Our postulant, Daniel McKeon, was clothed in the monastic habit and received the name Br. Bede at Vespers (evening prayer) on January 14, 2019.  This ceremony marks the beginning of the Novitiate, which will continue for him until January 15, 2020.  The Novitiate is a period of formation and instruction in the monastic way of life; in the Novitiate, Br. Bede will receive classes on the Rule of St. Benedict, monastic history, Scripture, human development, and liturgy, among other topics.  For Br. Bede, it is also a period of continuing discernment through prayer, as he seeks to determine if God is calling him to this way of life.

Br. Bede is an alumnus of Kennesaw State University, having a B.A. in English and a B.S. in English Education.  Before coming to the monastery in September of 2018, he had been working as an English teacher at Gilmer High School in Ellijay, Georgia.  We are happy to welcome Br. Bede to the Novitiate!