Anne Montgomery House

Background

Intentional community is a planned residential community design to have a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork.

The house is named for Sr. Anne Montgomery, RSCJ, a dedicated peacemaker who lived her Sacred Heart spirituality primarily through volunteer work with two groups: Christian Peacemaker Teams bringing peace to war-torn regions worldwide, and the Plowshares Movement, working for nuclear disarmament through nonviolent protest

Objective

To strengthen social justice and spiritual growth among the Anne Montgomery House residents during an experience of community living.

Activities

It offers housing for up to 4 women and 3 RSCJ for a period of one to two years. Three religious of the Sacred Heart live in the community, Sr. Diane Roche, Sr. Julie Yachtis and Sr Clare Pratt (2019). There is room for between 2 and 4 younger members. Every member of the community contributes actively to social justice in some way, whether it be advocacy, protest, community organizing, or some forms of direct service. Organizations where members are (or have been) involved include: Sojourner Magazine, Network Lobby, Center for American Progress, (CAP) and the Stuart Center of the Society of the Sacred Heart.

Activities include:

• two liturgies, one at the start of the year and one near the end,
• morning prayer and reflection Monday through Friday as a group,
• three evenings of Taizé prayer a year,
• workshops on topics such as discernment and centering prayer,
• gatherings of young adults for sharing over a meal,
• neighborhood engagement,
• composting and recycling,
• partnering with groups such as the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker, Living Wages, the Franciscan Action Network, Little Friends for Peace, and the Associates of the Society of the Sacred Heart.

All members of the community help prepare meals, lead prayer and help with household chores. When there are no hosting events in the house, there is a moderately quiet atmosphere conducive to prayer and study.

The application process begins in March and consists of a written application, which, if approved, is followed by an interview (either in person or by video conference).  The cost for participation varies, but can range from $700/month for a single room with a shared bath to $1,400/month for a double room with private bath. The monthly fee included utilities, food, internet and housing.

People being served : Agents of transformation (Educators)

Number of participants : mai-50

Project status : Ongoing

Focus of the project : People

JPIC Imperative :

UN Sustainable Development Goals :