Mepkin Honors Father Christian on his 100th Birthday

Sunday, September 14th, 2014 on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, the Mepkin community celebrated the 100th birthday of Father Christian Carr. Father Christian’s nephew, Dan Stacey and his wife, Eve, joined the community at the celebration of the Eucharist and for Midday Prayer and the noon meal. Father Christian served as the second abbot of Mepkin and in his abbatial service saw the community through important years of transition following the Second Vatican Council. He is remembered for encouraging a deep sense of hospitality as is recommended in the Rule of Saint Benedict. In the years since he retired as abbot, Father Christian has served for a time as chaplain to our Trappistine sisters in Uganda, been most generous for a long while in offering visitors an orientation and tours, as well as guiding those who have sought his wise counsel in spiritual direction. With the community, Father Christian’s family and our retreatants were a select group of friends whom Father invited to be with him for the occasion.

While those assembled enjoyed cake and ice cream, Father Christian was presented with a Papal Blessing, and letters of commendation from the Abbot General, Dom Eamon Fitzgerald, and our own Abbot, Father Stan, were read. All the abbots and abbesses of the Order are gathered in Assisi for our General Chapter and at the close of morning prayer on that morning, the Abbot General offered a prayer for Father Christian after which all assembled responded with a standing ovation. You may wish to reference the article published in the Catholic Miscellany http://www.themiscellany.org/index.php/news/4829-being-a-monk-is-a-happy-vocation-for-father-christian . Please join the monastic community in thanking God for Father Christian, for his service to his brothers at Mepkin and asking God to continue to give him good health and strength.