Belmont Abbey, North Carolina

Belmont Abbey

Monastery information
Full name Abbey of Mary, Help of Christians
Order Benedictines
Established April 1876
Mother house St. Vincent Archabbey
Dedicated to Mary, Help of Christians
Diocese Charlotte
Controlled churches Cathedral Basilica of St. Mary
People
Founder(s) Dom Herman Wolfe, O.S.B.
Abbot The Rt. Rev. Placid Solari, O.S.B.
Important associated figures Abbot-Bishop Leo Haid, O.S.B.
Architecture
Status active
Heritage designation National Register of Historic Places
Style Gothic Revival
Site
Location Belmont, North Carolina, United States
Website http://www.belmontabbey.org
Belmont Abbey Cathedral
NRHP Reference # 73001343
Added to NRHP April 11, 1973

The Abbey of Mary Help of Christians, better known as Belmont Abbey, is a small American monastery of Benedictine monks in the town of Belmont, Gaston County, North Carolina, outside of Charlotte, North Carolina.

History

The abbey was founded in 1876 by Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and is the motherhouse to Saint Leo Abbey in Tampa, Florida, as well as Mary Mother of the Church Abbey in Richmond, Virginia. The monks also are the benefactors of Belmont Abbey College, a four-year Catholic liberal arts school.

From 1910 through 1977, Belmont Abbey was a territorial abbey, exercising some functions of a diocese. It had authority over parishes in the North Carolina counties of Gaston, Catawba, Cleveland, Burke, Lincoln, McDowell, Polk, and Rutherford. In 1944, its territory, except for Gaston County, was given to the Diocese of Raleigh. In July 1960, Gaston County too was placed under the Diocese of Raleigh. In 1977, its status as a territorial abbey was suppressed under the Diocese of Charlotte.[1]

Belmont Abbey Cathedral was built between 1892 and 1894, and is a large cruciform plan, Gothic Revival style brick church. It has a steep gable roof and the front facade features two towers of unequal size.<ref name=nris /[2]

The cathedral was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.[3]

The abbey currently numbers about twenty monks.

Dates of interest

References

  1. Belmont-Mary Help of Christians Territorial Abbey
  2. Survey and Planning Unit Staff (October 1972). "Belmont Abbey Cathedral" (pdf). National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory. North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved 2014-11-01.

External links

Coordinates: 35°15′41″N 81°02′38″W / 35.2613°N 81.0438°W / 35.2613; -81.0438

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