„May these images from this heavenly corner of Umbria bring cheer to your daily struggles!“ ~ One of the most poignant moments during the ceremony for a monk making his solemn vows is the mystical …More
„May these images from this heavenly corner of Umbria bring cheer to your daily struggles!“
~ One of the most poignant moments during the ceremony for a monk making his solemn vows is the mystical burial. In this ritual, the monk is covered in a black funeral pall while the bells toll, marking his symbolic death. He lies still, praying for God’s help, knowing that the next time he is covered in the pall will be his actual passage to eternity.
On the Feast of the Maternity of Our Lady, October 11, two monks of our community joined the ranks of the solemnly professed, making publicly this vow before God. Despite the funeral motifs, the day was one of great joy and delight. Even the nationalities of the two brothers, Polish and German, shows that deep unity is possible between nations when God is truly sought.
The autumn months are appropriate for meditating on death, as nature itself falls asleep. Fittingly, then, we completed construction on the monastery cemetery: the final resting place for the earthly remains of the monks. Since Benedictine monks make a vow of stability, it was critical to know we would be able to pray near the bodies of our brothers after their passing. Designed by David Napolitano of Foligno, Italy, the classical lines and vibrant color attest not to a macabre reality, but to a space imbued with hope and expectation. For death does not have the final word.
May these images from this heavenly corner of Umbria bring cheer to your daily struggles!
In Christ,
Dom Benedict Nivakoff, O.S.B.
Prior
© 2022 Monastero di San Benedetto in Monte
~ One of the most poignant moments during the ceremony for a monk making his solemn vows is the mystical burial. In this ritual, the monk is covered in a black funeral pall while the bells toll, marking his symbolic death. He lies still, praying for God’s help, knowing that the next time he is covered in the pall will be his actual passage to eternity.
On the Feast of the Maternity of Our Lady, October 11, two monks of our community joined the ranks of the solemnly professed, making publicly this vow before God. Despite the funeral motifs, the day was one of great joy and delight. Even the nationalities of the two brothers, Polish and German, shows that deep unity is possible between nations when God is truly sought.
The autumn months are appropriate for meditating on death, as nature itself falls asleep. Fittingly, then, we completed construction on the monastery cemetery: the final resting place for the earthly remains of the monks. Since Benedictine monks make a vow of stability, it was critical to know we would be able to pray near the bodies of our brothers after their passing. Designed by David Napolitano of Foligno, Italy, the classical lines and vibrant color attest not to a macabre reality, but to a space imbued with hope and expectation. For death does not have the final word.
May these images from this heavenly corner of Umbria bring cheer to your daily struggles!
In Christ,
Dom Benedict Nivakoff, O.S.B.
Prior
© 2022 Monastero di San Benedetto in Monte
