This post is dedicated to Sophia, who does this sort of thing every day-- now I know why! Bob, our Elder Congregational Care Pastor, is one of my dear friends at the church. While other people on staff barely recognize me after nearly three years there, Bob makes an effort to be truly Christian in his daily life and is genuinely friendly to everyone he meets! The OP's (Old People) in the Young At Heart bible study group are huh-larious and definitely live up to their name! Bob's wife and I were on the blue van for their annual trip to Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery in Conyers and we had a blast! It was like taking the kids on a field trip, but I didn't have to worry about losing any of them and I could talk back! Next job? OP's.
The monastery was beautiful, though I somehow missed the trail down to the sanctuary building, but what I did get to see was enough to justify the trip! All the new buildings were built with the generosity of the Goizetta family who funded the business school at Emory-- probably in the top five families of Atlanta! They have an introductory film, a hallway with the history of monasticism, and the old barn they built by hand when the monastery was first founded has been turned in to a museum... Fr. Tom, below, remembers building the barn all by hand and under a strict vow of silence. Not a single person spoke during the construction of the building and it came out beautifully!
Entryway
Fr. Tom, who is 83 and one of the first recruits to the monastery
Holy Water!
Fr. Tom talks about the changes in rules regarding when/if monks can leave the monastery
Bob looks at the directory of monasteries world wide
They have a beautiful Japanese garden and an amazing Bonsai collection!
Being in Conyers, they found a lot of anthropological gems during their initial build!
The hats, robes, and boots in the original barn
Hand made stained glass in the original barn
A nice courtyard outside the refactory
