How Silence Works: An email conversation with four monks in North America's oldest...

[Michie]

...Trappist monastery



How Silence Works: Emailed Conversations With Four Trappist Monks


About two months ago I started reaching out by email to a group of people whose lives I wanted to know about and understand: The Trappist monks of Oka Abbey, in Quebec. Oka Abbey is the oldest Trappist monastery in North America. A century ago, it was a powerhouse; but in recent decades, the community had dwindled to a fraction of what it used to be. After leaving the Abbey to a heritage group, to be preserved as an historical site, the remaining monks relocated to a smaller retreat in the mountains north of Montreal.

Even if you're not Catholic, you may have heard of the Trappists. They’re the monks that make those impeccably crafted beers. And the Trappist monks of Oka created a cheese worth drooling over that’s still widely sold today (though now it's made by a Quebec dairy company). The Trappists are known for one other thing as well: they're the only Western-based monastic order that still actively practices the “vow” of silence. (I put quotes there because neither the Rule of St. Benedict nor the practice of the Order actually contains a specific vow of silence. As I understand it, it’s an edict, a practice that’s a part of their lives that the monks happily follow.) It was this element of their lives, their dedication to the enshrinement of silence, that drew me to them. Not really knowing how one goes about approaching monks, I located list of monasteries in addition to the former Oka group and started emailing. It took a few weeks of very slow introductions to find the right people, but I ended up in conversation with four monks, two in America and two in Canada.

Continued-
How Silence Works: An email conversation with four monks in North America's oldest Trappist monastery...

 

[Trogool]

Fascinating, I'm somewhat in awe of Trappists. I hope they experience a revival or something. Monasticism is an important part of Christianity, so it's always great to support them by doing things like purchasing their crafts to support them financially.

 

[Dylan Michael]

We go on silent retreats at the seminary.
Usually there is one big one. (four days)
And three or four smaller ones (Days of recollection, (about 36 hours)
It is something that I love doing.
One of the strangest feelings is when we are allowed to talk after the end of the retreat (After sunday mass).

All-in-all it is something that I recommend most Catholics should do.

 

[eastcoast_bsc]

I am always fascinated by those who live in Monasteries and who live the Monastic life. I always feel a sense of peace just thinking about the idea.

We live in a world that is consumed by the noise and chatter of meaningless communication. I like the idea of simplicity and a life of prayer.

Though I pray everyday, I would be a bad at remaining silence. I can talk a horse off a meat wagon.