The Monks of Mount Saviour

The Roman Catholics were spotlighted in the media over the past several weeks after a feud sparked between Thomas Tobin, the Roman Catholic bishop of Providence, and Patrick J. Kennedy, a son of the nation's most famous Roman Catholic family, over a proposal expanding the nation's health insurance system, and Kennedy's opposition as a lawmaker to the plans tightening of abortion restrictions.
This feud escalated to the point where Bishop Tobin had publicly questioned Mr. Kennedy's faith and membership in the church, and Tobin's suggestion that Kennedy should not receive communion in the church based on his political views.
Yet far removed from the center of this new controversy among the Catholic Church, and nestled among 250-acres of land that is utilized for raising sheep and market lambs, is Mount Saviour Monastery in Pine City, N.Y., a home to men who are aspiring to live a holy life.
Within the hierarchy of this holy community, 82-year old Father James, who entered the monastery in New Jersey following high school, spoke briefly of the world issues taking place outside the monastery walls, and how the lives of the monks who enter Mount Saviour Monastery live under the rules of St. Benedict - in spite of the tides that keep changing in the world around them.
When asked of his thoughts on the bishop's recent decision to suggest that Kennedy not partake in catholic communion, Father James merely stated that the bishop can make that decision. "The bishop can make any decision he would like to," said Father James.
But Father James also spoke of the current wars, and the correlation between thoughts on abortion, which are believed by many to be the taking of a life, and war, which will ultimately take many lives - and how these belief systems are unparalleled.
"War, if justified, can be seen as needed," said Father James. "The question is that we don't know if this current war is justified." Father James also spoke of the segregation that takes place within the monastery between men and women, and what his thoughts were surrounding the possibilities that things may some day change, and that women might be able to serve as monks.
Father James emphasized that the monastery is for men only, and that there are different groups that are designed today for women. He did note that women are, and have always been, welcomed to come and pray with the monks in the chapel during their daily services.
But for the men who reside at the monastery, its entrance is a lengthy process that allows them to make a solid conscience decision to dedicate their life in such a fashion.
Sitting in a room with a beam of light shining through a single window, a mirror being the only decoration gracing the wall of a quiet room, Father James spoke of his own commitment to the monastery, and what the decision process and entry into this life of prayer and communal living has meant to him and others.
For men to enter, according to Father James, they must seriously be thinking of their life, and must be aspiring to live a holy one. The founders wrote a document, the rule of St. Benedict. And this, according to Father James, is the rule that the monks who commit to the monastery must live by.
Father James further described the process of entry, noting that when men arrive they are asked if they are truly seeking God. Men are then allowed to visit and try it out, initially.
He described a recent visit from a gentleman who came to the monastery for a couple of weeks to try it out. This initial application is known as postulancy. Although the gentleman left to return home, he will have time, according to Father James, to think about it and return if he wishes.
The period of postulancy is typically six months, and if the individual seeking entrance has a desire to go further, they are then invited back as novice for a period of one year. And Father James described this novice year as being critical to the process.
"That year is very important," said Father James. "They must do a full year."
He further explained that at the end of that year he can make a commitment for three years if it is agreed upon by the community. Upon completion of the three years, the individual can make a final commitment, or solemn profession, and will then officially become a monk. It is also at this time that their commitment is perpetually binding.
To many, this period of application process and decision-making seems lengthy; but for the monastery, this period of time helps to form the community in which the monks live in and serve.
During an initial introduction to a monastery, an applicant has their background checked to ensure the legitimacy of their quest, and then they are given appropriate time to ensure that their commitment is a solid one.
Father James had thought of entry into a monastery during his early teens, but was too young at that time to enter. In addition, Father James was involved in sports at the Catholic Schools he attended and wasn't quite focused on what he would pursue after high school yet.
But the attraction for Father James, ultimately, was to live a simple life. After visiting a monastery during his last year in high school, in which he met with a monk and sat in on prayer, Father James almost instantly knew that this was what he wanted to do.
"There is a rhythm of life that's calm and peaceful," said Father James. And this simple life, he further described, consists of reading, prayer and work. "It's a community."
But he also added that many find it difficult to enter groups, and that many young people today have too many other options such as college, career, and other organizations that serve.
"Our culture today is even more contrary to this way of life," Father James added.
And this simple life, as Father James described, is exactly that. Outside of going to the doctor, the dentist, and occasionally to the store, the monks are primarily confined to the community in which they live, and this is where they work together, live together, and pray together.
"We have a lifestyle that involves us being here together," he added.
But in spite of this simplicity, Father James also noted that they are not without many of the problems experienced by those who live outside the monastery walls. He noted that some of their biggest problems are illness, and that when it occurs they must care for each other.
He also noted that in some of the larger monasteries there have been fights among community members, and even, although on a rare occasion, murders. "We are still human," said Father James while noting that the Mount Saviour Monastery has been fortunate enough to not experience problems of this magnitude.
"Everything under the sun has happened in this lifestyle," he added. "We are exactly what we say we are - a community - and sometimes personalities conflict or things happen."
But, as stated earlier by Father James, these extreme instances are rare in the communities, and a typical day remains the same throughout the 365 days of each year for every monk.
At 4:25 a.m., the monks at Mount Saviour Monastery wake for a prayer vigil. This early morning prayer takes place at this time in order to serve as the nighttime prayer as the light has not arrived yet on the horizon.
Throughout the day, monks gather in the chapel and the crypt area to chant Psalms. "Our primary prayer is psalms," Father James noted with Psalms 23 and 41 being the most popular.
Father James also noted that the psalms were selected for their range of emotions. "There are joyful psalms, complaint psalms, and every type of emotion you can imagine."
For the upcoming holidays, the monks will serve Thanksgiving dinner at the monastery, and members of the community will be invited in to eat and pray with them. For Christmas, the monks will set up a tree in what they refer to as their common room.
Because Mount Saviour Monastery is a smaller community, they will not have the large orchestras or grand celebrations that larger monasteries are known to have through the holidays.
Yet guests and volunteers remain intrigued by the simple life taking place at the monastery. Diane Treveiler from Elmira has served as a lay minister in her community, and now volunteers her time to book guest rooms on the Mount Saviour property for visitors, and to assist with the bookstore.
Treveiler has been coming to the monastery for 50 years to pray with the monks. "I admire this lifestyle," said Treveiler. "That's why I continue to come here."
Treveiler also noted the humanness that exists in the community of monks, and how they have the same struggles in life that everyone else has.
"They're striving for holiness, but they have their own problems too," said Treveiler.
In the chapel it was 2 p.m. Silence was all that was heard until chanting quietly resounded. Beams of sunlight were shining down to the chapel's center, the heads of the monks were bowed slightly, glancing at the Book of Psalms where the hymns originated before they were resounded. A harp resting near the group waited for its strings to be played. A simple prayer, signifying a simple life filled with holiness and pure commitment, was sung.