Belmont Abbey, North Carolina
Gothic Revival | |
Site | |
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Location | Belmont, North Carolina, United States |
Coordinates | 35°15′41″N 81°02′38″W / 35.2613°N 81.0438°W |
Website | www |
Belmont Abbey Cathedral | |
NRHP reference No. | 73001343 |
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Added to NRHP | April 11, 1973 |
The Abbey Basilica of Mary Help of Christians, informally known as the Belmont Abbey, is a
History
The
Pope Leo XIII issued a decree on 19 December 1884 raising the priory monastery to an Abbey of Mary Help of Christians and Father Leo Michael Haid was elected the first abbot, a position he held until his death in 1924.[3]
In July 1886, the first three novices professed vows and an alumnus of the college became a novice. That same year, Haid founded a seminary at Belmont. On February 4, 1888, he was appointed Vicar Apostolic of North Carolina and was consecrated bishop at the Baltimore Cathedral by
In May 1891 the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes was dedicated as a pilgrimage shrine by Abbot Haid.[4] Katharine Drexel, a benefactor of the monastery and college, visited Belmont Abbey in 1904.
Territorial abbey
From 1910 through 1977, Belmont Abbey was a

Abbey Basilica of Mary Help of Christians
Construction began on the Abbey Church of Mary Help of Christians in 1892 and was completed in 1894. The Abbey Church was dedicated April 11, 1894.
Saint Mary's College
Father Herman Wolfe, O.S.B. and two students arrived in April 1876.[8] The first students graduated in 1878. In April 1886 the state of North Carolina issued Saint Mary's College a charter authorizing the abbey/school to grant degrees. Two-thirds of the College Building was destroyed by fire in 1900. Rebuilding began immediately. In 1913 Saint Mary's adopted the Belmont Abbey name.[3]
On June 20, 2011, Belmont Abbey College broke ground for a residences for female students with or expecting children—regardless of religious affiliation—that can hold 15 babies, 15 women (who can stay for up to two years), and 8 toddlers at a time, with a shared living room, dining room, and laundry room. The residence, called "Room at the Inn" is operated by a Charlotte, North Carolina-based maternity and aftercare center of the same name.
In May 2020, the college announced it was starting a nursing program to address the continuing healthcare needs in Gaston County.[9]
On July 14, 1993, the central campus was entered on the National Register of Historic Places as the "Belmont Abbey National Historic District."
Present day
The abbey is the motherhouse to
See also
References
- ^ a b Survey and Planning Unit Staff (October 1972). "Belmont Abbey Cathedral" (PDF). National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory. North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
- ^ Tomlinson, Tommy. "Inside the silence at Belmont", Our State, February 27, 2015.
- ^ a b Martin Sr, James I. "Belmont Abbey College", Encyclopedia of North Carolina, University of North Carolina Press. 2006.
- ^ "About us". Belmont Abbey. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ Belmont-Mary Help of Christians Territorial Abbey
- ^ "History of Belmont Abbey Monastery", The Benedict Leadership Institute
- ^ Wildstein, Eric. "He helped turn curses to blessings". Gaston Gazette. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
- ^ a b "Belmont Abbey Monastery", Belmont Abbey College
- ^ Stewart, Gavin. "Belmont Abbey to debut nursing program this fall", Gaston Gazette, May 1, 2020.