ALL THIS AND HAIR SHIRTS TOO :

Next time you see a monk, thank him. (Jim Zebora, August 7, 2002, Stamford Advocate)

Those called to the contemplative life have throughout history done wonders for modern civilization:

They preserved centuries of literature and art.

They created the modern sciences of genetics and aerodynamics.

They invented reading glasses.

They made beer.

That's right. Back when the world was a much grimmer place, they made a lot of it.

In monasteries and abbeys throughout Europe, and wherever the monks' missionary work would take them, a small brewery was often part of the original plans, along with residential cells for sleeping, a refectory for eating meals, and of course, a sanctuary for prayer.

Without monks, the craft of brewing might not have survived the dark ages, and certainly cognizant of that fact, the folks at Labatt USA in Norwalk are celebrating the 850th anniversary of the Abbey of Leffe in Belgium, where Leffe beer was first brewed.

They had books and beer--how grim could it have been? Posted by Orrin Judd at August 14, 2002 11:57 AM