Courtney McGrailOver 200 people attended a conference hosted by The Irish Catholic at the weekend on the theme of ‘Thomas Merton: The re-making of a monk’. US-based Prof. Michael W. Higgins, who has written several books on Merton, started off the day with an exploration of the life and writings of the mystic monk.
He spoke of Merton’s ongoing relevance today, not just in terms of his spirituality, but also on social justice issues.
The conference, which was held in All Hallows College, Dublin on Saturday, continued in the afternoon with Irish historian and theologian, Mary T. Malone discussing Thomas Merton in the context of the female mystics.
The day was then concluded with a talk by the Abbot of the Cistercian Abbey in Roscrea, Dom. Richard Purcell, who gave an overview of what life would have been like for Merton living in religious community.
The full conference was recorded by Eist Audio and CDs are available for purchase by contacting 087 2789 390.