From the Prioress

Dear Friends,

Welcome! By the grace of God, through the generosity and sacrifice of members and friends, and following years of visioning and planning, a new church was built and dedicated at the Community of Jesus on June 17, 2000.

The Church of the Transfiguration now stands at the spiritual center of this monastic community, serving both as its principal place of worship and as a visible sign of God’s presence in the midst of a living fellowship. As such, according to our Rule of Life, the church is “a central symbol of who we are and of what we do as a people of faith.”

As an ecumenical community inspired by the Benedictine tradition, we consider the worship of God and the witness of our communal fellowship to be the essential purpose of our existence. Therefore, the men and women of this community – vowed to lives of obedience, stability, and conversion of life, in accordance with the Rule of Saint Benedict – follow a daily rhythm of corporate prayer and celebration. The Church of the Transfiguration serves to both house and inspire that prayer.

A central guiding principle to the design process of the church was always that the building, even when empty, must “speak” to all who come. As a house of hewn wood and carved stone, of mosaic and fresco images, of bronze and glass sculpture, the Church of the Transfiguration is meant to reflect the biblical message that all earthly life has heavenly meaning – in the words of St. Benedict, ut in omnibus glorificetur Deus, “that in all things, God may be glorified. We hope that, by “listening” to the architectural forms and visual arts that surround you, you will hear in a new way the good news of God’s grace and salvation, and, in that hearing, find joy.

In the peace of Christ,
M. Betty Pugsley, Prioress