URGENT HELP NEEDED (From Website of the MONKS of NORCIA)
"Et ecce
terraemotus factus est magnus"! Behold there was a great earthquake!
This Easter
antiphon refers to the convulsions of the earth at the moment of Christ’s
resurrection from the dead. The Gospel mentions an earlier earthquake at the
moment of Our Lord’s death on the cross. An earthquake means both death and
life: death to what went before, life in new beginnings. Sometimes such a
disaster means physical death, as for the 300 people who died in Amatrice and
Accumoli, small towns just across the mountains from Norcia. In Norcia, thanks be
to God, no lives were lost. The monastic buildings were severely damaged and
some of the monks have been sleeping in tents, but in this we are like so many
of our neighbors.
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| Monks Praying Outdoors |
Monks make a vow of stability, which includes love of the
place. We love this place, and so we are committed to rebuilding. Natural
disasters have a way of bringing us back to the essentials. The St. Bartholomew
earthquake (August 24th) changed our interior landscape and made us look at our
present reality with fresh eyes. Just as the resurrection of Christ made all
things new, so this earthquake presents the monastery with new opportunities to
strengthen our monastic foundations and build more securely for the future. The
monastic presence in Norcia is extremely important for the identity of the
town, so rebuilding the monastery means giving new life to a town that finds
itself sorely tried. Our neighbors count on our solidarity,
both spiritual and material. Our rebuilding efforts are directed to two
monastic sites in Norcia: one at the Basilica of San Benedetto, the other at
San Benedetto in Monte. We humbly ask that you participate by making a
financial contribution to this project, which will deepen the monastic roots in
Norcia (a town of about 5,000, with over 50,000 visitors a year) and help bring hope to the people and region.
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| Daily Masss Said in a Tent |
BASILICA OF SAN BENEDETTO The restoration of the basilica
built atop the historic birthplace of St. Benedict. No area of the campaign is
more important than the basilica of San Benedetto, the birthplace of St.
Benedict and his twin sister St. Scholastica. Many people from around the world
had already begun participating in the monks’ efforts to beautify the
14th-century Basilica. Thanks be to God, those projects are mostly safe, but
the earthquake seriously weakened parts of the church. Vaults need reinforcing,
the cupola (dome) needs to be solidified, cracks in the ancient walls need
steel bracing. Funds raised will also be used to complete the work of
restoration of the side altars already begun and to improve lighting and
heating issues which have plagued the building for years.
MONASTERY OF SAN BENEDETTO The restructuring of our monastery
in town, where we are a monastic presence to pilgrims and tourists from around
the world.
Monks have
acted as custodians of this holy place since at least the 12th century. The
monastery has two parts. While the 14th-century building attached to the
basilica received less damage from the earthquake, the 1960’s era structure
which housed the novitiate has been declared unlivable by the civil protection
agency. The insides will have to be gutted and re-built. Funds raised will also
cover repair costs of the gift shop, library and kitchen which all saw damage
to their vaults. We hope that part of this building can be used as the focus of
our apostolic and cultural labors on behalf of the many pilgrims who come to
Norcia.
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| Rebilding Began Immediately |
MONASTERY OF SAN BENEDETTO IN MONTE The rebuilding of our monastery
overlooking Norcia so that we can grow, planting the deep roots of our
community in the soil of this agricultural grange. Our friends will recall that
restoration work was proceeding on the church of our monastic grange, the
property outside the walls, three km from Norcia, which we have long desired as
a place of retreat and agricultural work. For many years we have pondered how
to accommodate a growing community in the restricted space of the monastery in
town. The earthquake has inspired us to re-visit this question, and the
community has decided that the time has come to develop the monastery on the
mountainside –San Benedetto in Monte. We began restoration of the church two
years ago, though the interior was not complete. It resisted the earthquake
fairly well, but the façade suffered damage. When we purchased the property in
2007, much of the building had already collapsed from previous earthquakes. The
2016 earthquake finished the job. This means the monastery section must be
completely rebuilt, so that it is large enough to house 40-50 monks. The
juniors and novices are already camping on the mountain side in tents and
pre-fabricated buildings in the hopes of a more-permanent dwelling place. They
are already enjoying the silence and solitude of San Benedetto in Monte.
Despite the rustic conditions, the environment is wonderfully favorable to
prayer and contemplation and we believe it will offer the best environment for
monastic life in Norcia to flourish.
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| Sleeping in Tents |
THE BREWERY The construction of a permanent
home for our brewery operation, ensuring that, come what may, we can always
live by the work of our own hands.
The brewery
was already giving 10% of its profits to charity. Now, after the earthquake, we
have changed that to 15%. We will also be giving a portion of all funds raised
to the people of this town, for whom we pray and intercede, as a material means
of lessening their hardships.
GO TO THEIR SITE: NORSIA.ORG/EARTHQUAKE
Checks can be sent to:
THE MONKS OF
NORCIA FOUNDATION
% FATHER MARTIN BERNHARD, OSB
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