What, When & Where

The members of the Emmaus Community of St Benedict, Edinburgh, all together, smiling at a camera.

A medieval painting of St Benedict, or Saint Benedict, of Nursia dressed in black and reading a book, held in his hands.

In this section

We are part of a wider movement in the Church known today as new monasticism.

We find inspiration for all aspects of everyday life from the ancient wisdom of monastic guides such as St Benedict of Nuria (480-547 AD).

In a few words, we:

seek Christ in all things;
follow the Rule of St Benedict in our lives;
are an ecumenical gathering of Christians from several denominations, based in Edinburgh.

Our commitment:

We meet weekly as a community for prayer, Lectio Divina (sacred reading), reflection on the Rule, and to deepen our collective life.
As a community of prayer we also commit ourselves to regular and disciplined personal prayer.

When and where:

We meet every Wednesday at 7pm on Zoom for compline (night prayer) and Lectio Divina.
Our in-person Chapter meeting takes place monthly on Saturdays at 10am. This includes morning prayer, Lectio Divina, discussion of the Rule, and a simple shared lunch.
One Thursday morning per month we meet on Zoom to read and discuss a chapter from a book on Benedict's Rule in everyday life.
Once a year we gather for a three-day, in-person retreat where we blend prayer, discussion, meals and exercise.

Learn about joining us or get in touch

How we began

A brief history

The Emmaus Community of St Benedict (ECSB) has its roots in a Lectio Divina (sacred reading) group set up in 2010, based at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Murrayfield, Edinburgh.

This was in response to a series of talks on Lectio given by Esther De Waal, a well-known writer on Benedictine spirituality, at the invitation of the Diocese of Edinburgh.

At the same time, the Lectio group had close links with Emmaus House in Edinburgh’s city centre, then operating as a retreat house and the base for a small residential community.

Over time, the Lectio group began the study of other aspects of Benedict’s Rule. Some members visited Worth Abbey (location of the The Monastery series on the BBC) and met with Abbot Christopher Jamieson, with whom we shared our evolving ideas about shaping a dispersed community based on Benedict’s Rule.

In 2013, some six individuals took the step of committing themselves to live by the spirit of the Rule as we would seek to explore it and live it in the circumstances of our own lives.

Through the COVID-19 pandemic, ECSB members met weekly on Zoom and this continues today, in addition to regular in-person gatherings and an annual retreat.

Accompanying one another over time, members cherish the mutual support to be found in our continuing and deepening fellowship. The Community continues to value links with the Diocese of Edinburgh in the Scottish Episcopal Church and the encouragement of the Bishop of Edinburgh, The Rt Revd Dr John Armes.

We are open to members of all Christian denominations and welcome enquiries from anyone interested in exploring Benedict’s way of following Christ in everyday life today.