Flashback Fotos: Building the Monastery of the Holy Spirit

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Flashback Photos: Building the Monastery of the Holy Spirit

Flashback Fotos: Building the Monastery of the Holy Spirit

This Flashback Photos gallery comes mostly from a 1944 Journal photo essay about the Monastery of the Holy Spirit's construction and start of operations with the original photo captions included: "[This is the] temporary frame building which serves as the Monastery of Our Lady of the Holy Ghost. Priorities have prevented monks from constructing a permanent home on [their] farm at Conyers, Ga. (1940s)"

1940s -- "Brother shoemaker keeps the shoes of the community in repair. Eash monk has his particular duties, and all spend many hours at prayer."

1940s -- "Georgia pine is transformed into furnishings for the chapel (which is now completed), where the monks worship according to ancient rites."

March 23, 1944 -- "In less than 12 hours members of the Trappist Order of the Catholic Church set up a chapel, sleeping quarters and a reading room in the loft of this large barn, six miles from Conyers, and hoped by nightfall Thursday to have everything in readiness for a routine monasterial day. The adjacent grain house is now a kitchen and dining room."

March 23, 1944 -- "A monk and brothers of the Trappist Order of the Catholic Church work industriously to complete the chapel in the loft of a huge barn situated on a 1,465 acre tract near Conyers. The central altar and one altar on the left side have been constructed. Note the tiers on the top and the tabernacle which holds the host used in Holy Communion. The missal stand, candlestick and other articles used in their service are in evidence."

1940s -- "Father Guestmaster is shown with one of the large books from which every day the monks chant the Divine Office."

July 15, 1944 -- "The Trappist monks, with meager funds, bought second-hand machinery parts and erected a sawmill. They are converting Georgia pine into suitable housing materials for their new two-story dormitory structure."

Dec. 11, 1947 -- "Veterans preparing to be Trappist monks wear the order's twelfth-century garb as they use twentieth-century methods to work on the foundation of the new abbey here."

1949 -- "The Rt. Rev. Dom Mary Robert McGann (extreme right) takes his vows as abbot of the Abbey of Our Lady of the Holy Ghost as The Most Rev. Emmet Michael Walsh, Bishop of Charleston (seated, left) conducts the ancient rites. In foreground is Abbot Eugene Martin, of New Melleray Abbey, Owa, Acolytes hold the Rubrics from which the service is read. "

1954 -- "The Abbey of Our Lady of the Holy Ghost is under construction. This front view shows scaffolding and the present stage of building by the monks."

1954 -- "Two monks work in the monasterial dental laboratory, which is as up-to-date as most Atlanta dentist offices. The monk in charge has even made false teeth in the lab."

1959 -- "The Trappist monks gather in the chapel for their afternoon prayer service. Their strict daily regime is more than 850 years old."

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This Flashback Photos gallery comes mostly from a 1944 Journal photo essay about the Monastery of the Holy Spirit's construction and start of operations with the original photo captions included: "[This is the] temporary frame building which serves as the Monastery of Our Lady of the Holy Ghost. Priorities have prevented monks from constructing a permanent home on [their] farm at Conyers, Ga. (1940s)"

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