BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. – Known for living a quiet, isolated life dedicated to faith and prayer, internet-savvy monks at Mepkin Abbey are looking for other opportunities to interact with the outside world.
In mid-April, they launched their official Twitter account, Mepkin Daily Word, where they share thoughtful insights, inspired by their daily liturgical readings and sermons.
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“In drawing the tweets from the heart of our morning communal prayer and Mass, we hope it might be a point of connection through which Mepkin can extend and share the communion of love we seek to foster in our monastery and with the larger connected community,” Fr. Joseph Tedesco told The Berkeley Observer.
According to Fr. Tedesco, who came to the monastery in 2008 and now heads it, it was a fellow monk at Mepkin Abbey who suggested Twitter as another way to inspire and connect with people.
“Rather than just getting our name out there, which of course can be an added benefit, we feel the Twitter account is more a natural outflow of our life of prayer and our desire to invite all others deeper into the experience of God’s love and the joy of a life of unceasing prayer,” he added.
Mepkin Abbey is a community of Roman Catholic monks who live a life of mostly solitude along the Cooper River in Cordesville. The monastery was established in 1949 on the site of the historic Mepkin Plantation. The site was founded by monks of Gethsemani in Kentucky, which belong to the worldwide Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance popularly known as Trappist.
Trappist monks at Mepkin Abbey lead a strict life mostly free of daily distractions. The use of cellphones and the internet are severely limited. They also maintain decided degrees of separation from the outside world.
“Important limits are placed on technology use and social media, especially among newcomers, in order to allow each individual the space to cultivate these important values and to encounter God in deeper silence of the heart. There are general limits, use of phone once per week as needed among newcomers for example, but more specifically each monk makes an agreement with the abbot with regards to the appropriate use of technology,” Fr. Tedesco explained.
Within moderation, however, technology, including social media, has allowed monks at Mepkin Abbey to keep the community in the loop of events and activities as well as to help them potentially reach new recruits. Thirteen monks, whose ages range from 33 to 90, currently call the monastery home.
“We are blessed to have a handful of others seriously discerning transfer and/or entrance at this time, as well as an increasing number desiring to make first visits of discernment,” Fr. Tedesco said. “We are excited that many more young people are increasingly showing interest in the life and are inquiring about discernment visits, and also coming on retreat.”
According to Fr. Tedesco, one dedicated monk at Mepkin Abbey handles most of their social media posting. To follow Mepkin on Twitter, click here. You can also find them on Facebook.
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