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Rule of St. Benedict Chapter 58
Do not grant newcomers to the monastic
life an easy entry, but, as the Apostle
says, "Test the spirits to see if they are
from God." Therefore, if someone comes and
keeps knocking at the door, and if at the
end of four or five days he has shown
himself patient in bearing his harsh
treatment and difficulty of entry, and has
persisted in his request, then he should be
allowed to enter and stay in the guest
quarters for a few days. After that, he
should live in the novitiate, where the
novices study, eat and sleep.
A senior chosen for his skill in winning
souls should be appointed to look after them
with careful attention. The concern must be
whether he shows eagerness for the Work of
God, for obedience and for trials. The
novice should be clearly told all the
hardships and difficulties
that will lead
him to God.
...If after due reflection he promises to
observe everything and to obey every command
given him, let him then be received into the
community. But he must be well aware that,
as the law of the rule establishes from this
day he is no longer free to leave the
monastery, nor to shake from his neck the
yoke of the rule which, in the course of so
prolonged a period of reflection, he was
free either to reject or to accept.
The Life of a Monk - St. Bernard Abbey
St. Bernard Abbey is a vibrant monastic community
of Catholic men who follow the 1500-year Benedictine
tradition of worship and work through daily prayer
and service in ministries that include education,
hospitality, parish ministry and spiritual retreats.
In 1891, German speaking monks from St. Vincent
Abbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania gathered to establish
St. Bernard Abbey in the picturesque Appalachian
foothills of northern Alabama, near Cullman. It was
an apt location for a monastic community because of
the natural beauty, silence and solitude so
necessary for the contemplative life. Today, well
over a century later, St. Bernard Abbey
 is an active
monastic group which combines contemplative aspects
with ministerial apostolates.
A monastery of men is a group of monks who share
life together with one binding purpose: striving to
imitate Christ and to seek God’s kingdom above all
else. An abbey is a monastery under the leadership
of an abbot (from the Aramaic word ‘ABBA’ meaning
‘father’), who is the head and spiritual father
charged and empowered by God to lead and guide the
monks in worship, service, and growth. Life as a
monk is one of service to God. The monks forego
marriage and renounce personal ownership of money
and material goods, thus demonstrating their total
dependence upon God.
St. Bernard Abbey is such a place. The
monks live in a family-like atmosphere where
not only prayers and sustenance are shared,
but also where the monks relate joys,
sorrows, and the excitement of their lives
and ministries. In doing so, they find
support, friendship and encouragement from
one another. In coming together to seek God
first and foremost through prayer and vows
they, like all Christians, are simply
responding to the love of God, who loved
them first (1 John 4:19).
St. Bernard Abbey has a distinct rhythm,
marked by the gathering of monks throughout
each day to publicly celebrate the Eucharist
and the Liturgy of the Hours: Morning
Prayer, Midday Prayer, Evening Prayer
(Vespers), and Night Prayer (Compline). The
monk’s day also contains time for private
prayer called ‘lectio divina’ (meditative
holy reading).
The Scriptures are the primary material
for lectio divina, but whatever is read, it
is the listening heart which is at work in
coming to a greater knowledge of God.
Through this means, the message of God as
conveyed in Scripture and interpreted by the
Church Fathers and saints is heard and
appropriated for the monk’s own spiritual
development and growth. The daily schedule
amply provides for quiet, solitary prayer
and study in ones living quarters, the
library or the surrounding woods.
Monks at St. Bernard Abbey operate a
retreat and conference center as well as the
world famous
Ave Maria Grotto, live and work in
several mission parishes, teach at
St. Bernard
Preparatory School and become involved
in various forms of ministry. The ever
growing number of people who make up the
extended ‘Abbey Family’ include alumni,
parents, friends, benefactors and oblates.
The monks also tend to the daily
maintenance of the monastery. This includes
work in the kitchen, the library, the
bookstore, the infirmary, the information
and activities center, the care of the
buildings and grounds and serving the needs
of the many monastery guests.
St. Bernard Abbey is a spirited community
that enjoys the many surprises and
challenges that life brings. In community,
the monks help each other see every
experience as an opportunity to follow and
grow in the Spirit of God. By their very
monastic lives, they seek to convey the way
of Jesus through simplicity, humility,
obedience, and service to each other and the
community.
What is an abbey or monastery, and why would a
person join one? First of all a monastery of men is
a group of monks who share life together with one
binding purpose: union with God. An abbey is simply
a monastery under the leadership of an abbot.
St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman, Alabama is
such a place. The 30 monks who make up the
monastery community share life in common,
and that includes prayer, work, housing,
property, meals, recreation, etc. In coming
together to seek God they, like all
Christians, are merely responding to the
love of God who, after all, loved them first
(I John 4:19).
At. St. Bernard Abbey the monks come
together in the abbey church at least five
times a day for worship in common. Their
life of prayer and work also includes a
great deal of private prayer, meditation,
spiritual reading, and of course a variety
of labors, such as care of its more than 900
acres of property, operating a college
Preparatory school, running a retreat
center, and working in several parishes in
the state of Alabama. The monastery owns and
operates the Ave Maria Grotto, located on
the grounds.
As St. Paul recommends (I Cor. 7:32-35),
monks do not marry. The monk, like Christ,
sacrifices the good things called marriage
and personal possessions so that he may give
his life totally to God.
We invite you to come to St. Bernard so
you can meet us and see in person our
community and find out more about us.
For information regarding vocations to
the monastic life contact the Vocation
Director
stbernardmonastery@yahoo.com
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