St. Bernard Abbey at 1600 St. Bernard Dr., Se, Cullman, AL 35055 US - FONT face=

St. Bernard Abbey is a vibrant monastic community of Catholic men who follow the 1500-year Benedictine tradition of worship and work through daily prayer and service in ministries that include education, parishes and chaplaincies, and missions.

The Rule of St. Benedict envisions a permanent, autonomous community, seeking God, living closely together under an abbot.The monks make common prayer the heart of every day life. The love thus generated by preferring nothing what so ever to Jesus Christ is expressed and shared in generous hospitality and creative accomplishment.

Cullman

In the 1840's monks from Metten Priory in Germany came to America to introduce the Benedictine monastic life in the United States and to minister to the American citizens and growing Catholic immigrant colonies. St. Vincent Abbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania became the first foundation, and in the 1870's monks from St. Vincent were sent to Alabama to serve the needs of the new German-speaking Catholic settlers. In 1891, the monks gathered to establish St. Bernard Abbey in the picturesque Appalachian foothills of northern Alabama, near Cullman, Alabama. It was an apt location for a monastic community because of the natural beauty, silence and solitude so necessary for the contemplative life.

Who We Are....What We Are About

What is an abbey or monastery, and why would a person join one in order to become a monk? In the Rule, St. Benedict wrote that a monk is one who "belongs to a monastery, where (he) serves under a rule and an abbot". A monastery of men is a group of monks who share life together with one binding purpose: to strive to imitate Christ and to seek God’s kingdom above all else. An abbey is simply a monastery under the leadership of an abbot (from the Aramaic word ‘ABBA’ meaning ‘father’), who is the head and spiritual father charged and empowered by God to lead and guide the monks in its worship, service, and growth.

St. Bernard Abbey is such a place. The monks live in a family-like atmosphere where not only prayers and means are shared, but also where the monks relate joys, sorrows, and excitement of their lives and ministries and in doing so, find support, friendship and encouragement from one another. In coming together to seek God first and foremost through prayer and vows, they like all Christians, are merely responding to the love of God who, after all, loved them first (I John 4:19).

If you yearn for a new life and desire to seek God, "come and explore" the Benedictine way of life. You will join the community for the Liturgy of the Hours, Eucharist, and shared meals. You can ask questions or share your thoughts with the Vocation Director with no strings attached. You will attend conferences and learn more about Benedictine religious life. You will have the possibility of meeting other men like yourself who are in the discernment process. Men ages 21 - 59 are most welcomed.

Framework of Benedictine Life....What We Do....Walk A Day With Us.......Elements of Benedictine Life

As monks of St. Bernard Abbey, they are part of that monastic tradition that found expression in the "Rule for Monasteries" of St. Benedict of Nursia (+547). Life as a monk is one of service to God. The monks forego marriage and renounce personal ownership of money and material goods, thus demonstrating their total dependence upon God. The monks strive for balance in prayer, community life, and ministry. St. Bernard Abbey has a distinct rhythm, marked by the gathering of monks for prayer several times each day.

Rhythm of Praise and Prayer

The monks come to St. Bernard’s Abbey Church throughout the day to publicly celebrate the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours: Morning Prayer, Midday Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Compline.

As it is for all Catholics, the Eucharist is central to monastic life and prayer. The monks gather daily with students, faculty, and guests, to offer the memorial of our redemption in the Eucharistic sacrifice.

At the heart of the Liturgy of the Hours are the psalms, which are both poetry and prayer. Singing and reciting the psalms prepare the monks for hearing and listening to the Word of God in readings from the Bible and spiritual authors, culminating in prayers of praise and gratitude for being here.

The monk’s day also contains time for meditative holy or ‘lectio divina’. This latin phrase can be translated as spiritual reading, but it is often left untranslated to indicate that it is a special way of reading. Most appropriately, the Scriptures are the material for lectio divina, but whatever is read, it is the listening heart which is at work in coming to a greater knowledge of God. Through this means, the message of God as conveyed in Scripture and interpreted by the Church Fathers and saints is heard and appropriated for the monk’s own spiritual development and growth. Quiet, solitary prayer and study is amply provided for by the daily schedule in one’s cell, the well stocked library or the surrounding woods.

Work....Manual Labor....Balanced Approach To Work

In his Holy Rule for Monasteries, St. Benedict said, "That to truly be a monk, one must work with his hands." And there are many jobs to be done in a monastery. Each community has its own wisdom about how to provide for its own existence, how best to use the talents of each member of the community and how to respond to the needs of the place where they are and the peoples with whom they come in contact with.

In order to "serve one another", the monks are assigned individual responsibilities or work on a rotating basis each week. These rotating assignments focus on the daily liturgy and the dining room or refectory.

The monks also tend to the daily maintenance of the monastery. This includes work in the kitchen, the library, the bookstore, the infirmary, the post office, the information and activities center, maintenance of the buildings and grounds and serving the needs of the many monastery guests.

This work is supplemented by operating a reteat and hospitality center as well as the Ave Maria Grotto, living and working in several mission parishes, teaching in the school and the younger monks about monastic life and being involved in various forms of ministry to the ever growing number of people who go to make up the extended ‘Abbey Family’ - including alumni, parents, friends, parishers, and benefactors.

No matter where, the monk’s service is one of prayer and work. It weaves the daily routine of communal and individual prayers into a tapestry of tasks that together aim at the common Benedictine goal that "in all things God may be glorified".

A Life In Community....Seeking God In A Stable Community....Community Life

The Benedictine monk does not seek God alone but in the company of his fellow monks, which is his monastic family. His community is the microcosm of the Church. It is one of sinners striving to respond to the constant demands of God and his brothers. The community lifestyle is one of simplicity and moderation - virtues that St. Benedict cherished. The clothes are simple and suited for the job being done: the black habit, the standard wear all year round; basic clothes to perform work in. The food is plain but good. Special meals are served with the evening meal on certain feast days. Regular opportunities avail themselves for leisure time, individually or with others, such as walking or hiking, reading, games, sports, and protecting, preserving, and developing the outdoors, such as the forests or woodland settings. The whole community life is a sign that, centered on our Lord, men of various backgrounds, temperaments, and ages can live and work together for the honor and glory of God.

Leadership....Educational Excellence

St. Bernard’s has a history of leadership in theological, secondary, and higher education. The monks have made secondary and higher education their special concerns. Over the course of 114 years, eight Benedictine Abbots have guided both the Abbey and different schools with the philosophy and culture of Catholicism and a heritage of fourteen-hundred years of Benedictine educational experience and excellence.

Today, St. Bernard Preparatory School is flourishing and the monks are closely involved in the running of the school, with members of the community serving as President, Head Master, and faculty for the school.

Hospitality and Mutual Respect

The welcoming of retreatants, guests, and visitors is a vital aspect of the life of St. Bernard. To the monks, hospitality means focusing your talents and energies not only on the needs of the local area but to all who come to find peace, joy, and a spiritual perspective on life at the Hospitality and Retreat Center. The monks make room for and welcome God through all the people who stay at the retreat center. Retreatants, employees, friends, associates and guests can share in the rhythm of the monastery by attending daily mass and the prayer offices.

Summary

This is a snapshot of who the monks are, where and how they live, and what they do. St. Bernard is a spirited community that enjoys the many surprises and challenges that life brings. In community, the monks have each other to keep connected to the heart of all that matters. They help each other see every experience as an opportunity to follow and grow in the Spirit of God. By their very monastic lives, they try and convey the way of Jesus - simplicity, humility, obedience, and service to each other and the community.