St. Benedict's Monastery
Encyclopedia
St. Benedict's Monastery is a monastery
in mountainous country of the U.S. state
of Colorado
. It is located in Pitkin County
in the unincorporated town of Snowmass
about 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Aspen
. The monk
s are members of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, commonly called the Trappists
.
Currently the monastery is home to about 16 monks. The monks live communally in the monastery. Their day is balanced by prayer, work, reading, and contemplation.
St. Benedict's is located on over 3000 acres (1,214.1 ha) of a scenic, semiarid valley in the foothills of the Elk Mountains
, near the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness
. The monastery protects a large amount of open space in a sensitive area near important wildlife migration routes. The monks manage their ranchlands, operate a cookie bakery, and offer retreat facilities for groups and individuals. The retreat house and guest hermitages are located about 1 mile from the main monastery building.
The monastery was founded in 1956 as a foundation established by the Trappist community at St. Joseph's Abbey
in Spencer, Massachusetts
. The community celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2006.
St. Benedict's is the home of Father Thomas Keating
, a popular writer on Centering Prayer
and one of the founders of Contemplative Outreach
.
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
in mountainous country of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. It is located in Pitkin County
Pitkin County, Colorado
Pitkin County is one of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county is named in honor of the late Colorado Governor Frederick Walker Pitkin. The county population was 14,872 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Aspen...
in the unincorporated town of Snowmass
Snowmass, Colorado
Snowmass is an unincorporated town and a U.S. Post Office located in Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. It is situated in the valley of the Roaring Fork River, near the mouth of Snowmass Creek along State Highway 82 between Aspen and Basalt...
about 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Aspen
Aspen, Colorado
The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005...
. The monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s are members of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, commonly called the Trappists
Trappists
The Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance , or Trappists, is a Roman Catholic religious order of cloistered contemplative monks who follow the Rule of St. Benedict...
.
Currently the monastery is home to about 16 monks. The monks live communally in the monastery. Their day is balanced by prayer, work, reading, and contemplation.
St. Benedict's is located on over 3000 acres (1,214.1 ha) of a scenic, semiarid valley in the foothills of the Elk Mountains
Elk Mountains (Colorado)
The Elk Mountains are a high, rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains of west-central Colorado in the United States. The mountains sit on the western side of the Continental Divide, largely in southern Pitkin and northern Gunnison counties, in the area southwest of Aspen, south of the Roaring...
, near the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness
Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness
The Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in the Elk Mountains of central Colorado. The wilderness was established in 1980 in the Gunnison and White River national forests. Within its boundaries are of trails, 6 of Colorado's fourteeners and 9 passes over ....
. The monastery protects a large amount of open space in a sensitive area near important wildlife migration routes. The monks manage their ranchlands, operate a cookie bakery, and offer retreat facilities for groups and individuals. The retreat house and guest hermitages are located about 1 mile from the main monastery building.
The monastery was founded in 1956 as a foundation established by the Trappist community at St. Joseph's Abbey
St. Joseph's Abbey
- External links :* .*...
in Spencer, Massachusetts
Spencer, Massachusetts
Spencer is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,688 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Spencer, please see the article Spencer , Massachusetts....
. The community celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2006.
St. Benedict's is the home of Father Thomas Keating
Thomas Keating
For the famous art forger of the same name, see Tom Keating.For the American football player of the same name, see Tom Keating .Fr...
, a popular writer on Centering Prayer
Centering prayer
Centering prayer is a popular method of contemplative prayer or Christian meditation, placing a strong emphasis on interior silence.Though most authors trace its roots to the contemplative prayer of the Desert Fathers of early Christian monasticism, to the Lectio Divina tradition of Benedictine...
and one of the founders of Contemplative Outreach
Contemplative Outreach
Contemplative Outreach was established in 1983 to help develop a network of individuals interested in the practice of Centering Prayer as taught by Father Thomas Keating. Three monks of St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts are attributed with developing the practices used by Contemplative...
.