Jordan Rasmussen
Published: February 25, 2009

The trappist monks of the New Mellery Abby is in Peosta, Iowa. The monks pray… and they work hard with their hands making caskets to fulfill their spiritual state of mind. The monks put their heart and soul into the each step in the making of the caskets.

Kelly Myers found her calling to the monastery five years ago, she says that the monks don’t only center on God. Myers states, “Their work day is focused around prayer, and then getting their resources from their own forest, is a very joyful day for them.” There are many different stations the monks work at; the wood is measured, ready for cutting, lined with padding, and then polished to have a nice shine to it.

General Manager, Sam Mulgrew has had experience in the casket making process, and then found his way to the head of the business. Mulgrew knows what it takes to balance prayer and work.

“A cooperate act of mercy for them, to make caskets, they pray why they’re making caskets, and they’re aware of the descendents that might be put in the casket, so these are all factors that are sort of unusual to the commercial world. “ Mulgrew says.

The monastery is significant in its own way, Myers feels, “Its diverse, you have people devoted to a day of prayer and then there are people like myself who are just able to come in and enjoy and sort of feed off of some other disciplined work environment.” For all who have died and been buried in the trappist caskets, their names lie in a spiritual book that is set in a chapel for worship.

Jordan Rasmussen can be reached at Jordan.Rasmussen@loras.edu