On Sunday, January 11th, many in our Charis community traveled to Snowmass, CO, for the final Mass at St. Benedict’s monastery. Hundreds came from across the country to share in saying goodbye to the monastery, and to wish the remaining monks blessings on their continuing journey. St. Benedict’s has been a sacred land for many over the past 60 years, and is the birthplace of Charis, which was founded during a new monastic dialogue there in 2014. Sadness and joy filled the air as familiar faces met, embracing in tearful hugs that often led to sharing memories.
Founded in 1956, St. Benedict’s was home to a number of Trappist monks and is the burial place of Fr. Thomas Keating, Fr. Joseph Boyle, and Fr. Theophane Boyd, among others. In addition to the hundreds of centering prayer retreats held there, St. Ben’s was also home to the Snowmass Interspiritual Conferences (1984-2015), a tradition Charis continues with its Charis Snowmass Dialogues. Charis also held numerous retreats there, including the final public retreat held at St. Benedict’s Retreat House, a Charis Circles Facilitation Training in 2023.
Sacred places of refuge are the lungs and kidneys of our planet, allowing space for the human family to breathe, and processing in its contemplative depths much of humanities’ dis-ease. As monastic places of refuge continue to close, often becoming private residences of the ultra wealthy, we pray that the sacred land there continues to have an effect on all who walk the land, and that more places like Charis Mandala continue to arise as a service to the whole of the human family. May we all continue in our journeys of transformation…
We highly recommend the wonderful article from Aspen journalist Kaya Williams on the closing of St. Benedict’s, which includes a lengthy section on its legacy of interspirituality, and on the work of Charis in continuing this legacy.
Click Here for the Article
