Exciting news has come to my attention! The order of Carmelite monks is overflowing with vocation requests, many from young men seeking the authentic life of community and prayer fostered by monasticism. The order has outgrown their previous monastery, and is in the process of building a beautiful new home in the foothills of Wyoming.
The massive complex will house a large abbey church with room for all of the religious of the community as well as space for 150 lay worshipers. The monks will live in small cells with a sleeping area, bathroom, and small garden. Eating, praying, and working will all be in common in large communal spaces. The life of the monks, of course, will revolve around prayer and the liturgy. They will sing the Divine Office (the daily prayer of the Church) in community and have mass each day. As such, the abbey church is the center of the complex.
This monastic community is a phenomenal advance for the Church in the United States. In the Middle Ages, during the last great monastic revival, monasteries became centers of learning and shared knowledge about God. New monastic communities, such as this one in Wyoming, can become symbols of the prophetic witness of the Church and be used as a way to save the West from its moral decay, or at least resurrect it to new life when it dies. This, I remind my readers, is how monastic communities of Ireland helped rebuild Europe after the fall of Rome.
Of course the architecture must be mentioned. This complex is absolutely visually stunning, a fitting tribute to God in a spectacular natural landscape. The style is French Gothic, emblematic of the great monasteries of Europe and of the timeless nature of the Church's message. McCrery Architects of Washington, DC, are the brains behind the architectural design, and more can be had at their website, found here.
Images are taken from the New Mount Carmel of America Foundation's website, which can be found here.
