Monks searching for new vocation

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. --- Nearly two years ago, the quiet lives of Trappist monks in South Carolina were disrupted by accusations they were mistreating chickens in their egg business. The monks say they did nothing wrong but now, because of the glare of publicity, are turning to new ways to earn their daily bread.

The monks plan to end their egg operation in January and are considering alternatives that seem well suited to the gentle rhythms of Mepkin Abbey. One likely possibility is growing mushrooms for the vibrant restaurant scene in Charleston, some 30 miles to the south.

"We're very hopeful," Father Stan Gumula, abbot of the monastery, said in a recent interview. "We are not yet ready to say, 'Here we are, folks, find them in your grocery store.' But that's where it is moving."

The 24 monks at Mepkin, members of an order founded in 1098, work to provide income for the abbey for expenses such as food, utilities and health care.

The egg farm, which Father Gumula once said produced 9 million eggs annually, was targeted in 2007 by animal welfare activists who claimed it was a factory farm using debeaked hens crammed into small cages. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals called for a boycott, publicized what it said was undercover video of the abbey's operation and complained to federal and state agencies.

Mepkin said it was not doing anything wrong; the abbey said its operation met industry standards and was certified by the country's largest trade group for commercial egg farmers.

A Federal Trade Commission spokesman said the agency took no enforcement action after the PETA complaint. And the state Agriculture Department's most recent inspection -- last week -- found the monks' operation in compliance with agriculture regulations, a spokeswoman said.

Even so, the monks said they decided to get out of the egg business because the publicity had disrupted their quiet lives of prayer and contemplation.

They've considered almost 40 other ways to support themselves, including making wine and beer, gathering honey and growing bamboo for use in construction. The abbey now is experimenting with growing oyster mushrooms to sell in local stores and restaurants.

The monks also are considering building a columbarium, where the ashes of loved ones are kept. Father Gumula said the grounds of the monastery, which sits on a tree-shrouded bluff overlooking the Cooper River, is an ideal place for such a facility.

"This is a wonderful place for that to happen and it cuts across all kinds of denominational lines," said Father Gumula. "And those with no denomination, no religious affiliation, would still like to be at Mepkin and have their ashes here."

Mepkin was founded in 1949, though nearby Moncks Corner dates to the first half of the 18th century. The town itself has nothing to do with monks: It was named for Thomas Monck, a local landowner.

Since the abbey was established, the monks have worked at everything from making bread and cinnamon buns to selling milk and, for now, eggs.