Agape Community :: Communities Directory

Formed: 1982 Established: 1982

This page last updated:2/4/2012

Agape Community

Ware, Massachusetts,

United States

Founded in 1982, Agape is a lay Catholic nonviolent community dedicated to prayer, poverty, nonviolent education and ministry, and witnessing in the world. We are ecumenical and interfaith in orientation.

We accept volunteers for any length 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 composting toilet). We drive a car that runs on vegetable oil.

We welcome interns for stays of three months to a year. Currently, we are interested in a full commitment of nine months. 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--retreats, and other programs at the community. We host a variety of educational groups who are interested in sustainability.

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

We publish a community journal, Servant Song, and we are interested in the links between sustainability, the arts and spirituality, as well as in resistance to war through simple lifestyle.

Our work includes attending vigils for peace and joining in protests, as well as organizing around issues of resistance to violence. We do all of our resistance in the spirit of nonviolence. Contemplation and action are underpinnings of our lives.

Website: http://www.agapecommunity.org/

Contact:

Suzanne and Brayton Shanley
2062 Greenwich Rd
Ware, Massachusetts 01082-9309 United States
Phone: 413-967-9369

Community location is placed at the center of the zip/postal code, city/state, or city/country (not based on street addresses)

This page last updated:2/4/2012

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:

Catholic Worker

:: Sirius community, Catholic Worker, Catholic Peace Fellowship, House of Peace, Peace Abbey, Peace Pagoda

Statement of Housing Non-discrimination:

Our community does not discriminate in regards to housing based on race/color, national origin, religion, sex/gender, family status (i.e. having children, not having children, or being pregnant), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, ancestry, source of income, age, creed, personal appearance, political affiliation, HIV infection, military/veteran status, unfavorable military discharge, gender identity or expression, receiving public assistance, or being the victim of domestic abuse.

Population Members(adults and children): 2 Non-member Residents: (varies according to who comes) Open to new members: Yes (We welcome all who check our website and/or call or contact by email. A;pplication may be downloaded from our website)	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: (Residents can expect a small stipend for living expenses.) Open to Members with Pre-existing Debt: No Answer (We cannot pay off college loans) 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 (We live on 34 acres of land in the Quabbin watershed in Central, MA) Area: 34 acres (13.8 hectares) Land Owned By: Individual community member(s) (our land is a charitable, educational, religious non-profit) 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 Common Spiritual Practices: Yes (Christianity, but we are open to all paths) Which Spiritual Traditions(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)

Become an Editor Current editor(s): eileenegan

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