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When Living at a Monastery Meant Discussing Hard Issues

Richmond Hill is an ecumenical, residential Christian Community located in the historic monastery of the Sisters of the Visitation of Monte Maria on Church Hill in the center of Richmond. The mission of the Community is to pray and work for the transformation of the metropolitan city. Prayers are three times a day—at 7 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m. A bell rings to call the community to prayer.

Shola Walker lived at Richmond Hill when she was a teenager.

"Having been there myself for almost eight years, a lot of my stuff came up, came out, because I was attending prayers, because I was living a life with people who belonged to different experiences than I do, because I was attending classes or seminars or different things in this space where life was happening and life meant that we were discussing hard issues," says Walker.

She shares about the experience of living at Richmond Hill and about her encounter with David Duke, former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.

"Prior to that encounter, I had not directly experienced anybody associated with the KKK, but once I found out that he was very deeply involved with the KKK, I thought, 'Why would he come to talk about race? I think he’s pretty clear where he stands.' And I remember thinking to myself, 'I don’t even understand why he was invited. I don’t know what he has to say that would be valuable.' I was very upset and so I went into the sanctuary. I was like, 'Okay, if he’s gonna talk, I’m gonna stand up and I’m gonna say something, and I’m gonna prove a point.'

"And I never spoke that night," says Walker. "And the reason I never spoke was because I thought to myself, 'What am I gonna prove? I think his mind is made up, and if it’s not made up, if I yell at him, what is it gonna prove?'"

David Vinson, hospitality coordinator at Richmond Hill, reads the Thursday prayer.

 

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