Benedictines are distinctive from other groups of religious men and women.
They do not have a central system of governance, since each house is autonomous. They dedicate themselves to a specific monastic community and remain with the community for life. In their quest for closer friendship with God, they promise obedience to their abbot and to the Rule . The outstanding characteristic of Benedictine life is the experience of communal living, whereby persons of varying temperaments and talents work and pray together with mutual concern .