A reader asked about our Advent traditions in the house. To answer, we celebrate Advent much as other Catholics and Christians do. We have a penance service, decorate with Advent wreaths, and attend special Advent conferences or talks on We…
There's a new product you can find around the Hill - "Peanut Brother," a delicious, homemade peanut butter made by the monks. Our Brothers Nathaniel and Kolbe first started making their own, natural peanut butter as a healthier alternative …
Reader’s Question: A reader asks about the position of the cellarer, as found in the Rule of St. Benedict: what does the cellarer do and does Saint Meinrad Archabbey have one? In St. Benedict’s time, the cellarer was a monk appointed …
Note from the editor: Apologies for the delay in publication this time around. The start of August was extraordinarily busy (as you’ll soon see!), and since then I’ve been recovering in our infirmary from major surgery on my lower jaw. In …
What about the house? The Customary. Those who know about Benedictines know that we follow the Rule of St. Benedict, a sort of guidebook written in the 6th century by St. Benedict for monks living in his Monastery.
What about the house? Health and fitness. We Benedictines have a strong tradition and love of intellectual pursuits, but that doesn’t mean we believe that we must neglect the body in favor of the mind. Many monks took advantage of May’s…
Spring is finally here-- and it’s about time! I don't know about you, but I thought winter would never end. Springtime always feels so new and refreshing, so full of hope and promise. All kinds of joyful and memorable life events tend to ha…
Note from the Editor: Happy Easter! I hope your celebration of our Lord’s resurrection has been filled with much joy and peace! That has certainly been the case for our celebration in the monastery. In fact, there’s been so much joy and
In the monastery, we observe the penitential season of Lent much as other Catholics and Christians do around the world, but we do have (you guessed it!) some customs particular to us. First of all, each monk ...
A reader asks, "How is the tone of the community, the atmosphere, affected by the death of a monk?" and "The monks of Saint Meinrad have experienced much loss in the last year. How has the mood of the community changed, if at all?"
Christmas in the monastery is a beautiful, sentimental, and of course, hectic, season. Each year the community looks forward to setting up the Christmas trees, baking treats, and sipping eggnog by the fireplace - just like many other fam…
November is a strange month. It is arguably not as beautiful as October is, at least not in Southern Indiana, because the leaves have fallen, the landscape is bare, and there is little chance of snow (snow-haters can rejoice).
Dear Readers, Welcome back to "About the House!" Thank you for reading this blog and for your interest in our life here at Saint Meinrad. I'm excited to tell you about a few additions and changes to the blog.