(i wondered why there wasn't any mention of his wife?!?! Methodists would descend on the place and overrun it. These cookies help us improve our website by collecting and reporting information on how you use it. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 1098 Mepkin Abbey Rd Moncks Corner, SC 29461. After 20 years or so it started to feel like I was talking to myself. You thought we were going rogue. The abbey hosts about 1,500 people a year who want to experience the contemplative life. The miracle of forgiveness also showed up unexpectedly at the monastery. Why am I being asked to create an account? Cardinal McElroy on radical inclusion for L.G.B.T. I was mortified. FOR A YEAR.), Were at such a you might say desperate point, said Father Guerric Heckel, that were being forced to try something new and innovative.. Since Methodism is a revivalist sect, if were not reviving anybody, what are we doing? While members of other Catholic orders Dominicans and Jesuits, for example focus partly on outreach, Trappists, who are formally known as the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, do not. var pfHeaderImgUrl = '';var pfHeaderTagline = '';var pfdisableClickToDel = 0;var pfHideImages = 0;var pfImageDisplayStyle = 'left';var pfDisablePDF = 0;var pfDisableEmail = 0;var pfDisablePrint = 0;var pfCustomCSS = '';var pfBtVersion='2';(function(){var js,pf;pf=document.createElement('script');pf.type='text/javascript';pf.src='//cdn.printfriendly.com/printfriendly.js';document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(pf)})(); Morning wedding at the Abbey gardens on the 4th of July. But Trappist communities may be particularly vulnerable, since their traditions are more isolating and, in many ways, more resistant to modernization. We are. 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. It is a place you have to experience . We arrived on the first evening later than expected. this helps us promote a safe and accountable online community, and allows us to update you when other commenters reply to your posts. You can opt in to any additional cookies. Another time at the abbey I volunteered my paltry services to work with the monks. I had already heard what I needed to hear. I first met Jessica while I was working a full-time job before I went full time with photography! There is no admission to enter the gardens and walk around, but if you want a more extensive behind-the-scenes tour of the chapel and other areas, there is a suggested contribution fee.You will rarely see any of the monks, as they stay well-hidden, but you can get a glimpse of the type of lifestyle they lead. To be sure, many of the Trappist traditions at Mepkin are helping to sustain the monastery. If not, fine, but if so, heres the way to do it: Meet in small groups. 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. We rounded a corner into the reserve sacrament chapel, and there the monks were. This intimate Spring wedding at Mepkin Abbey was EVERYTHING. Got a question about Mepkin Abbey? The first record of the name was a 1681 grant to the sons of Sir John Coleton, one of the Lords Proprietary of South Carolina. And yet, as the renowned contemplative Paul Hewson (a.k.a. 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. 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. Please visit ourmembership pageto learn how you can invest in our work by subscribing to the magazine or making a donation. He asked his first question: What are they doing with their hands? Thank you! Questions to ask your wedding photographer, How to sleep well the night before your wedding, Rainy Charleston Engagement Session | Kelsey and Michael, McClellanville Engagement Session | Katherine and Robbie. Maybe theyre not ready or able in this culture to make a lifetime commitment. Eventually, I recognized my error and came to appreciate that a book recommendation from a Trappist monk is a precious gift, something that the monk believes or perhaps knows will help you on the journey. Brother Joseph Swedo was bent forward in his chair, his rugged hands folded delicately in his lap. The picturesque surroundings can't be bought or planned any better and with a river backdroppriceless! There is a gift shop on the premises where you can buy products made by the monks, as well as regional specialties.Although the Abbey is well off the beaten path, it is definitely worth the time, especially if you appreciate pristine beauty and relative solitude. if you are trying to comment, you must log in or set up a new account. 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. Todonate online, click here, or you may send a check to Mepkin Abbey, 1098 Mepkin Abbey Road, Moncks Corner, SC 29461. Pray like this, at this hour, in this way, and with these people. The horn of a freight train blaring from across the Cooper River, a temporary reminder of the noise and distractions of the outside world. Monks seem against all those things. Is it going to be a turnaround thats quick enough for Mepkin? Mepkin Abbey is a Christian (Trappist) monastery in South Carolina that runs an egg factory farm to make money. At the 11:30 you get to view the monks pre-dinner prayer service. I think the reason they took to monastic prayer so profoundly is that Methodism is a revivalist sect. Meet the monks of Mepkin Abbey, a Trappist monastery in South Carolina, who are trying to maintain age-old religious traditions in a rapidly evolving world. Beauty will save the world, Dostoevsky said, and I see this in these monks. I dont know. .av_font_icon.av-js7ruq5v-79d91dabd0da5728d1183ef71ee979e5 .av-icon-char{ This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Sign up for our newsletter.]. font-size:20px; And I give her all the credit for getting me into weddings as well! Methodists go home knowing how to be Methodists again. These tensions pose a thorny question: To what degree can and should age-old religious traditions adapt to survive in a rapidly evolving world? Before you go, check the hours and for special events here on their . My wife, Jaylynn, has a photo from our wedding day by the side of our bed. Such a unique place to visit.We visited here to tour the abbey and attend the mod day prayer service. Youre in church, but your entry and exit are separate from theirs, and you cant go past the divide. I wondered whether I had missed my calling. This is one pretty place. Theres tons of young people who are interested in spirituality, Father Joe said. For more family-friendly things to do around the Lowcountry, . Mepkin Abbey - Luce Gardens 1098 Mepkin Abbey Rd Moncks Corner, SC 29461 What day is the wedding? We wanted a good product, a healthy product, Father Stan explained. Mepkin Abbey is truly a wonderful place to viit. This Trappist Abbey Isnt. White robes, long sleeves, beards, and bald heads. The abbey grounds are huge and very well kept. I didnt know what he meant. I spent each day in silence, speaking only when necessary and not at all during the Grand Silence from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. So why didnt I want to introduce the people at my Methodist church to them? We enjoyed seeing the monks doing their daily gardening and landscaping of the site. FOR A MONTH. Mepkin is closed to Visitors on Mondays. Sometimes prayer takes us where we don't intend to go. I went out with two monks to shovel the chicken shit that they sold to local farmers for use as compost. I led them all into the church, a dozen of us being as quiet as we could but still making a racket. The monastery now produces around 1,400 pounds of mushrooms each week half oyster mushrooms, half shiitake. Visited the abbey during the 2013 crche festively. So many different interpretations of this important scriptural event. The community sees itself as a steward of the monasterys grounds, and as a leader in the local environmental movement. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. So I made the rookie mistake of waving off further book recommendations. A building commitment rooted in the local ground became a commitment to welcome the guest with particular vulnerability and openness. There are many picturesque spots in the areas visitors may walk around in. A book recommendation from a Trappist monk is a precious gift, something that the monk believes or perhaps knows will help you on the journey. The salty air was blowing through the huge oak trees as they exchanged their vows and held back *happy* tears. A Reflection for Friday of the First Week of Lent, by Jill Rice. All the buildings have been built around the trees.. Check out some of our wedding photos from this place. Date of experience: July 2015 Ask babeol about Mepkin Abbey 2 Thank babeol This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Ill never not give thanks for them. Several monasteries wall off guests from monks. What time is the ceremony? The thought of being a wedding photographer had crossed my mind, but I was too scared. One thing I ask of the Lord, this I seek, to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. Inspiring but also challenging words if we really take them in. I would like to do one of these (when the kids are grown). 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. And Mepkin Abbey is the epitome of Charleston. We were born when the Wesleys asked their fellow baptized members of a state church: Are we going to take Jesus seriously or not? Fortunately, there will be time for that, as the monks invite anyone who has completed the month-long program to return to the abbey at any time for a shorter stay. Their wedding was absolutely perfect in every way. I was encouraged to pray with the acronym ACTS: adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. You can also manage your account details and your print subscription after logging in. A wedding photographer based in Charleston, SC specializing in dreamy and true to life imagery for couples planning their dream wedding. They were relearning prayer, as I had done years before. 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. [2] His wife, Clare Boothe Luce, commissioned and built an extensive landscape garden there known as the Mepkin Garden. The Abbey gift shop offers homemade jams, jellies and preserves produced by other Trappist monasteries and the mushrooms grown by the Mepkin Abbey monks. I learned to pray again at the abbey. in November make you reservation via the web in October it fills up fast. But its going to look different., And Mepkin Abbey, these monks present here we want to be part of shaping what the future will look like.. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. During nice weather, you may see it being used for outdoor weddings or as a backdrop for professional photographers. The people might move without you. Check out some of my other favorite weddings on the blog: Jessica and Shauns Seabrook Island Wedding, Ashleigh and Devans Isle of Palms Wedding. It begins at 3:20 a.m. Father Stan prepares for the commencement of vespers, another of the seven daily prayer services, with holy water. Our wedding is on Friday, May 4, 2018 - Star Wars Day! In 1936 the well-known publisher Henry R. Luce bought the property. Pray. But one day, I finally changed my mind. Interview: Whats it like to photograph Pope Francis? So they have to shuffle a little to free their hands to turn the pages in their psalm books. Photographs from Mepkin during the early 1950s capture a wide variety of work. Actually we were obeying. Good lesson for a pastor. This is such a serene locale, I don't see how anyone could not be touched by the experience.. Good point. Wooden carved sculptures, natural waterways, old architecture, graveyards, flowers everywhere. Trappist monks at prayer (photo courtesy of the Abbey of Gethsemani). Address: 1098 Mepkin Abbey Road Moncks Corner, SC 29461. Mepkin retreatants are welcome to observe the Liturgy of the Hours with the monks, joining in worship and prayer at all seven daily services in the Abbey Church, beginning with Lauds at 3:20. And maybe in spite of yourself, youll start to become more like Jesus. He is the head, we are the members. And I doubt you need to tell him that parenting six children is a monumental task. In 1762 one of his descendants sold the land to Henry Laurens of Charleston. They include readings not only from the Bible but from the church fathers and mothers. Fred Bahnson and Ragan Sutterfield explore this issue from different directions. Jessica and Bobby, I am so honored to have captured your special day. I loved it. They pray again before lunch, in the evening, and then, in the most incandescently beautiful of the offices, they pray before bed. The main thing I learned from taking Methodists to Mepkin was about prayer. Their openness has allowed them to be easy prey for, among others, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, who objected to their chicken farm and forced its shutdown. Every sunrise and sunset, a sign of Gods presence. Add a bit of spirituality to your getaway at Mepkin Abbey. Over the same period, the monks average age has steadily risen by nearly 50 years up to 77, from around 30. Not without good reason then, his voice is ours, and our voice is also his. Pay the entry fee and find out why it's such a hit. I arrived at Mepkin Abbey on a July afternoon during a South Carolina monsoon. While not part of the actual tour, take time to visit the gardens. 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. One of my lay leaders at the time has the impossible name of Johnny Carson. Those blessings included daily Mass, which at Mepkin Abbey begins at 6:30 a.m. This is a must see, bring your camera and walking shoes. 2680 Lohr Dr, Mt Pleasant, SC 843-819-9705; dennis@charlestonphotoart.com; I am also serving Hilton head, Columbia, Savannah, Myrtle beach; PORTFOLIO. The abbey is struggling to attract and retain younger novices. read more, I only had about an hour to spend here, but I cant wait to go back! And you go to bed weirdly early to compensate. Still, Mepkins future is anything but certain. What young people keep telling us, said Father Joe Tedesco, the chair of the committee for Mepkins future development, is that theyre interested in the spiritual life journey, but not in institutional religion. We ask readers to log in so that we can recognize you as a registered user and give you unrestricted access to our website.