FWIW, for the past few years I have been inquiring into and learning about the Oblate program. I live in Athol MA, a small town in north central Mass. with ALL of the nearby Orthodox churches at distances of 30 to 60 miles. There is an Orthodox monastery (with only one monk, the pastor of a Romanian Orthodox Church) in Southbridge MA, about 70 miles away. Proximity is a benefit in any of these programs (!!) but the wife does not want to move!
However, just down the road a piece is a small Bendictine monastery, in Petersham MA, with about 6 to 8 monks. One of them, Bro. Jerome Leo, has an excellent daily prayer and Rule reading blog, to which I subscribe. Plus, he told me that they do accept Orthodox Oblates; since western monasticism in part developed from the rules of Saints Pachomius, John Cassian and others, there is a close affinity between the Benedictines and Eastern Orthodoxy. However, because I am a former Catholic converted to Orthodoxy, they will not allow me to become an Oblate....unless I revert to Rome. Not gonna happen.... So I have inquired with the Romanian pastor, about his Monastic Associate program, which is similar to the Oblate plan; waiting to hear, after the busy weekend.
There are some good references at the Benedictine website,
www.osb.org which will lead you to a lot more Oblate info. God bless!
