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 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 located on the abbey grounds.
The abbey is named after a monk called St. Meinrad of Einsiedeln, who died in the year 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! This makes Saint Meinrad very unique. The abbey is about 15 minutes away from Monastery Immaculate Conception, which is a monastery for Benedictine women.
The Benedictine monks at Saint Meinrad live a life of prayer and work. They gather together 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. Visitors are welcome to join the monks for prayer in the Archabbey Church.
The monks also spend time reading spiritual books. They follow the Rule of St. Benedict. This is a set of instructions for community living written by St. Benedict in the 6th century.
Contents
History of Saint Meinrad Archabbey
Monks first 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. He also wanted them to train local men to become priests. In 1870, the Pope officially named St. Meinrad an abbey.
Soon after arriving, the monks started offering high school classes to young people. By 1861, they added college-level 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 monks from Saint Meinrad also work in churches, as chaplains, or in other church roles.
Spreading the Benedictine Way
In 1877, the leader of Saint Meinrad Abbey, Martin Marty, made a deal for land in Arkansas. He wanted to start another Benedictine monastery there. Three monks from Saint Meinrad Abbey founded this new place on March 15, 1878. This new 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 to train future priests. These monks founded what is now St. Joseph Abbey, Louisiana. It is located near Covington, Louisiana. Saint Joseph Abbey still runs Saint Joseph Seminary College today.
Saint Meinrad also helped found other monasteries:
- In 1933, they founded Marmion Abbey in Aurora, Illinois.
- In 1950, Blue Cloud Abbey was founded near Marvin, South Dakota. This abbey aimed to serve the local Lakota and other Native American groups. 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 Marmion Abbey and Prince of Peace Abbey are still active today. In 1954, St. Meinrad Abbey was given the special title of Archabbey by the Holy See.
Leaders of the Archabbey
Here are the leaders who have guided Saint Meinrad Archabbey over the years:
Abbots
- 1870-1879 Martin Marty
- 1880-1898 Fintan Mundwiler
- 1898-1930 Athanasius Schmitt
Archabbots
- 1930-1955 Abbot Ignatius Esser (became 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 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 degrees for people who are not becoming priests in 1969. Since 1993, these students can attend classes during any school term. More than 5,000 men and women have studied in the School of Theology.
Other programs at the Seminary and School of Theology include:
- A program that helps Catholic dioceses train their deacon candidates. Deacons are people who serve the church in special ways, but are not priests.
- A program for young people that encourages high school and college students to get more involved in church services and think about serving the Church.
- The Institute for Priests and Presbyterates, which helps priests as they move from seminary to parish life or prepare to become a pastor. It also supports groups of priests and their bishops in a Catholic diocese.
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 time, Abbey Press was one of the biggest businesses in Spencer County, Indiana. It had over 100 employees.
The press started in 1867 when the Benedictine monks bought a used printing press. Abbey Press sold its products across the United States and in 25 other English-speaking countries. Money from Abbey Press sales helped support the work of Saint Meinrad Archabbey. After 150 years of business, Abbey Press closed on June 30, 2017.
Abbey Caskets
Abbey Caskets is another business run by Saint Meinrad Archabbey. It started in 1999. Abbey Caskets makes and sells handmade wooden caskets and cremation urns directly to people. The caskets and urns are made from strong 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 earned from Abbey Caskets helps support Saint Meinrad Archabbey and its Seminary and School of Theology.
See also
- List of churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis
