New monastics share community, offer hope

[rug]

They aren’t a commune, but they live in community. They are motivated by faith, but they attend different churches. They want to help the homeless, so they bought an apartment complex.

They are new monastics, dedicated to helping the poor, sharing resources and caring for creation. Known as Castanea, meaning chestnut tree in Latin, these young Christians are working to transform a run-down apartment complex into a place of reconciliation.

Castanea’s members moved to Chestnut Hill in South Nashville two years ago, planning to live in close proximity to one another, fulfilling their vision of Christian community and helping others.

But when they found an apartment complex condemned by the city, they decided to buy it. Castanea has since completed the initial cleanup, and the group hopes to begin construction in the next few months, installing new windows, doors and a roof. It still needs $600,000 to complete renovations on the building.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110626/NEWS06/306260058/New-monastics-share-community-offer-hope

[JDPriestly]

1. Great idea. These people are to be commended for really

living the teachings of Jesus. Wonderful.

Some of the Letters and Acts of the Apostles seem to suggest that some of the early Christians lived in communities of faith. Interesting.