The Society of Saint John the Evangelist: The Daily Office
Welcome to Emery House!
Emery House is a retreat center of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist, a religious order for men in the Episcopal Church. Located on the border of West Newbury and Newburyport, our goal is to provide a quiet atmosphere for prayer, reflection, and retreat in the context of a monastic community.
There are 11 buildings on the property, ranging from a 15-room main house begun in 1720, to two small 10x10 cabins in the forest used by retreatants in the summer. The majority of our retreatants stay in six small hermitages built around a courtyard.
Brothers of the Society staff the center and offer hospitality, meals, and spiritual direction for individual and group retreats, and daily worship (normally Morning Prayer, Holy Eucharist, Evening Prayer, and Compline) using The Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.
Silence
We strive to maintain an atmosphere of silence at Emery House as the climate in which each person can find the prayer and meditation to which God might be calling that individual.
The Greater Silence begins immediately after Compline and ends the next morning after breakfast (usually at 9:00 AM).
The Divine Office and the Holy Eucharist
Our chapel, The Chapel of the Transfiguration, is open to guests for your personal prayer and meditation. You may use it day or night. You are welcome to attend any of the daily services in the chapel. We follow a traditional monastic practice of praying the Divine Office. The outdoor bell is rung approximately ten minutes before the beginning of the Offices and Holy Eucharist.
The Offices (Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Compline) are found in the red Book of Common Prayer (BCP) at each of the seats in the chapel.
The Holy Eucharist follows the Book of Common Prayer or some other text provided. Music resources include the Hymnal 1982, and other material.
Our normal schedule is as follows:
Tuesday through Saturday
8:00 AM Morning Prayer
Followed by breakfast in your hermitage.
12:00 PM Holy Eucharist
Followed by dinner in the refectory.
6:00 PM Evening Prayer
Followed by supper in the refectory.
8:30 PM Compline
After Compline the Greater Silence begins, lasting until after breakfast the following day.
Sunday
8:00 AM Morning Prayer
Followed by breakfast in your hermitage.
12:00 PM Holy Eucharist
Followed by dinner in the refectory.
2:00 PM Guest departures.
Monday
SSJE community Sabbath day; no guests or services.
Our Property
Emery House is situated on 144 acres of property, bounded by the Merrimack River on the north, by the Artichoke River on the east, by Route 113 on the south, and by a stone wall running through the woods on the west. A walking trail follows the upper perimeter of the land overlooking the Merrimack River. Another trail cuts through the woods between the two cabins south of the main house. There are also trails through the woods along the west side of the property including a colonial era stone stepping bridge. If you would like a map of the property, please see the guesthouse assistant or the guesthouse brother.
Please feel free to roam the property during your stay. However, we do advise you to be on the lookout for poison ivy, especially if you plan to leave the trails and wander through wooded areas or tall grass. If you walk in deeper woods or longer grass, please be sure to check yourself for ticks when you return. Tiny deer ticks, usually about the size of a pinhead, may carry Lyme’s disease.
Read more about the ecology around Emery House
© 2007 THE SOCIETY OF SAINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED