Saturday, September 19, 2009

Our Lady of Spring Bank on PBS: Support Our Monasteries

The PBS programme, Religion and Ethics Newsweekly recently featured the Cistercian monks of Our Lady of Spring Bank in Sparta, Wisconsin, USA. (Also see the blog, Sub Tuum, authored by one of the monks of that same monastery, Brother Stephen.)

Here is that programme:



Readers may recall that this monastery has introduced the regular use of ad orientem in their liturgies, and also seek to restore and recover many of the Cistercian liturgical customs.

I am put to mind again of the importance of monastic life and spirituality as part of a new liturgical movement.

One way to support these monasteries as members of the laity, or as diocesan clergy -- as well as re-introducing a greater awareness of monasticism in the faithful -- is by making a conscientious effort to purchase, supply and use the products which monasteries like Our Lady of Spring Bank and others produce to support themselves. Accordingly, I would again recommend to our parish priests or sacristans, the next time you have to order incense, or re-stock your parish gift shop with spiritual items, why not source out monastic sources for these? For the home, why not do the same, or buy some of the domestic products that they make available?

In the case of Our Lady of Spring Bank, I was quite intrigued by their most recent offering, some delicious new cakes they have come up with -- Cistercian Brandy Cake, St. Bernard's Bourbon Honey Cake and St. Barbara's Cherry Kirsch Cake. (Click the link to read the rather tempting ingredients that make up these cakes.)


St. Barbara Cherry Kirsch cakes


They are presently in limited runs however, so order before they are gone.

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