Saint Meinrad Archabbey is a Catholic

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...

Spencer County, Indiana Spencer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,952. The county seat is Rockport. Despite not being in the Owensboro Metropolitan Area, the entire riverfront of the city of Owens ...

USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, was founded by monks from

Einsiedeln Abbey Einsiedeln Abbey (german: Kloster Einsiedeln) is a Benedictine Catholic monastery in the village of Einsiedeln in the canton of Schwyz, Switzerland. The abbey is dedicated to Our Lady of the Hermits, in recognition of Meinrad of Einsiedeln, a he ...

in Switzerland on March 21, 1854, and is home to approximately 79 monks. The

Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology The Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology is a Roman Catholic seminary and school of theology in Saint Meinrad, Indiana. It is affiliated with the Saint Meinrad Archabbey in St. Meinrad, Indiana. The institution was named after Meinra ...

is also located on the premises. The abbey is named for the monk St. Meinrad of Einsiedeln, who died in 861. It is one of only two archabbeys in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and one of 11 in the world. The abbey is located approximately 15 minutes from

Monastery Immaculate Conception The Monastery Immaculate Conception is a monastery in Ferdinand, Indiana. It is home to one of the largest communities of Benedictine women in the United States.Dubois County Visitors Center & Tourism CommissionMonastery Immaculate Conception/ref ...

Ferdinand, Indiana Ferdinand is a town in Ferdinand Township, Dubois County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 2,157 at the 2010 census. Ferdinand is part of the Jasper Micropolitan Statistical Area. History Ferdinand was founded in 1840 by Fr. J ...

. Immaculate Conception is for Benedictine women. Because of the presence of the Archabbey, Harrison Township is located within the

Archdiocese of Indianapolis The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis ( la, Archidioecesis Indianapolitana) is a division of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. When it was originally erected as the Diocese of Vincennes on May 6, 1834, it encompassed all of ...

instead of the

Diocese of Evansville The Diocese of Evansville ( la, Dioecesis Evansvicensis) is a diocese of the Catholic Church in Southwestern Indiana. On October 21, 1944, the then- Diocese of Indianapolis was split into the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and the Diocese of Evan ...

, like the rest of Spencer County. The Benedictine community at Saint Meinrad consists of men who dedicate their lives to prayer and work. They gather in community five times a day—for morning prayer,

Mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different eleme ...

noon prayer The Zuhr prayer ( ar, صَلَاة ٱلظُّهْر ', "noon prayer") is one of the five mandatory salah (Islamic prayer). As an Islamic day starts at sunset, the Zuhr prayer is technically the fourth prayer of the day.evening prayer and compline—to pray for the Church and the world. Guests often join the monks in prayer in the Archabbey Church. Gregorian chant is sung in the canonical hours of the monastic Office, primarily in antiphons used to sing the Psalms, in the Great Responsories of Matins, and the Short Responsories of the Lesser Hours and Compline. The psalm antiphons of the Office tend to be short and simple, especially compared to the complex Great Responsories. In addition, the monks spend private time reading spiritual and religious materials. They live under the

Rule of St. Benedict The ''Rule of Saint Benedict'' ( la, Regula Sancti Benedicti) is a book of precepts written in Latin in 516 by St Benedict of Nursia ( AD 480–550) for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot. The spirit of Saint Benedict's Ru ...

, the 6th-century instructions for community living written by

St. Benedict Benedict of Nursia ( la, Benedictus Nursiae; it, Benedetto da Norcia; 2 March AD 480 – 21 March AD 548) was an Christianity in Italy, Italian Christian monk, writer, and theologian who is venerated in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Ortho ...

History

The monks came to southern Indiana at the request of a local priest ( Fr. Joseph Kundek) for assistance in addressing the pastoral needs of the growing

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

-speaking

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

population and to prepare local men to be priests. St. Meinrad was named by the Pope as an abbey in 1870, with

Martin Marty Martin Emil Marty (born on February 5, 1928) is an American Lutheran religious scholar who has written extensively on religion in the United States. Early life and education Marty was born on February 5, 1928, in West Point The United Sta ...

as abbot and

Fintan Mundwiler Fintan Mundwiler (12 July 1835 at Dietikon in Switzerland – 14 February 1898 at St. Meinrad's Abbey) was a Swiss Benedictine, who became Abbot of St. Meinrad Abbey, Indiana. Life Andreas Mundwiler was born 12 July 1835 at Dietikon, Switzerl ...

as prior. Shortly after arriving in Indiana, the Benedictines began offering high school courses to local youths. In 1861, the monks expanded their general courses to include undergraduate courses in philosophy and

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

. Through these programs, the monks of Saint Meinrad began their mission, which continues today: preparing men for service in the Church as priests. The undergraduate degree program, St. Meinrad College, closed in 1998. It had expanded admission to men who were not seeking the priesthood, and had considered admitting women but found enrollment too low to continue. Saint Meinrad continues to operate a graduate school of theology. It has more than a score of its monks in

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

work, chaplaincies, and diocesan assignments. In 1877, the Abbot of Saint Meinrad Abbey,

, negotiated an agreement with an agent of the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad Company (LR&FS) Railroad Company, for land in order to establish a Benedictine monastery in northern

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

. The railroad controlled thousands of acres of land, and had approached the abbey seeking to gain its support to establish a monastery and school on its holdings. The RR granted 640 acres to the abbey for the monastery and a school. The railroad wanted to attract settlers to this part of their holdings. Three monk-missionaries from St. Meinrad Abbey founded the new institute on March 15, 1878, in

Logan County, Arkansas Logan County (formerly Sarber County) is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 22,353. Its two county seats are Booneville and Paris. History The Arkansas General Assembly defined the stat ...

. Later the monks founded the associated school that continues at the complex. St. Benedict Priory gained independence from St. Meinrad in 1886. In 1891 Pope

Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-ol ...

named it as

Subiaco Abbey The Abbey of Saint Scholastica, also known as Subiaco Abbey (Italian: ''Abbazia di Santa Scolastica''), is located just outside the town of Subiaco in the Province of Rome, Region of Lazio, Italy; and is still an active Benedictine abbey, ter ...

. It donated 80 acres for a townsite and railroad connection, and the first train served the new town of Subiaco, Arkansas in 1909. In 1889, a group of monks traveled from St. Meinrad Abbey to the

Archdiocese of New Orleans The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans ( la, Archidioecesis Novae Aureliae, french: Archidiocèse de la Nouvelle-Orléans, es, Arquidiócesis de Nueva Orleans) is an ecclesiastical division of the Roman Catholic Church spanning Jefferso ...

. They were responding to an invitation from the Archbishop to found a college seminary to train local vocations. The monks founded what developed as St. Joseph Abbey, Louisiana, located in Saint Benedict, near

Covington, Louisiana Covington is a city in, and the parish seat of, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 11,564 at the 2020 United States census. It is located at a fork of the Bogue Falaya and the Tchefuncte River. Covington is part o ...

, north of New Orleans. Saint Joseph Abbey operates Saint Joseph Seminary College, and a number of other ministries around the Diocese. In 1933, Saint Meinrad founded Marmion Abbey in Aurora, Illinois. In 1950 Blue Cloud Abbey was founded near Marvin,

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large porti ...

, to serve the local

Lakota Lakota may refer to: * Lakota people, a confederation of seven related Native American tribes *Lakota language, the language of the Lakota peoples Place names In the United States: * Lakota, Iowa * Lakota, North Dakota, seat of Nelson County * La ...

and related Native American peoples. Due to declining numbers and an aging population, Blue Cloud was closed by its remaining members in 2012. Priests of the

Sacred Heart of Jesus The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus ( la, Cor Jesu Sacratissimum) is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This dev ...

also had missions and schools in South Dakota from the early 20th century In 1958, the monks of Saint Meinrad founded Prince of Peace Abbey in Oceanside, California. Prince of Peace and Marmion abbeys continue to operate. In 1954 St. Meinrad Abbey was elevated to ''Archabbey'' by the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

Abbots and Archabbots

ABBOTS *1870-1879

*1880-1898

*1898-1930 Athanasius Schmitt ARCHABBOTS *1930-1955 Abbot Ignatius Esser (elevated to Archabbot 1954-1955) *1955-1966 Bonaventure Knaebel *1966-1978 Gabriel Verkamp *1978-1995 Timothy Sweeney *1995-2004 Lambert Reilly *2004-2016 Justin Duvall *2016-Present Archabbot Kurt Stasiak

Seminary and School of Theology

The St Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology offers graduate-level degrees in theology. Priesthood candidates work toward a Master of Divinity. Lay degree students can earn a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...

(Theology) or a

(Pastoral Theology). A two-year pre-theology program leads to a Master of Catholic Philosophical Studies. Saint Meinrad began offering lay degree programs in 1969, although students worked on their degrees during the six-week Summer Session program. In the fall of 1993, the Seminary and School of Theology expanded its mission to allow lay ministry students to attend classes during any of the academic terms. While some classes specifically aimed at ordination preparation are reserved for M.Div. students, lay ministers sometimes pursue their graduate degrees as part-time or full-time students. More than 5,000 men and women have studied in the School of Theology. Other programs in the Seminary and School of Theology include a permanent deacon formation program, which assists Catholic dioceses in the formation of their deacon candidates, and a youth and vocations program, which encourages high school and college students to participate more deeply in the Church's liturgy and consider a vocation of service to the Church. The Seminary and School of Theology also houses the Institute for Priests and Presbyterates, which offers continuing formation for priests making the transition from seminary to parish life, priests preparing for their first assignment as pastor, and presbyterates - which is the group of priests and their bishop in a Catholic diocese. In 1995, there was a controversy over the firing of a theologian, Carmel McEnroy, who taught at the school. In the spring of 1994, Pope John Paul II had issued an Apostolic Letter declaring the issue of the ordination of women as priests resolved and no longer open to debate. Several months after the statement was issued, Dr. McEnroy joined 1,500 others in signing an open letter opposing the Pope's teachings on the subject. After reading the open letter in the National Catholic Reporter, the Archabbot determined that Dr. McEnroy must be removed from the faculty at Saint Meinrad for publicly dissenting from the Pope's teachings. Dr. McEnroy sued on a claim of breach of contract. The lower court dismissed the case, citing lack of jurisdiction, which decision was upheld on appeal.

Abbey Press

Saint Meinrad Archabbey owned and operated an international company that produced and marketed religious, spiritual and inspirational cards, books and gifts. At one time, Abbey Press was one of the largest business enterprises in

, with more than 100 employees. The press was founded in 1867 when the Benedictine monks purchased a used printing press. Abbey Press marketed its products throughout the United States and in 25 English-speaking countries. More than 20 foreign companies were licensed to print some of Abbey Press' publications in native languages. Net proceeds from the sales of Abbey Press products supported the ministries of Saint Meinrad Archabbey. As of June 30, 2017, after 150 years of operation, Abbey Press closed and the printing presses and other equipment were sold. Some 70 people lost their jobs.

Abbey Caskets

Abbey Caskets is a work of Saint Meinrad Archabbey. Founded in 1999, Abbey Caskets offers handcrafted wooden caskets and cremation urns directly to the public. The caskets and cremation urns are made from solid hardwoods, in the choice of poplar, cherry, walnut and oak. The Monastic Abbey Casket is designed after the caskets used by the monks of Saint Meinrad. Abbey Caskets also offers a more conventional casket, the Traditional Abbey Casket. Abbey Woodworking was also created, as a division of Abbey Caskets, that offers custom religious-themed furniture. All proceeds from the sales support Saint Meinrad Archabbey and the Seminary and School of Theology.

Notes

References

Fässler, Thomas OSB: "Of Mothers, Daughters, and Growing Up. The Changing Ties between the Monastery Einsiedeln and St. Meinrad Since 1850" In: Swiss American Historical Society Review 52/3 (2016), 59-68.

External links

Saint Meinrad Archabbey websiteSaint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology websiteSaint Meinrad Alumni CommunityOne Bread, One Cup Web siteOne Caring Place (CareNotes) Web SiteAbbey Caskets Web Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Meinrad Archabbey Order of Saint Benedict Southwestern Indiana Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis Landmarks in Indiana Benedictine monasteries in the United States Religious organizations established in 1854 Buildings and structures in Spencer County, Indiana 1854 establishments in Indiana Benedictine colleges and universities Catholic seminaries in the United States Swiss-American history