Letter to the Editor: ‘Treasured’ Monastery Receives Support

Published: December 13, 2007

To the Editor:

Thank you so much for the uplifting and exciting articles about the Monastery of the Holy Spirit written by Gretchen Keiser (“‘A Season Of Renewal:’ Monks Craft Master Plan To Sustain Community”) in The Georgia Bulletin of Nov. 29. In a very quiet way, the monastery has been part of our lives as Georgia Catholics for so many, many precious years. My mind went all the way back to grade school at Our Lady of the Assumption when our class was taken there on a field trip (over 46 years ago!). The article triggered memories of the monk who showed us the huge barrels full of stained glass pieces. I treasured the deep blue piece of glass he gave to me. He had smoothed the edges of the pieces that he gave to each of us, and we felt we had received a great treasure. The monastery indeed turned out to be a treasure for a lifetime.

Little did I know then that I would find my spiritual director of many years at this same monastery. Thanks to him, I see more clearly the immense love of God as well as learning special skills to live a more trusting and disciplined spiritual life. My hours with him were life changing. I will always be grateful to him for his patience and his gentle sharing of his own spiritual journey at just the right time for my growth.

Now, more years later, I see that the monastery will be meeting needs far into the future! I hope we can also meet their need to be self-supporting. As family life director in our archdiocese, I can’t tell you how many times I have heard dreams of having an additional retreat facility for our many marriage retreats. Ignatius House serves so many of us so well, but it can’t fit all of our many marriage programs into its generous walls every weekend that we want it! How wonderful to think that we will have additional help!

Thank you for your articles and thank you to the monks of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit!

Mary Ellen Hughes, Director, Family Life Office, Atlanta