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Monasteries offer taster weekends | Monasteries offer taster weekends |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Religious orders in Britain are giving people the chance to "try out" becoming a nun or a monk for a weekend. | Religious orders in Britain are giving people the chance to "try out" becoming a nun or a monk for a weekend. |
The Roman Catholic church is hoping to slow a decline in people choosing monastic life by arranging the weekends at Worth Abbey in West Sussex. | The Roman Catholic church is hoping to slow a decline in people choosing monastic life by arranging the weekends at Worth Abbey in West Sussex. |
In 2007, Catholic orders had just 29 novices in England and Wales, compared to 217 in 1982. | In 2007, Catholic orders had just 29 novices in England and Wales, compared to 217 in 1982. |
This weekend's offer is solely for men but women and men can attend all other weekend sessions. | |
During their time at the abbey, they pray five times a day and eat meals in silence. | |
The weekends do not have a specific cost, although donations are accepted. | |
The rooms are designed to look like the monks' quarters and visitors are expected to follow the rhythm of their daily life. | The rooms are designed to look like the monks' quarters and visitors are expected to follow the rhythm of their daily life. |
This means rising at dawn, eating in silence while listening to a reading and walking to the church for prayers five times a day. | This means rising at dawn, eating in silence while listening to a reading and walking to the church for prayers five times a day. |
Ric Slatter, a media graduate who is on a series of weekends, said the weekends would help him decide if the priesthood was right for him. | |
"It's far easier to come on this try-before-you-buy, no-strings-attached event, than to knock on the doors of a monastery and say 'I think I might want to join'," he said. | "It's far easier to come on this try-before-you-buy, no-strings-attached event, than to knock on the doors of a monastery and say 'I think I might want to join'," he said. |
"For a long time the celibacy thing was one of the biggest things in my head, like 'could I actually do that'. But the input we've had has helped to say 'well actually, if that was what I was meant to be doing then yes, I could'." | "For a long time the celibacy thing was one of the biggest things in my head, like 'could I actually do that'. But the input we've had has helped to say 'well actually, if that was what I was meant to be doing then yes, I could'." |
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