Monastic Life Is Not Being a Hermit

by Ida Williams, Director of Marketing and Communications

This weekend I was volunteering at an event, and in one of those “down time” conversations with another volunteer, the topic naturally turned to our jobs. People are often fascinated by my job: working for a monastery, those mysterious people on the mountain.

During this conversation, it became very apparent that the other person had a preconceived notion of monks, nuns, and monasteries. To put it bluntly, the person said that monks and nuns are hermits and do not live in the real world.

FAR FROM IT!

What an opportunity for me to share and educate someone about the monastery.

New Skete is a place to hide?

Are you kidding me?  There is more contact with the “public” or “outside world” than in many vocations.

The monastery hires staff. This means that the monks and nuns, in work situations, have co-workers. Bakery staff members work with the nuns. Laypeople work in the dog training and breeding kennel alongside the monks. Administrative and maintenance staff interact with the monastics to help keep the monasteries operating efficiently. Relationships, as found in any company, are formed. Stories and experiences are shared, jokes are told, and family woes are shared, as are prayers, laughter, and tears.

There are customers. The Monks and Nuns of New Skete earn a living with their own two hands. They bake cheesecakes, smoke cheeses for local farms, train dogs for people from throughout the United States and Canada. Puppy customers arrive at the door. Visitors come to the gift shop. Sister Patricia makes deliveries to cheesecake wholesalers. Brothers Christopher and Thomas meet, video, and Skype with dog training customers. Brother Luke introduces puppies to their new families. Brother Gregory not only rings up a sale in the gift shop but will put on his religious habit for a photo with the visitors in the church with his dog.

Construction projects like the current renovation of the small church require meetings with architects and contractors to gather bids, negotiate contracts, and work with builders. All aspects of ordinary life like heating oil delivery, recycling and trash pick-up, insurance, bakery supplies, and dog food companies require human contacts. There is grocery shopping. (Yes, the monks and nuns do their own shopping. Next time you are in the grocery store, remember the person in line in front of you may be a monk or a nun. Practice patience.) There are doctor and dentist appointments; no one makes house calls these days. There are trips to the Department of Motor Vehicles, the hardware store, and the pharmacy.

The monks and nuns host tours, events, concerts, and seminars. The monastery hosts approximately one to two group tours a week during the spring, summer, and fall. This week we have a tour scheduled for 75 children from an Albany middle school. Next week SUNY Adirondack will be at the monastery for a continuing education program they conduct twice a year. Open House, Pilgrimage, and Animal Blessing bring hundreds of people in attendance. This past weekend, the Konevets Quartet performed a concert in the Holy Wisdom Church to over 100 concert goers. During the Fall and Lenten Retreats, the monastics welcome 50 people into their home for conferences, a meal, and fellowship. In the spring and summer, an average of 40 people will attend the Art of Living with Your Dog seminar, and 20 people will attend the Force Free Method Dog Training Workshop for these multi-day seminars.

Each week, guests stay at New Skete on individual spiritual retreats. Friday night the monks had 23 guests for dinner, and on Saturday 30. I’ve only had this many guests in my home for dinner on a holiday or for a summer barbeque. Many of these guests assist the brothers and sisters in their daily chores during their stay. It is common to see a guest working alongside a monastic doing dishes after a meal, weeding the flower beds, cleaning the church, and helping with light maintenance. It is also common to see a guest and a monk lingering after dinner to enjoy a conversation.

The monks and nuns are up to date on current events. Newspapers, television (I think they only get one channel) and the internet provide a constant flow of information. They vote in elections. They follow politics, entertainment, arts, and science—and some even have Facebook pages. They are all avid readers, of both liturgical and secular works.

They participate in activities outside of the monastery. Some are members of the Battenkill Chorale, a 100-voice unauditioned chorus from six counties in New York and Vermont. Others volunteer at Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry in the town of Cambridge. While they do not purchase tickets to sports or entertainment venues, occasionally they receive a gift of admission. I have seen a couple of the brothers at a hockey game, though I believe their preference may be baseball. Once a year, they go out to dinner at a local restaurant. They travel to visit family and friends on the west coast, Colorado, and Maine. They appear as guest speakers at churches throughout the United States and Canada. Brother Christopher is a member of the International Association of Canine Professionals and is frequently a speaker at their annual conference.

All these activities take place on a foundation of devotion.  During daily worship services, the monks and nuns share their dedication to God with chapel members and visitors.  This past year they formed a fellowship program, The Companions of New Skete. The 114 members of this program receive weekly reflections and guidance in their spiritual lives. Brother Christopher and Sister Rebecca provide individual spiritual direction for seeking a deeper relationship with God.

The dictionary defines a “hermit” as “a person living in solitude as a religious discipline,” but I would be hard pressed to define the monks and nuns by any of the synonyms listed with the definition. Recluse? Solitary? Loner? I would use words like reflective, contemplative, thoughtful, and hospitable.

Putting all this into words left me with another realization. No wonder the monastics need to take their own retreats every year!