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57-510: The order takes its name from La Trappe Abbey or La Grande Trappe , located in the French province of Normandy , where the reform movement began. Armand Jean le Bouthillier de Rancé, originally the commendatory abbot of La Trappe, led the reform. As commendatory abbot, de Rancé was a secular individual who obtained income from the monastery but was not a professed monk and otherwise had no monastic obligations. The second son of Denis Bouthillier,

114-529: A Councillor of State , he possessed considerable wealth and was earmarked for an ecclesiastical career as coadjutor bishop to the Archbishop of Tours . However, after undergoing a conversion of life between 1660 and 1662, de Rancé renounced his possessions, formally joined the abbey, and became its regular abbot in 1663. In 1664, in reaction to the relaxation of practices in many Cistercian monasteries , de Rancé introduced an austere reform. De Rancé's reform

171-443: A Neo-Gothic style. The bricks were made on the work site, while the foundation was of limestone rock from Indiana. Later, windows were installed, and atop the church a large steeple was mounted. Many local members of the community helped the monks in with construction, some of them were slaves. In exchange for the hard work, Proust promised the locals free schooling for their children. In 1859 Proust resigned as abbot and returned to

228-505: A postulant and is then given his white robe. He then spends two years as a novice monk . If the monk is then found to be competent, he is approved by a council of "fully professed" monks and spends an additional three years as a "junior professed" monk. After these three years the monk can request to take his final, solemn vows , and become a "fully professed" monk. Gethsemani once sustained itself solely through donations, by growing its own foods and selling timber . Today, in keeping with

285-481: A boys' boarding secondary school in Ireland, is the only Trappist school left in the world, and one of only two remaining monastic secondary schools in Ireland. Cistercian monasteries have continued to spread, with many founded outside Europe in the 20th century. In particular, the number of Trappist monasteries throughout the world has more than doubled over the past 60 years: from 82 in 1940 to 127 in 1970, and 169 at

342-529: A refugee in France. The distinguished Benedictine scholar, Dom Jean Mabillon , after his long quarrels with de Rancé, visited him here to make peace. The abbey did not escape the general fate of religious houses under the French Revolution . Pursuant to the decree of 13 February 1790 against the religious orders of France, the abbey was suppressed. Some of the monks were martyred . Others, under

399-478: A religious conversion which led him to take his responsibilities seriously. He became abbot in fact as well as in name. From 1664 La Trappe was the centre of a thorough reform of the Cistercian Order, led by de Rancé. The reform movement took the name of the abbey and became renowned as an order. Bossuet , a friend of de Rancé, was a frequent visitor at La Trappe. James II of England came here while

456-598: A religious life and personal piety despite the setbacks of his affliction with diabetes mellitus . He died in 1938 aged 27 from complications of diabetes, and was beatified in 1992 by Pope John Paul II and canonized in 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI . Trappists, like the Benedictines and Cistercians from whom they originate, follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. "Strict Observance" refers to the Trappists' goal of following

513-694: A separate monastic community. In 1909, the Trappists of Mariannhill were separated from the rest of the Trappist Order by decree of the Holy See to form the Congregation of Mariannhill Missionaries . A well-known Trappist theologian was Thomas Merton , a prominent author in the mystic tradition and a noted poet and social and literary critic. He entered the Abbey of Gethsemani in 1941 where his writings and letters to world leaders became some of

570-520: A tract of land owned by the Sisters of Loretto that was called Gethsemani where the previous community of Trappists had lived. The two monks were able to contract a deal for the land. 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

627-518: A unique category within the beer world, and are lauded for their high quality and flavor. These monasteries brew beer both for the monks themselves and for sale to the general public. Trappist beers contain residual sugars and living yeast, and they improve with age, unlike conventional beers. The Trappist monks of the Tre Fontane Abbey raise the lambs whose wool is used to make the pallia of new metropolitan archbishops . The pope blesses

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684-646: A very large and productive farm by this time. In 1885 the community received its first lifelong American monk, a former cowboy from Texas . The number of monks at Gethsemani, however, had dropped to 34 by the end of Dom Benedict's tenure. In ailing health, Berger retired in 1889 and was confined to the abbey's infirmary until his death in August 1891. 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

741-601: Is a monastery in Soligny-la-Trappe , Orne , France . It is known for being the house of origin of the Trappists , to whom it gave its name. The site of the famous La Trappe Abbey was for centuries isolated in a valley surrounded by forests, streams and lakes, 9 miles from Mortagne and 84 miles from Paris , in the Diocese of Séez and the former province of Normandy . It began as a small oratory chapel to

798-648: 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

855-682: Is assisted by a Council that is composed of five members, four of them are elected by the General Chapter and the fifth is chosen by the elected Council members. The Abbot General and his Council reside in Rome and are generally in charge of the order's affairs. The present Abbot General is Dom Bernardus Peeters of Koningshoeven Abbey in the Netherlands. As of 2018, there were 168 Trappist monasteries and convents. La Trappe Abbey La Trappe Abbey , also known as La Grande Trappe ,

912-529: 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. Admission into the abbey is a difficult process for those interested in entering monastic life . The monastery requires applicants to make several visits to Gethsemani and encourages them to look into other communities as well. Finally, before being admitted they must pass psychological testing . Once accepted, an individual spends six months as

969-537: The Last Rites . By 1849 the fledgling community had torn down the old cabins on the property and constructed a second chapel , and soon began planning for the c that place. So, in 1851, the grounds at Gethsemani were declared the "Proto-Abbey of the New World" and Proust became Dom Eutropius Proust—first Abbot of Gethsemani. With Proust having been installed as abbot the previous year, plans for construction of

1026-505: The Nicaraguan poet Ernesto Cardenal entered Gethsemani under the supervision of Merton. The current 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

1083-640: The Virgin Mary , built in 1122 by Rotrou III, Count of Perche , as a memorial to his wife Matilda FitzRoy, Countess of Perche . (An illegitimate daughter of Henry I , she drowned in the White Ship disaster of 1120.) A few years later Rotrou built a monastery adjoining, which he offered to the monks of Le Breuil-Benoît Abbey near Dreux , a house of the Order of Savigny . The order was highly respected at that time for its fervour and holiness. In 1140

1140-477: The enclosure . Speaking is allowed only in designated areas. 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

1197-495: The Abbey of Melleray in France. At this time Gethsemani had a total of 65 monks. Proust died in 1874 while serving as abbot of the Abbey of Tre Fontane near Rome, Italy. Benedict Berger was installed as the next abbot, just after the American Civil War had commenced on April 19, 1861, though he had been leading the community since January of that year. Berger was known to have an astute business-sense about him and

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1254-520: The Hours is the foundation of every Trappist's life. However, the details of daily life can vary from community to community and based on the liturgical calendar . The following schedule is a representative summary of a Trappist's daily life. Though each monastery is autonomous and may have different rules, generally the stages to enter the Trappist life can be described as follows: The 48th chapter of

1311-420: The Order decreased by about 15%. There are on average 25 members per community – less than half those in former times. As of 1 January 2018, there were 1,796 Trappist monks and 1,592 Trappistine nuns across the world. Cistercian communities are autonomous but united in a communion implemented by key institutions: The Abbot General is elected for an unrestricted amount of time by the General Chapter. He

1368-478: The Rule closely. They take the three vows described in the Rule (c. 58): stability, fidelity to monastic life, and obedience. Benedict's precept to minimize conversation means that Trappists generally speak only when necessary; thus idle talk is strongly discouraged. However, contrary to popular belief, they do not take a vow of silence . According to Benedict, speech disturbs a disciple's quietude and receptivity, and may tempt one to exercise one's own will instead of

1425-458: The Rule of Saint Benedict combined with the ancient constitution of Cîteaux, except in a few areas prescribed by the Holy See in the same decree. In 1892, seeking unity among the different Trappist observances, the Trappist congregations left the Cistercian Order entirely and merged to form a new order with the approval of Pope Leo XIII named the 'Order of Reformed Cistercians of Our Lady of La Trappe', formalising their identity and spirituality as

1482-578: The Rule of St. Benedict states "for then are they monks in truth, if they live by the work of their hands". Thus, the life of a Trappist monk is centered on manual labor in addition to their spiritual activities. In addition to the tangible results of manual labor, which goes to support the economy of the community and the poor, the monk's work also contributes and reinforces the monk's and community's spiritual growth. The goods produced range from cheeses , bread and other foodstuffs to clothing and coffins. Their most famous products are Trappist beers . These are

1539-524: The United States. Gethsemani is the oldest Trappist monastery in the country that is still operating. 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

1596-510: The administrator and then elected abbot in 1898. 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

1653-449: The all-boys school the abbey ran on the grounds, transforming it into Gethsemani College (or Gethsemane college ). 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

1710-494: The area. On May 1, 1864, the abbey opened their church in the public wing of their basilica to the general community, and France sent a priest by the name of Jerome Moyen to lead them. On November 15, 1866, Gethsemani's abbatial church was consecrated by Archbishop Purcell of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati , assisted by the bishops of Louisville and Buffalo . Present at the consecration

1767-691: The beginning of the 21st century. In 1940, there were six Trappist monasteries in Asia and the Pacific, only one Trappist monastery in Africa, and none in Latin America. Now there are 13 in Central and South America, 17 in Africa, and 23 in Asia and the Pacific. In general, these communities are growing faster than those in other parts of the world. Over the same period, the total number of monks and nuns in

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1824-623: 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 . 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,

1881-521: The dependencies of Val-Sainte and those of Notre-Dame de l'Eternité, an abbey itself founded by Val-Sainte in 1795. This led to two different Trappist congregations being formed by decree of the Holy See in 1847. These were named the 'Ancient Reform of Our Lady of La Trappe' and the 'New Reform of Our Lady of La Trappe', the former following the Constitutions of de Rancé, with the latter following

1938-637: The encounter—these discussions were important in paving the way for future dialogues between the two religions. The idea to establish such a connection between them first came about at the Parliament of the World's Religions in 1993, when Julian von Duerbeck and Wayne Teasdale asked the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue (MID) to host an interfaith dialogue between Buddhists and Catholics; MID accepted, and that morning they held

1995-703: The environment hostile toward the church. One of the monks died during the voyage, and the other 43 arrived on 11 December 1848 in New Orleans, Louisiana . They journeyed up the Mississippi River on the Martha Washington , a steamboat, and arrived at Gethsemani on 21 December, celebrating Mass for Christmas a few days later. Life at Gethsemani at this time was exceedingly harsh. Shortly after their arrival, Proust came down with pneumonia and nearly died—recovering only after being administered

2052-461: The monastery and its school for many years. 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

2109-631: The monastery of La Trappe was raised to the status of abbey. In 1147 Savigny Abbey , with all its affiliated monasteries, was united to the Cistercian Order . From that time onwards, La Trappe was a Cistercian abbey, immediately subordinate to the abbot of Clairvaux . After years of prosperity, La Trappe suffered during the Hundred Years' War . It was in the path of both the English and French armies. The monks were forced to abandon

2166-460: The monastery, which was burnt and pillaged in 1376 and again in 1465. In the 16th century, after the reconstruction, the abbey, in common with many other monasteries, was given to a series of absentee abbots in commendam . The lack of leadership depressed its fortunes. The 14th commendatory abbot, installed in 1662, Armand Jean le Bouthillier de Rancé , godson of Cardinal Richelieu , proved to be La Trappe's greatest leader. De Rancé experienced

2223-500: The monks and members of their Order to make their home in the area. Their stay was short-lived and they left in 1809 after a season of bad flooding. Four decades later, in 1847, Dom Maxime, abbot of the Abbey of Melleray in France, sent two monks to Kentucky to find a tract of land on which the order could build a monastery. Bishop Benedict Joseph Flaget in Louisville greeted the pair and guided them to Nelson County , to

2280-518: The monks receiving and filling large orders for the holiday season. 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

2337-416: The monks subsequently carried out an even more austere reform practising the ancient observances of Benedict of Nursia and the first usages of Cîteaux . In 1794, Pope Pius VI raised Val-Sainte to the status of an abbey and motherhouse of the Trappists, and Dom Augustin was elected the first abbot of the abbey and the leader of the Trappist congregation. However, in 1798, when the French invaded Switzerland,

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2394-648: The monks were again exiled and had to roam different countries seeking to establish a new home, until Dom Augustin and his monks of Val-Sainte were finally able to re-establish a community in La Trappe. In 1834, the Holy See formed all French monasteries into the Congregation of the Cistercian Monks of Notre-Dame de la Trappe, with the abbot of La Trappe being the vicar general of the congregation. However, there were differences in observances between

2451-472: The most widely read spiritual and social works of the 20th century. Merton's widely read works include his autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain , as well as New Seeds of Contemplation and No Man is an Island . The first Trappist saint was Rafael Arnáiz Barón , who was a conventual oblate of the Abbey of San Isidro de Dueñas in Dueñas, Palencia . His defining characteristic was his intense devotion to

2508-474: The new church was consecrated on 30 August 1832. The abbey's reputation as a place of retreat continued. It attracted both the Count of Artois, afterwards Charles X and Louis Philippe in 1847. In 1880 the Trappists were expelled under French laws against religious institutions, but after a couple of years, they were able to return. The monastery was entirely rebuilt under the 45th abbot, Dom Etienne Salasc;

2565-903: The new church was consecrated on 30 August 1895. In 1975 the abbey was registered as a Monument historique . The buildings, in Neo-Gothic style, are still occupied by the Trappist community, under the leadership of abbot Dom Guerric Reitz-Séjotte, appointed in 2004. La Trappe Abbey directly supervises four other Trappist houses, at Bellefontaine in Anjou , Timadeuc in Brittany , Échourgnac in Dordogne , and Tre Fontane in Italy . 48°38′14″N 0°34′24″E  /  48.63722°N 0.57333°E  / 48.63722; 0.57333 Abbey of Gethsemani The Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani

2622-536: The novice master, Dom Augustin de Lestrange , went into exile, initially at La Valsainte Charterhouse in Switzerland. The French government sold the abbey as national property. After the Bourbon Restoration , de Lestrange purchased the property back in 1815. When the religious community returned, the brothers found the premises in a ruinous state. They rebuilt the monastery in its entirety and

2679-404: The observance of the Rule of St. Benedict, the monks of Gethsemani raise money for the monastery by producing fruitcake and fudge ; they also collect royalties received from sales of Thomas Merton 's books. The fruitcake is made with Kentucky bourbon as well as cherries, pineapples, raisins, dates and nuts. The months of November and December are particularly busy for Gethsemani Farms, with

2736-461: The pallia on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul ; the metropolitan archbishops receive those pallia in a separate ceremony within their home dioceses from the hands of the apostolic nuncio, who personally represents the pope in their respective countries. The monks of New Melleray Abbey in rural Peosta, Iowa produce caskets for both themselves and sale to the public. Cistercian College, Roscrea ,

2793-412: The same basic style as all the others there: "Fr. Louis Merton, Died Dec. 10, 1968." For the week of July 22–27, 1996, The Abbey of Gethsemani played host to its first groundbreaking dialogue between monastics of various Catholic and Buddhist orders. Among the issues discussed were topics on prayer , meditation , work ethics, and monastic roles. According to the 14th Dalai Lama —who was present at

2850-496: The source and origin of their reforms. In 1792, during the French Revolution , La Trappe Abbey, like all other monasteries at the time, was confiscated by the French government and the Trappists expelled. Augustin de Lestrange , a monk of La Trappe at that time, led a number of monks to establish a new monastery in the ruined and unroofed former Carthusian charterhouse of Val-Sainte in the Canton of Fribourg , Switzerland , where

2907-408: The strict leadership of Dom Benedict. In 1878 the abbey had roughly the same number of monks as when it was founded, and none of those present were American. As a result, Gethsemani leased some of its land to local farmers to avoid closure. In 1884 the abbey suffered a devastating blow. Their grain mill —a major source of income and nourishment—was destroyed by fire. Despite this, Gethsemani managed

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2964-471: 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 lath and plaster in

3021-783: The will of God. Speech that leads to unkind amusement or laughter is considered evil and is forbidden. A Trappist sign language, one of several monastic sign languages , was developed to render speaking unnecessary. Meals are usually taken in contemplative silence as Trappists listen to a reading. Unlike the Benedictines and Cistercians, Trappists fully abstain from "flesh meats" (pig, cattle, sheep, venison, etc), described by Saint Benedict as "four-footed animals". However, they generally do not live as strict vegetarians , as they consume poultry, fish and seafood, though their diet mostly consists of vegetables, beans, and grain products. Some monasteries also raise broiler chickens . The Liturgy of

3078-586: Was Bishop Spalding of Baltimore , who gave the homily . That same year Gethsemani was given control over a nearby parish, and Dom Benedict also founded a religious order for women—the Sisters of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis —who were assigned to teach at an all-girls school in Mount Olivet, Kentucky . At this time, the abbey was not bringing in many new postulants , in part due to

3135-531: Was diligent in ensuring his monks lived an austere existence—in fact, many locals viewed the monks as a strange and unhappy lot. He was equally remembered for his generosity and kindness to soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, accepting them in the abbey to provide nourishment, horses and/or distilled spirits . Berger did sympathize with the Union , however, and his monks enjoyed the protection of Union troops in

3192-583: Was first and foremost centered on penitence; it prescribed hard manual labour, silence, a meagre diet, isolation from the world, and renunciation of most studies. The hard labour was in part a penitential exercise, in part a way of keeping the monastery self-supportive so that communication with the world might be kept at a minimum. This movement spread to many other Cistercian monasteries, which took up de Rancé's reforms. In time, these monasteries also spread and created new foundations of their own. These monasteries called themselves "Trappist" in reference to La Trappe,

3249-415: Was the home of Trappist monk, social activist and author Thomas Merton from 1941 until his death in 1968. In September 1805, French Trappists from the Abbey of La Valsainte in Switzerland traveled from Pennsylvania to Louisville, Kentucky . From Louisville, they traveled south to the area of Bardstown to meet with Stephen Badin , the first Catholic priest ordained in the United States. Badin invited

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