Monday, July 13, 2009

Picnic At Thomas Merton's Hermitage



Yesterday I woke up at the crack of dawn and headed down the highway. My first stop was the Huddle House where I met my good friend, Fr Dennis. We try to get together at least once a month. We have the most wonderful conversations that can go in almost any direction. Whichever way they go they are never boring. After breakfast and a short stop at his home we both headed to the monastery to join the monks for Sunday mass. Later, after mass, I joined another group of friends for a picnic at Thomas Merton's hermitage. It was rather hot and typical of summer in Kentucky. The temperature hovered near 90 degrees and the humidity was high. In spite of the heat I had a very enjoyable time. There were approximately 15 people there along with several of the monks. It was especially nice for some folks since they were making their first visit to Merton's. I have been there many times including two private visits where I made extended weekend retreats. Spending time alone in Merton's Hermitage, especially at night while the rain poured down in the surrounding woods, was quite a treat. The hermitage itself has changed very little since Merton himself lived there. Pictured above are a couple of shots from yesterday's gathering.

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