Our postulant, Sean Young, was clothed in the monastic habit and received the name Br. Leo at Vespers (evening prayer) on July 10, 2018.  This ceremony marks the beginning of the Novitiate, which will continue for him until July 11, 2019.  The Novitiate is a period of formation and instruction in the monastic way of life; in the Novitiate, Br. Leo will receive classes on the Rule of St. Benedict, monastic history, Scripture, human development, and liturgy, among other topics.  For Br. Leo, 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. Leo is an alumnus of Belmont Abbey College, graduating in 2013 with a degree in English.  Before coming to the monastery in March of 2018, he had been working as an editor and proofreader for a magazine in Arlington, Virginia.  We are happy to welcome Br. Leo to the Novitiate!