The Gethsemani Property Project
The Merton Institute Center
for Contemplative Living And Leadership
Near the Abbey of Gethsemani
The Abbey of Gethsemani gifted the Merton Institute with a 100 year lease on forty acres of its property. The Institute's goal is to develop facilities to further our mission and vision of being a leader in the contemplative living community. Based upon our belief that the gift of forty acres is in fact a gift to the greater Louisville community and beyond, we invited the community and individuals to dream with us and share their insights. With their help we developed a vision how the property could be used and how this sacred space could be the site of a community project.
SCI-ARC Architecture Students Visit to Gethsemani Property
Michael Rotondi, founder, past director, and distinguished faculty member of the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-ARC) is a member of the Merton Institute Task Force for the development of the Gethsemani property. He has provided pro-bono assistance in planning, strategy and concept development for the project. This Summer he created a special course at SCI-ARC devoted entirely the MICL project. Read more…
As we continue in the planning phase, we are exploring the suggestions of ways to use the property.
A Growing Spiritual and Contemplative Consciousness
There is a growing spiritual and contemplative consciousness in this country and in the world as people search for more meaning and purpose in their lives. We refer to it as the Contemplative Living Movement. It encompasses a variety of approaches to resolve the disunity and disintegration we are experiencing as individuals, families, and in the guiding institutions of society, whether it is in business, government, education, religion, media etc. Read more…
The Merton Institute’s Preliminary Vision
Thomas Merton’s personal vision was to have a retreat/conference center near his hermitage where he would gather leaders, intellectuals, and influential people to dialogue in a contemplative way on the critical issues confronting humanity.
The Merton Institute’s vision is to help shift the consciousness of individuals and society through contemplative living. Our goal is to help individuals realize that their spiritual lives are their personal lives. Read more...