By Erika C.
Mount Savior Monastery is located on a mountain outside of Elmira, N.Y. It has scenic trails, fields of sheep, and retreat accommodations. Eleven female students from The Family Foundation School were chosen to spend three days at the monastery.
Mount Savior is a community of monks that live according to Scripture and the Rule of St. Benedict. On the campus there are a chapel and houses for people spending time on retreat. There is also a bookstore selling wool from the sheep, homemade apple cider, rosaries, icons, etc.
Audra Towsley, a staff member at FFS, took the girls to Mount Savior on November 1l. The students were accompanied by staff members Caren Jacques, Roxi Losicco, and Christine Speicher.
The students had the option of attending the seven daily prayer services that the monks attend.
The day started at 4:45 a.m. with a vigil in a crypt at the bottom of the chapel. The day ended with compline (night prayer) at 8:15. The seven services throughout the day were about two hours apart and consisted of singing hymns and chanting psalms.
In between prayer services, the students had down time which they could spend walking along the various trails, feeding the animals in the monastery’s barn, or visiting the bookstore. They also got a chance to help the monks with their chores by raking leaves around the campus.
The girls were advised to remain quiet and observant throughout the weekend. The purpose of the retreat was to have a spiritual and relaxing experience and to get in touch with a higher power. “I enjoyed the solitude of the weekend and being in such a peaceful place,” said Sarah B. of Talbot House.
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