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| Saint Meinrad |
Saint
Meinrad is a monastery located in the rolling hills of Southern Indiana near the
town of Saint Meinrad. The monastery was founded in 1854 by two Benedictine
monks from the Abbey of Einsiedeln in Switzerland. Today the monastery operates
a seminary and school of theology with more than 80 monks residing there.
Besides
living lives of prayer, the monks of Saint Meinrad also have a line of caskets. Abbey
Caskets was founded in 1999 as a way to support the works of the Archabbey. The
caskets are built around the simple design used for the caskets for Benedictine monks for
centuries.  |
| Traditional Caskets |
Local
craftsmen handcraft the wooden caskets and cremation urns from
hardwoods like walnut, oak, poplar and cherry according to the specifications
of the monks. The caskets are lined with linen-covered mattress and a pillow.
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| Cremation Urns |
According
to the Archabbey, “The quality and construction of our caskets and urns
represent the monks’ values of reverence, dignity and hope.” Traditional and
monastic caskets are available along with urns for cremains and handcrafted
furniture, which includes deacon benches, foyer benches and kneelers.
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| Interior Monk's Casket |
The
production facility is located on the Archabbey grounds and overseen by one of
the brothers. This also allows customers to tour the production facility and
see how the caskets are made.
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| St. Meinrad Cemetery |
There are two showrooms – one in Saint Meinrad
and another at the Monastery of Holy Cross in Chicago. The monks offer a
program where a person may make monthly payments may be now to relieve
the family from the burden of funeral planning later. According to the 1994 Federal Trade
Commission Funeral Rule, "funeral homes must allow for the use of a casket
purchased else where, and may not charge a fee."
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| Archabbey Church of Our Lady of Einsiedeln |
In
keeping with the Benedictine spirit of hospitality, the grounds of Saint
Meinrad and the Archabbey Church of Our Lady of Einsiedeln, built in the
Romanesque style, are open for visitors to explore.
For
more information, to schedule a tour or to order visit www.abbeycaskets.com
Or
call 800-987-7380. Saint Meinrad also provides retreats throughout the year and
has a gift shop and bookstore on the grounds.
~
Joy
