Monastery stone cutting featured in Modern Machine Shop article
Monks are interesting enough, but when you add the ancient craft of stone carving and modern manufacturing to the mix, you have quite the combination! This was recently highlighted in an article by Modern Machine Shop (MMS), a leading publication in the manufacturing and machining industry. The article, titled “See How Monks Are CNC Machining a New Monastery in Wyoming”, showcases the innovative ways the monks use CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machining in the construction of the new monastery. The article highlights how the monks find a harmony between their ancient monastic traditions and cutting-edge technology, striving to use everything they do to enter into their apostolate of “love in the heart of the Church”.
What the Article Covers:
A Spiritual and Technological Union
The article dives into the fascinating intersection of spirituality and modern technology in the monks’ work. The primary monastic focus is on prayer and sacrifice and the article tries to highlight how the work, far from being a distraction, is used as a means to enter more deeply into this mission. As one of the monks puts it, “The work we do in the monastic life is a prayer.” It doesn’t get any simpler than that!
CNC Machining: A Continuation of the Monastic Life
CNC machining may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a monastery, but for the monks, it comes as second nature. The article explains how the monks, rather than being put off by this technology, find it a modern day representation of the monastic way of life, as monks have historically been entrepreneurs and scientists, always developing and pushing the limits of the technologies of their time.
Sustainability and Efficiency
One of the key reasons the monks turned to CNC machining was to improve the sustainability and efficiency of the building process, while at the same time fostering the monastic balance of “ora et labora”, work and prayer. The article highlights how this technology allows the monks to minimize waste, maximize precision, and ensure the quality of every piece they create. It’s a way for the monks to continue their commitment to simplicity and stewardship while also pushing forward with tools that allow them to be even more effective in the hours allotted to work by the monastic life.
Challenges and Reward
In the piece, Modern Machine Shop also shines a light on how the monks have become skilled in CNC machining and at the same time illustrates some of the challenges of building a monastery to last for centuries. The same attributes of the stone that allow it to stand impervious to the elements also contribute to it being difficult to work with! The article highlights both the difficulties and the reward of being part of a mission so much bigger than those tasked with carrying it out.
Read the Full Article Here: [Link to the article]
We invite you to read the full feature by Modern Machine Shop to learn more about how CNC machining is playing a pivotal role in building this monastery. We are grateful for the opportunity to highlight this part of our story and excited to share this little part of the monks’ way of life.
