Tucked away on the mountainside of the Italian town of Norcia sits the Monastery of St. Benedict in Monte.
This monastery, which the monks started in 2000, was the first time since 1810 that monks were present in Norcia. Three monks from the United States founded their home in the birthplace of St. Benedict, their founder.
FR. BENEDICT NIVAKOFF, OSB
Superior
God sort of called us here. On the natural level, many of us were looking for a way of living the rule of St. Benedict that we thought St. Benedict would recognize, that would look very much like the life that he had intended.
But the monks aren't only known for their monastic way of life. They are also famous for brewing their own beer.
FR. BENEDICT NIVAKOFF, OSB
Superior
We needed to find a source of income that was more reliable then donations at the time.
The same time,we found people knocking on our door and they were always asking us, 'What can we bring home from the monastery that you all make?' They kind of wanted to bring home a monk.
Fr. Benedict says that since they couldn't give monks away, they used the brewing knowledge they had from one monk and a book entitled, How to Brew like a Monk, to start their own brewhouse.
He sees brewing as the continuation of a long tradition monks have been doing for centuries—using this custom to reach people worldwide.
FR. BENEDICT NIVAKOFF, OSB
Superior
We also get to taste our beer every once in a while. The Rule of St. Benedict doesn't forbid alcohol. He doesn't actually speak about beer, conveniently.
So the beer has that ability to span the abyss that sometimes exists between us and those who have no faith or wounded faith or so many who have had a bad experience with the Church.
Since 2012, the monks have been using their own home brewed beer to help pay for the new monastery and their basic necessities.
About 20 monks, coming from all corners of the world have come to the birthplace of St. Benedict to live out this unique style of monastic life.
KG
