A vocation to religious life begins with a simple question: Is God calling me to give my life more completely to Him?
For men who feel drawn to prayer, fraternity, simplicity, and service, the Servants of God of St. Augustine offer an opportunity to learn more about Augustinian monastic life and to discern whether this way of life may be part of God’s plan for them.
Discernment is not about having every answer before you begin. It is a process of prayer, conversation, patience, and honest listening.
“Our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” — Saint Augustine, Confessions
Our vocation is rooted in the Gospel and shaped by the Rule and spiritual heritage of Saint Augustine.
The brothers seek God together through a life centered on:
Religious life is not simply a collection of practices. It is a way of offering one’s entire life to God within a community of brothers who are making the same journey.
Saint Augustine believed that the Christian search for God is strengthened when it is shared.
For this reason, community is at the heart of our monastic vocation. Brothers pray together, work together, share responsibilities, support one another, and learn charity through the ordinary realities of common life.
A vocation to our community therefore includes both a desire for prayer and a willingness to live closely with others.
“One mind and one heart intent upon God.”
Every vocation is different, and there is no single experience that proves someone is called to religious life.
A man may begin to consider a vocation because of:
These experiences do not automatically mean that someone has a religious vocation, but they may be invitations worth exploring.
The first step is usually simple: pray and begin a conversation.
If you are seriously considering religious life, we encourage you to:
Ask God for the grace to know His will and the freedom to follow it.
Spend time with Sacred Scripture, the Eucharist, and personal prayer. Discernment becomes clearer when prayer becomes more consistent.
Read about our life, spirituality, mission, and the Rule of Saint Augustine.
Understanding the community will help you determine whether its way of life resonates with the vocation you may be experiencing.
A conversation does not create an obligation.
If you believe God may be calling you to religious life, you are welcome to contact us, ask questions, and share where you are in your discernment.
After initial conversations, a visit to the monastery may help you understand the community more clearly.
Because we are a small monastic community, visits related to vocational discernment should always be arranged in advance.
Discernment is mutual.
A man is discerning whether God may be calling him to the community, while the community also discerns whether it can responsibly accompany him toward religious life.
Rather than focusing only on a checklist, we look for signs of a sincere desire for God, openness to prayer and community, emotional and spiritual maturity, willingness to learn, and the freedom to enter into honest discernment.
Specific eligibility, formation, and admission requirements are discussed personally with those who enter a serious discernment process.
Religious vocation unfolds over time.
There is no need to rush the process. Questions, uncertainty, and periods of deeper clarity can all be part of discernment.
The goal is not simply to make a quick decision. The goal is to grow in freedom so that whatever God is asking can be received with faith.
Even if discernment eventually leads somewhere other than our community, sincere vocational discernment can still deepen a person’s relationship with Christ and clarify the way God is inviting him to live.
If you are a man interested in learning more about religious life with the Servants of God of St. Augustine, we invite you to contact us.
Vocational & Pastoral Inquiries
Email: monks@osaprim.org
Phone: (386) 686-8862
When contacting us, you may briefly introduce yourself, tell us where you live, and share what has led you to consider religious life.
Contact Us About a Vocation →
“You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” — Saint Augustine
