The Benincasa Community is a small lay community of adults who live together in intentional community and stand for justice through actions and ministry that extend to the NYC community and beyond.
“We are small, committed…We are inspired by and connected to the Dominican Sisters of the Northeast, the Catholic Worker Movement, and the Thompson Street Jesuits. We are monastic in that we offer a peaceful place of refuge for guests and visitors while maintaining a daily rhythm of meals and prayer. We are apostolic in that we offer aid and seek to be in solidarity with our neighbors and all of creation,” their website reads.
As young adults, the three core members of Benincasa struggled to find nourishment, vitality, and inclusion in the structures of parish life and canonical organizations. Guided by the Gospel, they sought jobs as advocates and educators, yet they served without the spiritual, intellectual, emotional or practical support of community. They felt a deep and almost desperate desire to evolve and expand their understanding of God, deepen their contemplative practice and their commitment to gospel action, and live in community. Through Every Age is a program designed to support those similarly seeking but not called to join in residence at Benincasa Community.
“Too often, there isn’t spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual support for faith-based communities outside of vowed religious communities,” Dominican Sister of Hope Anne Marie Bucher, OP says. Sister Anne Marie was involved with Benincasa through its forming in 2015, and she continues to be a friend to the community today. The Through Every Age workshop will run at no cost to participants, and will provide thirty minutes of engagement five times per week. Participants will also meet for ten four-day-long retreats throughout the year.
Unsurprisingly, there were many more applications for the program than there were open spots.
“In our day and age, it seems that ethics are lacking in our country and our society,” Sister Anne Marie says. “This is an opportunity to nourish and enrich lay Catholics who are working for justice and peace.”
Through every age begins its first iteration this September. For more info, click here.
This post is part of our Hope Is series to commemorate Hope’s 23rd birthday. Follow along and see all of the posts here.