Monastery

Reverend Michael J. Ahern, S. J. narrates as the daily lives of two orders of monks of the Catholic church, the St. Bernard and the Order of Reform Cistercians of our Lady of La Trappe, are shown. Both orders are ruled by the supreme law of charity: "the love of God for his own sake, and the love of the neighbor for the love of God." The St. Bernard order is an example of the active life, while the Trappist monks are an example of the contemplative life. The St. Bernard monastery is situated in the European Alps, between France and Italy near a difficult pass. The church is near an old Roman road, and many historical figures, such as Napoleon Bonaparte, have passed this way. Legend has it that the original founder wanted to become a priest against the wishes of his father, and on the eve of his wedding, ran away from his castle home and eventually built the monastery. Between scheduled prayers, the monks maintain the monastery and study illuminated manuscripts in their extensive library. The celebrated St. Bernard dogs, who for centuries have rescued travelers, are now called to duty only when heavy fogs or snowstorms make traveling difficult for the monks. The monks ski out after a call that several tourists have been marooned; they are then rescued and given temporary food and shelter at the monastery. In another example, the monks remove a man from an avalanche, and as they are too late to save him, he is installed in their underground mortuary until summer, when his family can claim the body. The Trappist monks are a congregation of an ancient Benedictine order established by St. Robert in 1098, and reorganized in 1664 in the town of Soligny-la-Trappe, France. Among the monasteries are three in the United States, in Kentucky, Iowa and Rhode Island, and one in Quebec, Canada, known as Lady of the Lake, which runs an agricultural college connected to the University of Montreal. In all Trappist monasteries, the monks support themselves by manual labor, which includes sewing, weaving, and working at the monastery and on the farm. Trappist monks rise at two in the morning from beds of board and straw, and begin their work and prayer. Their single daily meal is devoid of any meat, fish or eggs, and is always accompanied by prayer. Admission of postulants to the order is voted on by all priests. In the case of the death of a monk, he is buried by hand by all the monks, and his portion of the meals are served to the poor for one month. While common man continues his toil and warfare, monks around the world dedicate their lives to eternal love and peace.