I spent part of Tuesday through Thursday last week on a silent retreat at Monastery of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia. This is a Trappist monastery of about 20 Catholic monks. I really enjoyed the beautiful space and the hospitality.
I went walking several times by the lake there, which had the stations of the cross in the woods. And lots of well-fed Abbey cats.
The monks gather in the Abbey for worship multiple times a day including before all three meals and before bed. There is a side door into the Abbey from the retreat house. And also a special section for the retreatants to sit near the monks before the main seating for the community.
Some of the smaller garden spaces around the Abbey.
This chapel for Our Lady of Guadalupe was in the basement.
I went for a walk each evening as the sun was setting. There were lots of deer out and about on the property.
There's also a county hiking trail that starts in front of the monastery. I walked 1.5 miles out and then 1.5 miles back, crossing over two bridges along the way - one over a road and one over a river.
After my retreat was over on Thursday, I drove a little ways north to visit my good friend Susan who is a pastor in Atlanta. We had a fabulous visit over lunch. It was so good to be able to spend time with her!
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