An Arkansas Historic Landmark, Subiaco has a rich historical as well as spiritual tradition to offer visitors and retreatants in the heart of mountainous Western Arkansas. Besides the impressive sandstone buildings and the Romanesque-style abbey church, the sprawling campus and extensive farmland provide wayfarers with the opportunity to experience the beauty of nature in the abbey's finely-manicured lawns, gardens, and vineyards.

SUBIACO'S HISTORY

The monks of Subiaco Abbey are Benedictines and trace their monastic history back to 5th Century Italy, where St. Benedict lived as a hermit in a cave (Sacro Speco) and wrote his famous Rule for monasteries at Monte Cassino. His Rule, now 1500 years old, emphasizes a way in which men and women can seek God through prayer, work, holy reading, and leisure.

Subiaco Abbey---originally called St Benedict's Priory---is a foundation of St. Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana and the Abbey Maria-Einsiedeln (pronounced ein-seed-uln) in Switzerland. The first monk-missionaries of Saint Meinrad arrived in Logan County, Arkansas, on March 15, 1878. After nearly a decade of personnel and financial difficulties, Fr. Wolfgang Schlumpf, OSB, Subiaco's founder, received assistance from Einsiedeln in the fall of 1887, with the arrival of Fr. Gall D'Aujourd'hui, OSB, and eight young novices (called the "Eight Beatitudes"). Subiaco's first abbot (spiritual father), Ignatius Conrad, OSB, also a Swiss monk of Maria-Einsiedin, led the monastic community from 1892 until 1925.

The Coat of Arms of the abbey clearly shows the relationship of Subiaco Abbey's two co-founding monasteries---Maria-Einsiedeln and Saint Meinrad. The two large ravens on the golden crest are quite similar to Einsiedeln's Coat of Arms; however, Subiaco's ravens possess a distinctive gold rose emblem. The rose emblem on the raven's shoulders represents Subiaco, Italy, where Saint Benedict lived as a hermit and where he threw himself into a thorn bush (roses) to dispel his sinful thoughts of the flesh. The black engrailed border with cusped edges represents Subiaco Abbey's relationship to Saint Meinrad in Indiana.

A PLACE OF VARIED MINISTRIES

Over the years, Subiaco's ministries have expanded. When the first monk-missionaries arrived in the 1870s, Catholic German-speaking churches in the Logan County area were erected, beginning with Saint Benedict's and with Saint Scholastica's Shoal Creek, a convent/monastery for Benedictine women. The monks also opened a school for young men, which has evolved over the last 100 years into the present Subiaco Academy, a college-prep boarding school. Staffing parishes and running a school was no small feat. The Benedicitines of Subiaco are responsible for establishing Corpus Christi Abbey in Texas (1959) and Santa Familia Monastery in Belize, Central America (1978). The Abbey is also proud of the successful retreat ministry of it Coury House Retreat Center, where guests are received as Christ.

THE SUBIACO'S COMPLEX

The beautiful sandstone abbey church dedicated to Saint Benedict and Our Lady of Einsiedeln is the heart of Subiaco. On October 19, 1952, the monastic community of Subiaco broke ground for the construction of a much needed abbey church. The church's construction was overseen by architect Bernard Kaelin, and the project lasted seven years. The abbey church, completed in early 1959, was consecrated by Bishop Albert L. Fletcher of Little Rock. With Romanesque arches and multi-colored stained glass windows from Munich, Germany, one may discover a beautiful, peaceful place for prayer; it is the temple of the Lord.

Other buildings enhance Subiaco's landscape, notably the monastery (the living quarters of the monks), the Subiaco Academy complex, and the Coury House.

The Benedictine monks of Subiaco hope that your visit will be a good and prayerful experience.

For more information on Subiaco Abbey and Academy visit subi.org