Holidays in the Monastery

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During religious holidays sometimes supporters of the monastery will come to celebrate the holiday and to enjoy a time of religious retreat. A guesthouse existed for this purpose and the monks were always happy to share their hospitality. It was on such an occasion that a family from Ballymena, a town north of Antrim, came for Easter. Malcolm and Bree MacConnell brought with them their 17 year old niece, who they now were her guardians, because her parents had passed away a few months earlier from the fever. The MacConnell’s had hoped that the time spent at the monastery would be restful for her and possibly give her heart a chance to heal. The young lady’s name was Reagan O’Malley.

Customary, the family would dine with the Abbot on the first night of their arrival. Because of certain circumstances the dinner had to be scheduled for the night before they left to go back home. As was also customary, one of the brothers was asked to join the meal, usually held in the Abbot’s apartment, as a dinner guest for conversation and also to be available to serve in any capacity if nec...

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