Monastery of Our Lady of Ephesus
What the Church proclaims to the world is the Logos of Hope (cf. 1 Pet 3:15); in order to be able to live fully each moment, men and women need “the great hope” which is “the God who possesses a human face and who ‘has loved us to the end’ (Jn 13:1)”.
The Fraternity of Verbum Spei was born in 2012, in México, under Bishop Don Raul Vera Lopez O.P., of the Diocese of Saltillo. There are houses in Luxembourg, Europe, and Boise, Idaho, United States of America.
The Fraternity of Verbum Spei came to Boise in April 2019 at the request of Bishop Peter Christensen. The main mission of the brothers is to be a contemplative presence in the diocese for the continued preparation of young men for the brotherhood, the diocesan priesthood, offering spiritual direction, and teaching ministries, especially for young adults and students. In June 2021, thanks to the generosity of Bishop Peter and the faithful of the Diocese of Boise, the community moved to the former Nazareth Retreat Center to start the Monastery of Our Lady of Ephesus* giving us a fantastic central location and the gift of space to expand.
✱ What about the name you ask? The name chosen is “Our Lady of Ephesus” for it is where Mary and John lived after leaving Jerusalem, where Mary was most probably assumed in glory, where St John was buried. The Church of Ephesus, mentioned in the Book of Revelation, has always been known as the church of our Lady, the contemplative dimension of the Church. The Church which is a sign of the “Word of hope” ( Verbum Spei).
Contemplative
The brothers live a life hidden in God with Christ (Col 3:3), rooted in a formation of listening closely to the one Word of God, who is both the Word in the Church and the Word given to the world (Verbum Domini).
They put their hope in the Father of Mercies (2 Cor 1: 3-4), who so loved the world that He has given His only Son (Jn 3:16).
They follow Christ, professing the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience.
They live their consecration in Mary’s shadow, in order to fully be brothers of the hope that they are called to prophesy (Pope Francis: Homily of the 2nd of February 2017).
Missionary
Aware of the urgency to announce the joy of the Gospel to all those who have lost hope and who ignore Christ, the brothers want to be witnesses for them of Jesus, dead and risen for all men, and to give them the Good News of their salvation with a deep respect of each person, of their dignity, of their situation and of their culture.
A missionary spirit animates the hearts of the brothers and leads them to carry the extreme situations of the world of today, especially “the crisis of truth in which we live.” (Lumen Fidei n°25). In this way they are witnesses of Christ’s mercy.
For this reason, the brothers would like to take to heart the apostolic letter of Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, as a charter of their missionary life. Evangelii Gaudium invites them to put the joy of the Gospel at the heart of their personal and communal life.
Evangelical
The brothers lead a fraternal community life. They are open to receiving visitors and also engaging in diverse apostolates which put them at the service of the universal Church while prioritizing the needs of the local church in which they serve.
In this way the brothers strive to respond to the call of the second Vatican Council to live in the spirit of the new evangelization which Pope Francis demanded (Evangelii Gaudium, ch 5.).