
How to Join
Our community is under the Canons of the Episcopal Church in the United States and in communion with the See of Canterbury. Membership in our community is open to any adult communicant in the Episcopal Church, USA, the Anglican Church in Canada, or those in communion with the Episcopal Church, and reside in North America. We welcome all persons to join us regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, marital or socio-economic status. The motto for our way of life is the words the Mother of Jesus spoke to the stewards at the wedding feast: “Do whatever He tells you.”
Pray and Reflect
Pray often asking for the wisdom to know if God is calling you to join the Community of the Mother of Jesus. Read our Rule, “Mary’s Way of Discipleship.” Reflect on it with a spiritual director or member of our community to discern if it resonates with your soul.
Inquire
Please email any inquiries about an application, membership, or anything else, to either our Director of Vocations, Br. Joshua Craft-Rutan, CMJ.
Submit an Online Application with Fee
Please email the Director of Vocations (email above) if you are interested in applying.
Click here for instructions on requesting Letters of Recommendation
Click here to submit your non-refundable $50 Application Fee.
A Time to Share
After we have reviewed your application we will contact you to arrange a series of meetings with you. You will be asked to share your life story with a member of our Community and to prayerfully discuss everything you sent us. The two of you will draft a joint statement on the highlights and conclusions of you meetings. This statement is attached to your application and sent to the Director of Vocations, who manages the initial intake and inquiries into our community.
Meet with the Director of Vocations
After the Director of Vocations receives the statement that is attached to your application the two of you will meet to prayerfully discuss all the materials he has received. By the end of this meeting the two of you will know: that you can be accepted as a postulant of the CMJ’s; or that you may become a postulant of the CMJ’s after you complete specific goals; or that God is calling you to a different religious community
Criminal Records Check
After you meet with the Director of Vocations, we will ask for a criminal records background check to be completed. You will receive an invite from Sterling Volunteers to authorize and pay for your background check. The check should cost around $20. The results of the background check will be sent to our Director of Vocations and reviewed with the Steward Guardian prior to your being invited to become a Postulant.
The Certification
Our Director of Vocations will notify you when the background check has been received and if the results are clear or if there is anything that needs to be reviewed with you. Assuming the background check is clear, the Stewards Guardian will scheduled a brief rite with you and members of the community that names you as a Postulant of the Community of the Mother of Jesus. Then the two of you will complete the certificate that shows you have been accepted as an Postulant. You will also be given your own copy of the Postulant Study Guide to study. The Steward Guardian will assign you a spiritual companion from the professed members of the community to help you with your formation process.
The Invitation
Upon your completion of the Postulant Study Guide, and after you have been an Postulant for at least three months, the Steward Guardian will issue you a formal invitation to become a Novice of our Community at the next scheduled Annual Gathering of the Community of the Mother of Jesus. Annual Gatherings are typically scheduled in person, in the fall.
A Summary Note
This application journey has been constructed so that you are involved in every step of the process. In this way there should be no surprises. Ultimately this journey is about what God is doing in your heart and what God is asking of us as the Community of the Mother of Jesus.