It started when he hired an Englishman named Darnley Beaufort as the college headmaster. Ask Bonnie R about The Abbey of Gethsemani. John Hutchins had been employed in the monastery’s bookkeeping service since 2007, according to the statement. One hundred and seventy years after its founding, Gethsemani Abbey holds pride of place as Catholic America’s flagship monastery. The Trappist monks have been at the monastery since 1848. Set in the rolling hills of central Kentucky, Gethsemani Abbey was the monastic home of Thomas Merton. Detective Allison has been digging through bank statements. “With the help of professionals, the Abbey of Gethsemani is developing a new system of financial controls to reduce the risk of a theft of this nature from happening again. The community was established in 1848 in Trappist, Kentucky. The Trappists are a branch of the Cistercian monks, a centuries old order. Trappist monks take vows of chastity, poverty, obedience and stability — meaning they will stay at the abbey. Some tried to make a fresh start in America, but for several reasons (mostly financial) they didn’t get far. Gethsemani College’s opening in 1851 as a boarding school had long-term consequences, not all of them positive. The monastery's lawyer, Kevin Ford, denied any connection between the embezzlement allegations and Hutchins' accusations of sexual affairs at the abbey. Allegations surface of a sex scandal at Abbey of Gethsemeni(Published: May 07, 2014 at 08:09PM): LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- Allegations have surfaced about a sex scandal and embezzlement involving the Abbey of Gethsemani in Nelson County.According to the Courier Journal, one of the abbey's accountants alleges multiple sexual affairs between monks, female lay employees and other women. They purchased a piece of property in Kentucky for five thousand dollars from a group of nuns. John Hutchins and his wife, Carey, now face more than 80 counts of theft and unlawful use of a computer. The letter mentions only one monk by name but said "sexist comments and sexual banter" were common between monks and female employees. Also, send me the Catholic Newsletter and special offers. the autobiography of a Trappist monk named Thomas Merton. Abbot Elias Dietz, the monastery's spiritual leader and president of Gethsemani Farms, its mail-order business, said in an e-mail Monday that the abbey has cooperated fully with authorities and does not comment on pending criminal investigations. Allison, the detective, said he has obtained a copy of Hutchins' letter but added, "I don't investigate affairs. Beaufort was arrested for fraud and embezzlement (but not sexual misconduct). A capable administrator, he held it together during the Civil War. The Hutchins’ bonds were set at $50,000 cash, according to their indictments. We Insist: A Timeline Of Protest Music In 2020, who was known in the monastery as Fr. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. May 8, 2014 at 4:36 AM EDT - Updated July 21 at 12:36 PM, Focus on Health - American Senior Communities, Election Day in Indiana: Holcomb wins re-election as Governor, Wisconsin trooper stops driver hauling snowmobile atop car, Republican Gov. Hutchins has claimed multiple sexual affairs between monks and female employees, and also said the women were rewarded with promotions, according to The Courier-Journal. Their day begins at 3:15 a.m. with reading and personal prayer, and they retire after the day's final prayer at 7:30 p.m. Dietz and Ford said the monastery will survive the alleged embezzlement. NOTE: The above article originally appeared in Patheos in February 2011, and is reprinted on the occasion today of the fiftieth anniversary of Thomas Merton’s death. Hutchins' lawyer, Luke Morgan, said in an interview that the abbey knew of and approved his client's expenditures. Just returned from a New Year's retreat at the Abbey. Gethsemani Farms View 2020 Catalog. Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world. It was a surprise to enter the Abbey of Gethsemani’s church and see a body lying on a bier. The Abbey of Gethsemani, according to its website, is a monastery in the Order of the Cistercians of the Strict Observance. (One local proclaimed their cider “superior to the best wine I ever drank.”) For a few years, a group of Franciscan nuns ran a boarding school, but financial difficulties led to an early closing. But the whole affair cost the monastery dearly. The abbey has accused one of its lay employees, an accountant, of embezzling what could total tens of thousands of dollars or more from its … I didn't know about that Statement from the US Bishops. Why did the Jesuits change the name of the school from a saint's ...", "It is a joy to that you are back blogging. (The Trappists’ official title is “Cistercians of the Strict Observance.”) The monastic day, beginning at 2 a.m. and finishing at 7 p.m., consisted of prayer, reading, and labor. A police investigation revealed bank transfers from the monastery’s account into another account, according to the press release. • Order: The Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, also known as Trappists. Perhaps its most famous resident was Thomas Merton, the monk and author who wrote The Seven Storey Mountain, New Seeds of Contemplation and Zen and the Birds of Appetite. The Trappist monks have been at the monastery since 1848. Nelson County Sheriff’s Office Detective Jason Allison said he is aware of the claims, but the accusations don’t play into the case. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “It’s About Time They Got Here”: Catholics ...". Abbot Elias Dietz, the monastery's spiritual leader and president of Gethsemani Farms, its mail-order business, said in an email Monday that the abbey has cooperated fully with authorities and does not comment on pending criminal investigations. The abbey said it has fully cooperated with the police investigation. John E. Hutchins and his wife, Carrie, were indicted by a Nelson County grand jury on 348 counts each, with accusations ranging from theft by unlawful taking, complicity to theft by unlawful taking, unlawful access to a computer and complicity to unlawful access to a computer. Hutchins also alleges that the supervisor and his employee had sex in a conference room over the monastery visitor center and that he videotaped them "to protect myself.". (The first three abbots all resigned.) The Courier-Journal of Louisville, Ky., is covering the story, and provides some background: On Feb. 17, Abbot Elias Dietz, the monastery's spiritual leader and president of its Gethsemani Farms mail-order business, wrote a letter in which he said, "We are currently dealing with a delicate issue regarding one of our employees." Please also opt me in for Exclusive Offers from Patheos’s Partners, Catholics in the Movies: Raoul Walsh (1887-1980), "Wow! Harold was dressed in a white cowl and his face bore no signs of being made up by a mortician. The Abbey of Gethsemani, according to its website, is a monastery in the Order of the Cistercians of the Strict Observance. Born in Georgia, Dunne worked in the publishing industry before entering Gethsemani. A Gray Media Group, Inc. Station - © 2002-2020 Gray Television, Inc. Trump, the incumbent Republican, claimed Kentucky shortly after the polls closed, just after 7 p.m. During his years there, Merton published hundred of articles and nearly fifty books (all royalties go to Gethsemani). Lack of funds and vocations, natural disasters and scandals threatened to end America’s first Trappist experiment. The scandal first surfaced Feb. 17, when Dietz, in a letter addressed, "Dear Brothers and Employees," wrote, "We are currently dealing with a delicate issue regarding one of our employees. But now the oldest operating monastery in America — where 42 monks live, work and pray seven times a day — is roiled by controversy. The news made the front pages, and Beaufort ended up in jail. He must also sign over real estate, two vehicle and other personal property to the monastery. But in an 11-page letter that has been widely circulated, Hutchins said he went to monastery leaders in January with information about "multiple sexual affairs that were permitted ... at the monastery between monks & female lay employees, between monks & outside women" and between a lay supervisor and an employee under his supervision. Dayton, Nevada. Their days begin at 3:15 a.m. with reading and personal prayer, and they retiree after the day's final prayer at 7:30 p.m. Dietz, the 10th abbot of Gethsemani, declined to talk about the abbey's finances. Get updates from McNamara's Blog delivered straight to your inbox, In 1948, the book world’s surprise hit was The Seven Storey Mountain, the autobiography of a Trappist monk named Thomas Merton. The letter says women who "went along" were given raises, while those who "didn't play the game" were demoted. 19 19. Car found overturned in creek near Bloomfield, Free COVID-19 testing is this week at county fairgrounds, Bethlehem students produce COVID podcasts, Bardstown coach facing sodomy, porn and tampering charges, Rape charges against former substitute amended with no jail time, New Haven man indicted on felony sex charges. Most, Merton writes, “felt that God had done them a favor.” When alumni tried to raise money to rebuild the schools, Dom Edmond promptly returned their donations. Phil Scott votes for Democrat Joe Biden. Settled in 1848 by Trappist monks from France, the abbey originally supported itself through farming but now pays for most of its budget through the sale of homemade fudge, cheese and fruitcake, as well as contributions from visitors, who can attend services and stay overnight on retreats. He asked me... Commandment: May We Remember The Greatest Commandment. ", Settled in 1848 by Trappist monks from France, the abbey originally supported itself through farming but now pays for most of its budget through the sale of homemade fudge, cheese and fruitcake, as well as contributions from visitors, who can attend services and stay overnight on retreats. The above drawing of Merton is by Pat McNamara. And there's a twist, a letter in which Detective Allison said Hutchins claimed he was a scapegoat for a part of a cover-up for sexual affairs behind the monastery's gates. Hutchins says Dietz then summoned him to his office Feb. 17 and told him he was being placed on paid leave pending an investigation of "irregularities in the accounting office." Beginning in 1664, Normandy’s La Trappe Abbey hosted a reform movement. In a statement to the Standard, the abbey said John Hutchins was suspended from his position in February pending an investigation. Over the next few years, Merton’s writings would attract unprecedented numbers of applicants to the monastery. I promised myself I wasn't going to be online... Don’t Be Confused About Catholic Teaching. “With the help of professionals, the Abbey of Gethsemani is developing a new system of financial controls to reduce the risk of a theft of this nature from happening again. (Archbishop of Louisville Joseph Kurtz makes monthly retreats there.). The Spirit of the Order says that "only if brothers prefer nothing whatsoever to Christ will they be happy to persevere in a life that is ordinary, obscure and laborious.". Both Hutchins himself and his attorney would not confirm nor deny Hutchins wrote the letter when reached by phone. He says he is being falsely accused after blowing the whistle on monks he said engaged in sexual affairs behind the monastery's walls.
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