Saint Meinrad Archabbey facts for kids
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 Location in Indiana
Location in the United States
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| Monastery information | |
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| Order | Benedictine |
| Established | 1854 |
| Mother house | Einsiedeln Abbey |
| Abbot | Right Reverend Kurt Stasiak, O.S.B. |
| Prior | Reverend Bede Sisco, O.S.B. |
| Site | |
| Coordinates | 38°09′58″N 86°48′39″W / 38.166212°N 86.810886°W |
| Website | https://www.saintmeinrad.org |
Saint Meinrad Archabbey is a Catholic monastery located in Spencer County, Indiana, USA. It was started by monks from Einsiedeln Abbey in Switzerland on March 21, 1854. Today, about 79 monks live there.
The Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology is also on the same property. The abbey is named after a monk called St. Meinrad of Einsiedeln, who passed away in 861.
Saint Meinrad is one of only two special monasteries called archabbeys in the United States. There are only 11 archabbeys in the whole world! It's about a 15-minute drive from Monastery Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand, Indiana, which is a monastery for Benedictine women.
The Benedictine monks at Saint Meinrad dedicate their lives to prayer and work. They gather five times a day to pray for the Church and the world. These prayer times include morning prayer, Mass, noon prayer, evening prayer, and compline (night prayer). Visitors are often welcome to join the monks in prayer in the Archabbey Church.
During their prayer times, the monks often sing Gregorian chant. This is a special type of ancient Church music. They also spend quiet time reading spiritual books. The monks live by the Rule of St. Benedict, which is a set of instructions for community living written by St. Benedict in the 6th century.
Contents
History of Saint Meinrad Archabbey
The monks came to southern Indiana because a local priest, Fr. Joseph Kundek, asked for their help. He wanted them to support the growing number of German-speaking Catholic people and train local men to become priests. In 1870, the Pope officially named St. Meinrad an abbey.
Soon after arriving, the Benedictine monks started offering high school classes to young people. By 1861, they added college courses in philosophy and theology. Through these programs, the monks began their important work of preparing men to serve the Church as priests. The college program, St. Meinrad College, closed in 1998. However, Saint Meinrad still runs a graduate school for theology today. Many of its monks also work in local churches, as chaplains, or in other Church roles.
Founding Other Monasteries
The monks of Saint Meinrad also helped start other monasteries.
In 1877, the Abbot of Saint Meinrad Abbey, Martin Marty, made a deal for land in Arkansas. He wanted to start a new Benedictine monastery there. Three monks from St. Meinrad Abbey founded this new place on March 15, 1878. This monastery later became Subiaco Abbey in 1891.
In 1889, another group of monks from St. Meinrad Abbey traveled to Archdiocese of New Orleans. They were asked to start a college seminary to train local priests. These monks founded what is now St. Joseph Abbey, Louisiana, near Covington, Louisiana.
Saint Meinrad also helped found Marmion Abbey in Aurora, Illinois, in 1933. In 1950, Blue Cloud Abbey was started near Marvin, South Dakota. This abbey was meant to serve the local Lakota and other Native American communities. Blue Cloud Abbey closed in 2012 because it had fewer monks and an aging population.
In 1958, the monks of Saint Meinrad founded Prince of Peace Abbey in Oceanside, California. Both Prince of Peace and Marmion abbeys are still active today.
In 1954, St. Meinrad Abbey was given the special title of Archabbey by the Holy See (the Pope's office).
Leaders of the Archabbey
Here are the names of the main leaders, called Abbots and Archabbots, who have guided Saint Meinrad:
- 1870-1879 Martin Marty
- 1880-1898 Fintan Mundwiler
- 1898-1930 Athanasius Schmitt
- 1930-1955 Abbot Ignatius Esser (became Archabbot in 1954)
- 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 advanced degrees in theology. Students who want to become priests work towards a Master of Divinity degree. Other students can earn a Master of Arts in Theology or Pastoral Theology. There is also a two-year program for those studying philosophy before theology.
Saint Meinrad started offering programs for people who are not becoming priests in 1969. Since 1993, students can attend classes full-time or part-time. More than 5,000 men and women have studied at the School of Theology.
The Seminary also has programs to help train permanent deacons for Catholic dioceses. It also has a program for young people, encouraging high school and college students to get more involved in Church activities and think about serving the Church.
The Institute for Priests and Presbyterates is also part of the Seminary. It helps priests as they move from seminary to parish life, or when they become a pastor for the first time. It also supports groups of priests and their bishops in a Catholic diocese.
In 1995, there was a disagreement involving a teacher at the school. A theologian named Carmel McEnroy no longer taught at Saint Meinrad after signing a letter that expressed a different view on a Church teaching. The Archabbot decided that she could not continue teaching there because of this public disagreement.
Abbey Press
Saint Meinrad Archabbey used to own and run a company called Abbey Press. This company made and sold religious cards, books, and gifts around the world. At one point, Abbey Press was one of the biggest businesses in Spencer County, Indiana, with over 100 employees.
The press started in 1867 when the monks bought a used printing press. Abbey Press sold its products across the United States and in 25 other English-speaking countries. They also allowed over 20 foreign companies to print some of their publications in other languages. The money earned from Abbey Press sales helped support the work of Saint Meinrad Archabbey.
After 150 years of operation, Abbey Press closed on June 30, 2017. The printing presses and other equipment were sold, and about 70 people lost their jobs.
Abbey Caskets
Abbey Caskets is another business run by Saint Meinrad Archabbey. It started in 1999 and sells handmade wooden caskets and cremation urns directly to the public. The caskets and urns are made from solid woods like poplar, cherry, walnut, and oak.
The Monastic Abbey Casket is designed like the caskets the monks of Saint Meinrad use. Abbey Caskets also offers a more common style called the Traditional Abbey Casket. A part of Abbey Caskets, called Abbey Woodworking, also makes custom religious-themed furniture. All the money from these sales helps support Saint Meinrad Archabbey and its Seminary and School of Theology.
Images for kids
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The coat of arms of Saint Meinrad Archabbey
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Archabbey Church
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A Celtic cross in front of the School of Theology
See also
- List of churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis
