The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-12-20
SWISS PLACES OF WORSHIP

| slvely solemn chapel.
EngeIberg.
! In central Switzerland, too, in a. sum
| lit Alpine valley, where the majestic
| Iltlls, King of the mountains of Un-
| terWalden (ObWalden), stands eternal
guard, lies Engelberg, the mount of
angels of former days, gloriously
beautiful spot, whose existence is also
closely connected with an ecclesiasti-
cal foundation. For history tells us
that this by nature so lavishly en-
doWed valley was uninhabited by man
until the beginning of the 18th CEN
tury, when Baron Conrad Won Selden-
| Duren came from the canton of Zurich
to the valley, seeking a spot on which
TO establish religious place of retire
ment from the world When he
reached the neighborhood in which
Engelberg now lies he heard distinct.
ly several times from the mountain
the song of angels. To the pious man
this was sign from heaven, that he
was to build here the convent which
he had planned. Thus arose in 1920
A. D. the monastery of the Mons An
gelorum, or Mount of Angels -Engel-
berg!
The history of the Benedictine alb
bey is rich in bright and gloomy
leaves. Even the pious founder ex-
perienced the hardness of fate. AS
he was undertaking a journey to his
nome in the interests of the monas-
terry IN 112S, he was assassinated.
While the pioneer brothers had to
concentrate their efforts upon making
the land cultivable, the members of
the monastery already displayed an
inclination for the requirement of
knowledge some twenty years later.
This resulted in the founding of the
library of the abbey.
The monastery became a prey of
the flames three times, i. e., in 1899,
1903, and 1929, and plague, war and
famine caused. great distress in the
first half of the 14th century, espe-
cially in the nunnery which had
grown up beside the monastery The
| nunnery was finally transferred to
Sarnen on the Brunig route, where it
still enjoys great esteem, and the mon
astery, with it's fine school, which re-
| manned in Engelberg, devoted itself
successfully, under the guidance of
eminent abbots, to the pursuit Of
literature and science, and poetry and
| ri mo
ology and history In order to assist
| the inhabitants to a steady source of
income, the abbots also introduced the
silk-weaving industry in Engelberg.
The convent building itself occupies
considerable space at the end of the
village. 1t is not generally open to
the public, but men of learning are oc-
casionally permitted to visit it's spa
cious, solemn halls, it's guest room,
with portrait gallery of the abbots
who have helped to shape the destiny
of the foundation, and the simple but
| comfortable cells, with their high,
bright windows, where the monks in
dulge undisturbed in their love of
| learning.
| An exceptionally rich library and
large collections of coins, objects of
natural history, parchments and prod
ucts of ancient artistic work have be-
come a noteworthy feature of the
monastery.
The church is a spacious, dignifed
edifice, with the high altar adorned by
a beautiful 1874 picture by Spiegler,
of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary
The numerous side affairs show fine
paintings by Deschwanden, Kaiser and
Wyrsch.
brief survey of the extensive ad-
Iministrative and farming departments
of the abbey suffices to indicate that
;; the Monastery of Engelberg is not
only center of religious devotion and
science, but also model agricultural
enterprise.
ISancheIn, the Home of Brother Claus.
In the same canton of Unterwalden
(Obwalden), near the lovely lake of
Sarnen, on the Brunig route, lies the
village of Sachseln, with it's beautiful
parish church containing the remains
of Niklaus Won de F1ue, one of Switzer
, lands most venerated heroes.
Brother Claus" as he was called
in his later life, was born here in
the year 1417, and up to 1467 he lived
as prosperous farmer among his peo
pie and served them with his wise
counsel and his sword. However, he
was constantly filled with an ardent
desire to devote his life entirely tC
IGod, and with the permission of his
, lwife he finally left his family in his
II fiftieth year and built himself a hermi
/ tage on the nearby Ranft, where hi
e lspent his days in prayer and piou:
. meditation.
But he did not shut himself off from
? humanity-on the contrary, he alway!
had a ready ear and comforting wore
for all those who confided to hin
their troubles. Brother Claus wa
also intimately conversant with the pc
: litical problems of his country.
twas consequently to him that the pas
ltor of STAINS appealed when the depu
q ties of the cantons assembled in die
0 at STAINS, and when, after endless
: heated debates the two parties ha,
q drifted so far apart that a civil wa