Gospel Nonviolence
Sustainable Ecology
Simplicity and Service
Contemplative Prayer
Founded in 1982, The Agape Community is a lay Catholic residential community located on 34 acres of wooded land in Central Massachusetts.
Our community life is formed by the gospel teachings and example of Jesus. We are trained in the nonviolent methods of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. in concert with the Asian spiritual traditions and practices.
Our Catholic faith is informed by Dorothy Day and the catholic Worker Movement. In this spirit, we endeavor to live in peace with our sacred earth and all its inhabitants by living:
Gospel Nonviolence
- Practicing nonviolent communication
- Teaching nonviolence and conflict resolution to college students and adults
- Engaging in public witness in opposition to war, institutional violence, racism
Radical Ecology
- Our electrical energy is solar, and we have an electric car
- We cultivate an organic vegetable garden to support our vegan diet
- Our houses are heated by wood and our strawbale house has a compost toilet
Simplicity and Service
- We endeavor to live free of fossil fuels
- Clothes and household needs are purchased at resale shops
- Service to the poor in our midst
Contemplative Prayer
- Ecumenical and interfaith in outreach, we gather daily for prayer
- Our hermitage offers residents and visitors a space for meditative silence
- Agape has a large library with books on nonviolence, world religions, ecology, and more
Upcoming Events
Rural Immersion at Agape: Stonehill College
students participate in contemplative life, cultivate a spring garden and gather wood
Latest from Our Blog
Easter Vigil
Easter Vigil at Agape was our first in-person Holy Saturday since 2020. We were blessed to have Fr. Fred Enman SJ of Matthew 25 in Worcester as our celebrant and
A PROPOSAL: MINISTRY OF VISITATION AT AGAPE
Dear friends of Agape, These are dark and concerning days as the world witnesses the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and the deep political and cultural divides we are witnessing
Out of My Comfort Zone by Andrew Cowles, Holy Cross Rural Immersion
Spring break is typically a time for students to let loose, drink on the beach, and make memories that, without photo evidence, may not be remembered at all. My friends