Sunday 4 May 2008

Clear Creek Benedictines

Our Lady of the Annunciation of Clear Creek is a Benedictine monastery in the diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma, founded in 1989. The founding monks at Clear Creek were all members of the monastic community at Notre-Dame de Fontgombault, France, or of her daughterhouses Randol, Triors, and Gaussan. Fontgombault, a medieval abbey in central France, is a member of the Congregation of Solesmes.

The following video is a high-quality, 15 minute documentary by David Biddel; it was a video project for Oklahoma State University in 2003:



In order to better to cultivate the essential of their vocation, that is, the life of prayer, the monks do not assume pastoral charge of parishes nor do they run schools. But in the Rule of Saint Benedict, hospitality has an important place, and Benedictine tradition has always considered this to be a part of the monastery's role in the Church. So, besides their deep communion with the life of the Church and their prayer for all, the monks of Clear Creek receive guests for retreats and help the faithful participate in their life of prayer and recollection, especially through the Divine Office.

It is indeed a part of the Solesmes tradition to cultivate a solemn, public liturgical Office. The monks of Clear Creek celebrate God's glory in Latin, Tridentine usage, so appropriate to give an idea of God's majesty, a sense of the sacred. Thus the monks exploit the riches developed over centuries in the Church's liturgy and cultivate Gregorian Chant. Two other main features of the Solesmes Congregation and which the monks of Clear Creek will strive to fully live must be noted: deep fidelity to the Holy See and devotion to the Virgin Mary.

Saint Benedict, the patriarch of western monks, lived in Italy in the 6th century. He was heir to a monastic tradition that dates back to the first centuries of the Church and has its source in the Gospel: "As for yourselves," says Jesus, "be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." The evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience are means recommended by Christ for speeding the reign of love in souls, in which Christian perfection consists. To help them become perfect, Saint Benedict proposes to his disciples to seek God by living these counsels in monastic community under the authority of the Rule and of an Abbot who will be their spiritual father.

A slideshow of recent (2008) images from the monastery can be viewed here. Bishop Slattery of Tulsa, OK, recently celebrated a Pontifical Mass at Clear Creek.

The Clear Creek Benedictines can be contacted at:
  • Our Lady of the Annunciation of Clear Creek
    5804 West Monastery Road
    Hulbert, OK 74441
    tel.: (918) 772-2454
    Fax: (918) 772-1044
    web: www.clearcreekmonks.org
The Clear Creek Sisters do not have a website yet; at the moment there are only 2 sisters. They can be contacted at:
  • Queen of Angels Convent
    9582 N 387 Rd.
    Hulbert, OK 74441
    tel.: 918-772-2170

6 comments:

Zach said...

Great post. I enjoy these posts that highlight different traditional orders within the Church. Keep them up!

Have you thought of doing a post on the Institute of the Good Shephard? I'd love to know more about them.

Anonymous said...

Zach:

Thanks for the positive feedback!

Have you seen this post? Maybe this is what you were after?

God bless you,
Mark

scholastica64 said...

http://www.tulsacatholicdiocese.org/news/images/eoc082006.pdf

If you scroll down to page 9, there is an article here with pictures on the new convent of Benedictine Oblate sisters soon after they were founded. I've met Sister Annunciata, the superior, and she has many years of experience as a religious. They need some more exposure though. God Bless.
Lisa

Anonymous said...

it was actually founded in 1999.

vocations said...

sorry. we can t see the video

Convenor said...

Yes, it appears to have been taken down.