By Michelle Laque Johnson
U.S. Catholics no longer have to travel to Europe to discover what life is like behind the turreted walls of the medieval French abbey, Notre Dame de Fontgombault, and other Benedictine monasteries. In 1999, an almost unbelievable chain of events brought a group of Benedictines from France to Oklahoma! There, they founded the Clear Creek Monastery, which is still under construction even as the community continues to grow.
See for yourself in the EWTN Original Production, “Living the Liturgy: Clear Creek Monastery,” which airs 2 a.m. ET, Sun., Aug. 22, 1 p.m. ET, Wed., Aug. 25, and 2 p.m. ET, Sat., Aug. 28. Or see it anytime thereafter at www.youtube.com/user/EWTN.
How did a monastery, where life is lived much like it was in the Middle Ages, make its way to the United States? The chain of events began at the non-Catholic Kansas University, where a group of mostly non-Catholic students were taking a class on Western civilization. They were surprised to learn how Catholicism shaped our culture.
“It was not the intention of the professors, but lots of students converted,” says EWTN Producer David Biddle. “They traveled to Europe to see the monasteries, to see how the culture was formed. They fell in love with these monasteries. Some became monks. They said, ‘A beautiful life is being lived here. We want to bring this to America.’”
It took 25 years, but in 1999, eight monks received permission to found a monastery in Oklahoma’s hinterlands. Most were returning Americans; a few were experienced French monks sent to help set up the foundation. Today, Clear Creek Monastery boasts 30 monks, with more men wanting to join every year.
Their way of life is not easy. Unlike many Benedictine communities, whose monks run parishes, schools or retreat centers, this is a cloistered community, far removed from any major town or city. The monks are contemplatives, which means they spend most of their day in silence. Each day is centered around the Liturgy of the Hours, which is prayed in Latin, and the Mass, which is prayed in the extraordinary form.
In this community, the monks fit work in between prayer, in accord with the traditional Benedictine motto, ora et labora,” meaning “pray and work.” Viewers will feel they are living the monastic life as they watch this documentary which is structured according to the hours of the Divine Office, with the monk’s lives interwoven throughout.
But be forewarned. After watching this documentary, you may very well want to spend some time in their world. Fortunately, you can. While the monks don’t run a retreat center, per se, the public is invited to pray with them and to stay in their guest houses.
“It’s a life just like it was lived in medieval times,” says Producer Biddle. “The monks are not running from society, but retreating so they can fight the spiritual battle. It’s a good example for us to see how the monks pray and live their lives dedicated to God…Theirs is a beautiful life lived for God.”
originally posted at: http://www.ewtn.com/wings/2010/08202010Feature.htm
