P A X X Father Max Skipper X Abbot of O S B X UECNA

The name of this Order shall be The Order of St. Benedict.

Totus Tuus (Totally Yours) was selected as the motto of the Order since as Religious, we give ourselves totally to Christ for the work of His Church.

The Order is dedicated to serving the Church and uses the ministries of both married and single persons to attain this goal. Communities will not be established. Members provide for their own living quarters and obtain their livelihood through secular or religious employment.

The purpose of the Order shall be to assist the Church in proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Particularly, members may assist local parishes (or missions) by serving as Lay Readers, catechists, Sunday School teachers, ministry to youth or nursing homes, Acolyte or Choir Masters, Altar Guild members, organists, editors of parish newsletters, organize and assist in quiet days or retreats, etc ..

The purpose of the Order is to strengthen the Church by first giving ourselves to God, and then to give prayerful support, encouragement, and assistance to the Church, to other members of the Order, and others not of the Order. Members of the Order give their whole lives to Christ and His Church by devoting themselves to contemplative prayer for His Church, and to service to help build and support it.

The primary work of the members of the Order is to spread the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to witness to the love of God. A member will fully develop those talents given him or her by God, i.e. in liturgy, music, education, art, etc .. He or she shall use these talents to the best of their ability in the diocese, parish, or mission in which he or she is a member.

Part of our witness as Christians is to be responsible individuals, to at all times set a good example. Therefore, members of the Order are expected to be diligent and honest in their secular or religious employment, if married, faithful in the support of their families, and in every way an upright citizen.

Members are encouraged to be faithful, in as much as their secular work will allow, in the attendance of services at their local parish. Members are also encouraged to use their own personal form of prayer, the Daily Office, prayer books, spiritual readings, retreats, etc .. All members should place prayer as their number one priority. It is the purpose of the Order to deepen the spiritual lives of its members, thus preparing them to preach and teach Jesus Christ to the world. We cannot present the Living Water if we ourselves are a dry well.

Article IV: Vows of the Order

The vows of the Order are the traditional Benedictine vows which are Obedience, Stability, and Conversion of life.

Members owe Obedience to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, acknowledging Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They also owe obedience to the articles of faith contained in Scripture, the Creeds, the Catechism, and the Canons of the Church as well as all Bishops, other Ministers who shall have their Cure over them, and the Abbot and other superiors of the Order.

Stability means to be constant in all of our ways. St. James says that a double minded man is unstable is all his ways. Therefore, if we are to be faithful to our calling, we must always be constant. We must never waiver from our goals in the spiritual life. When we fully recognize this, we refrain from committing to those things which we can't keep, and we cease to be like a leaf tossed about by the wind.

Conversion of Life is necessary to all peoples. Until we have been perfected in the Beatific Vision, we are always on a road to constant conversion. Through grace, we daily must convert or change from our own twisted nature, to that in which Christ would have us to be.

The documents by which the members of the Order shall be governed are the Rule and the Ritual of the Order. Amendments to the Rule must be submitted to the Abbot in writing and require a two-thirds majority vote of the Professed Members. Amendments shall be placed before the membership no later than one month after receipt. All voting shall be done through the mail by secret ballot. The ballots shall be tallied by the Abbot in the presence of the Episcopal Visitor or someone appointed by the Episcopal Visitor to act on his behalf The Abbot shall assign the final date that ballots will be accepted, and must report the results of all balloting no later than two weeks after that date. The final interpretation of the documents of the Order shall rest with the Abbot and the Council.

The Episcopal Visitor shall be a Bishop of the United Episcopal Church, or a Bishop of a Church in full communion with the United Episcopal Church. The Presiding Bishop of the United Episcopal Church must give full consent to any Bishop from outside the jurisdiction of the United Episcopal Church to become the Episcopal Visitor. The Abbot will report to the Visitor from time to time on the work of the Order. The advice and counsel of the Visitor will be sought when any professed Member is being considered for release.

The Abbot shall be a Priest or Bishop of the United Episcopal Church appointed by the Episcopal Visitor, subject to a two-thirds majority vote of the Professed Members. Should it become necessary to seek removal of the Abbot, a petition signed by two-thirds of the Professed Members must be achieved. This will be presented to the Visitor to obtain his permission to effect the removal.

The duties of the Abbot:

1.The Abbot shall lead the members using the example set by our Lord by seeking, through prayer and meditation, the guidance of the Holy Ghost. He shall also seek the counsel of the Episcopal Visitor.

2.The Abbot shall serve as Chairman at any meeting of the Order. He may not vote in any balloting except to break a tie.

3.After receipt of all Ember-tide reports, the Abbot shall send to all the Members a pastoral letter summarizing the activities of the members.

4.The Abbot, in consultation with Council, shall have the final voice on admissions and separations of any member.

5.The Abbot shall appoint two Brothers as members of the Council. Each serves at the pleasure of the Abbot.

Article VIII: Meetings of the Order

The entire membership of the Order should meet for spiritual retreat, business, and fellowship no less than once every three years. The location and schedule shall be decided upon by the Abbot and his Council with approval of the Visitor. Members of the Order shall be notified at least 120 days in advance. At the request of a majority of the members, additional meetings may be held. Members of the Order living in close proximity to each other are encouraged to meet together as often as possible for fellowship and devotions.

Eligibility and Membership:

"Any baptized and confirmed communicant in good standing of a church in Apostolic Succession, provided they are at least 21 years of age and has the conviction that he or she is called to the Religious life.

"The right to admit candidates to the Novitiate belongs to the Abbot.

"Mindful of this responsibility to the Church and to the Order, the Abbot should, after examination and prayerful consideration, admit only those candidates who exhibit the character and maturity necessary for entering the Religious life. The character and maturity of applicants should be examined by those who have the education and expertise in that field. Recent converts should not be admitted until their constancy has been firmly established.

"In accordance with the above requirements, and any others that from time to time may be deemed necessary, it shall be required of all applicants:

1.Names of three references; pastoral, parochial, and personal.

2.A complete resume or biography.

3.A personal interview with the Abbot or a deputy appointed by the Abbot

"A person shall have been invalidly accepted, and will be subject to immediate release if any information given by him or her on their application or interview is proven false or misleading.

"An applicant duly accepted by the Abbot shall be so informed, in writing, and shall become a Postulant until investiture, when Novice status is granted.

"A Novice may be released at his or her request, or be released at any time for just cause by the Abbot

Separation from the Order:

"A Brother or Sister under Professed vows may, at the discretion of the Abbot, be granted dispensation. During this period, the Brother or Sister remains subject to their sacred bond, but loses their voice and vote. They may not wear the habit Upon completion of the specified period of dispensation, the Brother or Sister may either return to the Order, or ask for release.

"Cause or reason for release may include, but are not limited to:

1.Request by the Brother or Sister:

2.Refusal to abide by the Rule of the Order:

3.The public profession of apostasy and or heresy.

4.Being the cause of scandal to the Order or the Church.

"Proceedings for release may be initiated by the Abbot or by the Brother or Sister. In the latter case, the Brother or Sister submits their request in writing, and the Abbot responds in writing within one week. Release is made of Professed Members only after consultation of the Council and Episcopal Visitor:

"Release automatically abolishes Religious Vows thereby returning the Brother or Sister to the secular state.

There are several stages in the development of each member: The first stage is that of Postulant. This is one who has made application to the Abbot, been accepted to the Order, and awaits investiture as a Novice.

The second stage is that of Novice. This is one who vows to a testing period of one year. These vows are taken in the presence of the Abbot, or a priest appointed by the Abbot

The purpose of the Novitiate is to allow the Order to determine if the candidate has a true vocation, and for the candidate to discern if God is calling him or her to the Religious life.

At the conclusion of the Novitiate, the Council will either propose that the candidate become a Professed Member, or advise the candidate that he or she is unsuited for the Religious Life and therefore is no longer a member of the Order.

The third stage is that of a Professed Member. This is one who takes final vows of the Order. These vows are taken in the presence of the Abbot. These vows can only be rescinded by Council.

Each member shall report their apostolic activities (as defined in the Constitution, Article III) in writing to the Abbot at the end of each Ember-tide. Any address or telephone number changes should also be noted in this report

From time to time there may be both men and women who wish to associate themselves with the Order, but not take any vows. These are called Oblates. They obligate themselves to live as much of the Rule as they can, to pray for the Order and its work, and to become stronger Christians following the commandments of Christ and the Rule of the Order. They are remembered in the prayers of the Members daily as a strong branch of the Order. Oblates are received into the Order under the direction of the Abbot, they are not required to take any vows or where a habit.

The Habit of a Professed Brother shall be a solid black cassock alb extending to the ankles. It shall be girded about by a rope cincture of black worn on the right side. There shall be a black hooded scapular worn over the cassock alb.

The Habit of a Brother Novice shall be a solid black cassock alb extending to the ankles. It shall be girded about by a rope cincture of black worn on the right side.

The Habit of Novice and Professed Sisters shall be the same as the Brothers, however, omitting the hood on the scapular, and adding a black veil.

A Priest should wear their rope cincture on the left side of the habit to denote their holy office. 

The habit should be worn only when a member is the Officiate or an assistant at the Holy Eucharist, at the Choir Offices, or in accordance with the wishes of the Parish Priest. The habit should also be worn at all meetings of the Order or at other meetings as suggested by the Abbot and his Council.

Regular secular dress is worn during daily occupations. While performing Church related works outside of the Church such as visiting the sick, prisons, nursing homes, or other such good works, the Brother or Sister may choose to wear the medal of St. Benedict. Priests of the Order shall consider the work habit to be the normal attire worn by the clergy as directed by the Ordinary, i.e. black suit, collar, cross, etc ..

All Habits must be approved by the Abbot before purchase and before wearing them. This is to make sure that all the Brothers and Sisters are dressed alike as best as possible, and in accordance to the Rule of the Order and the Canons of the Church. The Abbot may also approve some suitable alternative from time to time for reasons of finances and or appropriateness.

Article XVI: Of the Title of Brother or Sister

Upon reception into the Novitiate, a Novice shall be entitled to use the title "Brother" or "Sister" and to sign their name , Nov. O. S.B .. A Professed Member may sign his or her name ,O.S.B .. Unless the member specifically desires and requests a religious name, he or she uses their own Christian name with the title "Brother" or "Sister". In cases of duplication, one may request to add a Saint's name to their own.

The official breviary of the Order shall be the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. All members should use this book as the primary book for the Daily Offices. Additional Prayer Books may be used for secondary purposes with the approval of the Abbot. Any other books other than the 1928 BCP shall be used in "addition to" and not "instead of" the 1928 BCP.

Prayer is the number one priority of the members of the Order. They should pray daily for the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. They should remember in their prayers all Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Archdeacons, and Canons of the UECNA. They should pray for the Abbot

and other religious superiors of the Order as well.

In the Anglican Tradition, the Daily Offices for Religious Orders should be Morning Prayer (Matins) at 6am, Evening Prayer (Vespers) at 6pm, and Compline at 10pm. In the Benedictine Tradition, silence should be kept from the completion of Compline until after Matins of the next morning.

Having said this, it is impossible for members of this Order to observe these regulations. Members are required to pray the Offices of Morning and Evening Prayer From the 1928 BCP at a time that is suitable to their schedule. The key is to pray both of them daily faithfully, and to always mention the Church and its Servants in their prayers. If for extreme circumstances a member is not able to make use of the BCP on a certain occasion, some prayerful substitute would be in order at the permission of the Abbot.

Morning and Evening Prayer are the only requirements for prayer. There are many good devotions and prayer books available as well as prayer methods. These may be used, but only in addition to the requirements of the Order. However, anything other than the 1928 BCP must be approved by the Abbot before use. The purpose of an Order is that all live and act as a community of people. Therefore, for each to do their own thing would be repugnant to our calling as Benedictines.