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A Monastery Rises in Oklahoma

I REMEMBER HEARING about the foundation of Clear Creek Monastery some years ago. A small handful of monks from Fontgombault in France, the king of the traditionalist abbeys, were sent to found a Benedictine community in the hills of Oklahoma, devoted to the Old Mass. I saw the splendid and very traditional plan drawn up for a church and residence and thought to myself: “Wouldn’t it be nice if that actually came to fruition”. Well, I’m happy to say it actually did, and the handful of traditional Benedictines (completely in communion with Rome and the Bishop of Tulsa) have grown and are apparently thriving. They’ve even completed the crypt of their church and the monastery building.

The monks gather for prayer in the new crypt alongside their bishop and a canine companion.

Ora et labora: working away on the monastery farm.

I am quite convinced that simply pottering about is a most Catholic thing to do, and it would seem the good monks agree.

“Oh I beg your pardon,” said Mr. Pheasant. “I was just wondering which way I should follow to get to Mass?”

“Just head down that way,” replied Mrs. Deer, “and there’s a rather handsome sign that’ll point you in the right direction. We’ll see you there ourselves, but we need to fetch our mantillas.”

The rather handsome sign to which Mrs. Deer referred was lettered by none other than Mr. Daniel Mitsui, of The Lion and the Cardinal.

“You can only have a snack, Rex, if you don’t mind eating sheep food”.

Link: Our Lady of the Annunciation Monastery of Clear Creek

Published at 8:32 pm on Sunday 21 October 2007. Categories: Church.
Comments

Andrew,

Thanks for the lovely post about Clear Creek Monastery!
My family is from Oklahoma, and I can’t think of a better in the U.S. for a monastery.

By the way, have you seen “Into Great Silence” — Philip Groning’s extraordinary film about a monastery in the French Alps? Truly a “must see.”

— kd 22 Oct 2007 11:08 am

Oops! Typing too fast, left out a word. I meant to say: My family is from Oklahoma, and I can’t think of a better location in the U.S. for a monastery.

— kd 22 Oct 2007 11:11 am

I need a week there.

— PLK 22 Oct 2007 6:25 pm

Where does one sign up?

— Neil Welton 23 Oct 2007 12:45 pm

They will also say a novena of traditional Masses for you on any dates you wish (the stipend is $10 per Mass). Makes a nice gift for a priest…

— Christine 23 Oct 2007 1:00 pm

Just a comment about the mass. I believe it’s NO, not Tridentine.

— GRP 24 Oct 2007 8:13 pm

Actually, the Mass is a monastic version of the Tridentine. It is NOT the Novus Ordo!

— John 24 Oct 2007 9:15 pm

Sorry…I meant to copy this from the Clear Creek Monastery website itself regarding the form of the liturgy they follow….

The Divine Office and Holy Mass are celebrated in Latin and sung in Gregorian Chant. With the approval of the Pontifical Commission ‘Ecclesia Dei’ and the consent of Bishop Edward J. Slattery of Tulsa, priests at Clear Creek celebrate according to the 1962 Roman Missal, with some minor modifications at High Mass. They also observe the complete Benedictine horarium.

— John 24 Oct 2007 9:17 pm

You might also enjoy the monastic photos on my spirituality and liturgy site: http://www.liturgy.co.nz

More photos to come

Bosco

— Bosco Peters 25 Oct 2007 9:57 pm

Send emails . This is a beatiful place

— Cora Glauner 27 Oct 2007 1:06 pm

Can’t wait to see the completed gothic monastic church (when construction is completed).If it weren’t for hard financial times i would be honoured to contribute to this fast growing Benedictine community of Tradition & Orthodoxy. Also have no adversity to supporting another rapidly growing Traditional Benedictine community, that of The Monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Silver City New Mexico, it is affiliated with the Society of St. Pius Xth (which is NOT schismatic according to the ecclesia dei commission) but in an irregular situation within the Catholic church & G-D willing the reconciliation will come sooner than later. Without monasteries the Catholic church she is in major trouble they are the powerhouses of prayer. Ora et Laboura= A Benedictine external Oblate—Shalom

— Johannim 12 Dec 2007 2:39 pm

IN FACT THE BENEDICTINE PRIORY AT CLEAR CREEK CELEBRATES THE TRIDENTINE DIVINE LITURGY EXCLUSIVELY AS DOES HER FOUNDING ABBEY NOTRE DAME DU FONTGOMBEAU (THINK I SPELT THAT WRONG) IN FRANCE.IT IS ONE FOR A GROWING NUMBER OF TRADITIONAL/ORTHODOX RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS THAT HAVE DEVELOPED IN THE LAST DECADE WORLDWIDE. SINCE THE COMING OF THE MOTU PROPRIO SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM OF THE GREAT POPE BENEDICT THE 16TH, TRADITIONAL MONASTERIES AND RELIGIOUS HOUSES EVERYWHERE ARE HAVING MAJOR PROBLEMS “THEY SIMPLY CANNOT KEEP UP WITH THE INFLUX OF YOUNG VOCATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD AND RELIGIOUS LIFE”. SAME THING IS OCCURRING AT MASSES IN THE EXTRAORDINARY (TRIDENTINE FORM) EVERYWHERE, THESE MASSES ARE LITERALLY PACKED TO THE RAFTERS WITH PTIMARILY 15 TO 50 YR OLD, (MAKES ME FREE ANCIENT). SHALOM

— JOHANNIM 28 Jan 2008 5:05 pm

SORRY FOR ALL THE TYPO’S IN THE ABOVE COMMENT WILL PROOF IT AND MAKE A BETTER EFFORT NEXT TIME—SHALOM

— JOHANNIM 28 Jan 2008 5:08 pm

We all have a bit of monastic prayful feelings within us, I imagine it is the place carved within us only God can fill. I have prayed the Litgurgy office of Hours off and on, study, and pray the bible, and have Christ as a close friend most my life. I visited a monastary in Berryville, Virginia for a week once and it was wonderful. I am retired and married, yet I find peace in chant music, and the quietness of monastic prayer. I will pray for the monistary’s completion and success.
It looks like a wonderful place. God bless.
Mike Phelan
Bridgewater, VA

— amis41 22 Oct 2008 12:08 pm
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