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FOUR-A
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
OCTOBER 23, 1948
Remarkable Progress Made By Abbey at
Conyers Since Trappists Monks Came to
Georgia From Kentucky, Four Years Ago
(Written for The Bulletin)
CONYERS, Ga.—Until recently
the visitor to the Trappist Mon
astery near Conyers . was struck
by the silence which pervaded the
atmosphere thereabouts, broken
only by the sound of hammei and
saw or the churning, of the ce
ment mixer as the carpenters pre
pared the forms and the monks
filled them with cement, laying
the foundations of their perma
nent abbey. Today the visitor
would be even more struck by
the silence for even the hammer
and saw and the cement mixer
are silenced. Construction has
been suspended by the monks due
to the stress of the times.
Nearly everyone in Georgia
knows how in March, 1944, a lit
tle colony of twenty-one strange
ly clad men drove up, in a boiling
rain,, before the wide-mouthed
door of a whitewashed barn eight
miles from Conyers. The mules
and cows had their quarters long
established on the ground floor,
so the monks had but one alter
native; they carried their simple
belongings up to the hayloft and
there, for a period of nine months,
they sang their Office, said their
Masses, and talked to God about
the War and souls and about
Georgia—and a thousand other
things.
In a few days these silent men
were marching up to the top of
a knoll about a quarter of a mile
away from the barn monastery to
start digging the trenches for the
foundation footings for their tem
porary home. In April, loo, they
constructed their saw mill. Some
went to the nearby pine groves
where tree after tree crashed
heavily beneath their singing
sows. No sooner down than they
were stripped of their branches
and hauled to the new mill, where
they were made into rough lum
ber, and often a sturdy pine, that
had seen the sunrise from its
quiet grove, underwent the meta
morphosis from tree to lumber in
the course of a single day and
saw the sunset as siding nailed
to the uprights of the temporary
building. . Other monks busied
themselves trying to coax crops
out of the sandy, eroded soil, and,
finding this impossible, engaged
with the government in reclaiming
their land.
All that year, through the driv
ing rains, through the blasting
winds, through the blistering
Georgia summer heat, the monks
worked on. They gave of their
“free” lime—time, that is, when
in an old, established abbey they
would have been free to meditate
or read or practice other private
devotions—but of the exercises
called for by their strict rules,
they gave up almost nothing. They
lived the austere life of St. Ben
edict to l hr letter throughout
these long, hard months.
They were unable to encage any
secular help due to the War con
ditions. Those who were not
fighting in the Armed Forces
were working in war industries.
This necessitated the monks doing
all their own building and this
slowed down the progress of the
work. The months gave way to
Summer and Fall and the chill of
winter set in.
In the hayloft chapel and read
ing rooms and dormitory the cold
■was being felt. The first days
of December were bitter cold;
it was twenty degrees below freez
ing on Sunday morning and many
times the water froze in the cruets
while the priests said Mass with
huge overcoats wrapped about
them under their saciedolal vest
ments.
Into the foundations they pour
ed 1,225 hatches of cement and
had completed three two-story
wings of the monastery so that it
was “suitable” for occupancy.
They had also dug a large cess
pool, a reservoir, and started a
boiler house.
The temporary monastery was
not much more than a shell but
it offered more shelter than the
hayloft and m it was decided to
move. The 7th of December, 1944,
was, in the world, the third anni
versary of Pearl Harbor. To the
Trappists it was the Vigil of the
Feast of the Immaculate Concep
tion. When the gray dawn broke
that morning it was raining stead
ily and it continued to do so all
tlie day long. But, nothing daunt
ed, the monks carried load after
load up to the new building. That
night they slept in it for the first
time and the next morning the
Masses for'' the Feast of the Im
maculate Conception were said in
one of the large unfinished wings
—there was no Chapel as yet be
cause the permit to build one had
not. been received until sometime
in November. On this day the
first novice to persevere, and who
was to be alone in the 1 Novitiate
for a year and a half, arrived,
having crossed the nation from
California.
That winter of 1944-45 was a
particularly cold one in Georgia—
and there was no heating system
for the monks. War priorities
precluded this luxury. The holy
water was olten frozen all day
long but the bell rang precisely at
2:00 a. m. every morning and each
monk promptly left his straw mat
tress and came shivering down to
the Chapel to begin his long day
for God. They were working on
their temporary chapel and finish
ing the interior of their home in
a rough way. Their hands and
feet were cold most of that long
winter but their hearts were
warm. On New Year's Day, for
instance, the rain poured in on
them through the unfinished side
of the room in which they sang
the Divine Office.
Spring came and warmer weath
er. The farm planting was done
as much as possible, but the nec
essary buildings had also to be
put up. The boiler-less boiler
house was completed—sort of in
hopes, perhaps. The brick laun-.
dry with a full storage basement
was next put up, a small wood
shed, a pump house, the rock walls
around the temporary monastery
were completed, the large wood
shed at the mill for curing their
lumber was put up, another cess
pool and the foundations for the
milking barn were laid. At the
end of 1945 the monks had 'used
another 875 bags of cement and
done an immense amount of brick
laying and building together with
all the necessary digging, etc.
In 194G they really got under
way and from January to Decem
ber of that year they poured
10,557 batches of cement, using
2,063 tons of gravel and 1,033 tons
of sand which was about 600
truckloads of material most of
which was hauled from the quar
ry—a 38-mile trip each time. These
major constructions were raised
in 1946. The two-story tile gar
age, the circular cemetery wall
alone received 2,587 batches of
cement, the water lower founda
tions, the east retaining wall which
required 2,661 bags of cement,
plus 314 for the coping, a vege
table cellar was built underground,
a bridge to the property. The
foundations for the front wing of
the permanent abbey, the guest
bouse wing, were begun on June
17th and completed on November
14th requiring a total of 3.524
batches of cement. The cow barn
foundations and a certain amount
of brick was done but later dis
continued because of lack of help
in laying the bricks. Also a feed
shed was put up. During the same
year over 1,350 trees were sawed
in the forests and brought into
the mill and cut up into lumber.
Visitors came and looked with
amazement at the foundations of
the permanent abbey. They look
like they would hold up the Em
pire State, was one comment. One
of the workmen said; “Those
walls will last for a thousand
years.’’ The monks only smiled—
they were not building for them
selves or for Time—they were
building for Eternity. The outline
of the quadrangle took form as
day after day and month after
month the monks sweated and
poured tons and tons of cement
into the forms.. Construction men
came and were in amazement at
the progress. One contractor even
wanted to “borrow” some of the
monks to work on his projects.
"I could get something done," he
I said, “if 1 had men who worked
| like that.”
In a small, square, over-filled
room of the temporary monas
tery sat a tall, thin, smiling man.
"Georgia for Jesus through Mary,”
he had said when they first came
to Georgia and he had kept that
in his mind and before hip monks
every minute of every day. When
it was hot—one afternoon in less
than two hours the monks poured
150 batches of cement with the
thermometer at 108 degrees— and
there were many ocher days simi
lar) he gently encouraged them
with the phrase tlwy all came to
know' so well; -"ail for Jesus.”
That became a of each monk.
When the mack/bwcy broke down
just when it was Heeded most—
when the rains came and washed
out acres of newly planted seed—
whenever anything went wrong—
it was always “All for Jesus,”
because he had taught them well.
This man, loved by his monks,
loved by all those who met him
either in a spiritual way, or on
business was the Right Rev. Dom
James Fox, O. C. S. O., chosen
by Dom Frederic/ the Abbot of
Our Lady of Gethsemani, to lead
this group to the first foundation
and be their Superior. Then, when
in May, 1946, the General Chapter
of the Order bestowed the dig
nity of “abbey” upon this young
house, the voting monks of Our
Lady of the Holy Ghost elected
him as their first abbot. That
was the man who W'as running the
show—this was he who was pull
ing the strings. Under his di
rection the construction went
steadily forward, the farm was
being built up, the spiritual life
of the men in his charge ripened.
In 1947, with some secular help
that was now available, and a
slight increase in the numbers of
the Community, the monks forged
ahead tirelessly, unrelenllessly.
They picked and dug and poured
cement into the foundations of
many parts of the plant: the new
milking barn was complteted, the
east wall was continued to the
mill, the guest house columns
and slab were poured, the noviti-1
ate house ’was completed, the 1
gate house foundations were ex
cavated and poured, the three-
story flour mill was built, a pas
teurizing house was put up, the
foundations for the Novitiate were
poured, the. footings and founda
tions for* the new sleeping cow
barn were poured the permanent
church foundations were begun,
an annex to the temporary build
ing to house the dental clinic
downstairs and make two more
guest rooms in the hotel upstairs
was begun, a machine and wagon
shed was constructed, the bases
for two silos were made ready.
When the year came to a close it
was found that in 1947 some 14,475
bags of cement had been poured
into the various foundations along
with 3,100 tons of rock and 2,185
tons of sand.
The dental clinic mentioned was
a donation to the monastery by
Dr. Ferlita and a number of At
lanta business men some of whom
were non-Catholic. It is a fully-
equipped, modern dentist office,
complete with X-ray even. It is
a most valuable asset since prior
to that time, when dental work
was required, the monks had to
be sent to Atlanta which is en
tirely out of the spirit of their
rule. The monks arc most grate
ful for this wonderful gift.
Dom James was a little worried
the first couple of years because
of the lack of applications to en
ter his monastery. For nine
months there were almost no ap
plications. Two or three postu
lants came but deemed the life
loo much of a hardship and
promptly left. For a year and a
half after he arrived there was
only one novice. But, of course,
there was a war in progress in
the outside world and Uncle Sam
was grabbing every healthy Amer
ican boy as soon as he was old
'enough. But still a monastery
can only progress and prosper
by a continual addition to its
members.
He need not have worried. As
soon as the war was over they
came those boys who had looked
death in the face and seen life
one after the other, putting off
the uniform of the Army, the
Navy, the Marines, putting on-the
white or brown hubit of the
Trappists to begin a new battle
in the front ranks of the Army
of Christ the King. In fact, they
came in such numbers that in a
-few months the temporary build
ing was too small. There was the
Novitiate by no means twenty-
one feet square. Dormitory space
became a premium and cells had
to be hastily put up wherever
room could be found. The Chapel,
meant to hold forty-five, was bulg
ing. So, in 1947, too, it was
necessary to make alterations in
the temporary monastery. The
Novitiate had to be enlarged as
well as the refrcctory. There
was no more room in the monas
tery square and glances were cast
again toward the whitewashed
barn. But then they took note of
the second story of the nearby
garage which had been built for
storage and so this was utilized
for another dormitory and
reading room for the Brothers
District Deputy of
K. of C. in Georgia
HENRY C. TAYLOR
State Deputy J. P. Price, of the
Georgia State Council, Knights of
Columbus, has announced the ap
pointment of Henry C. Taylor, of
Atlanta, as District Deputy to suc
ceed John E. Campion, who has
moved from Georgia. The new
dfctrict deputy, who will have un
der his direction the K. of C.
councils in Augusta and Atlanta,
is a past grand knight of Atlanta
Council, No. 660.
and a few other necessary rooms.
It may well be understood that
when the temperature remained
at over 100 degrees all night as it
did several times in the summer,
the word “penance” took oil the
full significance of its implica
tion for those who “slept” there,
“All for Jesus!” There was not
a sfligle complaint.
With the advent of 1948 most of
the projects that could be done
had been completed and the monks
were able to concentrate entirely
on the foundations of their per
manent abbey. From January to
the middle of August, when oper
ations ceased, they had poured
11,290 batches of cement with the
corresponding tons of rock and
sand into these foundations.
About $12,000 worth of steel had
been put in place and the gate
house, except for the interior fin
ishings, had been completed. .
Thus to date the four years'
work totals something like- 38.412
bags of cement poured, using
nearly 10,000 tons of rock and
5,000 tons of sand which required
about. 8.000 fi'ips to the quarry
or over 300,000 miles of driving.
In the meantime the Trappists
have installed a portable irrigation
system which enabled them to cult-
ivae several hundred acres of land
which they are reclaiming. Most
of the hay used is grown on the
farm. There are several large
pastures, the wheat crop amounted
to severul hundred bushels, and
the monks have built up a small
dairy business, doing their own
pasteurizing right on the prop
erty.
The Community has grown to
sixty-five members now and sev
eral others are expected before
the close of 1948. Thus, it is
an inopportune time for construc
tion to cease, yet, all circumstanc
es considered, it means I he pru
dent thing to do with the price
of material, freight rates and labor
what they are today. To take cai - e
of the increasing numbers then,
there is but one alternative-
annexes to the present building
in which the Trappists are livnig
and s« I he chapel is now being
enlarged and several smaller addi
tions are being made and contem
plated.
Another interesting feature ' of
movement. Since the first retreat-
ants arrived, sleeping on straw
mattresses like the monks because
there was nothing else at the
time, or bringing their own army
cots with them, the monastery
has gradually become a mecca for
those from near and far who wish
to spend a few days in the si
lence. solitude and seclusion of
the Trappist guest house and
grounds. Besides the annual re
treats oi the Diocese clergy, many
groups of Knights of Columbus,
and Holy Name men from several
different parishes and towns In
the Diocese now make regular
week-end Retreats at Conyers.
Annual Retrat.es are also requested
by Superiors of other Orders in
the neighboring states for the re
ligious in their charge. Groups
of boys from Georgia Tech and
from Fmory, as jvell as Boy Scout
troops have come for Retreats.
All this Retreat movement has
without solicitation on the part
of the abbey because it is really
not yet equipped to sponsor regu-.
regular scheduled retreat. Ilowcvev
Two Georgia Priests
Get New Assignments
(Special to The Bulletin)
SAVANNAH, Ga.—Monsignor j
Joseph E. Moylan, Vicar General
and Chancellor of the Diocese
of Savannah-Atlanta, has announc
ed the appointment of Father Jo
seph Ware, who was ordained last
May, as assistant rector of the
Cathedral of St. John the Bap
tist here.
Father Ware succeeds Father
Andrew McDonald, who was also
ordained last May, who has left for
Washington. D. C„ to enter the
Catholic University of America
where he will begin a course of
study leading to a doctorate in
Canon Law.
PAUL W. WEBER, Detroit jour
nalist and labor leader, has been
named to receive the 1947 Cath
olic Action Medal, awarded an
nually by St. Bonaventure Col
lege to a Catholic lay person who
has been outstanding in the field
of Catholic Action.
everyone has accepted the limita
tions of the facilities and humble
hospitality in a truly wonder
ful spirit.
But—more encouraging to the
monks is (he fact that many non-
Calholic groups are beginning to
visit the monastery and are leav
ing with an entirely different im
pression of Catholicism and the
contemplative life in particular.
One day this summer a group of
some sixty lawyers, only one of
whom was a Catholic, visited the
abbey. On another day, a group
of ninety Georgia teachers, attend
ing summer school at Oglethorpe
University, drove out to visit and
see the monastery. Again, only
one of this band was a Catholic.
Several parties have come from
Agnes Scott College to attend
Vespers on Sundays. A group
of about fifteen Methodist semin
arians made an excellent Retreat
for two days this summer and two
of them were so inspired as to
return a couple of weeks later
for a renewal of spiritual good
they gained here. Many Protest
ant clergymen of every denomina
tion have visited here and many
have made or are planning to
make private Retreats all are most
encouraging in their remarks and
reflections as to the spiritpal grace
they receive. There is hardly an
empty room during the week, but
especially on week ends, in the
hotel for priests and laymen who,
if not in groups, are here for
private spiritual refreshment.
Since this feature of the abbey
seems to be one that will attract
many Georgians, plans are made
to provide about niney rooms for
guests in the permanent abbey
with running water in each room.
This is a brief summary of the
progress made at Conyers in
slightly over four years, from a
whitewashed barn, a little knoll
and a large green field. Much
has been done—but there is much
more to be done. The brick alone
required for the permanent ab
bey will amount to some 3.500,-
000, over 200 freight carloads of
brick.
This was the situation on the
t.h|rd of August when Dom Fred
eric, Abbot of Our Lady of Geth-
semani and Father Immediate of
Our Lady of the Holy Ghost, set
out to visit his daughter house in
Georgia. But it pleased God to
take him off the train that night
for a destination he had long con
templated but far from the one
he had just, then in mind.
When, on August 23rd, the
monks of Gethsemani cast their
ballots for a new abbot, they took
many weighty matters into con
sideration as to who could ably
take charge and direct their hun-
dred-year-old abbey with its two
young daughter houses and preg
nant with a third. The man who
had been their Prior for several
yeai^s under Dom Frederic and
who' had so ably directed the ma
terial and spiritual progress of
Our Lady of the Holy Ghost for
over four years was their choice.
The Trappist-Cistercian Order will
continue to flourish and pros
per in the United States under
his supervision. ^
And, although it is very quiet
at Conyers today, the monks there
are confident that the work be
gun by Jesus will be completed
by Him. But. most important of
all their spiritual world—the Di
vine Office-4-thc W’ork of God—
goes steadily on as their voices
ring out in, the tiny chapel prais
ing, adoring, entreating, demand-
inf, begging God to shower His
graces or, Georgia and to show
His mercy to all the world they
have left far behind but which
(is so npar and dear to the hearts
lot all of them.