What does the crisis offer us?

3rd meeting of the monastery networks

The year 2020 turned out differently than we had all expected. The pandemic disrupted annual planning, budget planning and life planning all over the world and has presented us with completely new challenges since the spring.

Also for the work of the association KLOSTERLAND, many framework conditions changed during the year. After we had hoped over the summer that we would be able to hold our 3rd meeting of the monastery networks in the usual way and with the originally chosen theme, the autumn made it clear that nothing would come of it.

Nevertheless, we stuck to the network meeting 2020 and made the current situation the topic of our online meeting on 07.12.2020: What does the crisis offer us?

Together with 21 experts from German-speaking countries, we considered how monastery locations can make it through the crisis well and strong, and how monasteries can play a relevant role in society at this time.

We first asked the group, “What is on your minds right now? The result reflected the diversity of the group and yet there were themes that were quite central – the lack of contacts and the family – or were mentioned in the most varied ways by many: the lack of planning security, new everyday structures, screen fatigue, the end of the year, solidarity, new possibilities and opportunities for development.

Based on the assumption that the current situation is an opportunity for monasteries, as spirituality appeals to more people in times like these, we wanted to dedicate the meeting to this important pillar of monastic culture.

(Translated with Deepl.com)

Advisory board member Prof. Dr. Harald Schwillus started with an impulse on the topic of spirituality and illuminated the field with a retrospective and an outlook on spiritual tourism.

It is time, especially for monasteries, to expand the service idea (in tourism) by adding more humanity – true to the motto “the gate is open, the heart even wider!”. But how can this be implemented now, when even before the pandemic it was hard enough to even find staff for exchange and joint reflection with visitors? And how can we distinguish between spirituality and wellness? Do we need space for silence and individual reflection right now, or exchange and guidance right now?

We thought together about new (digital) offers to get through the 2nd lockdown in the short term, also about how digitalisation can then be used wisely (as a supplement to the offers on site) in the medium to long term, and above all about how we can rethink and recharge the analogue offers on site.

It became clear that the monasteries – whether as places of culture and encounter or with a lively religious community on site – may well dare and are even called upon to offer a contrasting programme. To do this, they should question what their focus has been up to now and dare to choose their own, new focus and thus offer as an authentic place what has been lost in many places: openness and hospitality.

We are happy that we have already realised this goal in a small way in our meeting and thank the participants for their great openness, are happy about the diversity of the group, the benevolent and stimulating exchange and say:

See you at the next network meeting in the new year!