Free Thomas Merton event announced
for Norwich Cathedral

Friday November 21st at 7.30pm

Following the success of the two-day Intensive at St Luke’s Church, which is now completely sold out, the Norwich Christian Meditation Centre has announced a further event commemorating the 40th anniversary of the death of the poet and mystic Thomas Merton (pictured right). 

The event will be called Thomas Merton - The Contemplative Heart and will be led by James Finley, who studied with Merton for six years. The event is being run by the Norwich Christian Meditation Centre.

Centre Director Nicholas Vesey says: “It is great to be able to offer a free event to the public so that Merton’s work can be brought to a wider audience. The Cathedral is the ideal place to do it. We are erecting a huge screen so that everyone can see properly, and we  hope to be able to display some of Merton’s own photography as part of the evening.”

Thomas Merton was a Trappist monk of the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani in America. He was a spiritual writer, poet, author and social activist who pioneered the re-discovery of Christian meditation and the contemplative tradition and brought it to a wide audience. He died tragically in 1968, electrocuted while travelling in Thailand.

James Finley entered the Trappist Monastery of the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani in 1961. He then spent six years with Thomas Merton who acted as his spiritual director, giving him a unique insight into the life of the man who has helped define the contemplation life for many people today. After being released from the order, James Finley has gone on to become a renowned spiritual teacher in his own right, writing books and conducting retreats all over the world.

The event will be looking at how the spiritual life for Merton is a journey in which we discover ourselves in discovering God, and discover God in discovering our true hidden self in God.
James Finley will use this idea to explore Merton's relevance for our age, particularly to those seeking to live a more contemplative way of life in the midst of today's world. 

There will be an opportunity to hear James Finley talk, a period of meditation, and time for questions. The event is free of charge - no need to book, just turn up.

Thomas Merton: The Contemplative Heart

7.30pm Friday 21st November at the Anglican Cathedral. Admission free.

For more information contact Nicholas Vesey on 01603 416973