A 50-year-old man is walking around the campus of Belmont Abbey College in a dress. On closer inspection, he is actually wearing the traditional vestments of a Benedictine monk. The long, black cloth trails softly behind him. He is on his way to the Belmont Abbey Basilica.
The tall steeples and original 1876 brick exterior of the basilica greet visitors with a beautiful view. In the 7am sun, the basilica rings with the voices of 22 Benedictine monks who range from 20 to 70 years old. They sit across from each other at the head of the church, reciting the Psalms for the first of four times on this day. A unique wood ceiling gives the illusion of being underneath the deck of a ship.
After they finish their morning lauds, the monks disappear behind a marble altar to a hidden doorway that leads to the monastery hall. This hall looks more like a museum, with paintings and sculptures on either side of the room. Saints stare down from the wall at whoever passes. The most notable piece of art is an abstract depiction of Jesus in the tomb; he lies horizontally along one of the walls. His eerie gray color and the texture of the painting make it appear as if Jesus is covered in spider webs. It is purely an illusion; the hall is very clean.
The monks file into the dining hall for breakfast and eat their cereal in silence. (Good thing they’re not having Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Crunch.) The meals are set up buffet-style, like an upscale college cafeteria that serves wine on special occasions. There are six family-style wooden tables surrounded by high-backed chairs straight out of a Cracker Barrel. Unlike breakfast time, during lunch and part of dinner the monks are allowed to talk.
When they are not praying or eating, the monks work around the Belmont Abbey College campus. Some are teachers; others have clerical positions in various academic departments. There are four monastery cars whose keys are kept in a wicker basket next to a sign-out sheet in the monastery hall. The shiny keys beg for a joy ride, but they get most of their excitement from trips to the gym or a nearby store. In the monks’ free time, they usually read, practice music or take classes within the monastery. At the end of the day, the monks retreat to their second- or third-floor bedrooms in preparation for their 7am wake-up call.
Becoming a monk is a four-year process. After a year, prospective monks take a simple vow that commits them to the monastery for three years; after those three years, they take a solemn vow committing them to a lifetime under the Benedictine Rule. A Benedictine monk must take vows of obedience, stability, celibacy and poverty. Their lives are centered on work and prayer.
The Belmont Abbey Monastery is located off I-85 at exit 26 and invites anyone to come pray or observe the Monks in prayer at the church.
This article appears in Mar 8-14, 2006.
