Dozens of young adults embrace monastic programme

The Most Rev Justin Welby met 27 Christians from around the world at the beginning of the Community of St Anselm, an annual programme which is entering its third year.

Posting on Instagram yesterday, the Anglican leader said: “We’ve been celebrating today as 27 young Christians from churches around the world made a commitment to put Christ before everything else. “

“This is the third group of young people who’ve given a year of their lives to the Community of St Anselm here at Lambeth Palace. It’s always an intensely moving and humbling thing to witness.”

Participants may not necessarily give up their regular jobs or studies but they commit to a programme of prayer, worship, study, volunteering and spending time together.

The Community of St Anselm, which offers residential and non-residential options, aims to build “a community that loves and grows and prays amid the pressures of normal daily life.”

Archbishop Justin added: “The Community’s vision is simple. We seek to give people an opportunity to recognise two things: the complexity of each other, and the simplicity of seeking to put Christ at the centre of everything.

“It’s our hope and prayer that this experience stays with them for the rest of their lives.”

Dozens of young people have been welcomed to Lambeth Palace by the Archbishop of Canterbury as they embarked on ten months of “monastic-inspired” living.