MONASTIC EXPERIENCE WEEKEND 22-25 AUGUST 2025
This year's response to our Monastic Experience Weekend invitation was most encouraging. Those invited had to be single Catholic men, below the age of 40, practising their faith, and at least open to the idea of a possible monastic vocation. Over 30 young men applied: probably more than we have ever had before, for a single event of this sort. Consistently with a trend that has been widely noted in recent years, a majority of these men in their 20's were converts to the Catholic faith. They belong to the generation whose education was marked by the covid lock-downs, and for whom life without the internet, and without a smart phone constantly to hand, would seem barely conceivable. They were brought up in the strongly secular atmosphere of our day, with minimal religious dimension, or even none whatever. Nevertheless, each has found his way to faith, and is ready in principle to consider giving his whole life for Christ in a religious vocation, should that prove to be God's will.
We could not possibly accommodate 30 men at once. 13 would be a maximum capacity for our guest house and refectory. So this year we had 13 participants, with a waiting list in case of last minute cancellations.
As usual the response to the weekend by those who came was overwhelmingly positive.
There were only two full days, but they were well filled. Our weekenders were in Choir with the brethren for the whole of our Office and Mass. They ate with the community, and participated in garden work. They received five talks and explanations, had a guided tour, and a session on singing the Chant. Amidst all that there was also time set aside for lectio divina in silence, and for local walks, and for personal chats or sacramental confession. On the Sunday, between None and Vespers, they joined the brethren for a commmunity recreation, with tea.
Whether or not any of these men apply to join our community, we pray that their brief but quite intense monastic experience will be a blessing for the whole of their lives. We also pray, of course, that the good Lord in his mercy will send us some good new vocations: young men who will be able to carry forward the Pluscarden tradition of monastic life into the next generation and beyond.
