A Lesson on Interdependency, Communal Living, Hierarchy, &

Practical Living Skills

Monastery Project

How Monk’s and Nuns saved Western Civilization during the Dark Ages700 – 1000 C.E.

The Monastery Project

Its rise and spread – hermits were the first to leave the cities and to seek solitude in the desert regions.

Communities of hermits gave rise to monastic life.Monasteries became little cities where likeminded Christians could go to live their faith together.

The Greek word for desert is hermit.A “hermit crab” is a crab that lives in the desert, not necessarily alone.

Hermits sought solitude and a simple but hard life of daily work and prayer.

They broke away from the “noise” of daily life in the cities to seek God in peace and harmony with nature.

MONASTICISM

1. Egyptian – severe asceticism, calls for a

simple life of prayer in thedesert

2. Celtic – focused more on daily work

3. Benedictine – a balanced life between times for work and prayer.

THREE STYLES OF MONASTICISM

1. Benedictines – O.S.B. (529)(Order of St. Benedict)

2. Franciscans Friars – O.F.M. (1209)(Order of Friars Minor)

3. Carmelites – O.Carm. (1209)(Order of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel)

4. Dominicans – O.P. (1216)(Order of Friars Preachers)

5. Augustinians – O.S.A. (1256)(Order of Saint Augustine)

FIVE OFFICIAL RELIGIOUS ORDERS OF THE R.C. CHURCH

1st we need to elect our leaders. We need an abbot or abbess. We need two counselors for each leader. The abbot / abbess has absolute authority in

the monastery. This = “Holy Obedience” You may not directly make requests of the

abbot / abbess without first going to one of the counselors.This = Hierarchy, a clear “Chain of Command”

The “chain of command” is strictly followed in the monastery under the Vow of Obedience.

Obedience is the #1 priority of life in the Dark Ages.

MP1 – THE ELECTION OF THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

TITLE – area of authority and responsibility

1. Abbot / Abbess – by election, supreme commander & judge

2. Counselor (1-2) – by election, manager of managers, lawyer

3. Church Rector – the place for prayer and safety during attack

4. Dormitory Manager – the place to sleep at night & the latrine (toilets)

5. Refectory Manager – the place where the community eats together

6. Cloister Guardian – (the private courtyard with well water source)

7. Infirmary (Physician) – a hospital to take care of the sick and wounded

8. Kitchen (Chef) – plan the daily menu, cook the food, “KP” duty

9. Workshop (Engineer) – What does your monastery need to make?

10. Library (Scribe) – Monks work on copying ancient scrolls, etc.

11. Fields, Forest, Vineyards – (Property Manager) the lands are the source of all food and raw materials used at the monastery

12. Assistant (?) – you may assign one assistant to any manager

MP2 – LEADERSHIP POSITIONS

ABBOT / ABBESS DRAW THE BIG MAP: Draw a large TOP-DOWN view of your entire monastery on a large poster board.

The abbot / abbess and the counselors are responsible for the completion of the floor plan.

Your entire team needs one TOP DOWN view of the entire monastery grounds with all of the locations indicated on the poster. The Abbot / Abbess may assign artists to assist in this task, but the responsibility for its completion rests with the Abbot / Abbess.

ANY STUDENT may turn this into a CHOICE POINTS project by erecting a 3D model or 3D picture / video of your monastery rather than a simple flat blueprint. Choice points may replace any one test grade (but not the exam).

MP3 – MASTER FLOOR PLAN

MANAGERS: Each makes a (8 ½ x 11) floor plan for the part of the monastery you were assigned to manage.• Include the physical dimensions and amount of materials needed to construct your location.•Turn these floor plan in to your assigned counselor.

COUNCILORS: Collect the floor plans from the managers you were assigned to manage.•Meet with the abbot / abbess to approve these floor plans.• If not approved, the plans must go back to the managers for needed improvements.

MP4 – Individual Floor Plans

12 AM “Nocturne” Prayer chanted in the chapel at night

3 AM “Lauds” Prayer meditation at sunrise WORK -- Some may sleep a little longer.

6 AM “Prime” The 1st Hour - Morning prayer WORK

9 AM “Terse” The 3rd Hour - Mid-morning prayer WORK -- “He who sings prays twice.”

12:00 PM “Sext” The 6th Hour - chanted in the chapel EAT

MEALTIME “Siesta” Vegetables, bread, wine, tea, coffee, and on big feast days there would be meat. -- “God blesses those who slumber.”

3 PM “None” The 9th Hour - Chanted in the chapel WORK Tend to crops, sew robes, copy books,

bake breads, make wine, feed the hungry

6 PM “Vespers” Evening Prayer chanted in the chapel

STUDY Study and rest for the night.

9 PM “Compline” Night Prayer before a small social time and bedtime.

Life at Monte Cassino: Praying & Working the “Liturgy of the Hours”

12 am Nocturne Matins (during the night) Vigils, the Night Office

3 am Lauds Dawn Prayer

6 am Prime Morning Prayer (1st Hour)

9 am Terse Mid-Morning Prayer (3rd Hour)

Liturgy of the Hours

12 pm Sext Midday Prayer (6th Hour)

3 pm None Mid-Afternoon Prayer (9th Hour)

6 pm Vespers Evening Prayer "Lighting of the lamps"

9 pm Compline Night Prayer

Abbot / Abbess: Assign each Manager a Councilor. Decide how many “virtual workers” each manager has.

Councilors: Meet with your assigned Managers. Put them “in charge of” x number of “virtual workers”.

Managers: Copy the Master Schedule of Prayer & Work. Add your Area’s Particular Work Description on the schedule. Describe in writing the work you are assigning to your virtual

crews on the back of your time schedule.

General Times For All Monks & Nuns 6 am 1. MORNING WORK DETAIL (hard labor) 9 am 2. MID-MORNING WORK DETAIL (labor) Before Noon 3. LUNCH CREW WORK DETAIL (big

meal) 3 pm 4. AFTERNOON WORK DETAIL (academics) 6 pm 5. DINNER CREW (a smaller meal) 9 pm 6. CHANTED NIGHT PRAYER (recreation)

MP5 – Manager’s Maintenance Plans

Long before Facebook, people used to pass little notes to one another! These notes, once collected by historians, created an awesome glance

into the daily lives of the people writing them.MANAGERS1. Take a clip board and a piece of loose leaf paper. Label your Area.2. Write memos on each other’s memo boards concerning the day to

day needs of the area you are managing.3. Consider all of the requests that are made for goods and services.4. Prioritize the list of wants and needs with #1 being top priority and

#2, 3, 4, etc. being less and less urgent.5. Turn in your prioritized memo page into to your councilor.

COUNCILORS6. Organize the memos.7. Include your own memos near the top of the pile.8. Prioritize the day to day concerns of different managers with

certain managers at #1 top priority and #2, 3, 4, etc. being less urgent.

9. Report your findings to the Abbot / Abbess.

MP6 – THE MEMOES … Where to begin?

Your team needs to demonstrate to the class that you can all CHANT together at least seven verses of a Psalm 95.

Form two “choirs”•Divide your team into two sides.•Side 1 CHANTS the 1st verse of a psalm•Side 2 CHANTS the 2nd verse of the psalm.•Both Sides CHANT the “Glory Be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen!”

MP7 – PRAYER & WORSHIP

• ABBOT / ABBESS & COUNCIL: Work on the “Big Map” while your managers prepare their dramas.

• MANAGERS: Write a scenario of something that is going wrong in your part of the monastery.• Give a written account of any disputes that are happening to

the abbot / abbess and the counselors.

• COUNCILORS: Collect these reports.• Prioritize these concerns at a council meeting.• On each drama sheet clearly mark the priority #.• #1 = 1st top priority! ~ then 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, etc.

• Call a meeting of the managers to settle major the #1-3 issues.

• ABBOT / ABBESS: Hold your quarterly report meeting and address your whole monastery concerning “the big picture” of all that is going on at your monastery.• Try to give fatherly / motherly encouragement to your monks

and nuns. Or, give them a stern warning if you need to correct their behavior.

MP8 – Monastery Manager’s Drama

MANAGERS

1. Report a crime to the Abbot / Abbess via your councilor.

2. Include enough details to build a case against the accused.

3. Observations of immorality were also considered criminal.

COUNCILORS

4. Decide which criminal / moral case takes precedence and deserves attention.

5. #1 = 1st top priority! ~ then 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, etc.

6. On each criminal case sheet clearly mark the priority #.

7. The Abbot / Abbess will call a trial. Evidence will be presented at court.

8. A judgment will be delivered by the council.

TRIAL BY ORDEAL

NOTE! We will be using “Trial by Ordeal”. The accused is considered guilty until proven innocent. An ordeal will be used to prove guilt / innocence. Councils should avoid death sentences as we DESPERATELY NEED each and every member of the monastery to be able to work and to survive the demands of these trying times.

MP9 – Criminal Justice System

EVERYONE: Research the Dark Ages for the Origins of Superstition

•Reference your Source(s).•Summarize your finding.

Write a one page short story that describes an imaginary event that lead to the creation of a superstition at your monastery.

Examples …Why is the number “13” considered unlucky?Why are black cats treated evil? Why is the full moon something to be feared?

End your essay with how superstition continues to influence people today in the early 21st century. Perhaps give an example.

MP10 – Superstition Abounds!