Mount Angel Abbey* « Paul and Carla Take the Fifth

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7.25.2019-Thursday-Abbey

We’re off today to experience Mount Angel Abbey. The property it sits on is mostly a butte. As we have discussed in the past; a butte is a hill, both small and tall, made up of dirt, stone and in this area, a combination of volcanic ash and/or magma from thousands of years ago. We begin our tour at the first building on the property, the Press. It is here that the monks legally print documents or reprint books or booklets of interest to the seminary. Below Carla is asking the best way to view all the buildings. to the right is a shot of inside the Press Building.

In the pictures above are two dormitory buildings. There is an option to attend, for a while, either on or off campus. If the grounds look awesome, almost as perfect as you would see at Disney, it’s probably through the assistance of the seminary students, the beer they brew and sell, the Coffee House of course and the tuition they charge to attend the seminary. Annual tuition, including room and board, runs a little over $36,000 per year. So, a four-year stay could be as high as $150,000. That’s much cheaper than going to Pharmacy School. At Mass. College of Pharmacy tuition, without room and board, is running over $50,000/year. Below are two more dorm buildings.

Above left, I believe, is the Chapel, on the left and school building on the right. Our next stop for those building we can enter is the College Museum. If this is all we saw it would have been well worth the one-hour ride here. Below right is a replica of the “Crown of Thorns” that Jesus had to endure. I said replica. The Crucifixion was over 2000 years ago but the bramble bushes having these thorns thrive in the area of Mount Golgotha in Jerusalem, where Our Lord was crucified.

Above left, once again, the museum. to the right is the Seminary Chapel. The architecture of the chapel is Romanesque. Below right is the chapel Organ. It’s a Martin Ott Pipe Organ in the choir loft featuring 2478 pipes. Below left is the entrance to the chapel.

In the foreground just to the left of the alter is another smaller organ. Also noteworthy is the seating configuration in the church. Very similar to what you might find in many of the English Churches and especially Cathedrals. I believe these are Choir Pews. Above right is the seminary library; awesome in size and décor. Above is about all we were permitted to experience. Below right is the walk-way to the Coffee-house, brewery and hundreds of acres of farmlands used to grow hops and almost all the other herbs needed for their beer.

It would take several pictures to show off the many acres and variety of products grown on this property. Above right is the Coffee-House. They offer many unique beers, produced on the property and a short, simple menu to nimble on while enjoying your brew. Below is the inside of the Coffee-House and an Historic picture of the devastating fire that destroyed every building on the campus. It took over eighteen-months before classes would be held on the school grounds. I think this took place in 1926 or there about.