Join us as a monk
Come and see....

Become a Benedictine monk at St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth, UK 

YOU ARE WELCOME. BEGIN THE SEARCH WITHIN

There is a reason you are here.

Take a moment. Be still. Ask honestly: what is God asking of me?

Take the first step. Take our 15-question discernment quiz here

DO NOT DELAY

As of March 2026, we find ourselves in the unusual and encouraging position of running out of rooms for monks and those exploring a vocation.

We are a small monastery with just 15 cells, and interest has risen significantly, particularly from men here in the UK.

But a reality check: a vocation is tested over years, not weeks. Interest can rise and fall. What matters is perseverance. If this call is real, it will not go away.

COME AND SEE

The only way to discern properly is to experience monastic life for yourself.

We normally recommend short stays in our. Monastic Guesthouse, repeated visits over time, and a gradual, honest process of discernment. You will encounter the life from the outside, while we begin to know you and you begin to know us. 

Staying in our Monastic Guest House is by invitation only and by donation. Please enquire well in advance if you would like to stay for a few days.

Contact Dom Andrew by email at domandrewmcneill@gmail.com or click here.

You will need to arrange and pay for your own travel. If you are coming from afar, we suggest visiting other monasteries in the UK as well.

OUR COMMUNITY

St Augustine’s Abbey, Chilworth is a living Roman Catholic Benedictine monastery.

We are a community of around 10 monks, along with others discerning a vocation. Some are ordained priests, while others are brothers. All live the same monastic life under the Rule of St Benedict.

We welcome serious enquiries from men considering becoming a Roman Catholic Benedictine monk.

You may also wish to follow our more informal daily life on Facebook. Click here.

WHAT IS A MONK?

The word monk comes from the Greek monos, meaning one.

A monk is a man with a single aim: to seek God.

This is not one interest among many. It becomes the centre of everything.

TESTING THE CALL

If you feel drawn to this life, you must test it.

A genuine vocation is often persistent. It does not disappear easily. Even when others discourage you, it quietly returns.

At some point, courage is required. You must make contact and come.

Remember that the monastery is discerning you and you are discerning the monastery.

Ask yourself: will these men help lead me to God?

THE BENEDICTINE LIFE

St Benedict gives clear signs of a true vocation.

First, the search for God. Not talent, not status, not usefulness, but God alone.

Second, love of prayer. The monk is in choir seven times a day, attends daily Mass and prays the Psalms each week. You must want to praise God daily if this life is to make you happy.

Third, obedience. Following Christ’s example, the monk seeks not his own will but the will of God, lived out in obedience to the Abbot.

Fourth, humility in daily life. Cooking, cleaning, and ordinary tasks are part of the path to holiness. It is about setting aside self and growing in charity.

Fifth, charity in community. Learning to live patiently with others’ faults and failings is central. This is at the heart of the Rule of St Benedict.

PRACTICAL NEXT STEPS

Before visiting, read about St Benedict and his Rule, explore our website and pray seriously about your intention.

If, after visiting, the call remains, ask to speak to the Novice Master.

FREEDOM AND THE MONASTIC LIFE

One of our Benedictine monks,  Fr John Seddon OSB,  writes:

“Many would perhaps see my life as a voluntary prison where freedom is non existent.

I certainly feel free.

My desire for God explains everything.

Prayer, Mass, study, and community life help me to love God and my neighbour.

We become what we do. Good acts make us good.

The monastery gives me the means to become what I most desire.

Therefore I am not only free, I am content and happy.

They are happy who dwell in your house, forever singing your praise.”

A FINAL WORD

If this has stirred something in you, do not ignore it.

Take the quiz. Make contact. Come and see.

God does not call in vain.

Carry on reading below about a person's suitability for monastic life and the discernment process........

The Monastery

The Monastery is the place where a monk lives out this search with his brethren. To find God he has to become mindful of Him. The prayer, study and work that make up an ordinary day are all organised to help him remain closely united to God at all times. Silence is also practised to help him avoid sins of the tongue by avoiding unnecessary talk.

You may feel God is calling you to live in this way. It is a challenging and disciplined life and, if lived with integrity, will lead directly to God. However, it is one way. There are other equally valid ways. So, if you feel a call, it needs to be tested. How does one begin?

Firstly, if the call is persistent, discuss your feelings with a priest or monk you can trust and feel at ease with. You may be a little afraid at first of even admitting to yourself that you feel called. So, you need to find the right person. After perhaps lengthy discussions, you will be in a position to know whether a visit to us would be appropriate for you.

A good way to test your vocation without any obligation is to come and stay with us at St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth for a few days in our monastic guest house, something you might like to repeat from time to time: BOOK A ROOM IN OUR GUEST HOUSE HERE by email to Dom Andrew at domandrewmcneill@gmail.com



KEEP SCROLLING DOWN THE PAGE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SUITABILITY FOR A MONASTIC LIFE>>>>>>>>>>



Suitability for a monastic life

The following criteria is used when considering a man’s suitability for the monastic life. The criteria are a guideline used within the discerning and decision process. Don't worry if you don't meet all of the criteria; we welcome and sensitively consider all enquiries on an individual basis. 

We ask that you are male and baptised and confirmed in the faith of the Roman Catholic Church. 


Applicants must be over 18 years of age and we welcome enquiries from all adult age groups.


You will be in good physical and mental health with a sound basic education, some experience of regular and stable employment and be able to work cooperatively as part of a team.


You must be free of debts and family ties.


We welcome applications from outside of the United Kingdom as long as this does not detract from the Catholic Church or Order of St Benedict in your home country. A good level of English language ability is required. All applicants from abroad are expected to find their own financial sponsorship, arrange and pay for their visas and return flights  as well as meet all costs of reaching us in person. Once here, your food and accommodation costs in the monastery are met by us for as long as you stay. Please contact us if you are enquiring from abroad and would like to look into this further.  


The Initial Steps

If you think that you fulfil the requirements of becoming a monk or would like to discuss this further, please get in touch with us at the monastery to say hello, ask any questions and express your interest. Use the contact form on this website to do this. 


At around this point in time and, after discussing this with you first, we ask that you ask your Parish Priest to write a reference for you. 


Men who are members of other Christian ecclesiastical communities are also welcome to apply but they may only be considered for entry into the Community after two years’ incorporation into the Catholic Church.


You will then be in a position to make an application to visit to us. 

Visiting the Monastery

The first visit is brief, usually only for a few days. You would occupy a room in the Guest Wing. These visits would continue over a period of months. If the call seems to intensify, and we think it appropriate, a two week monastic experience would be arranged. 


During this you would live in the Novitiate and take part fully in all aspects of the daily life and work of the Community. 

Next steps...

After the initial visits, it would be determined if entry as a Postulant would be appropriate, before receiving the Benedictine habit, as a Novice. This period of discernment lasts for two years.


If you wish to continue, the Chapter, or senior members of the Community, then decides if you are ready to take Simple Vows for three years. These are renewable yearly, if appropriate, for up to nine years. However, most candidates know after three years if they want to give their life to God in Solemn Vows for life.

A summary

Brief outline of the monastic journey


Guest / Aspirant - regular visits for a weekend or a few days in order to get to know the Community.


Postulant – an undetermined period of not less than 6 months


Novice – the Postulant is clothed in the Benedictine habit in an official but private ceremony. The Novitiate lasts for 2 years.


Junior – the Novice makes Simple Profession of the vows of Obedience, Stability, and Conversion of Life in a public ceremony during the celebration of Mass. These Simple Vows are binding for 3 years.


Senior – The Junior makes Solemn Profession of vows for life in a public ceremony during the celebration of Mass, in which he receives the cowl, a sign of his consecration. 


He becomes a full member of the Community and a member of the Chapter.


For further information, please write to:


The Novice Master

St Augustine’s Abbey

Sample Oak Lane,

Chilworth,

Guildford,

Surrey GU4 8QR

United Kingdom


Please call us on +44 (0)1483 899360 if you need help or more information. 



A prayer for your vocation

Lord, help me discern my vocation. 


Lord my God, my loving Father, you have made me to know you, to love you, to serve you and thereby to find and fulfil myself. 


I know that you are in all things and that every path can lead me to you, but of them all there is one especially by which you want me to come to you. 


Since I will do what you want of me, I pray that you send your Holy Spirit to me: into my mind to show me what you want of me; into my heart to give me the determination to do it and to do it with all my love, with all my mind and with all my strength. 


Amen


St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth, UK - a living Roman Catholic Benedictine monastery www.chilworthbenedictines.com


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BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE MONASTIC JOURNEY

  • Guest / Aspirant

    Regular visits for a weekend or a few days in order to get to know the community.

  • Postulants

    The time spent as a Postulant is a minimum of six months. A Postulant is clothed in the Benedictine habit in an official but private ceremony. The Novitiate lasts for 2 years.


  • Junior

    The Novice makes Simple Profession of the vows of Obedience, Stability, and Conversion of Life in a public ceremony during the celebration of Mass. Simple Vows are binding for two years.

  • Senior

    The Junior makes Solemn Profession of vows for life in a public ceremony during the celebration of Mass, in which he receives the cowl, a sign of his consecration. He becomes a full member of the Community and a member of the Monastic Chapter (i.e. the existing monastic community).

  • Further information

    Please get in touch:


    The Novice Master

    St Augustine’s Abbey

    Sample Oak Lane

    Chilworth

    Guildford 

    Surrey GU4 8QR

    United Kingdom


    Please call us on +44 (0)1483 899360 or contact us via this website if you have any questions. 


    Further information about Vocations in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton can be found here. 


  • Stay and pray with us for a few days

    A good way to test your vocation without any obligation is to come and stay with us at St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth for a few days in our monastic guest house, something you might like to repeat from time to time: BOOK A ROOM IN OUR GUEST HOUSE by sending an email to Dom Andrew at domandrewmcneill@gmail.com