Subiaco Abbey and Academy
Encyclopedia
Subiaco Abbey is a Benedictine monastery
located in Logan County, Arkansas
, United States
, in the Arkansas River
valley. Subiaco Abbey and its associated academy are major features of the town of Subiaco, Arkansas
. It is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
. It is named after the original Subiaco Abbey
in Italy, one of the monasteries founded by St . Benedict himself.
in Indiana
, Martin Marty, negotiated with an agent of the LR&FS (Little Rock and Fort Smith) Railroad Company for 640 acres (2.6 km²) in Arkansas for the establishment of a Benedictine monastery for men and an additional 100 acre (0.404686 km²) for the foundation of a monastery for Benedictine women. This agreement received the support of Bishop Edward Fitzgerald
of Little Rock, Arkansas
, who was in need of German-speaking priests for his diocese
.
The original foundation of the abbey was made on March 15, 1878, upon the arrival of three monk-missionaries from St. Meinrad Archabbey. Due to financial and personnel difficulties, St. Meinrad Archabbey requested assistance. In the fall of 1887, the Einsiedeln Abbey
, Switzerland
sent eight novice
s and a priest
-monk
to Subiaco. Two of these were Brother Gall D'Aujourd'hui and Father Wolfgang Schlumpf.
In 1891, the name of the abbey was changed from St. Benedict's Priory
to Subiaco. The third Abbot
of Subiaco, Paul Nahlen, obtained Pope Pius XII
's blessing for the construction of the present church on the campus. This act is depicted in one of the 182 stained-glass frescoes in St. Benedict Abbey Church on the campus.
Over the years, the Benedictine monks at Subiaco have pursued various spiritual, agricultural, and commercial endeavors. First were missionary
works, then the establishment of Subiaco Academy, a university-preparatory school
.
The abbey maintained a dairy
operation, but that effort was abandoned in 1964 with an open auction of the dairy cattle.
.
The abbey maintains an electronic commerce
website
where products made at the abbey are sold. These products consist primarily of candy (Peanut Brittle) and food seasonings, a habanero sauce termed "Monk Sauce."
Beginning in 1999, the Abbey began raising a registered herd of black Angus cattle
, starting with cattle donations from local ranchers. The quality of the herd is carefully controlled with a program of artificial insemination. In 2001, the cattle operation became one of the first to begin a program of ultrasound
of pregnant cattle, which enables close monitoring of the breeding program and the quick sale of bulls. The program reached a milestone in January, 2005, with the first sale of registered Angus cattle, bringing an average price of more than $5500 per animal.
, anyone who comes in peace. Visitor accommodations are made at the Coury House Retreat Center, an hotel-like establishment on the campus that provides room and board to visitors—including married couples—who wish to experience the spiritual renewal and solitude of the Subiaco Abbey and campus.
Subiaco Academy is a boarding/day school
of Catholic tradition for any qualified young man in grades 7 through 12. It offers college preparatory classes, with co-curricular activities including sports, arts and music and outdoor activities including hiking, camping, fishing, swimming, boating, water skiing and kayaking.
The college placement rate for graduates is 100%. The academy's goal is to "challenge students to grow - mind, body and spirit".
and Mexico
. There are also students from China
, Belarus
, Spain
, Thailand
, Curaçao
, and Japan
. In addition, the Academy attracts students from across the United States
.
The tennis team won the state championship in 2008.
, a Fort Smith, Arkansas
television station, produced a half-hour report on the history of the Abbey and Academy in March 2009.
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
located in Logan County, Arkansas
Logan County, Arkansas
Logan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 22,353. There are two county seats: Booneville and Paris.-History :...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, in the Arkansas River
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
valley. Subiaco Abbey and its associated academy are major features of the town of Subiaco, Arkansas
Subiaco, Arkansas
Subiaco is a town in Logan County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 439 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Subiaco in the Lazio region of Italy...
. It is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
Roman Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Little Rock is a Roman Catholic diocese in Arkansas. It was founded on November 28, 1843.-History:A dozen Catholic priests accompanied Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto down the Mississippi River in 1541 to a Quapaw Indian village near present-day Helena-West Helena,...
. It is named after the original Subiaco Abbey
Subiaco Abbey
St. Scholastica's Abbey, also known as Subiaco Abbey , in Subiaco, Latium, Italy, is a Benedictine territorial abbey founded in the 6th century AD by Saint Benedict of Nursia. It was in one of the Subiaco caves that Benedict made his first hermitage...
in Italy, one of the monasteries founded by St . Benedict himself.
History
In 1877, the Abbot of St. Meinrad ArchabbeySt. Meinrad Archabbey
Saint Meinrad Archabbey in Spencer County, Indiana, USA, was founded by monks from Einsiedeln Abbey on March 21, 1854, and is home to approximately 98 monks. It is one of only two archabbeys in the United States and one of 11 in the world....
in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, Martin Marty, negotiated with an agent of the LR&FS (Little Rock and Fort Smith) Railroad Company for 640 acres (2.6 km²) in Arkansas for the establishment of a Benedictine monastery for men and an additional 100 acre (0.404686 km²) for the foundation of a monastery for Benedictine women. This agreement received the support of Bishop Edward Fitzgerald
Edward Fitzgerald (bishop)
Edward Mary Fitzgerald was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Little Rock from 1867 until his death in 1907.-Biography:...
of Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
, who was in need of German-speaking priests for his diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
.
The original foundation of the abbey was made on March 15, 1878, upon the arrival of three monk-missionaries from St. Meinrad Archabbey. Due to financial and personnel difficulties, St. Meinrad Archabbey requested assistance. In the fall of 1887, the Einsiedeln Abbey
Einsiedeln Abbey
Einsiedeln Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in the town of Einsiedeln in the Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland. The abbey is dedicated to Our Lady of the Hermits, the title being derived from the circumstances of its foundation, from which the name Einsiedeln is also said to have originated...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
sent eight novice
Novice
A novice is a person or creature who is new to a field or activity. The term is most commonly applied in religion and sports.-Buddhism:In many Buddhist orders, a man or woman who intends to take ordination must first become a novice, adopting part of the monastic code indicated in the vinaya and...
s and a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
-monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
to Subiaco. Two of these were Brother Gall D'Aujourd'hui and Father Wolfgang Schlumpf.
In 1891, the name of the abbey was changed from St. Benedict's Priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
to Subiaco. The third Abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of Subiaco, Paul Nahlen, obtained Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
's blessing for the construction of the present church on the campus. This act is depicted in one of the 182 stained-glass frescoes in St. Benedict Abbey Church on the campus.
Over the years, the Benedictine monks at Subiaco have pursued various spiritual, agricultural, and commercial endeavors. First were missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
works, then the establishment of Subiaco Academy, a university-preparatory school
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
.
The abbey maintained a dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
operation, but that effort was abandoned in 1964 with an open auction of the dairy cattle.
Monastery commercial endeavors
The abbey pursues the commercial cultivation of grapes and other fruits, cattle feed crops (hay), and stands of timberTimber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
.
The abbey maintains an electronic commerce
Electronic commerce
Electronic commerce, commonly known as e-commerce, eCommerce or e-comm, refers to the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. However, the term may refer to more than just buying and selling products online...
website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
where products made at the abbey are sold. These products consist primarily of candy (Peanut Brittle) and food seasonings, a habanero sauce termed "Monk Sauce."
Beginning in 1999, the Abbey began raising a registered herd of black Angus cattle
Angus cattle
Angus cattle are a breed of cattle much used in beef production. They were developed from cattle native to the counties of Aberdeenshire and Angus in Scotland, and are known as Aberdeen Angus in most parts of the world....
, starting with cattle donations from local ranchers. The quality of the herd is carefully controlled with a program of artificial insemination. In 2001, the cattle operation became one of the first to begin a program of ultrasound
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is thus not separated from "normal" sound based on differences in physical properties, only the fact that humans cannot hear it. Although this limit varies from person to person, it is...
of pregnant cattle, which enables close monitoring of the breeding program and the quick sale of bulls. The program reached a milestone in January, 2005, with the first sale of registered Angus cattle, bringing an average price of more than $5500 per animal.
Coury House Retreat Center
Subiaco provides accommodation for friends of the abbey, family members of academy students, and in accordance with the Rule of St BenedictRule of St Benedict
The Rule of Saint Benedict is a book of precepts written by St. Benedict of Nursia for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot. Since about the 7th century it has also been adopted by communities of women...
, anyone who comes in peace. Visitor accommodations are made at the Coury House Retreat Center, an hotel-like establishment on the campus that provides room and board to visitors—including married couples—who wish to experience the spiritual renewal and solitude of the Subiaco Abbey and campus.
Subiaco Academy
For more information Subiaco AcademySubiaco Academy
Subiaco Academy is a part of Subiaco Abbey.Subiaco Academy is an American boarding/day school of Catholic tradition for any qualified young man in grades 7 through 12...
Subiaco Academy is a boarding/day school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
of Catholic tradition for any qualified young man in grades 7 through 12. It offers college preparatory classes, with co-curricular activities including sports, arts and music and outdoor activities including hiking, camping, fishing, swimming, boating, water skiing and kayaking.
The college placement rate for graduates is 100%. The academy's goal is to "challenge students to grow - mind, body and spirit".
Student Body
The Academy has a diverse student body attracting international students mainly from South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. There are also students from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
, and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. In addition, the Academy attracts students from across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Sports
The academy has a sports program consisting of football, basketball, baseball, tennis, golf, and track and field.The tennis team won the state championship in 2008.
Notable alumni
- Frank StanfordFrank StanfordFrank Stanford was a prolific American poet. He is most known for his epic, The Battlefield Where The Moon Says I Love You— a labyrinthine, highly lexical book absent stanzas and punctuation...
, poet - Harvey WheelerHarvey WheelerJohn Harvey Wheeler was an American author, political scientist, and scholar. He was best known as co-author with Eugene Burdick of Fail-Safe, 1962, an early cold war novel that depicted what could easily go wrong in an age on the verge of nuclear war. The novel was made into a movie, directed...
, writer and co-author of Fail-SafeFail-Safe (novel)Fail-Safe is a novel by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler, published in 1962.The popular and critically acclaimed novel was first adapted into a 1964 film of the same name directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Henry Fonda, Dan O'Herlihy, and Walter Matthau. In 2000, the novel was adapted again for...
Media references
KNWA-TVKNWA-TV
KNWA-TV, virtual channel 51, is the NBC-affiliated television station for Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas River Valley. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 50 from a transmitter southeast of Garfield...
, a Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
television station, produced a half-hour report on the history of the Abbey and Academy in March 2009.