Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-18
THE MONKS.
THE NcAR-eENeaAL OF Ia Teapo.
TALKS ABOUT THEM. :
rome Interesting Statistics Concerning tho
Growth of the order In variou.
Countries,
ILouisviilo cOurier.Journa,l

li"aisville CouTier-Journal1
Father Eugene, of the Menerav Nf,n..
tory, France vicar general OF Tho frra,,,.,.s.
order OF Monks the strictest order ~
priesthood known 10 the world. il in tba
Guy, iAtheI Eugene came here from
france for the purpose Of CONDUCTING tha
election Of abbot of Gothsemane W6r 'io
terv. near Bardstown. A'V"''s-
to70l7'-'i10T'H reporter sought Fo,be,
Eugene IN search OF an Intervals M
bead OF the Order of Ia Trappc. who il a
trenchina 10y birth, was unable TO sneak
word OF English, but an interprefer yoe
secured IN Father Edward. the new eva 49,, ~,
oi Gethsemane. Ia answer % the reporters
request for something about the Irsnnis,s
GC laughed. and said, m French.
Il would take books.n
hther Eugene said he was willing 10 eivo
any information that was desired, and m
his native tongue said -
There are IN this world sixty-two Tran.
pst nonesteries IN various parts of tho
globe, and about 3,72o monks. Vbore ave-
moro in France and Germany than in an,,
other countries. In the former conntrv
there are thrty-hve monAsterics. in which
are about 5000 monks In Belp,um III
land, and Prussia there are eight. i'm Ans
ira three; IN Italy. two; in Spain two.
in England and Ireland. three IN New
Caledonia, one IN China. one. ON the
Cape Of Good Hope, one: elsewhere I'm
Africa, one IN Syria. one: in North Amer
ca, four. on the four In North America
one IS IA Nova Scotia, ono near Montreal:
one near Dubuque, Iowa. and the Their al
Crthsomcuo. There are 100 monks i'm
these four mOnaStcries. forty-fOur of whom
Gro as GethscmaDc. The monasteries az
tle country south Of the equator have not
eo many monks within their walls as those
of Germany and France. With the cxcoD
ton % the mouasterios there fifty monks
t. % house Is "a large average.
The Order OF Ia lrappe has made much
progress during tho past FIVE years several
now mouasicrIcs have been establishf1sn1
tao membership Of the Older ones in
creased. Tho progress in France ia not
such as We can boast Of Tho army drafts
many Of the men who would become
monks
How is your Office created - was asked
OF Father Eugene.
Bv election. Each monastery has an,
abbot, who conducts the business OF the
house. Zach SIX years these abbOts meet
ADD st their session the yicar-goneral ~
elected and aitcrward confirmed by an
thoritv from the Pope. The term OF Office
90 COY SIX years, and the place of meeting
.- 4f the monastery Of the incumbent lead
~ q the monks. Is long as | am in office
tln annual council VIII be held a. NELLIE
raE Monastery. In July the meeting for
the fiscal year viii be- held, and 10 viii be
p. .F.4'tffA AfN AiI Oh itlf NtA Vet hO NUHUtA
Ar this time Father Edward. Whowaselect
e. abbot by ms fellow-monks at Gethse-
luaue ON Friday. viii have the order Of Alb
h.f conferred upon him by the Cardinal
r.presentiug the 1rapUists. who will bring
authority from the Pope
did YOU come TO America solely for the
purpose Of presiding over the election NJ
Gttneemauc ~
"Ncs: go wherever | am called. If 10
NV from q 80 f,.r
u. 90 VISIT any of the monaeter1cs / go as
coon as / receive notice chat : am wanted
In this case ! was notified that the present
Abbot was very old and had become pa
rNtio and was therefore unable 10 per-
form the duties attendant upon him in his
Official capacity. Although elected for life
III. Abbot may resign when he feels unable
o. continue TO serve and an election IS
called. When the presence of the Vicar
General Is desired sufficient money is sent
from the monastery dcsiung his presence
% enable mm 20 come. The money, Us
YOU know. comes from the monks, who
earn little from their farms on which
they spend al their time.
when / arrived no Gethsemane the
monks were notified that an election was
tl be- held for the office of Abbot. /
watched the voting as the monks cast
their ballots Then / made the count and
found by unanimous vote, though none of
she monks may SPEAK On each Oller, That
Father Edward was elected. Father Ed
ward has acted as Abbot pro TIM. during the
aahction of the present official. Father
lIward is ffty-seven wears old and speaks
1uently several languages. by birth he is
o Irouchman.
How old am T." said the Vicar-Gene-
rl smiling. "Of what interest can that
be- 20 You when / am unknown to the
world save when take an Official Journey
bat since YOU ask IT. / VIII tell nifty
nine years. and fast growing ON to sixty. /
have been an abbot since 1 was quite
The Vicar-General did not look over
FORTY. and when the reporter gave vent to
IL. Thought. the monk looked at him with
s half repr0achfuL half smiling appear
auCe. and said:
All young man. know You. Know
vhat is termed hattery. But after All what
matters ace or appearance Death must
come sooner or later, and when the END
docs come 10 viii be when | an within the
walls of Melleray. for a lrapplst 3 VOW -
unbeatable aud is one which death only
.tyerr.n
As the interview was brought 10 close
th. Nlcar-Geuoral extended ms hand ana
offered the newspaper man tine hospitality
.f Lis mOuaStry should he ever Nisib
france. "Adlcu." called Father Eugene
as he reporter took his leave / nave
talked more to you than ] have 10 al IA
many vp4rs.N