Monastery for Musicians & Artists
  • Ken of Sarum
    Posts: 406
    Would there be any interest among single men here who see this posting, in the idea of a monastery for traditional orthodox classically minded musicians of a Catholic and / or Anglican background?

    Specifically, it would be an autonomous monastic setting for men where traditional sacred classical music was its primary focus in addition to other sacred classical arts such as iconography, calligraphy, wood and stone carving, stain glass, metallurgy, needle point / embroidery (vestments, altar cloths such as fronts, super front. . . etc.), were pursued as well as maybe even eventually leading to a choir school for boys.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,223
    Something comparable to the Maria Laach monastery?
  • Dale Fleck
    Posts: 49
    This is a great idea; I would be very interested.
  • David AndrewDavid Andrew
    Posts: 1,206
    I've oft thought of trying to do this myself.

    There are many, many issues to consider: Would this be a voluntary lay group of men not living under a Rule, Constitution or Obligation? Or would it be an "order", living under a Rule, Constitution, etc? If so, are you familiar with the process of petitioning the Holy See for approval? If not, how would the community govern itself? Would permission be needed from the local Ordinary to form such a community? Would his approval be required on any issues regarding governance? Would it be necessary to have at least one priest as a member of the community to serve the sacramental needs? How would the community "fund" itself prior to producing enough of the various art works to provide financial support?

    I would be interested in knowing more about this. Please keep us posted.
  • Ken of Sarum
    Posts: 406
    I don't know the Maria Laach Monastery but will look into it. Other than what I mentioned earlier, I personally would prefer it to be a group of lay men not living under a Rule, Constitution or Obligation. I would prefer it (in the beginning), to not be under the authority of any Ordinary. I would prefer it to be totally and absolutely self governing, operating and autonomous in every aspect even to the point of inviting outside priests to come into the community to say Mass. If they wanted to be a member of the Schola, then all the better. Initial funding? - where there is the BIG question; how to get started financially. I would imagine that a group of men coming together, living together in one large housing situation would be the way to start. Each man would have to have some means of income / self support yet able to contribute to the good of the whole. I know of some convents that have started this way.

    Also, I do know that there are some few dioceses, that have closed (but in good condition), churches for lack of a priest.

    This whole concept has been in my head for many years. I have been recently discouraged because I am older than what most monastic community seem to be willing to accept and only a feww seem to be VERY musically oriented toward true traditional sacred classical music and the sacred arts.

    Finally, what I would personally prefer would be an Anglican Use monastic situation. In this way, those of us that are Anglican Catholics would be at home in a setting that would be artistically familiar. In such a setting the Tridentine Rite would also be used along side the Anglican Use rite on a rotation basis. But these are all just thoughts and ideas.
  • richardUKrichardUK
    Posts: 85
    Very good idea, in so many ways.
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