(Editor’s note: In this photo, Father Jerome Machar makes some Colgate students laugh during a weekend retreat at the Abbey of Genesee in Piffard, N.Y. Photo by Timothy Sofranko/Colgate University)
Only necessary conversation was permitted during a 36-hour period.
‘You can think of it as a sort of vacation from all the things that beep and ring at you in your normal life,’ the information sheet said of the weekend retreat to the Abbey of Genesee.
And yet, the near-constant silence didn’t faze the participants.
Fourteen Colgate students, three faculty members, and two members of the Hamilton community spent the past weekend at the Abbey of Genesee, which is about 45 minutes south of Rochester. Their time was devoted to inner contemplation, deepening one’s practice of prayer, steeping themselves in monastic spirituality, and learning Christian forms of prayer and meditation.
The trip was organized by Mark Shiner, Colgate’s interim Catholic chaplain. The $25 cost covered meals and transportation.
‘It (the weekend) was great,’ Shiner said. ‘It took a while for people to be able to explain the weekend. Rather than process it as it was happening, many debriefed at the end.’
In essence, the trip served as a chance to take hiatus from the stresses of daily life. It was a chance for participants to listen to God, and seek understanding of God’s role in their individual lives.
The monks are part of the worldwide order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, commonly known as Trappists. They live a cloistered life dedicated to the worship of God, following the Rule of St. Benedict which mandates they lead a life in solitude, silence, prayer, and penitence.
The monks are also famous for their ‘Monks’ Bread.’ Three days a week they bake the bread, which is sold in grocery stores and other food vendors in upstate New York. They use modern baking facilities on site, and the bread sales help cover living expenses at the abbey.
The Colgate group arrived Friday afternoon. Eleven slept in a small house about 20 minutes from the Abbey Church; the other eight in another retreat house. The 11 that slept in the house together cooked their own food; the others had meals provided.
Days and nights were essentially structured around prayer sessions. The monks pray seven times a day, totaling five hours per day, including a 2:30 a.m. liturgy that drew the majority of the Colgate group.
‘The 2:30 a.m. vigils stand out in my memory. I remember being tired and wondering why I was awake at such an early hour, but by the end I was glad to have attended that particular liturgy,’ said first-year Louis Aliperti.
Time in between prayer sessions was spent reading, journaling, taking walks, and, on occasion, in private conversation with monks about an individual’s spirituality or relationship with God.
The group also had two conferences on Friday and Saturday night, where a monk would teach the group about prayer and spirituality. The group also viewed two short videos about monastic life.
Conversation was limited to prayer, conferences, private discussions with monks, and necessary speech. Many appreciated the silence, even if they were sharing rooms with one another.
‘The things we weren’t talking about were nonsense. We spoke when it mattered; knowing when the time was appropriate was the hard part,’ said sophomore Tiffany Chu.
‘I found the silence quite refreshing. Much of our time is truly monopolized by idle chatter. It was great to be able to focus on prayer and the study of sacred text, something not so easily accomplished in a Colgate dorm or dining hall,’ said sophomore John Drymon.
Shiner did not persuade people to attend the trip, nor did he aggressively market it. He drew up a simple information sheet about the retreat that he tacked to the back of the church bulletin. Those interested in attending e-mailed him.
He would have settled for four participants; he would have been ecstatic if he had six attend. Having 19 register was elation.
Shiner had previously spent considerable time at the Abbey of Genesee. When he was 19 years old and studying at a nearby college, Shiner read a diary of Henri Nouwen’s six-month stay at the abbey titled ‘Genesee Diary.’ Touched by the book, Shiner visited the abbey himself.
‘My experience of it was a mixture of awe, fear, and being really attracted to it. I gradually grew in my relationship with the place,’ he said.
Shiner built a relationship with the abbey over the next few years. Going there, he said, was ‘a source of stability and peace, and challenged me to live my life in a better way under the teachings of Christ.’
He is aware that many people ‘ students at Colgate included ‘ have a connection with their faith that feels somewhat institutional.
‘I wanted to expose people to this way of life. God would be able to awaken for them a sense ‘ a presence ‘ in their lives. I wanted people to see Christianity lived out in a radically different way,’ Shiner said.
Though the nature of the weekend retreat was a very personal one, Shiner feels that the group as a whole appreciated the weekend greatly.
‘I wanted to go because I get so caught up in everything I am doing that I never get individual time with God and to focus on our relationship. I felt like a silent retreat would foster this communication,’ Chu said.
Aliperti was one of two students who packaged the baked bread with the monks. The job, he said, was ‘fast paced’ but rewarding.
‘They were all very kind and thankful of the help. During breaks, the monks showed us how the machines worked, and explained their marketing secrets. Later that weekend, some of the monks thanked us for helping with the bread when they saw us at mass. For me, it was a rewarding part of the retreat,’ he said.
Marilyn Thie, professor of philosophy and religion who is on sabbatical this year, also attended the retreat. Thie was particularly struck by the way in which students settled into monastic life and became comfortable with means of living so dissimilar to their own.
‘It seemed to me that the students really entered fully into participating in the various religious services we had access to. But they also seemed to move into the whole atmosphere ‘ the ethos ‘ of silence, in terms of spending time reflecting and reading,’ she said.
The weekend also had sociological implications: Thie and Shiner agree that for students to be exposed to monastic life, to understand it, is very helpful to understanding living Christianity. Most will never have the opportunity again unless they seek it out.
Shiner is planning future retreats. He would like to organize two per year: one programmed, and one silent. Many present on this trip said they would return.
The weekend spent in silence and simplicity was a welcome change for the participants. Some used it to rejuvenate; others to enhance their relationship with God. The silence ‘ once a caveat ‘ was appreciated.
Jess Buchsbaum
Communications Department
315.228.6637