A SENSE OF PLACE - Br. Eric Loran, OSB

Oftentimes a visit to Subiaco Abbey will give guests a feeling as they depart of having experienced “A sense of place.” A place of Peace, of Prayer, a place of Welcome and a place just to be and not have to do. For more than a century, Subiaco has stood for these attributes and with God’s blessing, will for many years to come. We monks absorb this sense of place and a constancy of purpose from the life and times of the Father of Benedictine life, Saint Benedict. With this comes a regulated schedule of worship of our Lord and Savior several times daily as we stand together for prayer in choir. We develop the habit of living by the teaching and example of the early Fathers of the Church. A monastery like a person or a nation must have a set of values that are adhered to relentlessly. This gives this ‘Place’ an identity in our time of shifting values and changing morals.

Some years ago one of the monks of Subiaco Abbey, Father Hugh, authored a book entitled “A Place Called Subiaco”, a chronological history of the founding and early days of Subiaco. A substantial volume, there is still a strong interest from the public that caused a recent reprinting. Over the years Subiaco Academy has taught these principles and values to a long line of young men and these have developed into an alumni association that has become a strong pillar in the support and guidance of the Academy. They too have experienced a “sense of place.”