Abbey of our Lady of New Melleray

The following is the only surviving document from Abbey of our Lady New Melleray where Alfred took on the name Charles when he became a novice on Nov 11, 1956. He lived there from Sept 9th 1956 until November 7th, 1964. The following list of suggested readings about the early roots of contemplation written by Fr Bede Graham were likely born out of Charles’ “knocking on the door” and “seeking” a deeper meaning from his faith. The contents of many of these same books were foundational to Br Charles thinking in his later life and were shared with those who came to eventually knock on Fr Charles’ door for insights into the early roots of Christianity. Feeling unfulfilled at New Melleray, Charles reached out to Thomas Merton for advice which eventually led him to the hermit colony on Vancouver Island.