Vocations to the Religious life include those of the contemplative orders—men who are in the world, but are not of it in its strictest sense.

The Archdiocese of Atlanta is fortunately blessed with a community of contemplatives at the Abbey of Our lady of the Holy Ghost in Conyers. Founded in 1944 by Tappists from Gethsemane, Kentucky, it is one of the most modern Benedictine—Cistercian monasteries in the world.

The monastery is the home of monks who live with many others under a particular spiritual rule and the jurisdiction of an abbot. The Conyers monks are Benedictines, because they follow the rule of St. Benedict who aimed at all his communities being schools of divine service. The Cistercian part of the title is form the original monastery founded at Citeaux, France. It is an essentially contemplative order whose members do everything “in common”-in community. Together they chant the Office in choir, make their own hands. (“Trappist” has been popularly added after a reform at the Abbey, La Trappe, but is not part of the name of an order.)

Some people have a false impression of what a Monastery’s function is. It is primarily the honor and glory of God and the sanctification of the immortal souls, not only of the community, but of the world as well. The means to attain this purpose, fulfillment of the Will of God, are: prayer, penance, labor in secluded silence and a very close community life with one’s brothers in Christ. This life “in common” offers no privacy in the world’s sense of the term and hence provides the monk and brother with much of his penance and with many opportunities for following Christ’s bidding that one who would follow Him should “deny himself.” At the same time it is his greatest blessing and help in using properly the other means and in “living under rule and on abbot.”

Naturally, all monasteries are expected to be self-supporting. The Conyers abbey is no exception. Land and work is necessary to the monastic life. The constitutions of the order prescribe that farming and cattle raising be the chief means of livelihood.

In Conyers there are about 2,000 acres of farm land, and the monks engage in dairy farming, producing eggs for the commercial market, and raising pure bred hogs to be sold in the markets near Atlanta. In accord with the Holy Rule, barns, pastures, gardens, shops of all kinds-are contained within the enclosure, so the monk will not have to go outside and mix in the world. It is intended to make the monastery as self-contained as possible.

A major effort of the Trappists is in the dairy products of milk and eggs which are purchased by the Pet Milk Company—dairy division, and sold in metropolitan Atlanta through their home delivery service. The Trappist products have a high stand and health grade.

Another well-known product is Monastery bread, which recently has been expanded for distribution purposes. Baked with a special formula, both white and whole-wheat loaves are available on grocery shelves in the Atlanta area. The two main outlets are Colonial Stores and The Big Apple Stores.

The bread, milk and egg sales form a major part of the income for the monastery, and they look forward to increase support form Atlantans, especially those in our own parishes.

Interestingly enough, the Conyers community includes 100 priests and monks. It costs some $215.00 to operate the monastery for one day—the monks themselves, frugal and austere as they must be, can be maintained at an individual cost of $1.75 a day.

Some of the costs of operating the Conyers monastery is not directed at the community at all. The Rule of the Order requires that guests be received as would be Christ himself. Hence, no person is turned away.

Vocation Month is a suitable reminder that the community at Conyers is daily storming the heavens, through prayer and penance, for the spiritual enrichment of the flock that is the Archdiocese of Atlanta, and for the community in the world.