About 14 years have passed since a bright college senior with his eye on the prize of an advertising career had his world turned around by a priest, a sister and a community of monks in upstate New York.

As the above-mentioned sister and one of Matthew Kells’ professors in the TV Radio Department of Brooklyn College, I know the story from the inside out and, yes, I recognize God’s Providence as being behind it all.

Matthew had sought a summer internship with a California advertising firm and was a contender in the competitive process. In the end, he was rejected and, dejected at the prospect of a summer with no alternate plan; he wondered what he was to do.

Well, I suggested, “You might consider doing the polar opposite of your original game plan.”

Wary, though he seemed, Matthew let me continue.

I told him of a program the Benedictine monks at Mount Saviour Monastery, outside Elmira, were offering men between the ages of 18 and 35. A summer experience of monastic life included opportunities to tend sheep, work in the orchard, pray with the monks night and day, and share their simple meals.
Matthew’s expression telegraphed, “This one must be out of her mind.”

“If you’re interested, you can contact Father Michael Perry,” I said, handing him the priest’s phone number. “He and the president of Sacred Heart University, Tony Cenera, love that place. They dreamed up the program.”

A few days later, Matthew made the phone call.

So began a wonderful, life-altering experience. When I went for my summer retreat, I found Matthew and his newfound friends in moderate monastic mufti. In addition to gaining insights into an unfamiliar, ancient way of life, Matthew had gained recognition as the victor in an ice cream eating contest.

When Father Martin Boler, Mount Saviour’s prior, invited the young men to help visiting vocation ministers understand why there was such a dearth of vocations, Matthew spoke from his understanding of advertising’s impact on today’s young people. Countercultural religious life didn’t have much of a chance against the seduction of greed, power and sexual enjoyment touted in the world of commercial advertising.

Suddenly he was shocked by his own words. This was to be his chosen career. Was he willing to spend his time and talent contributing to an exploitative industry?

He later said he felt as if he’d been moving toward the edge of a precipice. The experience of Mount Saviour had saved him from plunging into the abyss.

By the end of the summer, Matthew had decided to become an independent filmmaker. He completed several projects for New York City’s Public Television station. While there, he met a co-worker who introduced him to Catherine, who became his wife. Father Perry married the couple in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in 2004.

Mount Saviour remains a homeland for his heart. In 2002 he invited a friend, Sean McGinn, to co-produce and film a documentary about that spiritual oasis. So “The Everyday: Benedictine Life at Mount Saviour Monastery” came into beautiful being.

This 50-minute documentary has received a New York Festival Silver Medal and has been nominated for three Emmys.

This success story is bigger than the recognition afforded “The Everyday.” It’s a tribute to a man who, long ago, was willing to take a risk and who had the wisdom to redirect his career goal.

For more information about “The Everyday,” visit www.spookytruth.com; to purchase “The Everyday,” visit www.filmbaby.com.