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Formed: 1982 Established: 1982
Agape
Ware, Massachusetts,
United States
 Founded in 1982,Agape is a lay Catholic nonviolent community dedicated to prayer, poverty, and nonviolent education and ministry and witness in the world. We are ecumenical and interfaith in orientation.
We accept volunteers for any lenght of time to work in our garden and assist with homesteading including maintenance of our two buildings, St. Francis House and St. Brigid House, a straw bale house with solar energy and a compost toilet.
We welcome interns for stays of three months to a year. We live on 32 acres of land in the Quabbin Reservoir in central Massachusetts.
We support ourselves through a nonviolent education ministry, donations and grants, which includes outreach to inner-city youths and adults and retreats and other programs at the community. We host a variety of educational groups who are interested in sustainability. We drive a grease car, which is of considerable interest to many groups.
We pray together, study Scripture, and witness out of this base against all forms of violence.
We welcome people who have a yearning for a community life based on prayer, simplicity, and nonviolence. No TV or commercial radio but lots of music and a definite love of art in all its forms.
Those drawn to Agape will interact with hundreds of people throughout the year, including college students who attend Agape's twice yearly retreats. Office work, computer assistance, gardening, homesteading of all kinds and public witness and outreach are a part of our lives, as is contact with children.
website: www.agapecommunity.org
 
Website: http://www.agapecommunity.org/
Contact:
Suzanne and Brayton Shanley
2062 Greenwich Rd
Ware, Massachusetts 01082-9309 United States
Phone: 413-967-9369
Send an Email
Last Updated:1/1/2008
 
Visitors Accepted
 (We are always open to visitors and hospitality is an ongoing part of our lives, especially as we have much to share with our straw bale house an our ecological lifestyle)
Visitor Process: People wishing to visit may call, email or write. Contact information is on our website: www.agapecommunity.org We will arrange a mutually compatible time for a visit.
Network Affiliations:
Sirius community, Catholic Worker, Catholic Peace Fellowship, House of Peace, Peace Abbey, Peace Pagoda
Population
Adult Members:
5
(flluctuates given hospitality needs and numbers applying)
Child Members:
0
(fluctuates according to need and hospitality)
Non-member Residents:
0
Open to new adults:
Yes
(We welcome all who check our website and/or call or contact by email. A;pplication may be downloaded from our website)
Open to new children:
Yes
(We would not be able to accomodate more than one family with not more than two children as the community house is used for programs and retreats, though we have 32 acres of land and room for building on the land.)
Open to which gender(s):
All genders welcome
Age Focus:
No Focus
Government
Decision Making:
By consensus
Identified Leader:
Yes
(Two co-founders are the residents of one house, Brigid House.)
Leadership Core Group:
Yes
(12 people are in our Mission Council which is a vision sharing and decision making group for the community)
Labor and Money
Financial Style:
(We live under taxable income. Residents can expect a small stipend for living expenses.)
Labor Contribution:
Expected
(daily from 9 am - 4pm)
Join Fee:
No
(No fee, but donations are always accepted as they are how we survive.)
Regular Fees:
No
(No regular donations expected.)
Land and Buildings
Rural
Area:
32 acres (12.9 hectares)
Land Owned By:
Individual community member(s)
Number of Residences:
2
Cohousing:
No
Food, etc.
Percentage of Food Grown:
over 50%
Share Community Meals:
Nearly all meals
Dietary Choice or Restrictions:
We all share a common diet
(We are vegetarians)
Dietary Practice:
Vegetarian only
(special diets can be accommodated)
Alcohol Use:
Used occasionally
Tobacco Use:
Prohibited
Social Factors
Open to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and/or Transgender members:
Yes
Shared Spiritual Path:
Yes
(Christianity, but we are open to all paths)
Which Spiritual Path(s):
Roman Catholic
(We are ecumenical and interfaith in outreach and incorporate all world religions in our prayer, which is primarily Christian)
Educational Style(s):
Other
(whatever seems feasible)
 
 


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