New Melleray Abbey
Coordinates: 42°23′31″N 90°48′32″W / 42.392°N 90.809°W New Melleray Abbey is located near Dubuque, Iowa. The monks there are members of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (commonly called the Trappists). The abbey is located about 15 miles southwest of Dubuque and is located in the Archdiocese of Dubuque. On August 3, 2013, Dom Augustine McGregor, Abbot of Mount Melleray, (Ireland) and Father Immediate of New Melleray, after consulting the community, appointed Dom Mark Scott as Superior ad nutum of New Melleray. On July 15, 2014, Dom Mark was elected Abbott by the community for a 6 year term.
Currently the Abbey is home to about 28 monks. Several of the monks work in their business, Trappist Caskets, and some of their food comes from the garden behind the Abbey.
The Abbey is well known for crafting high-quality wooden caskets and urns. They do not use the caskets for deceased monks, however as they observe burial traditions spelled out in the Rule of Saint Benedict, which requires the body be placed in the ground on a bier. One of their more famous customers is Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles, California, who has reserved a casket for his own eventual use. Former Dubuque Archbishop James Byrne has been buried in a casket made by the Abbey. Dubuque native and actress Kate Mulgrew made a radio commercial for New Melleray's casket business.
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