About the WCCM
The WCCM is a global spiritual community united in the practice of meditation in the Christian tradition
The WCCM is a global spiritual community united in the practice of meditation in the Christian tradition. It shares the fruits of this practice widely and inclusively, serving the unity of all and building understanding between faiths and cultures. Members of WCCM span more than a hundred countries. There are about sixty-seven national coordinators. Its international centre is Bonnevaux – an ancient monastic site now dedicated to global peace and dialogue around the daily practice of meditation – near Poitiers in France
To communicate and nurture meditation as passed on through the teaching of John Main in the Christian tradition in the spirit of serving the unity of all.
The Two Doves
The two doves on a chalice is the WCCM's symbol. It is a universal expression of the union of contemplation and action. A very ancient text describes them as 'two sweet friends' and the same idea is found in the story of Martha and Mary in the Gospel. Meditation in daily life is the heart of the WCCM Community: the experience of Being as the foundation of all Action.
The Roots of the WCCM
The roots of the WCCM lie in the desert tradition of early Christianity. John Main (1926-1982) recognised how the ‘pure prayer’, or ‘prayer of the heart’ that he found in this teaching could bring people in all walks of life to a deeper spirituality.
By passing on the desert wisdom in a contemporary way and, as a Benedictine monk, he helped to restore this lost dimension of prayer to the mainstream life of Christianity.
He opened the first Christian Meditation Centre at his monastery in London in 1975. The weekly groups that began there have multiplied in 63 countries in today’s WCCM. From the beginning of this movement he was joined by Laurence Freeman who succeeded him in 1982 and is the present director of WCCM.
A Monastery Without Walls
Invited by the Archdiocese of Montreal to establish a Benedictine monastery devoted to both the practice and teaching of Christian meditation, John Main and Laurence Freeman started a community of monks and lay people in 1977. Very quickly its influence began to form an extended community of local groups around the world.Â
Invited by the Archdiocese of Montreal to establish a Benedictine monastery devoted to both the practice and teaching of Christian meditation, John Main and Laurence Freeman started a community of monks and lay people in 1977. Very quickly its influence began to form an extended community of local groups around the world.Â
A Benedictine Oblate Community began to form at this time and continues today. It is a new form of an ancient tradition of living monastic wisdom in daily life.
The seed John Main had planted began to flourish around the world. At the 1991 John Main Seminar, led by Bede Griffiths OSB, meditators from all parts of the community came to shape the future direction and organization of what was then named the ‘World Community for Christian Meditation’. Choosing ‘for’ rather than ‘of’, reflects a contemplative community with an active mission. Bringing the gift of meditation to a spiritually broken world is the essential work of the community. Â
Pilgrimage video
Meditation Creates Community
Creating A Group for Everyone
Groups also meet in homes, parishes, schools, offices, hospitals, prisons and universities. There are groups for the homeless, for those in recovery from addiction and a special emphasis of the community is to find ways to share the gift of meditation with the poor and marginalised. Christian Meditation Centres, such as the John Main Centre at Georgetown University and the Meditatio Centre in London, help to share the teaching.Â
A worldwide WCCM priority is teaching meditation to children at school as well as to college students and young adults starting to work. Special retreats and social networks are being developed for these forms of outreach. The WCCM also responds as best it can to the spiritual need of business and leadership in all fields. An MBA course on Meditation and Leadership at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University has been running successfully for several years and has inspired similar initiatives in other Business schools and corporations. When appropriate, in secular settings, and without hiding its own roots in faith, the WCCM teaches meditation with a focus on its place in universal wisdom and proven holistic benefits. Meditation as an Eleventh Step practice is another form of outreach. Working with medical practitioners in their profession the WCCM also encourages the development of a contemplative approach to healthcare.Â
Nurturing an informed contemplative approach in all aspects of the critical transition the world is passing through, has become a WCCM priority. For this a new educational platform is being developed from Bonnevaux. The ‘Academy’ to be launched in 2021 will carry courses in a wide variety of disciplines while supporting the students in developing their meditation practice.
Helping Young Adults Face Challenges
