I recently returned from a five day "silent retreat" to Gethsemani Abbey in the gorgeous foothills of Kentucky. Home of some devout, yet light-hearted at the same time, monks, once you're there...it's stillness. Silence. Peace.
We arrived on Monday afternoon. Once you're in a certain zone...silence begins. The monks rise at 3 AM every morning, and retire at 8 PM. All of their services, starting with the zero dark thirty one, are open for retreatants to sit in on. I will say that I did indeed attend one of the zero dark thirty services...and it was exquisite. Monotonous, yet peaceful and strong, prayers echoing through the dark. The experience was hypnotic and empowering, and I do believe that I had some "spiritual" visions.
As many likely know, much of my background is Irish Catholic. ("Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" "Go to confession!" "Don't be bold!") This isn't the post to go into the ranting details...although the Church has seen many, many controversies and scandals over the years, there is still some pull that I feel towards the practices. I likely will never be truly confirmed into the faith, however I was still pleased to more or less be a part of this for a few days.
The area, rural Kentucky, is beautiful. I wouldn't completely up front say no to living there. (We won't get into the details of the drawback of much of it being Trump country...that can be brought up another time.)
The paths around the monastery are hilly enough to give one a good cardio workout! But be sure to check out the hiking trails nearby. I only did the "Path to the Statues", a little under a mile (about a mile and a half to and from.) The terrain is fairly rugged, but nothing that will kill casual hikers and backpackers.
Several other trails wind around the property, the longest of which is two miles. Overall, this area is highly recommended for outdoors folk!
About the "Statues" - said "statues" are a small series of statues (indeed) dedicated to the fallen heroes of the Civil Rights movement. These monuments off the beaten path tie the tragedy of the race riots to the last days of Jesus. While some may say that a small area on a remote woodland trail is a strange place to have such a memorial, I say that it pretty much works. I see it as a way to use the meditative presence of nature to reflect on the trials and tribulations of Jesus...not to mention, of course, those of whom boldly gave their lives for a fairer world back in the 1960's. We still have a fairly far way to go...particularly with neurodiversity and disability rights!
The monks make good fudge. Yes, you read that: delicious fudge! You can opt to try bourbon and non-bourbon fudge, all available in several different flavors...mint, toffee, and coconut to mention a few. We also purchased (there is a gift shop on site) some good lavender hand cream (I hope to order more, needed in the upcoming winter months), and some good preserves, which I have been enjoying on bread with peanut butter.
Meals are eaten in silence. I will say that the food wasn't terrible! It more or less reminded me of meals during training at the Ohio Fire Academy...and that's more or less a compliment. 😆 Although the monks eat a fairly meager diet, and apparently no meat, retreatants all enjoy chicken, pork, and pasta dishes, to name a few.
Retreatants also enjoy their own private room, complete with bathroom and shower. Really, you can do whatever you want at this retreat...many choose to stay in the stillness in their room the entire time. I often took advantage of this in order to finish Frank Herbert's acclaimed "Dune" (more about that my thoughts on that later) and start up on my Autumn 2024 semester, all online. Yes, they do have free Wi Fi! I was worried that the Wi Fi would be screwy, but surprisingly it worked well.
Overall, this was a great time. Want some quiet time away in a beautiful area? Consider heading to Gethsemani Abbey, in the foothills of Kentucky! Again, could I live in the area? Possibly so...
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