On Episode 20 of WCAT Radio’s “Vows, Vocations, and Promises: Discerning the Call of Love,” show-host Dr. Mary Anne Urlakis interviews this week’s guest, Fr. Isaac Slater, O.C.S.O. regarding his life as a Trappist Monk at the Abbey of the Genesee. Fr. Isaac Slater O.C.S.O, is a Roman Catholic Priest, and the Vocations Director for the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance at the Abbey of the Genesee in Piffard, New York. The Abbey of the Genesee was founded from the Abbey of Gethsemani, in Trappist, Kentucky in 1951, and is part of the larger Cistercian family of priests and nuns which traces its origins to the year 1098. Cistercians follow the Rule of St. Benedict, and thus are part of the larger Benedictine family of religious as well. The Constitution of the Order describes the unique contemplative charism to which their communal life is ordered: “The monks dedicate themselves to the worship of God in a hidden life within the monastery under the Rule of St. Benedict. They lead a monastic way of life, in solitude and silence, in assiduous prayer and joyful penitence. . . . (Constitution §2).”



In this episode, Fr. Isaac discusses his own personal vocational call to the contemplative monastic life- a life of profound beauty, immense joy, and immeasurable love. Among the unique aspects of the vocation of a fully professed Trappist monk is the recognition of the call to love. In this interview, Fr. Isaac discusses the exceptional emphasis on the devotion to love that is intrinsic to the vocation of a Cistercian of the Strict Observance. In describing the role of a newly professed monk, the Abbey of the Genesee’s website states: “The primary responsibility of the newly professed monk is to love with all his heart. The vows presuppose this love and express it exteriorly by incorporating him into a state of life which has no other reason for existence than the love of Christ and all that implies.” In Episode 20, Fr. Isaac Slater describes the typical day of a Cistercian at the Abbey of the Genesee and details the process of formation and profession of vows. The rhythm of daily life is punctuated with prayer, contemplation, liturgy, community, and work. In addition to exercising the virtue of hospitality by running a retreat house, the Trappist Monks of the Abbey of the Genesee support themselves by baking and selling delicious Monks’ Bread, biscotti, cheese crisps, and nut-butters. A link to their on-line store can be found on the Abbey’s website: https://www.geneseeabbey.org.