Novice joins Benedictine community at Saint Meinrad
Monday, August 10, 2026In a brief ceremony at the monastery entrance, David Hensler was clothed in the Benedictine habit at Saint Meinrad Archabbey on August 5.
In a brief ceremony at the monastery entrance, David Hensler was clothed in the Benedictine habit at Saint Meinrad Archabbey, St. Meinrad, IN, on August 5. The novice now begins a year of monastic formation, including study of The Rule of St. Benedict and monastic history.
Novice David, 27, is from Marietta, OH. He was a member of St. John’s Catholic Church in St. Marys, WV.
He attended Washington State College of Ohio, earning a Certificate for Licensed Practical Nursing in 2019 and an associate degree in nursing in 2023.
Before joining the monastery, Novice David was an LPN at Marietta Memorial Endocrinology Clinic, an RN at Camden Clark Medical Center, and an RN at Housecalls Hospice.
As a novice, he will take a year off from formal studies and trades. The novitiate is a time of prayer and learning intended to help a novice discern his vocation as a monk. At the end of this year, a novice may be permitted to profess temporary vows of obedience, fidelity to the monastic way of life, and stability in the community of Saint Meinrad.