Close up of a mural in the new Mt. Abbey theology building
On Sunday Molly, Tony, Kenya and I headed south for a mini road trip to Mt. Angel in search of monks and beer . We couldn’t find Mt. Angel Brewery (weird, this is a small town, no one we asked knew of it) so we headed up the hill to the Mt. Angel Abby – the Benedictine Monastery. Mount Angel Abbey is a community of Benedictine Monks founded in 1882 from the Abbey of Engelberg in Switzerland. This place is a trip. The monastery has an interesting history you can read about on their website. Their grounds boast a random artifact museum with the worlds largest hairball (missed that, darn it), a 5000lb bell -Dong! muthafkr! and a new class room space that is LEED gold — pretty forward thinking. The monk and abbot we met were very inviting (right kenya?). We were lucky to get a personal tour of the Russian Museum in the back lot by the Old Believer Monk and curator of the Russian Museum. If you go, I strongly recommend checking this out — they have a room full of relics, saint bones, blood, martyr hair and nails. I was very appreciative of the time these brothers took to show us around the grounds and share their home and beliefs, I cannot say the same for my somewhat cynical and region-weary companions – but I think they secretly dug it. I really need to read up on the history of the Roman Catholic Church after visiting this place – anybody know of any entertaining reads?
Below: Mt. Angel Abbey. From the Russian Museum – paintings and relics passed down through the generations. Ornate boxes with tangible memorials to martyrs and saints. Ingredients for the preparation of the Holy Chrism.
Two previous abbeys burnt down. The big bell in the tower is 5000lbs!
Ingredients The Preparation of Holy Chrism:
Ingredients for the preparation of the Holy Chrism
“Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet-smelling cinnamon half as much, that is, two hundred and fifty, and of aromatic cane two hundred and fifty, and of cassia five hundred, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin; and you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; a holy anointing oil it shall be. And you shall anoint with it the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils and the laver and its base; you shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them will become holy. And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. And you shall say to the people of Israel, ‘This shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations. It shall not be poured upon the bodies of ordinary men, and you shall make no other like it in composition; it is holy, and it shall be holy to you.” (Exodus 30:22-33)
If you enjoy reading:
http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/10937.php
The history of the Roman Catholic Church is a gateway to understanding two thousand years of Western—and at times world—civilization. Edward Norman’s lavishly illustrated, incisive account, sure to become a classic, tells the story of the multifarious ways in which the Church has shaped the lives and beliefs of Christians and non-Christians alike.
It is partly a story of remarkable people, from the greatest theologian of the early Church, St. Augustine, to one of the greatest figures of the modern age, Mother Teresa of Calcutta. It is also a story rich in symbols, not least the awe-inspiring basilica built over the tomb of St. Peter in Rome, the most recognizable church in the world. But the focus of the book is a historical account of epic proportions. Here we discover how Rome became the heart of the Roman Catholic religion and played a role in transforming Western Europe into Christendom. We gain a view of the Crusades undistorted by today’s agendas, explore the Counter-Reformation as the fruit of the venerable Catholic reforming tradition, and witness the beginning of a new 500-year history, in which missionaries took their message to Latin America and the East. And, in this boldly uplifting account, we come to see how the Church, reflecting the vision of the Second Vatican Council in 1962, today embodies Christ’s own injunction to “teach all nations.”
Thank you — This sounds like what I am looking for — I’m going to try to dig it up at Powell’s. Thanks! -kb
Glad you enjoyed your visit to our little village! Yes, sadly, the Mt. Angel Brewing Company (a restaurant/brewery which had been well-known locally for its root beer) went out of business a couple of years ago. Their building is now reopened as the Willamette Valley Events Center, a place for parties, receptions and the like, which is owned by the same people who own The Wooden Nickel bar & grill, and Mac’s Place, from Sublimity and Silverton. When you come visit our little town again, be sure to try the good food and German beers at the Mt. Angel Sausage Company or the Bavarian Haus or the Glockenspiel restaurant! Or come for one of our town events, like our famous Oktoberfest (Sept.17-20 this year) or our Wurstfest (the weekend before Lent).
In case you’d like to see which building it was, the new WVEC has a nice website at: http://woodennickel.com/cms/content/view/14/118/
Please do visit again soon!
–Bob