There was a surge of American GIs joining monasteries after the end of the Second World War, seeking solace and refuge in a violent and increasingly complicated world. It was at this time that the Abbey of Our Lady of the Holy Trinity, a Trappist monastery in the town of Huntsville in Utah, was founded, and at its peak it housed 84 monks. Some 70 years later, only a handful of elderly men remain, and without a younger generation to continue the legacy, the monastery has been forced to close its doors. This poignant short film from RadioWest quietly observes the monastery’s last moments, as the elderly monks commence their final, sparsely attended service and pack their bags for an uncertain future.
From soldiers to monks: the end of a monastery founded by veterans of the Second World War
23 October 2017
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