Monastery of Christ in the Desert facts for kids
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 Location in New Mexico
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| Monastery information | |
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| Order | Benedictine |
| Established | 1964 |
| Mother house | Mount Savior Monastery (Pine City, New York, United States) |
| Diocese | Archdiocese of Santa Fe |
| People | |
| Founder(s) | Aelred Wall, O.S.B. |
| Important associated figures | Thomas Merton |
| Architecture | |
| Architect | George Nakashima |
| Site | |
| Location | Abiquiu, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States |
| Coordinates | 36°22′40.80″N 106°40′49.80″W / 36.3780000°N 106.6805000°W |
The Monastery of Christ in the Desert is a Benedictine monastery located in Abiquiu, New Mexico. A monastery is a place where monks live and follow a religious way of life. This monastery is part of a larger group of Benedictine monasteries.
It is found in the Chama River Canyon Wilderness area. This is about 75 miles north of Santa Fe. To get there, you travel 13 miles on a dirt road (Forest Road 151) off of US Route 84.
Contents
History of the Monastery
The Monastery of Christ in the Desert was started in 1964. It was founded by Aelred Wall, who was a Benedictine monk. He came with other monks from the Mount Saviour Monastery in Pine City, New York.
In 1996, the monastery became an independent Abbey. This means it could make more of its own decisions. As of 2019, there were about 30 monks living there. These monks come from many different countries. However, English is the main language they use.
Monks and the Internet
In 1995, the monks tried something new. They started an internet web design service. It was called "scriptorium@christdesert." This service became very popular! It was even featured in big newspapers like The New York Times and magazines like Time.
But by 1998, the monks realized something important. Their work designing websites was taking too much time. It was distracting them from their main purpose as monks. So, they decided to close the web design service.
Monastery on TV
In 2006, the monastery was part of a TV show. It was a Discovery Channel documentary series called The Monastery. The show followed five regular people. They lived at the monastery for 40 days. They learned about the monks' daily life.
Building and Power
The first buildings of the monastery were designed by George Nakashima. The monastery uses propane and solar power for its energy. It has one of the biggest private solar power systems in the United States!
The Monastery of Christ in the Desert has also helped start other monasteries. These are called "daughter houses." They include Nuestra Senora de la Soledad and Monasterio Benedictino De Santa María y Todos Los Santos in Mexico. There is also the Benedictine Monastery of Thien Tam (Heavenly Heart) in Kerens, Texas.
What Monks Do
The monastery has a guesthouse. Here, visitors can stay and join the monks. They can take part in the monks' daily prayers and Mass. Besides the guesthouse, the monks also run a gift shop. It sells books and religious items.
The monks do many different jobs to support themselves. They work in farming and computer tasks. They also take care of the monastery buildings and grounds. They even make their own products! These include craft beer, soap, lotions, candles, pottery, and artwork.
Brewing Beer
Since 2005, the Monastery of Christ in the Desert has had a small brewery. It is called Abbey Brewing Company. The brewery makes three types of beer: Monks' Ale, Monks' Wit, and Monks' Tripel.
The beers are mostly brewed at a different facility. This is the Sierra Blanca Brewing Company in Moriarty. However, the monks have a small experimental brewery at the monastery itself. Abbey Brewing Company sells its beers in eight states. They plan to sell in even more places in the future.
See also
In Spanish: Monasterio de Cristo en el Desierto para niños
- Monastery of the Holy Cross
- NextScribe - an independent research project
