My latest article for CRUX reflects on my visit in June to the Monks of Norcia
Historically the monks have endured great hardships without complaint or self-concern. They have been persecuted, slandered, and imprisoned. Their monasteries have been turned into prisons and poor houses. Their buildings have been razed, only to be raised again. Time and again I have visited modern communities built on the ruins of ancient monasteries. As one monk said with a quiet smile, “We’re like weeds. We come back.”
It was therefore with great anticipation that I took the opportunity this summer to spend a week in Italy. While there, I took the time to re-connect with a former student who is a novice with the Monks of Norcia.
Once we escaped the hectic traffic and summer heat of Rome, our drive through the rugged hill country of Umbria seemed to take us back in time. We arrived, settled in, and joined the monks for Vespers in their church built over the birthplace of the saint.
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