The Order of Saint Michael


The Order of Saint Michael, founded 20 January 1989, is a secular
 Christian order oriented toward self knowledge and spiritual
 growth, including clergy as well as lay members.  It is sacramental
 and liturgical in orientation, but non-dogmatic and
 non-denominational.  The Order is not intended as a substitute for
 an individual's affiliation with any institutional church, but as
 an adjunct to and enrichment of his or her understanding of the
 Creative Force.  Members seek a mystical expression of Christianity
 in its universal or catholic sense, bringing the rich traditions of
 the past into a form meaningful for men and women on the brink of
 the twenty-first century.

The Order of Saint Michael offers those living in the world an
 opportunity to experience the support of a like-minded community in
 developing a personal, mystically oriented spiritual life without
 necessitating a break with family or worldly ties.  Members aspire
 to the traditional Benedictine vows of Stability, seen as a
 personal commitment to the path the individual has chosen to
 follow; Conversion of Life, which is the constant turning of the
 individual to God, and to follow the "gnosis cardias," that
 intuitive knowledge that comes from the heart, as made known by the
 Holy Spirit; and Obedience, from the Latin root root "audire," to
 hear, which means to listen and hear with the ears of the heart and
 to respond eagerly to the will of God as it becomes known in one's
 daily life.  In a general sense, it is obedience to the foundation
 of a committed Christian life.

Within a basic Trinitarian framework, we recognize both the
 masculine and feminine aspects of Deity.  Hence, we seek to reflect
 a balance of these polarities in our liturgies and devotions,
 incorporating reinterpretations of familiar Christian sources with
 restorations of previously "lost" or "hidden" Christian traditions.
 In particular, we associate the Divine Feminine with the Holy
 Spirit, the Comforter, Divine Wisdom, the Ruach that brooded upon
 the face of the waters in the beginning and brought forth life.  We
 acknowledge the sacrament of the Christian Eucharist as a most
 powerful reflection of the Eternal Sacrifice but not necessarily
 the only one.  We believe that every man and woman must find the
 most appropriate individual expression of his or her relationship
 with the Creative Force, but we also recognize the value of shared
 community worship and common devotional practices performed in
 unity of spirit and intention, even if separated by time and space.

The patron saint of the Order is the holy Archangel Michael who, as
 Prince of Heaven and commander of the Legions of Light, embodies
 the ideals of chivalry and service to the Light.  In addition, the
 Order holds a particular devotion to Our Lady, and commends its
 members and work to her especial protection and favor.

                For further information, contact:

             Rev. Nancy C. Hanger, OSM, Almoner
             23 Hunting Rd.
             Auburn,NH,03032
             Compuserve: 74000,2366
             GEnie: N.HANGER1
             Internet: 74000.2366@COMPUSERVE.COM