Monastic Experience Weekend

Experience life as a monk

The Pluscarden Abbey Monastic Experience Weekend is a long-established event which normally takes place every August.

The community of Benedictine monks at Pluscarden offer this special opportunity for participants to experience what monastic life is all about. The opportunity is suitable for single men who are Catholic, practise their faith, are aged 18-40, and at least open to the possibility of considering a monastic vocation.

Participants will join the monks in their daily prayer and work, and will be offered a close-up insight into some of the treasures of the monastic tradition. The weekend should be interesting, enjoyable, and grace-filled. It may also be of assistance in the process of discerning one's vocation in life. There will be no charge for the weekend.

2024 dates:

2024 Dates: Friday 16th — Monday 19th August

Monastic Experience Weekend

Name

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

Are you a single practising Catholic man aged 18-35?

Yes

Please let us know a little about yourself

How did you hear about Monastic Experience Weekend?

Please share this opportunity with anyone who might be interested!

You can order a pack of leaflets to share, or download and print the leaflet yourself.

Please also help us to advertise this weekend by putting up a poster:

Download the Poster here

Order M.E.W. leaflets

Name

First Name

Last Name

Address for delivery

Address 1

Address 2

City

State/Province

Zip/Postal Code

Country

How many leaflets would you like to order?

Open and print leaflet

“What can be sweeter to us than the voice of the Lord inviting us, dearest brothers? Behold, in his loving kindness he shows us the way of life. ”

Rule of St. Benedict, Prologue, 19-20.

What to expect

We hope that all participants will feel welcome and at ease. To this end, the following points should be noted:

• Arrival is best timed between 3pm and 4pm on the Friday, to allow for allocation of rooms and settling in. An introduction to the weekend programme is scheduled for 4.30pm.

• All meals are provided. Breakfast and supper are self-served in the guest house, where tea and coffee is always available. If participants have any important dietary requirements, please let us know in advance. Bedding and towels are provided, and each of the individual rooms has a wash basin.

• Showers and toilets are on each corridor. Participants should bring with them whatever they need for an overnight stay. It would also be useful to bring some extra clothes, suitable for outdoor work, as this will feature in the programme.

• As far as possible, an environment of quiet and recollection should be maintained; so it would be best if participants are prepared to forego their internet and social media contacts for the duration of the weekend. After the final prayer service of each day, silence should be maintained and all conversation avoided if possible.

• The Abbey is 6 miles south-west of Elgin. We would hope to meet participants at the station. Taxi from Elgin costs around £20. Elgin has bus and rail stations, with regular services from Aberdeen and Inverness. The nearest airport is Inverness (Dalcross), which is served by a range of cheap flights available from Birmingham, Bristol, Gatwick, Luton and Manchester. There is a good bus service between the airport and Elgin.

“Members of religious families enjoy many helps towards holiness of life. They have a stable and solidly based way of life. They receive well-proven teaching on the way of perfection. They are bound together in brotherly communion in the army of Christ. Their Christian liberty is fortified by obedience... Rejoicing in spirit they make progress together on the road of charity.”
Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, n. 43