Owen Meredith professes temporary vows at Saint Meinrad
Thursday, August 7, 2025
Owen Meredith professed his temporary vows as a Benedictine monk in a ceremony on August 6, 2025, at Saint Meinrad Archabbey, St. Meinrad, IN.
He has completed his novitiate, a year of prayer and study of the Benedictine way of life. As is the custom during the profession of vows, he chose a religious name. Novice Owen is now Br. George.
Br. George, 35, is from Forest City, IL. He was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Manito, IL.
He attended Blackburn College in Carlinville, IL, graduating in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in theater technology with minors in music and religious studies.
Before joining the monastery, he served as a handyman for the Hermits of St. Mary of Carmel in Houston, MN. He has experience as a contractor, general laborer, and landscaper and built a home for his parents in Manito. He also was a seminarian for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, studying for the priesthood at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO.
Temporary vows are typically for three years. This period offers a continuing opportunity for the monk and the monastic community to determine whether monastic life is, indeed, the right vocation for this individual.