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This intimate Spring wedding at Mepkin Abbey was EVERYTHING. They include readings not only from the Bible but from the church fathers and mothers. I am middle-aged, happily married and the father of six children. The property was originally a colonial rice plantation, later acquired by Clare Boothe Luce, who in turn donated the grounds to the Trappists in the 1940s. If you need some time alone to think and mediate, this is your spot. 1098 Mepkin Abbey Road Your email address will not be published. What a peaceful place. Walking paths, benches overlooking the river. I wondered whether I had missed my calling. Simple gorgeous grounds and a beautiful day. [CDATA[// >. Because tents have been known to damage the gardens, only chairs (which are available for rental) are allowed. Morning wedding at the Abbey gardens on the 4th of July. 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. Peaceful place to reflect. It's located outside of Charleston in Berkeley County. Such a unique place to visit.We visited here to tour the abbey and attend the mod day prayer service. These Methodists knew in their bones they were supposed to pursue a disciplined way of prayer. Before you go, check the hours and for special events here on their . 1098 Mepkin Abbey Rd, Moncks Corner, SC 29461-4796 Save Jbendler Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 76 31 Beautiful Wedding Venue Review of Mepkin Abbey Reviewed April 27, 2014 What a spectacular site for a wedding. Work is another central pillar of life for the Trappists at Mepkin as a means of supporting the community, providing solidarity with workers, and promoting a healthy mind and body. This is a private home/community for monks with limited public areas to stroll about in. Maybe theyre not ready or able in this culture to make a lifetime commitment. I'm Jessica and I'm so happy you're here. We put our hands on their old, bald heads and prayed Gods blessings of life and health and peace, on these brothers who are also our brothers. One of my lay leaders at the time has the impossible name of Johnny Carson. Our church in Boone, North Carolina, was rarely open when he wasnt there, ministering and serving and encouraging. And for the last 73 years since he joined the order at age 17, answering a call from God, he said physical labor has been an integral part of his daily routine. Jason Byassee teaches homiletics and biblical hermeneutics at the Vancouver School of Theology in British Columbia. I got this, eating with monks, righto. Monks at Mepkin also adhere to a strict vegetarian diet and maintain a largely silent atmosphere although its not as if we dont speak, Father Stan explained. Nor can he fully participate during the roughly five hours set aside each day for agricultural work and the upkeep of the monasterys grounds. Throughout my tenure at the abbey, it always felt as though there was somewhere that I was supposed to be, and something that I should be doing there. Thankfully, the monastic guest program at Mepkin is open to all. I went out with two monks to shovel the chicken shit that they sold to local farmers for use as compost. I have, in the same position, a photo of Mepkin Abbey. Mepkin, by contrast, invites guests all the way up into their stalls for prayer. Johnny loved the monks from the start. Methodists go home knowing how to be Methodists again. Yet they also vow poverty, chastity, obedience, and devotion to prayer. I will be going back many times, always something new to see and many plants in bloom. I think the reason they took to monastic prayer so profoundly is that Methodism is a revivalist sect. Thank you! Perhaps he should have addressed that. Dont want to? Mepkin is fairly unique in the Trappist world for how deeply it invites guests into its life. So lets give them an experience of the place without a commitment, and see what happens.. Check out some of my other favorite weddings on the blog: Jessica and Shauns Seabrook Island Wedding, Ashleigh and Devans Isle of Palms Wedding. The picturesque surroundings can't be bought or planned any better and with a river backdroppriceless! He stage-whispered to each one of us with inappropriate loudness, When youre 102, Ill come pray for you. Abbot Stan stood off in the corner, his shepherds crook beside him, and openly wept. Jessica had to get a picture with little Roxi before making her way to the wedding! Across all orders, the number of Catholic brothers in the United States has declined by more than two-thirds since 1965, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate. Fun fact: Jessica asked me to photograph her wedding before I even thought about being a wedding photographer. So I asked Father Columba, formerly a parish priest in Dublin, whether I could discuss an unspecified pastoral issue with him. And I doubt you need to tell him that parenting six children is a monumental task. The monastery now produces around 1,400 pounds of mushrooms each week half oyster mushrooms, half shiitake. (Several Trappist monasteries in Africa and Asia, for example, havent been plagued by the same decline in vocations and some, at least partly because of the stability of monastic life and the unfamiliarity of the message, Father Stan said, are brimming with young monks.) This is a must see, bring your camera and walking shoes. The monastery also generates income from the store at its visitors center, which sells dried mushrooms and a slew of other products, many of which are produced at other Trappist monasteries; its retreat center, which hosts both individual and group visitors; timber that is harvested by outside contractors; and a new nondenominational columbarium, which offers a place for funeral urns to be stored on Mepkins grounds. 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. Youre in church, but your entry and exit are separate from theirs, and you cant go past the divide. Go back to your seats! I was encouraged to pray with the acronym ACTS: adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. Several Methodists commented on how infant-like their bald heads seemed, some with little white hairs jutting out, some not. Mepkin Abbey is part of the Roman Catholic Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, commonly known as Trappists. read more, I only had about an hour to spend here, but I cant wait to go back! Mepkin Abbey: Our Wedding - See 138 traveler reviews, 104 candid photos, and great deals for Moncks Corner, SC, at Tripadvisor. The, crche exhibit is incredible and extensive - be sure to vote for your favorite. Peaceful place to reflect. Mepkin Abbey was definitely showing off for us! You eat in a room catty-corner to the monks, but you can get to their butter without great effort. 2680 Lohr Dr, Mt Pleasant, SC 843-819-9705; dennis@charlestonphotoart.com; I am also serving Hilton head, Columbia, Savannah, Myrtle beach; PORTFOLIO. Mepkin Abbey is open , Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun. There are two magnificent wood carvings made from the trunks of two live oak trees that fell during hurricane Hugo almost years ago. The local mushrooms are available for purchase but also served in numerous fine restaurants in the area. Mepkin Abbey used to be a plantation on the banks of the Cooper River, but it is now the home of Trappist Monks and a retreat center for those who want to take a break from the everyday stresses of life. I had already heard what I needed to hear. We ask readers to log in so that we can recognize you as a registered user and give you unrestricted access to our website. (Theyve since changed to a shiitake and oyster mushroom operation.) Stephen B. Please visit ourmembership pageto learn how you can invest in our work by subscribing to the magazine or making a donation. I ate my meals quickly and in silence. I only had about an hour to spend here, but I cant wait to go back! } this helps us promote a safe and accountable online community, and allows us to update you when other commenters reply to your posts. ELOPEMENT; WEDDING; Engagement; SECRET PROPOSAL; Visit the poor. Actually we were obeying. Good lesson for a pastor. Such a great blog post about the Mepkin Abbey wedding venue! He prays that there will always be dark, quiet churches, so that even if folks dont know how to pray, they can step inside a minute and breathe easily. And Mepkin Abbey is the epitome of Charleston. They know what has long been called the whole David by heart. (i wondered why there wasn't any mention of his wife?!?! What should I wear? fax: 843-761-6719, Niches in Mepkins Columbarium are available to the public. The main thing I learned from taking Methodists to Mepkin was about prayer. In everything we do here, we try to respect the land, the ecology and the environment, Father Stan said. Now the books suggested by the monks are helping to change my life. The abbey is struggling to attract and retain younger novices. Wooden carved sculptures, natural waterways, old architecture, graveyards, flowers everywhere. It's a MUST SEE! The liturgies at Mepkin. He is the head, we are the members. (AP Photo/Bruce Smith) Father Guerric granted that indulgence during one of our conferences, at which I was reminded that if you meet with a Mepkin monk to discuss what is going on in your life, spiritual or otherwise, you will leave the meeting with a book. 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. [Dont miss more stories like this one. Guided tours ($5 per person) are offered at 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, except on any Friday designated a Desert Day . When you register, youll get unlimited access to our website and a free subscription to our email newsletter for daily updates with a smart, Catholic take on faith and culture from, Were sorry registration isn't working smoothly for you. The monks at Mepkin Abbey taught me how to pray again. Bono) would put it, I still hadnt found what I was looking for. But enough of my talking, see for yourself how beautiful it was! Thank you so much! if you are trying to comment, you must log in or set up a new account. Mepkin Abbey is truly a wonderful place to viit. Our wedding is on Friday, May 4, 2018 - Star Wars Day! The miracle of forgiveness also showed up unexpectedly at the monastery. And you go to bed weirdly early to compensate. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in India. Pay the entry fee and find out why it's such a hit. Trappist monasteries in the United States are likely to consolidate, Father Stan said. Make promises to do better. I first met Jessica while I was working a full-time job before I went full time with photography! Morning wedding at the Abbey gardens on the 4th of July. Anyone can read what you share. Pray. The Cooper River runs alongside Mepkin Abbeys 3,132-acre property. One of them being a monument to The Charleston Nine, the brave 9 fireman that died trying to put out a fire. You get up ungodly early, sure. Flickr/Davey Borden. I cant wait to see what the future holds for the two of you! I learned that this failing is pardonable because, as Father Guerric told me, I did not snore and it happens.. Methodists are people who believe in individual conversion, study of the scriptures, evangelism. But Trappist communities may be particularly vulnerable, since their traditions are more isolating and, in many ways, more resistant to modernization. people, women and others in the Catholic Church, Cardinal Cupich: Critics of Pope Francis Latin Mass restrictions should listen to JPII. I was blessed to meet Jessica at just the perfect time. If you login and register your print subscription number with your account, youll have unlimited access to the website. These tensions pose a thorny question: To what degree can and should age-old religious traditions adapt to survive in a rapidly evolving world? We were born when the Wesleys asked their fellow baptized members of a state church: Are we going to take Jesus seriously or not? My nephew was married here the week before my mothers ashes were placed in their columbarium - she looks over the water with the oaks and magnolias seeping in between - the wooden statues and stations are moving as well as artfully magnificent.