Our Story so far.....

The chapter of St. Raphael is a part of the Order of Dionysis & Paul, a religious order within the Holy Celtic Church, consisting of men and women, dedicated to living the contemplative life whilst dwelling in the secular world.

Mission

The work of the chapter of St. Raphael is to encourage and assist its members to enter the ‘Presence of God’ by instructing them in the spiritual disciplines of Prayer and Meditation, Contemplation, Study and charitable works.

The Community

The community of the chapter of St. Raphael, consists of men and women dedicated to the work of spiritual development through the path of meditation and contemplation. The structure of the chapter adheres to that of the Order of Dionysis & Paul, which like many traditional religious orders, is based upon degrees of commitment and ability, and consists of Lay-members, Novices and Professed-members.

The Fellowship is essentially a study society focused upon studying the spiritual life. Membership requires no vows or obligation other than tolerance and good manners. In general terms both Lay-members and Novices also belong to the Fellowship, which allows members to engage in discussion about the subject matter of the curriculum, and a forum wherein Lay-members and Novices are educated in spiritual traditions, and the life of the Holy Celtic Church.

Formulary, Vow & Rule

The Formulary, the Vow, and the Rule are what joins the members of the Order in equitable bonds of spiritual and communal fraternity; every member, regardless of status being subject to the same set of standards, and all members being equally bound to act in accordance with them.

Formulary

The Formulary sets out the basic principles of communal activity within the Order, defining the scope and parameters of engagement for every member – none are exempt. The first requirement is that members of the Order follow the laws of God in Nature, that members are not to be guided by extremes, but to emulate our exemplar – the Lord Jesus Christ; working with all that is wholesome in human nature so that the essential character of humanity may be transformed.

All members of the Order are expected regularly to practice meditation in the traditional manner, which is a discipline of controlled thinking about a specific subject. Concerning which, members are encouraged to develop two basic skills – relaxation and concentration.

The first is, Relaxation, by which it is possible to be physically and psychically still. There are many methods of relaxation available in the public domain that may easily be utilised by the student, and they do not usually take very long to develop.

The second is Concentration, by which it is possible to fix the attention upon a given subject. Developing these skills is an important undertaking for all members of the Order. Yet, neither relaxation nor concentration constitutes meditation, they are simply tools to enhance and facilitate the process of mind control that is called meditation.

Offices

Organised prayer has been a central feature of the spiritual life from the earliest times, and was frequently emphasised by the early Church Fathers. So it is with the chapter of St Raphael, in which regularly engaging in prayer is a fundamental part of daily life. Consequently, throughout the day specific times are set aside for prayer so that the soul may recollect itself and persevere in its main purpose – spiritual evolution.

The mind is not a vacuum, and if left to its own devices it will inevitably occupy itself with thoughts, feelings and images generated by the senses; a never-ending procession of thought-forms defining and dictating mood and behaviour. It has long been known that prayer is the most effective way of harnessing these same faculties towards more positive and spiritual ends; namely the work of spiritual evolution.

To this end the Order prescribes three offices to be performed daily by individual members. The morning office, ideally performed upon rising, after ablutions, establishes a unique theme and tone for the day; the midday office, a very short office that reinforces the primary theme established in the morning office, and the evening office, performed just before retiring, which provides an opportunity for reflection, particularly upon the theme of the day and how that theme influenced the course of the day. The evening office also provides time for members to reflect upon personal behaviour and attitudes and to consider possible modifications and responses. 

Other than the Daily Offices, the Chapter of St Raphael meets monthly to celebrate the Eucharist, to which both members and fellows are welcome.