Office of Christian Discipleship & Religious Vocation

"Anima una et cor unum in Deum" - "One heart and one mind on our way into God" is the motto of S anta María de la Vid Abbey, home to our community of Canons Regular of Prémontré in Albuquerque, NM. Continuing 900 years of Norbertine tradition, we live a life of community, contemplation, and compassionate service. Our Office of Christian Discipleship & Religious Vocation serves our community by way of young adult outreach.

Since our office’s beginning in June of 2015, our Abbey’s motto has guided our approach to outreach in our surrounding community. Why and how we seek to serve the young adults of Albuquerque and beyond is based on the very nature we share: the grace that we are relational beings, all called to and drawn toward community. This idea of community is, perhaps, best understood through our close and valued relationships with family and friends, but it is meant to be extended further, embracing of our neighbor and the community of the Holy Trinity.

Our Office of Christian Discipleship and Religious Vocation is dedicated to the evangelization, spiritual growth, and discipleship formation of young people in the Church. We offer our own programming and events, as well as support to young adult and campus ministries locally and around the country.


CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP
The young adults of our community and across the world are a vast and diverse group. They are “persons in their late teens, twenties, and thirties who represent diverse cultural, racial, ethnic, educational, vocational, social, political, and spiritual backgrounds. They are college students, workers, and professionals; they are persons in military service; they are single, married, divorced, or widowed; they are with or without children; they are newcomers in search of a better life” (usccb.org, Young Adult Ministry).

We strive to bring these individuals together that they might seek God through and with one another, grow in the grace of the Holy Spirit, and share as the Gospel calls.

For questions and more information about our mission and programming, contact Celina Chavez at cchavez@norbertinecommunity.org.


RELIGIOUS VOCATION
If you feel you may have a religious vocation, or have questions about religious life it is a blessed opportunity to explore those longings, questions and potential life paths. Such exploration can lead to greater self knowledge and a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.
As a community we seek to accompany men in their discernment of the call of God in their lives. Whether your life path shall lead to a lifelong commitment as a Norbertine or not, we hope that we may journey with you to assist you in discerning the mode of life that will lead you to fully flourish as the person God made you to be.

A Journey into God Through Conversion and Self-Gift to Christ
The formation of the Norbertine identity within a man is a spirit-led process of growth and discernment as he discovers himself more fully in his relationship to God and the community. The process begins with an initial inquiry, which is followed by a formal postulancy and then official entrance into the community. A two-year novitiate followed by three years of simple vows comprises the initial formation processes, culminating in the profession of solemn vows, which fully incorporates the man within the Norbertine community for life.

Parallel to the spiritual formation is ministerial formation. Norbertine men can either be ordained priests or remain as solemnly professed brothers. The particular ministerial path is prayerfully discerned within the context of community through the individual’s sense of vocation to which he feels he is called. Theological education and professional ministerial preparation are also key components of a man’s formation for a life within the Norbertine community.

For questions and more information, contact Fr. Graham Golden, O. Praem. at ggolden@norbertinecommunity.org.


For more information about our Abbey and way of life, visit  https://norbertinecommunity.org/about/.