A visit from the Abbot General
September 19th, 2009
The first week of September, Abbot Stan and the community welcomed the abbot general, Dom Eamon Fitzgerald, and his secretary, Father William Dingwell. In visiting North America, the abbot general selected three houses in the United States and four in Canada for visits. Elected at the MGM in October of 2008, Dom Eamon has been visiting houses of the Order all throughout the world. He was kind enough to give time to each of the monks for an interview and spoke with the community each evening in chapter. It was good to learn of the growth of the numbers of monks and nuns in certain parts of the world and to learn of the creative responses communities are making to the reality of shrinking numbers and aging communities in other places. Our own efforts to negotiate a new industry and bring it to full operation received compliments and the appropriate questions pertaining to learning about farming oyster mushrooms. Dom Eamon and Father William toured all of Mepkin. The abbot general encouraged us in our monastic observances and invited us to consider the importance of the monastic vocation at the heart of the Church. We are very grateful to have been able to offer the abbot general hospitality for his brief stay of two days and hope to enjoy another visit when his schedule permits.