
A monk crosses the entrance to the monastery following supper.

Father Roman Ginn rubs his eyes while reading "The Fathers of The Church" in "The Ark", a one room shack located Abbey of Gethsemani a 2800 acre monastery located in Trappist, Ky. Ginn has been a hermit living in the one room shack built out of scrap wood from the making of cheese boxes since 1990. Ginn's only companion's are his two donkeys.

Monks leave the sanctuary and walk to the dining room for super and study following vespers at 6 p.m.

Brother Camillus Epp, reads "Fathers of the Church" in the scriptorium. Epp the eldest monk at the monastery entred the monastic life at the age of fifteen after finishing eigth grade in 1940.


A monk gazes out of a window over looking a garden before entering the sanctuary in the monastery.

Brother Rene Ritchie rides his bike along a pathway at the Abbey of Gethsemani Monastery in Trappist, KY. Brother Ritchie works in the fudge factory at the monastery where a handful of monks produce about 300 pounds of bourbon fudge a day.

Brother Julian Wallace a monk who lives at Abbey of Gethsemani works on hand made poplar boxes used to hold cheese. The 155-year-old monastery in Trappist, Ky is famous for the cheese, fruitcake and fudge they produce used to supports it self. Wallace has lived at the monastery since Aug. 22, 1949 coming to the monastic life after the eighth grade.

Brother Luke Armour places labels on wheels of smoked Port-Du-Salut, better known as Trappist Cheese named after the monks. Along with cheese the monks produce bourbon injected fruitcakes and bourbon fudge which they sell to support themselves.

Dick Mahoney wheels a rack of fresh Port Du-Salut cheese into a smoke house converted from a grain silo.

Gail Hart, left, and Mary Arterburn, walk up a pathway leading to a cross stature overlooking the Abbey of Gethesmani monastery in Trappist, Ky.

Father Roman Ginn reads "The Fathers of The Church" in "The Ark", a one room shack located Abbey of Gethsemani a 2800 acre monastery located in Trappist, Ky. Ginn has been a hermit living in the one room shack built out of scrap wood from the making of cheese boxes since 1990. Ginn's only companion's are his two donkeys.