In 1805, a Monastery Moved into Kentucky at Holy Cross—And Briefly Thrived in Casey County. The First Trappist Monks in Kentucky – A Forgotten and hard to believe Chapter in the Historic Heartland.

Most people familiar with Kentucky’s Catholic roots have heard of the Abbey of Gethsemani near Bardstown, founded in 1848 by Trappist monks from Melleray, France. Today it’s a place of quiet retreat, famed as the spiritual home of Thomas Merton. But what’s rarely told—and almost entirely forgotten—is the story of the first Trappist monks to step onto Kentucky soil, more than forty years before Gethsemani.
Their journey begins in revolution and exile, and it lands—unexpectedly—in the hills of Holy Cross, Kentucky.

From Revolution to Refuge

In the wake of the French Revolution, religious orders across Europe were suppressed. Monasteries were closed, monks imprisoned or scattered. The Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance—better known as the Trappists—were among those forced into hiding. Seeking religious freedom and the chance to reestablish their monastic life, a small group of these monks fled France and Switzerland and set sail for America in 1804.
They tried to found communities in New York and Pennsylvania but met with little success. Cold, resistance, and lack of resources made each attempt short-lived. Then, in late 1805, they arrived in central Kentucky, drawn by news of a Catholic settlement called Holy Cross—home to the first Catholic church west of the Alleghenies, founded in 1792.
This was no random stop. The early Catholic communities in Kentucky, especially around Marion and Nelson counties, were already welcoming to clergy and religious orders. But no one could have imagined how determined—this group of monks would be.

Holy Cross: A Hard Beginning

The Trappists arrived at Holy Cross in fragile condition. The journey had taken a toll. Two-thirds of them were already sick with fever. Exposure, malnutrition, and exhaustion dogged their every step. Within weeks, two monks died, never even having the chance to begin their new life in earnest.
Still, the others pressed on. They rented land bordering the Holy Cross Church (property now owned by the Ballard family), built rough-hewn cabins, and constructed a modest chapel.
They returned immediately to their strict daily rhythm:
Vigils beginning at 2:00 AM Silence throughout the day Manual labor and prayer Subsistence on bread, milk, and herbs. Even in sickness, they refused meat or broth—clinging to the Rule of St. Benedict with unwavering devotion.
The Kentucky wilderness showed them no mercy. Between 1805 and 1807, five monks died from illness, exposure, and malnutrition. Their fellow brothers buried them in the Holy Cross Church Cemetery, where their headstones remain to this day—the first Trappists ever laid to rest on American soil.

The brave pioneering Trappists buried at Holy Cross:

• Fr. Joachim Chabert ,
• Fr. Peter Joseph Didier ,
• Br. Clement Coudrin,
• Br. Francis Regis Coudrin
• Br. Paul Marie Blain

A New Hope in Casey County (1807)

Despite the losses, the remaining monks believed in their mission. In 1807, they sought out new land in Casey County, drawn by the promise of deeper solitude and land which they would own. With the help of early missionary Father Stephen Badin, they secured 400 acres and an option on another one thousand acres near what would later become St. Bernard Parish, Clementsville, Kentucky.
The journey from Holy Cross to Casey County was no small feat. Fourteen monks made the trip in the dead of winter—cutting a rough road through the forest just to move a wagon through the hills. In a letter to the bishop, Father Badin remarked: “Good Father seems to ask for a miracle!”
They called their new site “Our Lady of Consolation.” For a time, they built a functioning monastery, carved out fields, and even launched a watchmaking business and a sawmill to support themselves. For a brief, flickering moment, monastic life truly lived and breathed in the Kentucky frontier.

Fire and Flight (1808–1809)

In early 1808, their leader Father Urbain traveled to Illinois to scout a more sustainable location. While he was gone, whispers grew among the monks that perhaps Kentucky wasn’t the place. Some doubted the viability of farming; others feared the isolation.
Then, in December 1808, tragedy struck again—a fire swept through the Casey County monastery, destroying nearly all of their buildings and supplies.
When Father Urbain returned, he found the community weary and broken. The dream of a permanent monastery in Kentucky had turned to ash. In spring 1809, the monks packed what little they had, loaded it onto flatboats, and began a slow journey down the Beech Fork River, eventually continuing west to Illinois.

Division and Return to France

Not all the monks agreed with the decision to leave. Some felt that abandoning Kentucky meant betraying the mission they had suffered so much to build. A few monks left the community entirely choosing diocesan ministry or returning to secular life.
Those who followed Father Urbain to Illinois hoped to rebuild. But the hardships only continued. After a few more years of struggle, most of the remaining monks gave up and returned to France.
Their time in Kentucky was brief. Their legacy, nearly forgotten. But their story—marked by devotion, sacrifice, and resilience—deserves to be remembered.

Legacy in the Land

Today, Holy Cross Church Cemetery in Marion County still holds the names of those first Trappists. The woods and farmland of Casey County still whisper the memory of a lost monastery. And while Gethsemani Abbey would later flourish, it is these first monks who planted the seed—quietly, painfully, faithfully.
They came not to build monuments, but to live their Rule. And for a few short years, they did just that—in the heart of Kentucky.