On the feast of St. Bruno, remembering a visit with the Carthusians

By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Oct 06, 2016

Fifteen years ago, to celebrate the 900th anniversary of their founding, the Carthusian monks in the US decided to let one reporter—one—visit their community and report on their life. I was honored to be chosen, and my visit to the charterhouse in Vermont was unforgettable. The strict asceticism of the Carthusian life is the first thing a visitor notices; these men cut no corners. But look a little deeper, and the purity, the beauty of their life also becomes evident.

After my visit, I wrote an article about the experience for Catholic World Report. I hope you’ll take time to read it.

Every day we’re engaged in spiritual warfare. There are days when it seems like trench warfare: muddy, hand-to-hand, exhausting. On those days I like to remind myself that we still have the heavy artillery on Mount Equinox. Read the story, and I think you’ll see what I mean.