CONYERS—Honey Creek Woodlands, a natural burial ground affiliated with the Trappist Monastery of the Holy Spirit, received extra attention from 20 seminarians, along with a handful of laypeople May 16.

Honey Creek Woodlands is a memorial nature preserve situated within the monastery’s 2,300 acres.

The group of seminarians and volunteers cleared weeds around burial plots and sealed and stained wood at the Martin Gatins Chapel on the grounds in Conyers.

The work is part of an effort for the men to get to know the Archdiocese of Atlanta beyond the walls of their churches or their seminaries, said Father Tri John-Bosco Nguyen, director of vocations for the archdiocese.

Deacon Cristian Cossio stains one of the columns at the Martin Gatins Chapel on the natural burial grounds of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit’s Honey Creek Woodlands, Conyers. In the background seminarian Patrick Lamar is performing the same job. Photo By Michael Alexander

There are some 50 seminarians for the Atlanta Archdiocese currently studying for the priesthood.

Father Nguyen said one goal of these workdays is to make sure the men engage with each other and build a community with themselves and with the Catholic community in Atlanta. The young men don’t have many chances to socialize while completing studies at various seminaries, scattered from Florida and Maryland to Illinois and Rome, Italy.

The men attending seminary are assigned to serve in parishes during the summer. But Father Nguyen said other parishes are welcome to call and coordinate with the vocations office to learn if groups of seminarians can help with parish projects.

Seminarians are available for a planned workday on Saturday, Aug. 3 but are still in need of a specific parish project to undertake, Father Nguyen said. There must be enough tasks for 25 men to work for eight hours in the same place to build community.