I look at my religion with the simplicity of a little child. Sometimes we dissect things too much.'' Sister Corinne, who gets around the property in a golf cart, said hundreds of people have been through the monastery since it began, many of them seeking monastic life. Not all of them stay. Visiting certainly is easier than staying. The five monastic vows are poverty, chastity, obedience, conversion of life and stability.
Most young people are unwilling to live a celibate life.
And in a time of materialism, self-denial is also difficult to come by, Almasy said. Even so, Almasy, Sister Corinne and the other monks are keeping faith for the future. Monasticism has been through the grinder through history, and it will probably adapt itself to the society somehow. 2001 AzStarNet , Arizona Daily Star and its wire services and suppliers and may not be republished without permission. All rights reserved.