Trappist ministry serves the living by preparing a place for the dead

Published: 2005-10-27

PEOSTA, Iowa (CNS) -- Since 2000 the Trappist monks of New Melleray Abbey in Peosta have been making wooden caskets, using lumber from the abbey's forest. What began as an endeavor to offset sagging farm profits has become a growing business, serving clergy and laity alike. The abbey sells 850-900 caskets and coffins annually, in addition to wooden and ceramic urns for cremations. The business is fittingly called Trappist Caskets. According to its Web site, www.trappistcaskets.com, these traditional caskets and urns reflect the values of monastic life. The abbey, which is in the Dubuque Archdiocese, sells directly to the public at wholesale prices ranging from $775 to $1,975. "Our goal is to balance old-world craftsmanship with reasonable prices," according to the Web site, which describes the caskets and urns as a "soulful alternative" to mass-produced mortuary products.

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