Trappist Mepkin Abbey, SC, in need of vocations

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What happens to the people who used to be in the monastery that closed, do they relocate or something?
 
I’ve been to Mepkin many times, as I lived much of my life in South Carolina. It is truly a jewel of Catholicism in the South. Every one of the monks there are spiritual wells of wisdom. I would advise anyone seeking discerning a vocation to the Benedictine/Cistercian/Trappist family of Orders to visit and discern.

An interesting side note, the monastery is built on the former plantation of the family of two of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. One of which (possibly both) is still buried on the monastery grounds.
 
Usually they enter another monastery of their Order. This monastery, however has such a vibrant community, it would truly be a tragedy if it did, in fact, close.
 
There seem to be such few vocations in this age, it sometimes feels like the Church is being starved from inside.
 
Mepkin Abbey is a beautiful, serene, and peaceful place where one can spend a day or a few days in prayer. If you are on retreat, you are invited to all the prayer times with the monks in the church. Accommodations are basic, and you eat (in silence) along with the monks in a small room adjacent to the refectory where they eat. After a couple of days you really begin to enjoy the rhythm of the prayer times…even the one in the wee hours. The monks are aging and this place is definitely in need of some younger men who feel the call to spend their lives praying for the rest of us, but you always feel you are in the presence of joy when you are able to speak to any of them.
 
I’m a bit baffled as to why they are having trouble getting vocations, because their environment sounds pretty appealing.
I like the “be a monk for a month” idea. I’d love to do that if I could get a month off.
 
I think one of the problems they are experiencing with regards to vocations is not that many people outside of South Carolina know about Mepkin. Even with SC Catholics, they only make up about 6% of the population of the state so there isn’t a large local population to draw vocations from. I think they are just now starting to be recognized outside of the state because of their new retreat house they opened.

FYI, if you have the opportunity, do a retreat at their new house. It is spectacular and distinctly ascetical at the same time.
 
where do i sign up?

j/k… (wish i could, too old, married, etc, etc 😦 )
 
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Good to see such a sympathetic and informative article in the NY Times!

I hope it brings them some interest in vocations.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
I like the “be a monk for a month” idea. I’d love to do that if I could get a month off.
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They have weekend and week day private retreats which are somewhat similar to a “be a monk for a month” idea, just without the hours working in the mushroom houses (they used to produce the best eggs in the Charleston area, but PETA complained and they had to switch to artisanal mushrooms as they didn’t want to spend the resources to fight the complaint). You are invited to all of the Liturgy of the Hours prayed by the monks and are allowed to pray with them in the cloister. You also have meals in a hall adjacent to the monks’ and eat the same meals that they do.
 
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