Inside the regular monastic guesthouse where male guests come to stay, there is one corridor, which is set aside for those who are discerning a monastic vocation at Buckfast. For those who want to explore becoming a monk at Buckfast we usually ask them to stay as a regular guest in the monastic guesthouse. Then if the idea of becoming a monk still appeals to them, they can stay for a longer period than the week usually permitted in the guesthouse. During that the time, they attend the daily prayers in the Church with the monks and eat in the refectory on a table little closer to the monks than the ordinary guest. They would be expected to do small jobs in the monastery, or depending on the weather, outside in the grounds.
We have recently had two such guests, both of them expressing a wish to desire the community. Due to the decent weather and because of the time of year, they have been assisting in the picking of summer fruits, some of which were destined to become ingredients for the various jams as part the Monk’s Kitchen range.
As they were also here during the period of the Summer Fair, they also agreed to help out at the beer and beef stall, assisting the in the selling of our range of jams, chutneys and chocolates. For those whose memories go back that far, they were the ones in the white coats. They may have expected the small jobs in the quiet of the monastery, but helping out with public in the hustle and bustle of the Summer Fair was an entirely different, but they did find it an enjoyable, experience and gave them a positive view of life here at Buckfast Abbey.
