Cardenal returned to Nicaragua in 1950 and continued to write and express his opinions on Nicaraguan society under the Somoza dynasty. His discontent with this reality in Nicaragua led him to be a vocal opponent of the ruling regime. This political interest and fervor would only increase in the decades to follow. Cardenal experienced a religious transformation after participating in the unsuccessful 1954 April Revolution in Managua. His seminary studies brought him under the guidance of Trappist monk Thomas Merton at the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani in Kentucky, who helped Cardenal grow as a spiritualist, activist, and poet. Cardenal continued seminary studies in Mexico and Colombia, all the while publishing seminal works such as Hora 0, Epigramas, and Salmos. Cardenal’s ordination as a Catholic priest in 1965 proved to be a critical moment in his continued development as a religious leader and spiritualist. After discussions and guidance from Merton, Cardenal decided to return to Nicaragua and establish a spiritual community.