Yesterday I happened upon a documentary on a Benedictine Abbey in Tulsa, OK, Our Lady of Clear Creek Abbey [1], on EWTN, as I did a some time ago a documentary on another Benedictine Abbey in Berry, France, Fontgombault Abbey, also on EWTN [2]. As it turned out, Clear Creek Abbey was founded in 1999 by Notre-Dame de Fontgombault.
The 1,200 acre property was purchased in 1999 by Abbot Forgeot [1]. "Clear Creek runs through the property which gives it its name." [3] The property, the farm animals, the buildings and all that go into them together with utilities cost money and if I remember correctly over $10 million, but the range could be as high as $25 million based on the 2008 Excellence In Construction Award given to the Associated Builders and Contractors of Oklahoma of Manhattan Construction [4].
From what I remember, Benedictines do take the vow of poverty but owning property and adding to it improvements in excess of $10 million is not exactly poverty by any stretch of the imagination. But then it was explained by a Benedictine monk at Clear Creek that the Benedictine philosophy is to own as much as possible and offer it to God while none of the monks at the monastery individually owns anything. And thus, I suppose, sufficiently satisfies the vow of poverty.
Of course, one can argue whichever way one chooses and find agreement or fault with that kind of reasoning. I happen to be in total agreement. If the contemplatives' sole purpose in life is to pray to and be in communion with God, they ought to have what God provides to them in return, abundance and serenity.
[1] http://www.clearcreekmonks.org/index.html
[2] Confession: I watch a lot of EWTN on TV in bed because it relaxes me and puts me to sleep, but I never know what's on and when. I just turn it on, like taking an Advil, when I need it. Neither of these programs, however, put me to sleep. I was captivated by the life of these Benedictine comtemplatives -- I had, after all, contemplated in joining a monastery, perhaps because of my nature, a thinker, but not because I went to a high school run by Benedictine monks since I saw so much politics and knew a few monks that I thought were not all that holy although a majority of them I thought were extraordinary and I learned many life lessons from them. The Benedictine monks at my high school were not contemplatives -- they work, they teach and they pray too, but not as often as do the comtemplatives. I did not know about contemplatives. I would have been drawn to it. I still am in a way but I am too old now, I think, to become one -- maybe not. We'll see.
[3] http://pryordailytimes.com/local/x1750829472/Christmas-at-Clear-Creek-Abbey
[4] http://www.manhattanconstructiongroup.com/manhattan-construction/recognition/2008-2
Sunday, June 10, 2012
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