Wyoming monks lay groundwork for new monastery

By Cathy Tilzey
The Monks of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel in Clark, Wyo., have an unusual situation for an American religious community – they are on the receiving end of many inquiries from men who want the life the Carmelite priests and brothers have in the American West.
Father Daniel Mary, prior of the three-year-old community, said that more than 300 men from all over the world have contacted the Carmelites but only a small number have committed themselves. “We’re very selective” and want to make sure the applicants understand the reality of the cloistered religious life, he said.
There are so many vocations now, he and his assistant, Brother Simon, said in a recent interview in Helena. They toured Montana in mid-December, asking people in the Helena and Great Falls-Billings dioceses for their support in building a monastery for 16 men now, and up to 30 priests and brothers in the future.
About 30 men are in serious discernment, Father Daniel said. He hopes to develop a community of 30, ranging from 19 to 30 years old.
Currently, he and seven monks in different levels of formation live in a converted house near Clark. Two more are studying for the priesthood, and three others will begin studies in the next few years. All are in their 20s, except for Father Daniel who is in his early 30s.
He said they spend much of their days in prayer, and also work land which they own and on which they will build the monastery. It is located between Belfry, Mont., and Cody, Wyo., near Clark, Father Daniel’s home town. He attended Carroll College in Helena, he added.
Bishop David L. Ricken of the Diocese of Cheyenne, Wyo., commissioned the community Oct. 15, 2003, on the feast of St. Teresa of Avila. The Carmelites pray to her and to St. John of the Cross.
Last fall, Father Daniel and six monks started work, literally laying the groundwork for a compound that will include the new monastery, a guesthouse, several small hermitages and eventually a chapel.
Trained by Father Daniel, who has operated heavy equipment since he was a teenager, the monks have thrown themselves into digging trenches for underground pipes that will take water to the compound, cut roads and fenced fields.
Cutting roads unearthed a lot of rocks, which the monks plan to use in building the monastery and other buildings.
An entrance wall has been built, complete with a wrought iron gate, and a well has been drilled.
They are intent on doing as much of the labor as possible, but will hire subcontractors for specialized work, such as electrical and plumbing.
Construction work and other manual labor takes up to six hours a day. They also allow time for recreation and sports.
But their primary focus is on prayer, to which they devote eight hours every day. Their days “are punctuated by the Liturgy of the Hours,” Father Daniel said.
Some of the monks get up in the middle of the night and begin the Liturgy of the Hours, finishing in time for the daily morning Mass. All their liturgy is celebrated in Latin, according to their brochure.
They also devote two hours daily to praying in solitude, morning and evening; one is before the Blessed Sacrament, the other may be spent in the scenic outdoors.
For solemn feast days, they celebrate High Mass in Gregorian Chant.
Brother Simon said they pray constantly for vocations, especially to the active priesthood, and also pray for neighboring dioceses, including the two in Montana. “That’s the gift we give to the Church,” he stated.
They also accept requests to pray for people’s intentions, for the sick, and for priests of the Diocese of Helena.

More information on the Monks of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel can be found on their Web site, www.carmelitemonks.org.

Published in The Montana Catholic, Vol. 23, No. 1, January 15, 2007.