i agree!!!! [2] His wife, Clare Boothe Luce, commissioned and built an extensive landscape garden there known as the Mepkin Garden. That sense of acceptance was affirmed by Rob Hagan, who spent 30 years as a monk at Mepkin before leaving the monastery in 2007. Mepkin Abbey is part of the Roman Catholic Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, commonly known as Trappists. I should have trusted my people to sort out what they stood to learn, what they should leave behind, and where Jesus was at work. ! Our people were hungry to pray like monks. I hoped that none of the monks noticed, but if they did, thats O.K., too. This blog a journal about our lives, travels, fashion, and style. Mepkin Abbey is located at 1098 Mepkin Abbey Rd., Moncks Corner, SC 29461. 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. When I told her once that if I died, I wanted her to remarry someone as like me as possible while also somehow not nearly as good, she responded, If something happens to me, you have my blessing to join the monastery. Romance at its finest. They have a terrific gift shop. Each passing nod by a fellow resident, a further embrace into the community. Mushrooms and garden compost from the Abbey's farm, and candies, preserves and creamed honey from other Trappist Abbeys are available at the Reception Center Gift Shop. A wedding photographer based in Charleston, SC specializing in dreamy and true to life imagery for couples planning their dream wedding. The economics of monastic life can also present challenges. If you login and register your print subscription number with your account, youll have unlimited access to the website. I am not prone to strong sentiment, and yet I nearly broke into tears during several Masses during my month at Mepkin. Mepkin is fairly unique in the Trappist world for how deeply it invites guests into its life. We checked out the gardens which was very nice, especially the oak trees that hang over the Cooper River. in 4 reviews, There is also a gift shop where you can buy crafts from other Moncks and they also grow and sell mushrooms. in 6 reviews, If you are planning to attend the crche display in November make you reservation via the web in October it fills up fast. in 2 reviews. Walking paths, benches overlooking the river. While many monks at Mepkin are concerned about the monasterys future, they also see this moment as an opportunity to pioneer a new form of monasticism. 27 reviews of Mepkin Abbey "This is seriously one of the best kept secrets in the Greater Charleston Area. We checked out the gardens which was very nice, especially the oak trees that hang over the. 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. It is interesting to see that each people group find the Nativity personal to their culture. Mepkin Abbey part of a global network of Trappist monasteries that for nearly 1,000 years have provided their communities with reliable sources of prayer, learning and hospitality is edging. All the buildings have been built around the trees.. The pilgrimage gave us Methodists time to talk to one another about things less prosaic than our standard pre-church chatter about the weather and football. They only have one child left at home.I greatly enjoyed this article, I have been to Mepkin several times and had a wonderful experience each time. //-->. Then they prayed, wept, begged God for their health, and lined us all up to pray for them, one by one. And their wedding was strictly family and close friends. My love of these people is clear. We ask readers to log in so that we can recognize you as a registered user and give you unrestricted access to our website. Thank you! } Left, the church at Mepkin Abbey, and Father Stan Gumula, the abbot of Mepkin. This Trappist Abbey Isnt. [CDATA[// >