October 18-20, 2013

Two men attended the fall Come & See Monastic Experience Weekend: Brian Booth (left photo below), a librarian from North Carolina and Joseph Swick (right photo below) from Erie, Pennsylvania, now living in Silver Spring and working at Holy Cross Hospital. During the weekend program Abbot James and other monks presented five conferences on monastic topics. Brian and Joseph also joined the community in choir for divine office and Mass, for meals and helping in other house activities. The weekend events included attending the annual Thomas Merton Society lecture on Saturday, and the simple profession - the three year vows - of Bro. Isaiah and Bro. Samuel at the Sunday Conventual Mass.

We hope that these weekends are a positive experience of the Benedictine charism at work in our community, and that participants may someday join us or another community living a consecrated life under the Rule and an abbot.