Do the Trappist or Trappistines have Oblates?

          Thanks for your question and interest in our Trappist communities.  Yes - the Constitutions of our Order provide for an "oblature" - which, as we say:  "is a gift of oneself to God and the monastery.   It is lived out in the midst of the community, sharing its life of prayer and work.  The oblate is a member of the community where he is received, without being canonically a member of the Order."  It goes on to say:  "The oblature has the character of a promise of mutual fidelity on the part of the oblate and on the part of the community, and it does not of itself imply any vow.  However, the oblate leads the monastic life according to the spirit of the vows of obedience, conversion of manners, and stability.  This mutual agreement is revocable on either side, but only for serious reasons."  "Conversion of manners" and "stability" are two of the three vows taken by monks in the Benedictine - Cistercian tradition.  The vow of conversion of manners is, basically, a promise to apply oneself for life to the practices traditionally associated with Benedictine monastic life:  the praying of the divine office, spiritual reading, renunciation of personal possessions, celibate chastity, vigils, fasting, manual labor, etc.  These are the means given us by St. Benedict which, if lived faithfully, lead to personal transformation by God's grace.  It is really this radical interior conversion of heart that we commit ourselves to by the vow.  The vow of stability is the promise to remain with one community of monks until death.  Some think this vow is the most radical of the three - especially at a time and in a place like the U.S. when relationships are so fluid and people "commute" so easily in and out of them.  I hope this is helpful for your own discernment concerning the oblature.  God bless you!