Wednesday, October 13, 2010

These nuns


are actually Americans. The monastery was originally founded in the 8th century and was abandoned for some centuries. It was given to these nuns, from Regina Laudis in Connecticut, by the Abbey of Monte Cassino.

They let you come to visit.

I think I'm going to visit.

4 comments:

Ingemar said...

Oooh, I didn't know there were still active monasteries in Europe. (Besides in Mt. Athos, of course).

Fr. John Mary, ISJ said...

Wonderful!
I visited and know the Nuns from Regina Laudis in CT (taught in a seminary not far from them)...they are the "real thing"!

HJW said...

Ingemar,

Is that a joke?

Ingemar said...

HJW:

Only slightly. Yes, it really depends on where in Europe you look, because even "Catholic" countries like Italy and Spain have high (and increasing) rates of atheism and Mohammedism.

But I suppose someone needs to stick around to make world-famous beer.

When I was a youth in the Philippines, I wouldn't have to look hard to find a nun in habit. When I moved to the States, I didn't know that they even had nuns (but later I was told it was because they don't wear habits).

I wouldn't idealize Philippine or Latin American Catholicism. While they've kept a lot of Catholic traditions that have died out (in Europe), there's also a lot of syncretism. The Philippines in particular has a lot of weird, Protestant-inspired cults.



BTW, I don't even speak Italian but I was able to understand about 30% of the video. Learning Spanish helps.