Life at Saint-Gregoire During Lockdown

Here in Geitaoui we are grateful for our life in community even as (or perhaps especially as) we endure the lockdown together. Our particular blend of personalities is fairly harmonious, with good humor and mutual support helping us to maintain our mental and spiritual health in confinement. During the days, we tend to work and live somewhat individually given our disparate missions, but we consistently come together for meals, which are a source of respite and consolation as our conversations can quickly range from the mundane to the spiritual in a manner which feels appropriate for a Jesuit community. Regular occurrences of “Bad Movie Night” have become supplemented with the occasional “Good Movie Night” to provide a change of a pace and expand our cultural horizons.

Two of our residents are scholastics engaged in philosophy studies, and the rest of us were thankfully among the Jesuits who enjoyed that period of intellectual formation, so there is an continuous level of learning and engagement on the history of ideas. Another two are ordained scholastics working on advanced studies, so while the academic nature of the house can pervade, we are none of us so fully in the world of ideas that we cannot help with clearing the basement or helping a brother move rooms to accommodate the many ongoing repairs.

The other two members of the community are foreign regents studying Arabic/Maronite liturgy and working for JRS, respectively. Given the current confinement, these works are taking place mostly within the walls of Saint-Gregoire, so the rest of the community can marvel at the stack of dozens of laptops being prepared for JRS staffers or stop by to watch video games being played in the community lounge.

Overall, our lives here are peaceful and communal; none of us have the vocation to monastic life, and we eagerly await a time when we can freely move again, but until that time comes, we are grateful for God’s generosity in regards to confinement partners.