Hello everyone, as most of you know, a majority of the posts on this blog have to do with local history, but over this past weekend I was able to make a fascinating road trip and decided it would be perfect to share with you all. The Robertson and Sumner county areas are loaded with churches of all different types, so the idea of a religious community is something most locals are familiar with, but two hours north of our community, outside of Bardstown, Kentucky, sits a religious community that may seem more alien to a lot of the local population, the Abbey of Gesthemani.
The Abbey, a term better understood by protestants as a monastery, was founded in 1848 and is the oldest active Catholic monastery in the United States. The Catholic Church has many different orders of monks, but the one who built this monastery is called the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, or better known as the Trappists.
The Trappists are a branch of the Cistercian order which has been around since 1098 C.E. They don’t officially take a vow of silence but speaking is usually only done when it’s completely necessary. Their days are filled with prayer, liturgy, and manual labor.
When I first arrived with my friend Cole, we went into the visitors center/gift shop. The monks provide for themselves by making products to sell, such as fudge, cheese, and even rosaries. I had heard good things about the fudge so I made sure to buy some.
“I feel like Frodo and Ol’ Samwise tryin’ to take the ring to Mordor” – actual quote from Cole
Just because I bought this from monks doesn’t mean I have to share it. In all seriousness, the fudge alone makes the drive worth it.
People are able to make retreats to the Abbey which can be a weekend, or even up to a week in length. It was at the check-in desk for the retreats that I met an amiable old monk, whose name I foolishly forgot to write down, that described to us the retreat process. He said that retreatants consisted of writers looking to work, college students needing to get assignments done, as well as married couples. The only rule to a retreat is that you don’t disturb the silence of the grounds.
At 12:15, in the main chapel, we were able to listen to the monks chant psalms 122, 123, and 124. When the monks weren’t chanting, the long narrow chamber seemed to be filled with a silence so thick that you could almost feel it. It seemed to engulf me like when you jump into a swimming pool and allow yourself to sink to the bottom. Following this, we were invited to eat lunch with the retreatants in the silent dining hall.
Frittata, cheddar biscuit, homemade cheese and bread, potato soup, and salad.
The interior of the chapel, as well as most of the monastery, isn’t ornately decorated, but I would argue that such decoration wouldn’t be necessary because the location of it is beautiful enough. Being secluded in rural Kentucky fills visitors and retreatants alike with a sense of serenity, and there are trails throughout the property that highlight this.
The hills of Kentucky roll on and on, and the only thing that seems to catch them is the sky.
Statue of Jesus along the trail.
One of the largest things that drew me to visit the Abbey was the former residence of one of my biggest inspirations, Thomas Merton, who was a member of the monastic community from 1942 until his death in 1968. Merton was not only a monk but an author, poet, social activist, mystic, and is considered to be one of the largest religious figures of the 20th century. His influence would take hundreds of blog posts to encapsulate, but if you’re interested in learning more you can click here or here.
The Abbey of Gesthemani is a remarkable place filled with prayer, labor, and simplicity. Monks and retreatants are encouraged to be themselves and to allow God to reveal Himself to them in His own way and time.
No matter your background, I feel that you will find a road trip to the monastery to be enriching and soul pleasing. I know this post was a little out of the usual element of things posted here, but I encourage you to go walk the trails, listen to the liturgy of the hours, or to simply go buy some tasty fudge. You won’t be disappointed.
Turns out, Mother Mary doesn’t even like The Beatles.
People even leave their walking sticks for others to use.
The property has a couple ponds and a lake. We even saw a man fishing here on our way back through.
Statue of Apostles sleeping in the Garden of Gesthemani.
The trail ends with a statue of Christ at Gesthemani.
P.S. I would have taken more pictures of the inside of the church, but I felt that it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to have my phone out during the liturgy. If you check out the pictures on the Abbey’s website you can see more of what the inside looks like. Make sure to click the links scattered throughout the post to gain access to more fascinating info and pictures.
Directions
