About Us
First, this impulse lived long as a question deep within the founder, Faith DiVecchio, who has a lifetime interest in community living, while she studied theology: what would a contemporary renewal of monasticism look like? How would this stream meet people of today?
Old monastic forms include being set apart, living in celibacy, being under an external religious authority. These ways are ways of the past. It began to emerge, in thought and conversations, that new monasticism would develop the priesthood of each individual, that it would be deeply in freedom, with a discipline of daily work with renewed, meditative monastic vow content and community life built around this work. Over time, the question became: what is a renewal of the old vows of obedience, chastity and poverty?
This question was answered, after long years of contemplation, by a vision. Martha, Mary and Lazarus appeared, and they spoke that they are living embodiments of a renewal of these vows: Martha-obedience, Mary-chastity, Lazarus-poverty. These three, described in the Gospels as the beloved of Christ, lived in a house at Bethany. In this place were performed powerful threshold events: the raising of Lazarus, the anointing of Christ by Mary, the teaching of these three by Christ. The vision indicated that a new monastic stream was already born here, and that it is being held in realms of spirit by these three, but that it now is time to incarnate and support humanity in moving forward.
These three beloveds of Christ are the guides of this growing new monastic stream, and to enter into participation in this stream is to enter into relationship with them. Daily meditative work with the vow content builds and deepens this relationship.
Eventually, two other founding members joined the growing project, and a board of trustees was formed to begin to carry the practical life of Bethany of the Beloveds as it takes form in the world. Since then the initiative has been slowly growing with Pilot Members and new Members in Discernment, who are all part of shaping the Way of Life through participation in these early days.
Mission
Our mission is to renew the ancient vows of obedience, chastity and poverty as living pathways to Faith, Love and Hope. Inspired by the beloved companions of Christ in Bethany: Martha, Mary and Lazarus, we cultivate a shared spiritual life that awakens the inner priesthood within every human being and opens us to the breath, fire and light of the Holy Spirit
Vision
Our vision is to become a community of beloveds, near and far, who join in a way of life taking up vows as a daily devotional practice, study, and service, learning to be bearers of faith, love and hope which illuminate the true priesthood within each of us.
Values
Community - We honor the shared spiritual life modeled by the house of Bethany: friendship, service, contemplation, and mutual support as sacred acts.
Hospitality - We welcome all who seek rest, renewal, and deeper connection: offering retreats, sabbaticals, teaching, shared meals, medicinal and culinary gardening, and silence.
Inner Priesthood - We bear witness to the sacred capacity within every human being to become a vehicle of the breath, fire and light of the Holy Spirit, so that we and our lives become sacrament, reintegrating with the divine world.