Thursday, July 12, 2007

Weekly MESSAGE for July 15, 2007: Retreat at Mepkin Abbey

July 15, 2007

Focus: Retreat at Mepkin Abbey

Dear Friend,

As many of you know by now, the Cardinal has given me permission to take a six-month sabbatical for calendar year 2008. My plan is to live three months in a residency program at Mepkin Abbey, a Trappist Monastery in Monks Corner, South Carolina from January 3, 2008 to April 4, 2008 and then return to continue on as pastor of Our Lady of Grace. In September my plan is to spend three months at the Ecumenical Institute at Tantur, Israel. That should get me back to the parish by early December.

Each year priests of the Archdiocese make a one-week retreat and I have been doing that every June with my Clergy Support Group. This year however, there will be a difference. The Abbott at Mepkin Abbey suggested I spend week with the community as my weekly retreat to get a feel for the community. So on Monday I will drive 9½ hours to South Carolina to do just that. On the way home I will stop in North Carolina for a family reunion and to baptize my two new twin grandnieces.

All this is to say that I will not be sending you an email of the weekly message, This and That, and homily next week. See you back two weeks from today.

Have a good week.

Best regards,
Father Nick Amato

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