The Centre for Natural Burial

By Benyamin Cohen, American Jewish Life Magazine

The Monastery of the Holy Spirit is located on a former cotton plantation about an hour south of Atlanta is the rural town of Conyers, Georgia. It is here that 48 Trappist monks live on a couple thousand acres of land in complete peace and solitude.

As it turns out, Trappist monasteries are required to be self-sufficient as explained in the 48th chapter of the Rule of Benedict which states “You are only really a monk when you live from the work of your hands.” To this end, each Trappist monastery produces some sort of retail item to help sustain them financially. In some European monasteries, Trappist beers (famous throughout the world) are quite popular. In the U.S., it’s mostly food items. Which explains the Abbot’s Table Jamaican Jerky Marmalade I spot on the top shelf of their gift shop on a recent visit.

As for this particular monastery, their expertise is fudge. Yes, fudge. All kinds of fudge. Monk’s fudge comes in a variety of flavors and is made in the on-site “fudgery”. But putting their future in the fudge sector is proving troublesome. Sales have slipped lately and now only spike around the holidays. “They’re seasonal items,” Brother Callistus, one of the monks, tells me. The bonsai trees, which the monks intricately tend to, also aren’t a huge moneymaker anymore.

They’ve tried launching several new products over the years with varying degrees of success. In the early 1980s they had a large business of baking more than 6000 loaves of bread weekly. More recently, their attempts to corner the market on stained glass windows have proven unsuccessful. And their crackpot idea of selling ostrich eggs didn’t really pan out either. But to the monks’ credit, that last one wasn’t their fault. A visitor to the monastery had promised them it would be the next big thing.

One area where they’re starting to see a profit is at their retreat house, which can hold dozens of guests at any given time. During my visit, I see a group of Presbyterian ministers who make an annual pilgrimage to the monastery. They pay for the privilege to stay on the premises and bask in the innate holiness of this place. They also contribute by helping till the fields and planting in the garden.

Callistus’ latest big idea is hopping on the bandwagon of a new trend called “Green Burials”. These simple burials, which resemble what’s already being done throughout Israel, include no embalming and internment in a grave without a casket. This ensures the least amount of impact on the land. “Coffins are not biodegradable,” says Callistus. “And neither is formaldehyde.” He takes great pride in this newest initiative, feeling it’s important for his holy fraternity to be good stewards of God’s green earth.

And they have plenty of green earth. Two thousand acres to be exact. It’s all land that they have promised to never develop. So its here that people can purchase “plots” in their forest where they can bury loved ones. A small marker will designate each gravesite. The monks will be working in conjunction with South Carolina-based Memorial Ecosystems, Inc., who will handle the day-to-day operation of the burials.

The monks are already accepting pre-sales for plots and, with any luck, this will prove more profitable than the ostrich eggs.