Monks seem against all those things. He asked his first question: What are they doing with their hands? We ask our visitors to confirm their email to keep your account secure and make sure you're able to receive email from us. It is a place you have to experience . Our Wedding - Reviews, Photos - Mepkin Abbey - Tripadvisor read more. Morning wedding at the Abbey gardens on the 4th of July. All the buildings have been built around the trees.. What young people keep telling us, said Father Joe Tedesco, the chair of the committee for Mepkins future development, is that theyre interested in the spiritual life journey, but not in institutional religion. These cookies help us improve our website by collecting and reporting information on how you use it. I didnt know what he meant. The only drawback was the occasional boater to disturb the tranquility. Mepkin Abbey Now Available for Weddings in Featured, News Mepkin's friends and neighbors can now reserve the abbey gardens for the celebration of a marriage. So why didnt I want to introduce the people at my Methodist church to them? Learn More. Father Butter was there, 102 years old. My nephew was married here the week before my mothers ashes were placed in their columbarium - she looks over the water with the oaks and magnolias seeping in between - the wooden statues and stations are moving as well as artfully magnificent. Were all getting old., Read: Silent, Yes, but Never Withdrawn: Readers Respond to this Dwindling Catholic Monastery. Javascript must be enabled for Bookwhen to function properly. There is no admission to enter the gardens and walk around, but if you want a more extensive behind-the-scenes tour of the chapel and other areas, there is a suggested contribution fee.You will rarely see any of the monks, as they stay well-hidden, but you can get a glimpse of the type of lifestyle they lead. Thank you! We ask readers to log in so that we can recognize you as a registered user and give you unrestricted access to our website. read more. Manger scenes highlight holiday season at SC abbey - NBC News So far, Mepkin has shunned all forms of social media both individually and institutionally. We dont have a big financial reserve, said Father Stan Gumula, Mepkins abbot, adding that an endowment, which the monastery does not have, goes against what Trappists are for. Even the profit margins on the monks agricultural business which helps sustain the monastery and, by their accounts, is quite profitable is limited by their daily prayer schedule, which severely restricts the number of hours available each day for work. The grounds are gorgeous, the monks are welcoming and the liturgies are simple but reverent. } Laurens built his home there, and it was known as the Mepkin Plantation. Check out some of our wedding photos from this place. There are two magnificent wood carvings made from the trunks of two live oak trees that fell during hurricane Hugo almost years ago. Theres tons of young people who are interested in spirituality, Father Joe said. Copyright 2023 America Press Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Based in Charleston, SCContact me at catie@catherinehurtphotography.com. Christmas at Mepkin Abbey | Arts and Travel | postandcourier.com Perhaps ironically, when you devote eight hours a day to prayer, it seems you have all the time in the world. Trappist monastery in Berkeley County, South Carolina, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Mepkin article on their new mushroom production replacing the egg production, St. Mary Help of Christians Church, Aiken, St. Mary of the Annunciation Church, Charleston, Cathedral of Saint John and Saint Finbar, Charleston, Cardinal Newman High School, Forest Acres, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mepkin_Abbey&oldid=1085714570, Trappist monasteries in the United States, Buildings and structures in Berkeley County, South Carolina, Tourist attractions in Berkeley County, South Carolina, Roman Catholic churches in South Carolina, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 2 May 2022, at 01:43. I was able to muddle through this dry spell, as I assume that all monks must do for various stretches of time, and the latter part of my stay at the monastery was replete with blessings. And you go to bed weirdly early to compensate. Or maybe, more selfishly, I wanted to keep my spiritual treasure to myself, to not spoil it by mixing it with my work. At the front of the monks hand-printed Psalters there are two quotes. Surely they knew they shouldnt do that, right? Meghan + Grayson | Mepkin Abbey Wedding - Cana Dunlap Jessica and Bobby, I am so honored to have captured your special day. It's located outside of Charleston in Berkeley County. I wondered whether I had missed my calling. font-size:20px; Stephen B. Mepkin Abbey is a Trappist monastery in Berkeley County, South Carolina. The sign asks you to sit in the back, but the request is only there, it seems, to be flaunted. They were relearning prayer, as I had done years before. Planning your wedding can be overwhelming and stressful, but it doesn't have to be! .av_font_icon.av-js7ruq5v-ba8a02887e7fff03068ed916a24ed508 .av-icon-char{ During nice weather, you may see it being used for outdoor weddings or as a backdrop for professional photographers. The abbeys new affiliate program will offer two new short-term monastic options for people of any, or no, faith traditions: a monthlong monastic institute, open to men and women, and a yearlong residency. Stephen, his wife Dina and the youngest of their six children live in Bronxville, N.Y. Stephen and Dina have made pilgrimages with America Media to Ignatian Spain and the Holy Land. read more, I only had about an hour to spend here, but I cant wait to go back! We do not provide an option to turn off essential cookies because they are required to deliver security and enable core site functionality. And its not backbreaking work, because were an older community., (In the 1950s, when their numbers were higher and the average age was much lower, the monks working life was more varied and physically intense; they ran a lumber mill, raised cattle and had a large-scale bakery.). Mepkin is one of only 15 Cistercian Trappist monasteries in North America and the only one in South Carolina. The liturgies at Mepkin are short and simple, the homilies concise and incisive. But Trappist communities may be particularly vulnerable, since their traditions are more isolating and, in many ways, more resistant to modernization. The thought of being a wedding photographer had crossed my mind, but I was too scared. And maybe in spite of yourself, youll start to become more like Jesus. I reminded him recently of those shit-shoveling days. Mepkins monks, led by the abbot, Father Stan Gumula, process from the church to the refectory. I learned about my parishioners upbringings, their siblings, their parents, their children, their loves I wouldnt have known anything about without that time together. Wondering why we ask for your email, or having trouble registering. FOR A MONTH. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. There were 57 manger scenes on display. A Reflection for Saturday of the First Week of Lent, by Christopher Parker. The abbey is struggling to attract and retain younger novices. Look, he said, I cant get Catholic priests to come to this place. 1098 Mepkin Abbey Rd, Moncks Corner, SC 29461-4796 Save Jbendler Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 76 31 Beautiful Wedding Venue Review of Mepkin Abbey Reviewed April 27, 2014 What a spectacular site for a wedding. All are welcome. Founded by monks from the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky in 1949, after a 3,132-acre plot was donated to the Catholic Diocese of Charleston by Henry and Clare Boothe Luce, Mepkin was placed under a conservation easement in 2006, in concert with several neighboring properties. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. I wore an unflattering, hoodie-like habit. //-->. We had unhurried time to talk. They turn out the lights, light candles by a statue of Mary, and chant together the Salve Regina, an ancient prayer invoking Marys help. Brother Joseph Swedo, 90, a monk at Mepkin Abbey. During my month at Mepkin, there were two fractious incidents between monastic inhabitants. Mepkin Abbey: Hell for Chickens | PETA

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