While I agree there’s a social maturity required in expressing irreverence through appropriate channels, the Church is missing out on a deep authenticity of the human experience if we continue to fear irreverence instead of finding beauty in it. – Cindy Brandt, writing in Sojourners
The Unvirtuous Abbey is a satirical online community that blends humor with spirituality, primarily active on Twitter and Facebook. Founded by Aaron Billard, a minister of the United Church of Canada in Moncton, New Brunswick, the Abbey has garnered a substantial following—approximately 43,000 on Twitter and 143,000 on Facebook as of 2019.
The Abbey’s “digital monks” craft witty prayers and reflections that intertwine pop culture references with religious themes. For instance, they have humorously tweeted:
“For those who think marriage is a sacred bond between a man and woman, formed over weeks, through an elimination contest on TV, we pray.”
Despite its humorous approach, the Abbey has touched many lives. Billard has received messages from individuals expressing gratitude for the laughter and comfort provided during challenging times. Some have even credited the Abbey with rekindling their connection to the church.
The Unvirtuous Abbey exemplifies how social media can serve as a platform for spiritual engagement, fostering community through shared humor and reflection.
Elder G
By Internet standards, the Unvirtuous Abbey has been around since the earth cooled.
Fascinating article from January, 2013, by the The Jesuit Post.
UA: What if there were a group of monks specific to Twitter and Facebook that actually prayed about what people were tweeting and posting on Facebook? And what if these monks were slightly sarcastic and made frequent reference to pop culture? Boom! The monks of Unvirtuous Abbey were born! […] Sometimes tweets are like sighs, which are mini-moments of stress relief. And that’s how the Spirit intercedes, with sighs too deep for words. […] The beatitudes are essentially tweets. Jesus said, “For where two or three tweets are together, I am there among them.” Well, it was something like that, right?
Keep in mind – this statement from Unvirtuous Abbey came before tRump, before the rise of Christian Nationalism….
UA: They come from the disenfranchised within the franchise. There are so many faithful people within ‘church’ who are finding it harder and harder to be associated ‘with’ what [Church] means, in light of abuse and extreme fundamentalism.
A Sojourners article by Cindy Brandt from 2014 references the Unvirtuous Abbey. The article, Finding Faith in the Irreverence, is a breath of fresh air.
This is serious stuff. Irreverence, by definition, is a lack of respect for that which is serious. It would seem that finding faith in the irreverent is impossible, like searching for the sun in the dark of the night. […] It is this fear of irreverence that I believe deprives the Christian community from learning what it really means to be faithful. Irreverence shows the world how to be real, prophetic, and passionate.
Irreverence says it like it is. It’s the uncouth teenager who wears his boredom on the outside. It’s the hippie activist who won’t shower until world peace reigns. Irreverence gives the Church permission to engage in full blown lament amidst the hardships of life.
In July of 2015, Cindy Brandt followed up with an interview with Unvirtous Abbey on her blog:
I consider myself a “monk,” a faithful follower of the Unvirtuous Abbey, because I believe Irreverence is the New Reverent and that humor is a fruit of the Spirit.
CB: Describe Unvirtuous Abbey. What sort of digital setting are you imagining when you tweet out prayers?
UV: It’s like eavesdropping on a chapel service where there are windows featuring Optimus Prime and Mr. Rodgers. I imagine there’s a statue of Yoda in one corner, and candles lit at the chapel entrance where people intercede for Dolly Parton and pray to live long enough to see the next Star Wars movie. It’s very unvirtuous. It’s like sneaky religion. We are seriously un-serious. Humour is a gateway grace to God, much like coffee. When I laugh, I feel closer to the divine. […] CB: Thanks for being with us today, Aaron, allow me to bless you with one of your own prayers:
UV: May God grant you the serenity to tweet the things you cannot change; courage to retweet the things you can; and wisdom to know the difference.
On November 3rd, 2020, the day of the U.S. election, Pastor Aaron Billard (founder of Unvirtuous Abbey and pastor at St. John’s United Church) held a live Facebook video, trying to address the collective anxiety.
Remember, this was when the world was knee-deep in the deadly Covid strain, vaccinations weren’t available, tRump was telling people to drink bleach and not wear masks, etc., etc.
Pastor Aaron was reading prayer requests in real-time. My favorite part of this video is when he reads a prayer request, laughs, then say, “uh…. I can’t read this one out loud….“
St. John’s United Church, United Church of Canada
Our commitment as St. John’s United Church is to provide a church that enriches the spiritual lives of people, children and adults alike, through prayer, music, preaching, education, fun and humour. We see the value in providing quality entertainment for our congregation and the city of Moncton (and beyond) to enhance the cultural scene in the downtown core. And we are committed to being the home of the ecumenical ministry of the Karing Kitchen that serves over 100,000 meals a year.
The Karing Kitchen provides a hot lunch (and emotional and practical support) from 11:30 am to 1 pm, Monday through Friday, to anyone who shows up, regardless of residence, age or income. Take outs are also available. It is located at 75 Alma Street (St. John’s United Church) and is supported by churches, United Way and volunteers.
(Unfortunately, at the time of publication, we didn’t have Brother Aaron’s high school alma mater [Latin for “nourishing or bountiful mother”], and thus we were unable to print the current cafeteria lunch schedule.)
Moncton is the most populous city in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. Situated in the Petitcodiac River Valley, Moncton lies at the geographic centre of the Maritime Provinces.
The city has earned the nickname “Hub City” because of its central inland location in the region and its history as a railway and land transportation hub for the Maritimes.
As of the 2021 Census, the city had a population of 79,470. The metropolitan population in 2022 was 171,608
