NEW MELLERAY ABBEY

Before we left Dubuque, we went to the monastery, to tour their casket factory. Don has always wanted a wood casket, and has wanted to see what the brothers product looked like. First, we went to the main building, to the gift shop and chapel.

We then went to the factory which is a three year old building. It consists of a small chapel with a little water garden outside, a museum about the monks, a showroom and the factory.

We were led on our tour by a delightful old monk with huge ears-he reminded me of one of the seven dwarfs. I didn't take any pictures, but we were impressed with the quality of the workmanship and of the finished product. It was clean and bright in the factory area because there are large windows all around, looking out on the trees and farmland. The monks work 4 1/2 hours a day and the rest is spent in prayer. They now have 15 lay employees. Sixty percent of the caskets are made from their own trees, and if you buy one, they plant a tree in your name. Each one is blessed and a Mass is said for you. (Some of us need all the help we can get.) Anyway, it was very interesting.