Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani
Neo-Gothic | |
Groundbreaking | October 1852 |
---|---|
Site | |
Location | 3642 Monks Road, Trappist, Kentucky |
Country | United States |
Website | monks.org |
The Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani is a Catholic monastery in the United States near Bardstown, Kentucky, in Nelson County. The abbey is part of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (Ordo Cisterciensis Strictioris Observantiae), better known as the Trappists. Founded on December 21, 1848, and raised to an abbey in 1851, Gethsemani is considered to be the motherhouse of all Trappist and Trappistine monasteries in the United States. Gethsemani is the oldest Trappist monastery in the country that is still operating.[citation needed]
Following the Rule of Saint Benedict, the Trappist monks live a contemplative life of faithful prayer and work. The monastery is situated on a working farm of 2,000 acres (810 ha). The monks support themselves and the abbey through its store, Gethsemani Farms, offering handmade fruitcake and bourbon fudge (both onsite and by mail order).
Gethsemani was the home of Trappist monk, social activist and author Thomas Merton from 1941 until his death in 1968.
History
Establishment
In September 1805, French Trappists from the Abbey of
Four decades later, in 1847,
On 26 October 1848, 44 monks of the Abbey of Melleray left France with their leader, Eutropius Proust. It was a timely departure as France was verging toward a revolution inspired by socialism and rising secularism had made the environment hostile toward the church. One of the monks died during the voyage, and the other 43 arrived on 11 December 1848 in
Beginnings
Life at Gethsemani at this time was exceedingly harsh. Shortly after their arrival, Proust came down with
With Proust having been installed as abbot the previous year, plans for construction of the three-storey monastery finally began in October 1852—to be designed by the architect William Keely. It was during these pre-Civil war years that the monastery was built, modeled after the Abbey of Melleray. It was made of brick walls with timber roof supports with a rectangular abbatial church (meaning a church belonging to an abbey) constructed as well, the interior of which was made of
Civil War and later 19th century
Benedict Berger was installed as the next abbot, just after the
On November 15, 1866, Gethsemani's abbatial church was
In 1884 the abbey suffered a devastating blow. Their
Abbot Edward Chaix-Bourbon's resignation amidst scandal
Dom Edward Chaix-Bourbon was the next Abbot of Gethsemani, installed on May 9, 1890; his abbatial benediction took place in September. Dom Edward applied himself to caring for the all-boys school the abbey ran on the grounds, transforming it into Gethsemani College (or Gethsemane college[11]). The college received numerous applications, mainly from Kentucky. Abbot Edward initiated the construction of new buildings and hired Darnley Beaufort as principal of the boarding school. Beaufort claimed to be an aristocrat and an expert educator, but he was subsequently convicted of sexual abuse. The 1895 scandal remained with the monastery and its school many years.[11]
Abbot Edward knew about Beaufort's offenses but did not intervene for years. After the scandal was made public, he submitted his resignation at the General Chapter, but it was rejected twice. Nonetheless, he remained in France. The abbey remained without an abbot for years. After a visitation in January 1898, Dom Edmond Obrecht from La Trappe was appointed the administrator and then elected abbot in 1898.[12]
Dom Obrecht's collection of manuscripts
Obrecht, originally from Alsace, had been at the Sorbonne before becoming a monk. In 1875 he entered La Trappe, and later served as secretary to Procurators General François-Régis Martrin-Donos (1808–1880) and Stanislaus White (1838–1911), working in Rome until 1892. From 1893 to 1897 he collected donations in Europe and in the United States for the construction of Tre Fontane Abbey in Rome. He collected medieval manuscripts (and documents from the time of the French Revolution), kept today at Western Michigan University.[citation needed]
Trappists as writers
Two Gethsemani monks of the 20th century are well known for their writing: Thomas Merton and Raymond Flanagan. Merton wrote on the spirituality of the Cistercians, while Flanagan's work was aimed at a more popular audience. Both published widely and had their books translated into several languages. Also, the Nicaraguan poet Ernesto Cardenal entered Gethsemani under the supervision of Merton.[citation needed]
Present
The current[when?] abbot is Elias Dietz.
Silence is still encouraged. The 40-odd monks who make up the community mingle with visitors and leave the monastery grounds for medical appointments and business concerning the abbey. The monastery uses hired help for some of their maintenance, construction tasks and to staff their mail-order phone center. Mass is held every weekday at 6:15 a.m., and at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays in the main chapel. There are also vespers and other services interspersed throughout most days.[13]
William Least Heat-Moon wrote about his 1978 visit to the monastery in his book Blue Highways.[14]
List of abbots
- Eutropius Proust (1848–1859)
- Benedict Berger (1861–1889)
- Edward Chaix-Bourbon (1890–1896)
- Benedict Dupont (1896–1898)
- Edmond Obrecht (1898–1935)
- Frederic Dunne (1935–1948)
- James Fox (1948–1968)
- Flavian Burns (1968–1973)
- Timothy Kelly (1973–2000)
- Damien Thompson (2000–2008)
- Elias Dietz (2008–present)[citation needed]
Life at the abbey
Monastic admission
Admission into the abbey is a difficult process for those interested in entering
Gethsemani Farms
Gethsemani once sustained itself solely through donations, by growing its own foods and selling
Retreats
The tradition of Gethsemani accepting guests is in keeping with ancient Benedictine culture. Guests have ample opportunity to roam the abbey grounds. The trails, woodlands and expansive fields are suitable for quiet walks and reflection. Gethsemani has a retreat house with 30 rooms complete with private baths and air conditioning. Both men and women are welcome. Male visitors are discouraged, and female visitors are barred, from entering the enclosure. Speaking is allowed only in designated areas.[13][15][20]
Cemetery
Like many other monastic graveyards, the cemetery at Gethsemani is marked by uniform crosses. It rests on a buttressed embankment and overlooks the valley and woodlands below. The monks are buried in the traditional Trappist manner, in their monastic habit and without a casket. Thomas Merton's grave is located here and it is often arrayed with various mementos left by visitors. His grave marker reads, in the same basic style as all the others there: "Fr. Louis Merton, Died Dec. 10, 1968."
Monastic interreligious dialogue
Gethsemani Encounter I
For the week of July 22–27, 1996, The Abbey of Gethsemani played host to its first groundbreaking
Participants | Participants | Participants | Participants | Participants |
---|---|---|---|---|
Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
|
Sr. Mary Margaret Funk | Ven. Maha Ghosananda
|
Pierre-François de Béthune | David Steindl-Rast |
Fr. James A. Wiseman | Fr. Donald W. Mitchell | Fr. Leo Lefebure | Donald Mitchell | Fr. Joseph John Gerry |
Gethsemani Encounter II
The second Gethsemani Encounter was held at the abbey during the week of April 13 to April 18, 2002.
Participants [23] | Participants [23] | Participants [23] | Participants [23] | Participants [23] | Participants [23] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
|
John Daido Loori | Fr. Leo Lefebure | Zoketsu Norman Fischer | Joseph Goldstein | Fr. Thomas Keating |
Lobsang Tenzin | Henepola Gunaratana | Fr. Columba Stewart | Sr. Mary Margaret Funk | Zenkdi Blanche Hartman | Sr. Kathy Lyzotte |
Stephanie Kaza | Thubten Chodron | Fr. James Wiseman | Fr. Dan Ward | Sr. Mary Collins | Sr. Margaret Michaud |
Ewert Cousins | Ajahn Sundara | Fr. Donald Grabner | Fr. William Skudlarek | Janet Cousins | Fr. Mark Delery |
Fr. Joseph Wong | Fr. Kevin Hunt | Shōhaku Okumura | Fr. Thomas Ryan | Geshe Sopa
|
Rev. Heng Sure |
Ven. Chuen Phangcham | Sr. Joan Kirby (RSCJ) | Fr. Damon Geiger | Fr. Julian von Duerbeck | Ven. Samu Sunim | Sr. Danielle Witt |
Donald Mitchell | Gray Henry | Msgr. Felix Machado | Paul Gailey | Ven. Guo Yuan | Fr. Dan Ward |
Kate Olson | Jim Funk | Very Rev. Thomas Baima | Sangeetha Ekambaram | Fr. Bruce Baker | Sr. Barbara McCracken |
Gethsemani Encounter III and IV
Gethsemani Encounter III and IV were held in 2008 and 2015 respectively and again sponsored by the DIMMID.[24][25]
See also
Trappist abbeys in the U.S.
- Abbey of New Clairvaux
- Abbey of the Genesee
- Assumption Abbey
- Holy Cross Abbey, Virginia
- Mepkin Abbey
- Monastery of the Holy Spirit
- New Melleray Abbey
- Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey
- St. Benedict's Monastery
- St. Joseph's Abbey
Related topics
- Abbey of Our Lady of the Holy Trinity
- Cîteaux Abbey
- Cistercians
- Gethsemani
- List of basilicas
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville
- Roman Catholicism in the United States
- Trappists
References
- Aprile, Dianne. The Abbey of Gethsemani: Place of Peace and Paradox. Winnipeg, Manitoba: Trout Lily Press, 1998. ISBN 0-9642802-1-3.
- Hales, Mick. Monastic Gardens. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2000. ISBN 1-55670-982-X.
- Herbermann, Charles George, et al.. The Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Co., 1913.
- Kramer, Dewey Weiss (2005). "Contemporary Architectural Witness to the Lived Cistercian Ideal: The Abbey Churches of Gethsemani and Conyers". Merton Annual (print). 19 (1). Fons Vitae Publishing: 50–57. ISSN 0894-4857.
- Mitchell, Donald William; Wiseman, James A.. The Gethsemani Encounter. Continuum International Publishing Group, 1999. ISBN 0-8264-1165-7.
- Olsen, Brad. Sacred Places North America: 108 Destinations. CCC Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-888729-09-0.
Further reading
- Merton, Thomas. The Seven Storey Mountain. Harvest Books, 1948.
- Merton, Thomas. The Waters of Siloe. Harvest Books, 1949. ISBN 0-15-694954-7.
- Flanagan, M. Raymond. Burnt Out Incense. (The saga of Citeaux, American epoch. [A history of the Trappist monastery at Gethsemani, Kentucky]. Benziger Brothers, 1964.
External links
- Official website
- Gethsemani Farms
- Lay Cistercians of Gethsemani Abbey
- Monastic Interreligious Dialogue (MID)
Notes
- ^ Aprile 37–39.
- ^ Aprile 53–61
- ^ a b Herbermann 788
- ^ a b Kramer, 96–108
- ^ Aprile 63–66
- ^ Etheridge, Kellie [18 August 2011], Find peace at Abbey of Gethsemani, Elizabethtown, KY:Turret, p. A16.
- ^ Aprile 66–69
- ^ Aprile 73–79
- ^ Aprile 79–80
- ^ Aprile 80–81
- ^ a b "An Alleged Lord". Decatur Daily Republican. Bardstown, Kentucky. 10 April 1896. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021 – via newspapers.com.
The evidence is too shocking for publication, and is thought to be ample to convict.
- ^ Gessinger, Gerd (13 May 2014). "Edward Chaix-Bourbon OCSO". zisterzienserlexikon.de. Biographia Cisterciensis. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
- ^ a b Strecker 64–66
- ISBN 978-0-316-14063-8.
- ^ a b Johnson 51–52
- ^ Olsen 271–273
- ^ Winternitz 123–124
- ^ Jacobs
- ^ Van Der Veer Hamilton
- ^ "Making a Retreat". monks.org. Abbey of Gethsameni. Archived from the original on September 16, 2007. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
- ^ Teasdale 41
- ^ Mitchell xvii
- ^ a b c d e f Monastic Dialogue. "Monastic Interreligious Dialogue | Gethsemani Encounter II, April 2002". Monasticdialog.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2012. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
- ^ Skudlarek, William (July–December 2014). "Monastic Tradition in Eastern Christianity and the Outside World: A Call for Dialogue". Dilatato Corde. 4 (2). Dimmid. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
- ^ Michaud, Margaret (July–December 2015). "Gethsemani IV". Dilatato Corde. 5 (2). Dimmid. Retrieved 6 February 2024.