By Father David Altman, O.C.S.O.–
(This article, dated September 1987, is part of the public archives of the Huntsville History Library, which is open every Wednesday from 10 am to 12 noon. It is reprinted here with the original author’s permission.)
Our cemetery came into existence according to the age old law of supply and demand: the first monk to pass from this world left in May of 1955, and provision had to be made for interment at just that time.
The Monastery cemetery is located at the north side of the Abbey chapel, at 1250 South 9500 East, Huntsville. At the time of this writing, there are 12 monks in permanent residence.
Each of these monks had his own gifts from the Lord, and so made his personal contribution to the Monastery Community. They were tailors, carpenters, gatekeepers, and abbot or president of the Monastery, a treasurer, cooks, bakers, teachers.
What is most significant about all these men is that they persevered in our Community and lifestyle, through which they committed themselves to the Lord by their monastic, religious vows. The presence of the markers over their graves is thus an important symbol, that they accomplished with their lives what they set out to do: service to the Lord with their religious, community lives of prayer.
For success in life we ought to develop three essential qualities: a good backbone, a good breastbone, and a good funnybone. The monks who lie buried in the Monastery cemetery exemplified these three essentials, especially recognizing that mirth is the oil that makes the machinery of life run more smoothly.
Brother Matthew contributed to the Monastery’s lore of sayings with his: “It takes all kinds to make up this world, and believe me, they’re in it!” Toward the end of his life, Fr. Denis was often heard to remark, “My bags are packed!” Br. Michael, noted for his salty and insightful quips, once addressed himself to this reporter’s vocation: “Hey Mac, you ain’t gonna get outta this place alive.”
This last contribution was happily a self-fulfilled prediction. Hopefully, it will also be a fitting description of those who follow our departed brothers in the service of our Heavenly Father.
(Father David Altman has been a Trappist monk for fifty years, and is a former abbot of the Abbey of the Holy Trinity monastery located in Huntsville, Utah, from 1947 to 2017. He now lives in Salt Lake City.)
(You can see a list of all 26 monks buried in the cemetery here: https://old.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gsr&GScid=2336510)
