We are a small, ecumenical religious community who call ourselves the American Beguines.
The Community consists of married, widowed and single women who follow various Christian traditions. Some of us live together in what we call a modern day “beguinage”. Others live separately. Some of us are members of the Association of Contemplative Sisters.
The “Beguines”, in our incarnation of them at least, aren’t something you join; it’s something you do. Hence, our motto: “Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16). To this end, we each develop our own ministries, attend individually or jointly to the work which comes out of those, and get together either online or as a group when the need arises.
Activities: Our main outreach is directed toward the needs of women in the workplace. Some of our activities have included:
Regular weekly lunchtime Taize services for women working in the neighborhood and introducing Taize to local churches.
Providing food and transportation to cancer patients and their families.
Teaching English to Spanish-speaking healthcare workers.
Computer support for churches and small businesses in the Bay Area.
Teaching internet and computer skills.