Southern Star Abbey facts for kids

The Southern Star Abbey is a special kind of monastery called a Cistercian monastery. It is found in a quiet, countryside area of North Island, New Zealand. The monks who live there run a dairy farm to support themselves. It's located in a place called Kopua, between the towns of Takapau and Norsewood.

History of the Abbey

A Special Gift of Land

In 1948, a farming couple named Thomas and Rosalie Prescott lived in Kopua. They decided to give their large farm, about 360 hectares (890 acres), to the Catholic Church. They hoped it could one day become a college for farming.

The Prescotts had two conditions for their gift. Rosalie needed to be able to live on the farm for the rest of her life. Also, a home needed to be provided for their adopted son, John, who had special needs.

Their farm was very good and ready for use. It was perfect for monks who live by farming their own land. Monks also spend their days in quiet prayer, with seven special prayer times each day.

Finding the Right Monks

At that time, Kopua was part of the Archdiocese of Wellington. Archbishop McKeefry wanted to find monks to start a monastery there. He first asked an abbey in Kentucky, USA, if they were interested. He thought they might be because one of their monks, Thomas Merton, had a father from New Zealand.

He also asked an abbey in the Netherlands. Neither of these abbeys could help. But finally, Mount Melleray Abbey in Ireland agreed to send monks to New Zealand.

Starting the Monastery

On June 9, 1954, six monks from Mount Melleray arrived in Kopua. These first monks lived in the shearers' quarters on the farm. They started building their first home and working on part of the farm.

In 1955, more monks arrived, and the temporary monastery began to take shape. Wooden buildings were moved from an old Polish refugee camp in Pahiatua. These buildings became the kitchen, dining room, and library. Even though they were meant to be temporary, they are still used today!

A lawyer from Wellington, Thaddeus McCarthy, helped with the legal papers. He made sure the Prescott farm was properly given to the Cistercian monks. More monks slowly came from Ireland between 1958 and 1969.

A Small Problem Solved

At first, the abbot (leader) of Mount Melleray Abbey in Ireland had some worries. He thought the land given was not enough for a monastery. He believed they needed at least 120 hectares (about 300 acres) to support a community of 20 or more monks. He said, "Having enough land is the main thing for a Cistercian monastery. If we lose our land, we stop being Cistercians."

Archbishop McKeefry was worried he might lose the Trappist monks, just like he had lost another group of monks before. He asked Archbishop Romolo Carboni, a church leader from Sydney, for help. Archbishop Carboni helped clear up the misunderstanding. It was just a confusion about land sizes and New Zealand tax rules. The land transfer was actually very secure.

Life at the Abbey

From the very beginning, many Catholic people were interested in the monastery. Some even decided to join the monks. By September 15, 1959, the monastery was strong enough to become its own abbey. It was named the Abbey of Our Lady of the Southern Star.

On April 9, 1960, Father Joachim (who later became Joseph) Murphy was chosen as the first Abbot. He led the abbey until 1986. During these years, big changes happened in the Catholic Church because of the Vatican Council II. The monks updated their way of life. Some monks went to Rome for more studies. Latin, the traditional language of prayer, slowly changed to English. The focus on living together as a family of monks also brought new ways of doing things.

In the late 1960s and 1970s, Abbot Murphy and his priests helped Bishop Owen Snedden. They carefully reviewed and gave ideas for English translations of prayer books. This was important as the church moved away from using only Latin.

Thomas Prescott passed away in 1962. In 1972, Rosalie Prescott wanted to make part of their dream come true. She encouraged the monks to start a farm training program for young people. The old family home was used to house up to six young men. They learned basic farming skills from the monks before going to an agricultural college. This program ended in 1980.

In 1979, a community of 30 monks celebrated the abbey's 25th anniversary. The temporary buildings they had used for years became permanent. Rosalie Prescott continued to live on the property with her son, John, until she passed away on July 17, 2003. She was almost 104 years old! After her death, John Prescott joined the monastery community.

Since it started, the monastery has supported itself through farming. They have done dairy farming, raised beef cattle, sheep, pigs, and grown potatoes. They also grew carrots, strawberry plants, and orchids. By the year 2000, dairy farming and beef production were their main activities. They also use their farm to help others and offer a guest house for visitors.

The Abbey Today

The monastery now has a special community for people who want to live a life similar to the monks for a while. These people are called "Companions of the Abbey." They are Christians, either married or single. They live at the abbey and try to follow the monastery's spiritual way of life as much as possible. This is usually a temporary stay, lasting at least three months.

See also

In Spanish: Abadía de Nuestra Señora de la Estrella del Sur para niños