Meet two of Mepkin’s observers
December 1st, 2009
At present Mepkin is pleased to have two men staying with us in blue shirts. A “blue shirt” signifies that a man, after a number of vocation discernment visits, following the proper course for determining that he wishes to enter, is now spending a lengthy time with the community and sharing our life of prayer, work study, eating with us, etc. This is the time when a man submits his formal application to join the community.
Jay Thornton, having spent three months with us in discernment earlier this year, has returned to make formal application. Jay comes to us from Maine. Having been educated as an attorney, he has worked in the field of education and most recently was living a secluded life in solitude up in Maine.
Matt Proia has been visiting Mepkin for four years. Originally from upstate New
York, he came to Charleston after graduating from college and slowly began to visit then retreat at Mepkin. His attraction to monastic life developed into a desire to explore the possibility of a vocation. And he has stayed with us for a lengthy time twice in the past. Matt has also begun formal application to enter.
Kindly remember these men in you prayers as well as the men who have been visiting to discern if God is calling them to enter Mepkin. At present we have nine other men at different stages of a discernment process.