I shall go to the mosque of the Muslim.
I shall enter the Christian's church and kneel before the crucifix;
I shall enter the Buddhist temple and take refuge in the Buddha.
I shall go into the forest and sit down in meditation with the Hindu...In addition,
I shall keep my heart open for all that may come in the future.
Is God's book finished? Or is revelation still going on?
....Salutations to all the Prophets of the Past,
to all the great ones of the Present,
and to all that are to come in the future.
Swami Vivekananda.
Our Ministry
As Interfaith Franciscans- members of the Tau Community of Saint Francis, we aim to be of service to people of all faiths or none. Our help is sought most often by:
- Those who are seeking spiritual connection and expression, yet feel uncomfortable with conventional religion (shown by surveys to be a majority of the UK population)
- People from different religious backgrounds who wish to honour more than one faith tradition.
- Individuals who have expressed a desire to embrace a spiritual pathway that incorporates living the life of a committed monk but who are reluctant to enter a conventional monastery where they know that to achieve this, they will have to leave their home, family and friends behind. The Tau Spiritual community will provide practical support that will enable them to live in their home- their monastery without walls.
- Those who seek closer intimacy with their God and are willing to enter our proposed mixed sex monastery where all faith traditions are honoured and respected will be invited to join pending the acquisition of a small holding in due course.
- Those struggling with issues they find difficult to raise within their faith (for example, questioning of sexuality).
We are not creating a new religion, but filling a growing spiritual gap in modern society. It's not our aim to convert anyone away from their faith, but to support people who wish to enquire more deeply into their own spiritual tradition and their own soul.
Membership within the Tau Community offers each person the opportunity to become a Friend, or non monastic as well as following their heart and dedicating their life to God as contemplative monastic’s. Within our membership there are ordained ministers from the Interfaith Foundation (UK) along with several members training to become ordained ministers. They are involved in spreading the word about the benefits of the conducting weddings, funerals and blessing ceremonies. Many have brought increased inspiration to their work as artists, writers and musicians. And for some, the result of the training has simply been a more authentic expression of who they are, and a deeper sharing of their spirituality with others in their everyday lives. In the Interfaith Foundation, we hold that the qualities we bring to our service are more important than its form of expression.
There is a core group within the Tau Community who have expressed a desire to share their spirituality, creativity and religious beliefs within a more permanent residential monastic setting. To that end, we are now relying totally upon God to direct this vision by providing a suitable small holding in a semi rural setting where our committed members can live out their calling as contemplative monastic’s in a same sex spiritual community.
Our Interfaith Ministers can be there to support you in your search for God's love or maybe some other practical assistance such as:
- Naming Ceremonies
- Marriage Blessings
- Funerals
- Pastoral Support
- Spiritual Guidance
- Marriage Guidance
- Stress Management
- Support in how to meditate and pray, etc.
- Guided Spiritual Retreats.
For details of accessing one of our members or a member who is an Ordained Interfaith Minister for any one of the above, then please contact us or telephone for an informal discussion about how we can help...................:
Should you require our support or access to our spiritual / Professional services as listed above, then please feel free to contact us at:
