The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-06-27
AT MOUNT MELLERAY.

AT MOUNT MELLERAY.
Just at the foot of the Knockmeal
down mountains, and to the south O.
the principal range, lies an elevated
plateau bearing the name of Noun
Melleray. Far and wide it stretches
some four miles distant from the de
llightfully situated little town Of Cap
poquin, County Waterford. No more
appropriate site, one thinks, on behold
ing it, could have been chosen for the
abode of religious silence and solitude
or for a home devoted to sacred sci.
ence and meditation. The spot itself
far removed as it is from the busy
haunts of life and commerce, abounds
with scenery truly magnificent in its
wild grandeur, the whole forming a do
main where deathlike calm and stiffness
reigns supreme.
| The famous Trappist monastery, sur
named Mount Melleray, forms, with its
many and extensive buildings, the cen
! trail object of picture which is both
| pleasing and deeply interesting. Around
the sacred pile, on all sides, tXtend rich
green pastures and broad acres, culti-
waited with a care which makes itself
visible even to tn most Hstless observ-
er. 1t is a fair, bright spot, indeed
meet for the erection of sanctuary de-
voted to religion and learning-where
life's highest and noblest ideals seem
easily realized.
TIL history of the famous abbey is
one that cannot fail to interest and
enchant even the ordinary reader.
Mount Melleray takes its name from
the Abbey of Melleray, in Brittany, to
which it is considered as affiliated since
the monks who founded it WERE al
though Irishmen, profesSed members of
the French monastery. A persecution
set on foot by the French government
in 1880 against the religious commune
ty of Melleray was the immediate cause
of the founding of the Irish abbey
Failing in their first attempts at sup
preston, the French government re-
solved to expel those members from
Melleray, in France, who were foreign
by birth.
Irish Element Propenderates.
AT the time this measure was taken
there were nearly 200 monks i'm the alb
hey of different nationalities, the Irish
forming the majority. 1t was this pre-
ponderance of the Irish element in the
body that determined the choice of
Ireland as the place for the new set
Element. On December q, 1880, two of
the Irish monks set out from France on
a journey to ireland, in the endeavor
to find new home for the Irish sec
ton Of the community in France. All
their first efforts were doomed to fail
ure, and at each new step unforeseen
difficulties arose to discomfort their
plans For months they travelled the
country in search of a suitable site for
the proposed abbey. to be met only
with bitter disappointment and hard
ships. At last. however. their deter
mined and praiseworthy efforts were
rewarded, for in the month of May,
1882, they obtained possession of Mount
Melleray from Sir Richard Keane, a
lond owner residing at Cappoquin, in
County Waterford.
The property formed part of the ex-
tensive plateau described at the begin
ming Of this article; but at that time 1t
was nothing but a wild waste of unre
uncultivated, mountainous
land. Not tree or shrub of any kind
was visible from end to end of this ex-
but stretches of bog and
huge boulders of stony earth could be
seen. Altogether the outlook was such
as to deter even the stoutest heart from
to form a habitation there.
Nevertheless, the determination of the
monks surmounted all these difficulties,
and on May 80, 1882, they took possess
sion Of their new home, which they
called Bethlehem
Glorious Development to Come.
A poorer abode than that small house
It would be hard to imagine, but from
4 humble beginning it was destined to |
arise glorious and far-reaching devel- |
1pment in years to come. Seeing Mount |
Melleray today, with its cultivated and |
rich pastures, cannot fail to call forth |
and laudatory expressions, to- |
sether with feeling surprise at the |
NondrouS transformation that has TAX |
IN place in the comparatively short |
space of seventy years
Today all is gladness, gruitfulness
md animation. The little cottage that
the primitive monastery has
been replaced by a maze of large and |
'ommodious buildings, forming quite a
and Interesting object in
he landscape. The brown mountain
leath, the furze and peaty morass have
almost disappeared, and in their stead
nay be seen meadows of emerald green
n richness, and stretches of arabic
and. This is the more wonderful when
We consider that every handful of earth
ain side by the monks themselves. IT
s truly Magnificent testimony to their
determination and tenacity.
A visit to Mount Melleray and its set
cement convinces one of the really holy.
hough austere, lives led by the in
mates of the abbey. It's very sim
'licity is enough to cause even a cas-
lal visitor to come away deeply i'm
PRESSED. The daily life of the monAs-
cry begins at 2 o'clock in the morn
ng, at which hour the bell summons
he monks from their hard wooden
,eds, and well earned repose, to begin
he tasks of another day. From the
ime of rising until a. m. they are
ngaged in their beautiful chapel at
heir devotions. The pealing of the
rgan, and the low monotonous chant
ng Of the monks penetrates even the
peaceful retreat where are the visit
RS quarters. and gently informs
hem, too, that the day at Mount Mel
cray has begun. From 6 a. m. till Z
o'clock in the evening, with the ex-
option of intervals for their plain
meals consisting of break and milk
or breakfast and supper, vegetable
CUP for dinner), the inmates are con-
family at work at their various occu-
'ations. The abbott is the first to