Community of Jesus

Steven H. _{on Google}

Feb 25th, 2024

Great place, went in with $100,000, left with -$100,000. Now my soul and wallet feel lighter, and I feel like firewood.

cathy haig _{on Google}

Nov 6th, 2023

After many years of visits, as well as living for a long time in this incredible place, I continue to be amazed and grateful for what a treasure it is. I get there as much as I can and am overwhelmed, revived, embraced and refreshed by Gods spirit and His love. The guesthouse, church services, concerts, gift shop, tours, retreats are wonderful. Thank you Community of Jesus for being here and for all you do. The world badly needs you.

Gwynne Guzzeau _{on Google}

Feb 19th, 2024

The art, mosaics, glass and organ at the church are truly world class and the musicians are recognized by professional peers for the quality of their performances. The publishing house, Paraclete Press, offers a range of Christian classics as well as contemporary authors so that as someone raised catholic and now in a second year of Buddhist studies, I appreciate the range of offerings related to my Christian roots at their bookstore that I visit once a year or for a gift. The quality and dedication to worshipping God thru the arts is exemplary here. The new performance center in Brewster is an investment in the broader community, as well. And for these reasons in particular I have given four stars.
Todays Community of Jesus is different from the one I grew up near and visited as a guest for youth activities in the 1970s and 1980s in Orleans. I have both childhood friends and people I care about who continue to live at the Community and I have some who have left the Community. Several years ago I attended a holiday music service and during the homily the minister spoke briefly to the fact that their are parts of their history as a Community that they are not proud about (I dont remember the exact phrasing). For me, an organization that has found its way to ground itself in a recognized Christian tradition - Benedictine - and to at least comment in the open of public worship about their own recognition of transgressions, is an organization that is traveling a path of growth. For the people I care about who were harmed by past practices, I am sorry and I will say the same thing to my catholic friends and members of my Buddhist community that grew out of the remains of sangha that fell apart after a former leaders sexual impropriety.
I offer these reflections to simply ground this review in the fact that I am not blind to the Communitys past, and at the same time I am most interested in meeting or visiting with others where they are at this moment in time on their spiritual journey. Todays Community certainly deserves four stars for the quality of their arts, music, and artistry created and performed in service to the ideals of worshipand done so by human beings, like all of us.

B B _{on Google}

Jan 8th, 2024

I lived here for about 6 months in the early 1990s (I paid to "live in"). While a respite of music and seaside beauty, at a transitional time in my life, I have to agree that there's a cultish, controlling and puritanical vibe here (However, I was able to leave, which is a non-cult feature.). At the time they practiced a kind of daily ego grilling/shaming with strict conformity requirements. They exist outside actual Anglicanism, operating as an independent church. They particularly try to draw wealthy people to endow their future, and wealthy members have more "freedom". At one time, lawsuits from member children who were knowingly sent away to an abusive boarding school, were in the news. Surely some of the nuns and monks are sincere but the place is very unhealthy. It's also an extraordinarily white community with supremacist undertones. These are my opinions based on experience.

Sue Farnsworth _{on Google}

Oct 21st, 2023

Although I live over 8 hours away I am able to visit my mother who lives there frequently. She is quite happy and has many kind and caring friends. I am always very warmly welcomed when visiting her. Her friends are very sincere and supportive.