Monastery of the Holy Spirit
Marla Fuller led a group to the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Ga on May 17th and 18th. The overnight experience gave us all a brief, but powerful, view of monastic life.
Sandy James, Bobbi Diussa, Jane Brosnan, Mack Cason, Marla Fuller,
Joanna and Jack Donegan, Jane Hughey, Charlotte Hirt, Bob Hughey
We arrived Monday afternoon and were soon settled in our single rooms in the retreat house. Holy Spirit is a Trappist Monastery that concentrates on prayer and emphasizes a quiet contemplative environment. We were all expected to remain silent except for necessary conversation. Our meals were taken in silence.
Our first event was Vespers or Evening Prayer at 5:20. We sat in the choir stalls adjacent to the monks and struggled with several hymnals to follow the chanting of the psalms. Then, a simple meal followed by a discussion with Father James of the monastery routine and many other questions. At 7:30 we went to Compline or Night Prayer. We were getting better at following, aided by some tutoring by the more than friendly monks. Eight o’clock begins the overnight Grand Silence, so we were all in our rooms and soon asleep, because the next event was Vigils at 4:00am. By the time of morning Mass at 7:00 we were following the service and chanting the psalms. After breakfast we spend a most informative and enjoyable hour with Father Thomas Francis. Fr. Thomas has been at Holy Spirit for 58 years.
He took us through the start of monasticism among early Christians and his story made the first three centuries of Christianity come alive. He discussed current world events and other religions with equal veracity. We could have spent the entire day with him, but he had to report for work. We spent the morning in discussions and then repaired to Midday Prayer at 12:15. After a silent lunch we headed home. Each of us felt that we had experienced in some small way the powerful spirit of God that permeates the community and prayers of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit.
The Monastery of the Holy spirit began 66 years ago in 1944, 21 Trappist monks departed from Gethsemani Abbey in Kentucky to a donated farm in Conyers, GA. Starting with only a barn on the property, they constructed a pine board monastery. They struggled to begin a permanent facility with postwar shortages and a need for finances. In 1952 with little support, the community that would eventually number over 90 monks began building their current church….by hand. For thirteen years, one wheel barrow at a time the monks poured devotion and concrete into their current home. The result is a beautiful church with plain stained glass that follows the centuries old tradition for their monasteries. The community helps to support itself with a bookstore, the sale of bonsai plants and fruit cakes. The grounds complete a quiet and contemplative surrounding that brings peace to the soul of any visitor. You can learn more about Trappist's, the monastery and the remarkable history of it construction, with many pictures, on their web site,
www.trappist.net
