The Salt Lake Tribune
Sixteen high school seniors from Utah returned Sunday from a weekend-long graduation celebration. There was no partying or dancing. There was wine, just not for their imbibing.
Still, the teens did experience extreme behavior — religious, that is.
The pilgrims from Salt Lake City’s Greek Orthodox parish traveled to St. Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence, Ariz., an hour from Phoenix, to immerse themselves in monastic life.
Sequestered from the stresses of modern living, the 10 boys and six girls rose each day at 2 a.m. for a three-hour worship service, worked in the kitchen and vineyards in 90-degree weather and met for small group discussions and quiet meditation. They wandered around the monastery’s 300-plus acres, dazzled by the stark beauty of the chapels, gardens, gazebos and Spanish fountains nestled among the palm trees and sagebrush.
Read the entire article on The Salt Lake Tribune website.
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