Weekly THIS AND THAT for October 21, 2007: Preparing to Leave Home

This and That:
Preparing to Leave Home

Dear Friend,

This month has the “feel” of August 1959. It was then that I began packing my shinny new black steamer trunk for the State University of New York at Oneonta. Those days were filled with anticipation and excitement of new frontiers for learning, being away from my family, and gaining a new sense of independence at the tender age of 18.

While the black steamer trunk is now replaced with three pieces of luggage, the anticipation and excitement of a life “away from home” is still there. However, the “college” will be three months of silence, work, and prayer at a Trappist Abbey. Of course there will be learning going on, but it will be more about who I am, where I’ve been and where I’m heading in life and in passing over to eternal life.

Lest this all sound too lofty, there are practical questions that need to be answered in the ten weeks that remain before January 1, 2008: How many sets of work clothes do I need to bring? How many sets of casual clothes? Do I need dress clothes or a clergy suit? What do monks wear in the winter in South Carolina for an overcoat; do I need to bring gloves? Do I need a raincoat? One thing I know for certain is that I will not need a bathing suit for there’s no pool and the Cooper River has alligators in it! I saw them, myself. I will definitely be taking some photos of the people of Our Lady of Grace at Mass. What better way to remember you and stay united in the faith?

I have made some decisions regarding communication with the “outside world” while I am there from January 3rd through April 3rd. I will not be doing emails, given the fact that responding to the sixty to seventy that I get each day would occupy a good part of the monastic day as it does presently. A simple message will be sent to each sender: “Father Nick is in a Trappist monastery for three months. His mailbox is not receiving messages until mid-April 2008. If your email is an emergency, please forward it directly to Sr. Mary Therese, the parish Interim Pastor at mwhite@ourladygrace.org.”

One decision I have made is to drop permanently the monthly newsletter that I have been writing since a become pastor 12 and one half years ago. Sister Mary Therese continues to assume many of my responsibilities, e.g. monthly Report of the Pastor, agenda and chairing Pastoral Team meetings, chairing the Search Committee for our new principal, taking part in more and more pastoral issues that come up each week, making decisions jointly regarding the life of the parish, being part of the oversight of the Annual Offertory Renewal, etc. I have to be careful I may work myself out of a job! Of course, I am only joking, but I am confident she will do wonderful work as Interim Pastor for those three months.

One final note on prayer: I will be consecrating the 90 days of prayer, work, and silence to God for the future of Our Lady of Grace School and Catholic School education in general. If you would like me to pray daily for a special intention of yours, please email it to me at namato@earthlink.net and I will keep it in my prayer book. I would, of course, ask you for your prayers that I persevere in my own coming to know the Lord more deeply during this time away home.

The November newsletter will give you an in-depth view of every hour of the monastic day within the cloister from rising at 3:00am to retiring at 8:00pm. Please watch for it. In addition, during the month of December, the kiosk in the Gathering Space will feature photos and excerpts from the monastery home page (www.mepkinabbey.org/)

Fondly,
Father Nick Amato