A group of Carmelite Monks cloistered in the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming are building a Gothic monastery harkening back to the Renaissance period of cathedral construction and edification of God through beauty and achievement. The project has been underway since 2022.
Carmelite monks are a group of secluded males who spend their days praying and reflecting. While their lives are led with a focus on simplicity and minimal material needs, they admit the project is an intentional ‘juxtaposition’ of their own lives and the grandeur of Gothic spectacle.
Writing on X, the account Trad West shared news of the construction, writing: “In Wyoming (USA), Benedictine [sic[ monks are building a Gothic monastery in the Rocky Mountains. Called New Mount Carmel, the project follows the style of medieval European abbeys and is built by the monks themselves, who live in prayer, silence, and manual labor.”
And since funding of massive projects is the beloved talking point of the day – see Trump’s East Wing ballroom renovations, for example – it’s also worth noting that the monks are achieving this monumental task through self-funded endeavors and private donations. “They sustain themselves by selling Mystic Monk Coffee and fund the construction through donations. The monastery has become a symbol of the spiritual and monastic revival in the heart of America,” the social media account added.
On their website, the Carmelites described the important of the monastery as being the ‘heart’ of their life and therefore wanted a magnificent area to worship God and likely inspire others to God’s own greatness. “The monastery Church is the heart and center of the life and structures of the Monastery. It is in the Church that the choir monks gather for 8 hours each day to chant the Divine Praises according to the Carmelite liturgy,” a website devoted to their mission and construction reads.
“Striving to be a fitting house of God, the Church is the pinnacle of the Gothic endeavors of the monastery…In everything the Carmelite Monks strive to reflect the beauty of the Mother of God who was the most perfect house of God as she bore the Creator of the world in her womb,” it adds.
“In the monastery everything is ordered towards the Divine, and the juxtaposition between the simplicity of the hermitages, the private spaces of the monks, and the beauty and grandeur of the Gothic Church is striking,” the post continues.
“Monasteries taking back the West would be a BIG way to combat the secular education system and bolster the traditional Christian movement. Huge WIN here,” one commenter noted. “This is so cool! Our country desperately needs to get back to being creative, and expressive in construction especially when the building(s)’ intent is to revere and celebrate God,” added another.
Take a look at some of the incredible updates shared by the X account Trad West in a follow-up post to the original commentary below:
