Come and See weekend

It has been several years since the Abbey of Gethsemani has been able to host a Come and See weekend. The Come and See weekend is an opportunity for men who are interested in the monastic life to experience that life in the monastery for a few days.

There were eight young men who came for the weekend. During their stay, they kept the same hours of the liturgy in choir as the monks. Several of the monks spoke with them, and they were given a tour of the monastery. On Saturday afternoon, the guests and several monks walked up to the hermitage in which Thomas Merton lived for the last few years of his life. The monks and the visitors sat out on the porch and shared their spiritual experiences with each other.

On Sunday, they attended the regular Sunday Chapter and stayed afterward for a group photo. Some of the visitors left on Sunday afternoon, the rest on Monday.

We hope that the men who came for this year’s Come and See weekend were nourished spiritually by their stay here and we wish them the best as they continue their spiritual journey.