For those of you who wanted to go on our recent day trip to the monastery but couldn’t, this video clip was taken with you in mind! We’ll soon go again as a group. It’s a beautiful drive to Hunstville (a small village with Scandinavian influence).

The monastery, “Abbey of the Holy Trinity,” was founded in 1947 by some Kentucky monks from the “Abbey of Gethsemani.” This community of monks is of the Cistercian Order, who call themselves Trappists, having originated from the “Abbey of La Trappe” in France.

Their way of life is governed by the rule of St. Benedict which involves strict adherence to vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. They also make a vow of stability, promising to remain for life in the community of their profession. Their chief activity is prayer; they gather together seven times a day to supplicate their God for the needs of the church and the world.

They are very hospitable monks offering a place to stay for males who seek solace and direction in their lives. Visitors are welcome to attend their mass or pray privately inside the beautiful abbey. You can hear them chant, usually in the evenings (5.30 pm).

There are about 18 monks who mark their presence at the abbey; the youngest is in his 50’s and the oldest is 92 years old. I was very impressed interviewing the kind monk who assisted us in the tiny shop. The monks make their own special kind of honey, flavored with raspberry, or roasted almonds, rum, dates and pecans, etc. They also sell different types of jam, jelly, and marmalade; however, these are imported all the way from a nunnery!

The monks are to be commended for their sacrifice, and hard work. I think it would be nice if we could include them in our prayers as many are stricken with old age; upkeep of the land and buildings probably gets harder for them! Actually, when you are done reading this article, take a moment and say a little prayer for them.

There will be a little surprise for you in the next article (as I certainly was), when we continue more on this day’s trip!

By the way, did you view the video clips in the Art/Photo spotlight? If you haven’t yet, I’ll give you another day before I share my experience. Remember to get through all the videos including the link on the rice experiment.

 

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