I travelled to the Monastery of St. Benedict in Norcia, Italy, on Thursday, November 17. I took the train from Rome to Spoleto and was met by one of the monks, Brother Justin, who drove me by car to Norcia. Ordinarily, the drive would take about 30 minutes, but several main roads in the region have been closed due to earthquake damage. The detour we were required to make took us through winding mountain roads and added an extra hour to the trip.

The town of Norcia has been evacuated. Most of the buildings, including the Basilica of St. Benedict and the monastery, have been reduced to rubble. No one is allowed inside the city without police or firefighters accompanying them.

The monks moved to property they own on a hillside outside the city walls following the first earthquakes in August 2016. (The more severe earthquake in October completely demolished the town and its buildings—completing the damage begun two months earlier.) Originally the monks were sleeping in tents, but they have now purchased and installed two pre-fabricated buildings. One houses their makeshift chapel and dining facilities. The other provides sleeping quarters (dormitory style) and individual cubicles for reading and prayer.

The 15 monks who currently make up the Monastery of St. Benedict “outside the walls” of Norcia remain dedicated to their full schedule of liturgical prayer (sung in Latin using the traditional Gregorian chant) and daily Mass celebrated in the extraordinary form. Their primary work now is manual labor—preparing their current site (a former Carthusian monastery that was already in ruins before the earthquakes of 2016) for restoration and new construction. The monks’ Brewery equipment survived the earthquakes because it was housed in a former garage building that is partially underground, but brewing has been suspended until people are allowed to return to the city or until they can set up a temporary brewery outside the city walls.

Having visited the monks in Norcia several times before the earthquakes of 2016, I admit to being overcome with sadness at the sight of such destruction. My heart goes out to the people of Norcia (the Nursini) and to the Benedictine monks who have become such an important part of their community life.

The sadness is real, but it is overshadowed by the monks’ absolute commitment to carry on their monastic life as fully as possible in spite of present limitations. In fact, the monks’ determination to rebuild for the benefit of future generations is a source of profound inspiration—even joy—for all who know them and for those who are just discovering them through their chant recording and sale of beer!

Immediately following the earthquakes in August, the monks embarked on a fundraising effort primarily by means of social media and a few events hosted by friends in the United States. The Case published by the monks outlined a $7.5 million need—prior to the more severe October earthquakes. Although the total need has grown significantly, the monks anticipate that the Italian government will help pay for rebuilding the historic Basilica of St. Benedict (not including the interior furnishings or artwork), so the monks believe that $7.5 million remains an accurate estimate of their overall fundraising need.

The immediate results of this post-earthquake fundraising effort were literally overwhelming. Nearly $1 million has been contributed in cash and pledges during the past four months—creating logistical problems for the monks who have very limited infrastructure for processing and acknowledging gifts now that they are in temporary quarters “outside the walls.”

Personnel available to do fundraising is extremely limited. The former Prior, Father Cassian Folsom, OSB, recently stepped down from leadership. He is the community’s founder and the monks’ spiritual leader, but he believes the enormous task of rebuilding requires the leadership and energy of a younger man. Following careful consultation with the monks and others, the Abbot Primate in Rome selected Father Benedict Nivakoff, OSB, the former subprior (second in leadership) to succeed Father Cassian as Prior.

For more information about the Monks of Norcia and their fundraising efforts, please consult: https://en.nursia.org.

I’m grateful to my colleagues at Graham-Pelton Consulting and GP Catholic Services for making it possible to go to Norcia and offer our prayerful support. It was an inspiring trip full of hope for the future. Ut in omnibus glorificetur Deus (That in all things God may be glorified)!

Copyright © 2016, Daniel Conway Permission is given to copy and distribute this Good Steward Newsletter for use in religious or educational settings provided that proper attribution is given to the author. This publication may not be sold or distributed to the general public without the express permission of the author.