The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-02-19
FoUNDINe or sAeale AgAnr.
Something Of the institution That May
Be Located in Guthrie.

Be Located IN Guthrie.
Father Isadore Robt. Benedictino
monk. founded the abbey Of Sacred
Heart recently destroyed by fire, in
1886. Guthrie is working to secure
this institution now
The abbey ir locqted in beautiful
valley secluded among the beautlfui
wooded hills Of southern Pottawato.
mie county, remote from town or rail
way, and comparatively few people In
Oklahoma knew OF its existence and
outside Of .ne neighboring farmers or
travelling ecclesiastics. the visitors OF
the place has been few, indeed.
Travelling to Sacred Heart from Pur.
cell the nearest railway station, the
wayfarer drives for miles through the
luxuriant Canadian bottom. then
spreads his way among the hills and
down timbered aisles OF great forests
until suddenly from the top Of a hill
ne would view the abbey as a great
pile Of white buildings uplifted itself.
It's windows glittering IN the light of
the declining sun like squares Of gold
and silver. Around spread fertile.
well titled fields and orchards and
vineyards The buildings seemed to
float in mid-air like mirage A great
white cross on the crest OF a hill out
lined itself against the sky and mark
ed the resting place Of the dead, who
were sleeping in consecrated ground.
The most solemn obligation OF the
Benedictine Brotherhood is charity;
no traveller was ever turned from the
abbey door The rattle Of wheels al
ways attracted the attention OF sew
eral monks. who welcomed the
strangers The guests were assigned
to an apartment reserved for visit
ing bishops. which opened on a broad
shaded balcony overlooking a pleasant
valley aad dimpline lake.
The Sacred Heart was the only
Benedictne monastery in the United
States governed directly by the head
OF the order in France Probably no.
where In the country was monastic
life seen in such primitive simplicity
as at the abbey of Sacred Heart
which was buried among the hills Of
southeast Oklahoma
Many years ago long before the
country was opened to settlement,
Father lsadore robot, travelling west
ward, was surprised to find among
the Pottawatomle Indians a number
who had embraced the Catholic faith
while living in Mexico. Father Robot
set up cross In the wilderness and
said that on that spot would be found
ed mission for the uplifting OF those
savages. From this beginning grew
the abbey OF the Sacred Heart, with
it's abbott from France, and about
fifty resident brothers and fathers
from France, Spain, Germany Italy
and other European countries.
The abbey itself has long building.
shaped Ike the letter f. Within it's
enclosure was the green tufted clois-
ter fragrant with flowers In its cool
recesses, beneath the vine OF the clus-
tering grape, the brothers in the black
cossacks slowly followed it's path, lost
in meditation or reading the lives Of
the saints Elsewhere the monks
passed quickly TO and fro. each intent
upon his task They were taught that
idleness was an evil, and they should
always be dilligent in some good work
There was college for the boys
taught by the monks, and a school for
girls which was in charge OF a sister
hood The abbey farm is q mile
square and demonstrates what may be-
accomplished by thrift and industry
There were fields of wheat, corn and
cotton. orchards OF apples, plums
peaches, pears, apricuts, cherries and
extensive vineyards Each brother
was employed according to his ability
One was a shoemaker another q
blacksmith, anotner banker, Whllt
others made clothing taught in the
college or labored in the field The
brotherhood was as near au approach
to communism as can DC found Al
earnings went into a common fund
from which each individual necessity
was provided There WAS the assur
ance that In case Of sickness anC
death, each would be cared for Thir
admonition was posted in the cloister
BE firmly resolved 20 die to you
own self; forget what you we're an'
from whence you came, forget you
former life TO realize new life, th'
life OF our Lord, Jesus Christ
p There were men in the abbey WHIT
had tasted the ewqofg of Iifp I'm IN,