The gardens are beautiful, the setting serene, the river vistas peaceful and awesome, the chainsaw sculptures from fallen live oaks (souvenir of Hurricane Hugo) well crafted and appropriate for the abbey. Relationship Counseling - Marriage resources, Falling in Love Finding God Marriage and the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology, The problem of hatredand how Christians are contributing to it, Jesuit sex abuse expert appointed to Vatican office for child protection, Sin, hell and scrupulosity: How to repent during Lent (and how not to). Laurens built his home there, and it was known as the Mepkin Plantation. The only drawback was the occasional boater to disturb the tranquility. All are welcome. Please arrive 30 minutes prior so that you can find a seat and get settled in. Verify to immediately update business information, respond to reviews, and more! .av_font_icon.av-js7ruq5v-79d91dabd0da5728d1183ef71ee979e5 .av-icon-char{ He has the biggest heart I know. The Abbey gift shop offers homemade jams, jellies and preserves produced by other Trappist monasteries and the mushrooms grown by the Mepkin Abbey monks. Couldnt this go badly? Every morning for the rest of his life, the monk confronted two habits. Left, the church at Mepkin Abbey, and Father Stan Gumula, the abbot of Mepkin. I had no trouble getting folks to go on the trip; in fact, more wanted to go than the monks could accommodate. Perhaps ironically, when you devote eight hours a day to prayer, it seems you have all the time in the world. Mepkin is closed to Visitors on Mondays. 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. It's located outside of Charleston in Berkeley County. Ill never not give thanks for them. The weather couldnt have been any more perfect. The early returns, 500 years on, are not positive. We clomped in and sat down. Your email address will not be published. But during my third week at Mepkin, I hit the monastic wall. FOR A MONTH. We use some essential cookies to make this website work. Mepkin Abbey is a Trappist monastery in Berkeley County, South Carolina. Naturally, I was involved in one of them. Nor can he fully participate during the roughly five hours set aside each day for agricultural work and the upkeep of the monasterys grounds. The liturgies at Mepkin are short and simple, the homilies concise and incisive. As a monk at Mepkin Abbey, a Trappist monastery in South Carolina, he maintains that Roman Catholic orders code of prayer, work, seclusion, poverty and chastity. Is it going to be a turnaround thats quick enough for Mepkin? A visit will give you an interesting look into a more devout way of life. Its gardens are now known as the Mepkin Abbey Botanical Garden. 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. They were praying. The monastery grounds include a graveyard containing the ashes of Henry Laurens, as well as the graves of John Laurens, Clare Boothe Luce, and Henry Luce. Mepkin Abbey is located at 1098 Mepkin Abbey Rd., Moncks Corner, SC 29461. As a frequent reader of our website, you know how important Americas voice is in the conversation about the church and the world. They know what has long been called the whole David by heart. Johnny saw them cranking a motor. Mepkin, by contrast, invites guests all the way up into their stalls for prayer. The sign asks you to sit in the back, but the request is only there, it seems, to be flaunted. Bono) would put it, I still hadnt found what I was looking for. There were 57 manger scenes on display. Because of the monastic nature of the property, up to 50 guests are permitted, and only wedding ceremonies may take place on the property; receptions are not allowed. All Benedictinesthe larger umbrella under which Trappists existpledge to receive every guest as Christ. I was encouraged to pray with the acronym ACTS: adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. Father Butter was there, 102 years old. What time is the ceremony? Mepkin Abbey was definitely showing off for us! 87 talking about this. Father Gerard Jonas was unsurprised and confided that the monastic guest program lasts for one month for a good reason: A would-be monk should understand that the life can be monotonous. 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. It is way off the beaten path Not a place for active kids. He now ranks equivalent to a bishop in the churchs worldwide hierarchy. For decades, the monastery relied on an egg farm that produced as many as 30,000 eggs per day. The only drawback was the occasional boater to disturb the tranquility Or they wouldnt like it and theyd judge me for being too Catholic. Well worth the trip! Another time at the abbey I volunteered my paltry services to work with the monks. And once there, no one had trouble getting up at 3 a.m. for the first daily office. Because tents have been known to damage the gardens, only chairs (which are available for rental) are allowed. He asked his first question: What are they doing with their hands? And you go to bed weirdly early to compensate. While not part of the actual tour, take time to visit the gardens. The Mepkin Abbey gate is open from 6am-6pm. Feb 18, 2017 - Wedding Photos from Hope and Jarrod's wedding ceremony at Monck's Corner's Mepkin Abbey outside of Charleston South Carolina. These Methodists knew in their bones they were supposed to pursue a disciplined way of prayer. I went to Mepkin Abbey with three objectives: to improve my prayer practice; to experience a full immersion into the daily life of a monk; and to begin a discernment about the next phase of my life. I loved it. [CDATA[// >