The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-10-15

We were chatting few days ago
about the religious orders of the
Church. writes n. c. w. c. cores
pondent There was mention of the
Jesuits, of the Passionists, the Domin-
leans
Then some one said: i guess the
Trappists have the hardest rule of
them ALL
"Trappists?" said my friend, Trap
pists? Oh, yes, know all about them.
They are the monks who never speak.
YES" said another, "and they dig
their own graves. Every day each
monk scoops out handful of earth;
and when he dies he is laid away in
the grave he has followed out for him
self"
That conversation took place in
Boston. Writing now from the Pri-
ory of Our Lady of the Valley, in
Rhode Island, the only Trappist mon
astery in the eastern United States,
l know how poorly informed we all
were
For the Trappists neither live in
caves as a Philadelphian once assert
ed, nor dig their own graves. Nor do
they, as is commonly believed even
among fairly wellinformed Catholics
salute each other as they pass with
lugubrious "Memento Mori'-"Re-
member Death
And as for their never speaking,
while it is quite true that the VOW of
silence is taken and ordinary commu-
nication is by signs rather than by
word of mouth, the monks do speak
whenever occasion demands.
An Uninvitine Exterior.
came down here to leaIn some
thing of the daily life of the Trap
pists with that feeling one has when
gazing upon the massive walls and
iron bars of prison; feeling that
l was about to enter place of per.
petual gloom. And that feeling was
intensified as l walked the miles of
dry, uninviting road that leads through
parched and stony New England
hill country to where the Priory rear
ed itself among the fields, cold, in,
hospitable exterior of stone gathered
from the very fields wherein it stands
dull-gray, to match the threatening
storm-clouds that came up over the
hills and spattered me with the first
warnings of terrific downpour.
There were no signs of life about
the Priory The broad fields and the
distant barns on the edge of the mead
owland were deserted. The tinkling
of distant cow-bell, the mutterings OF
thunder, the monastery bell respond
ing to my pull, alone broke the de-
pressing quiet of the hills.
The clatter of heavy soles on q
wooden stair proved that the building
was not as tenantless as it seemed.
The door swung open. And there
stood before me a young old man; g
man with kindly eyes and smiling
lips, gray-bearded, and garbed in the
habit of the order-white, with {
broad, black scapular.
Come in," he said. Father Johr
has been expecting YOU
Nothing cold in the welcome, M
chilly formalities. My bag was takel
from me before could assert my read
mess to carry it myself. And thu
monk led the way to the room in tn
guesthouse that had been assigned t.
me: a pleasant room, carpeted witt
an iron bed, a rocking chair or two
a desk, shaving stand, and with pic
lures upon the wall.
Pretty elaborate for Trappis
monastery, eh?' said the monk, wit
chuckle. It's a guest room. II
show you where the monks sleep b.
and by"
l was puzzled l had been expecting
to run into crowd of sour-visage
ascetics and grave-diggers. Here wa
man who laughed, who made me fee
completely at ease in place wher
! had thought to find nothing bu
gloom.
The Rules of Silence.
So | began to question him.
Il had supposed that Trappists di
not speak," | said.
THE rule requires silence eXceI
when permission is given by the Pr
or" explained the monk, whose nam'
l learned, was Father Augustine :
happen to be the guest-master jus
now The guest-master, the mona
terry cellarer, who does all of the bu.
ing and selling for the community {
course must talk, and | have freedol
to do So
'Aud tho othprS -
May speak to the Prior when the
think it necessary. But there is Sc
dom need to speak. We have sig
language that every novice must lear
and which serves our purposes we
enough
But what is the idea of the $
lence?" | asked.
The guest-master smiled.
did it ever occur to you" said h
'how much trouble comes of talkin
and how unnecessary much of it is
A quick word often causes unhapr