Between 1993 and 2006, I participated in many conferences in Europe. The location of these meetings offered me opportunity to experience something of the life of diverse monastic communities on the continent, which I found to be profoundly enriching. On the occasions when I attended meetings in Annecy, France, I was able to join in worship with the Trappist monks at the Abbey of Tamié. This Cistercian Abbey, established in the 13th century, lies in the beautiful French Alps, 50 kilometers from Geneva. After joining in worship in the church attached to the abbey, hardly can one forget the silence, the prayers, and the rest and joy that filled one's mind.