Valyermo, USA - Despite their commitment to spiritual matters, monks need funds. They, too, have bills to pay.
In Huntsville, Utah, the Trappist monks process and sell honey to make ends meet.
The monks at St. Andrew's Abbey in Valyermo, Calif., make cookies.
At least that's what Father Maur calls them.
And he can call them what he likes. He created them.
In Belgium, where he spends half the year, Father Maur van Doorslaer is a prominent abstract painter whose white-on-white works are often lauded. Back at St. Andrew's in California from May to October, he does his "cookies" — delightful ceramic depictions of the saints and angels of the Catholic faith. These are not stamped-out trinkets for passing tourists but carefully designed works of art painted in the colors of the land around Valyermo and sold around the world. He has been at it for 36 years. And the "cookies" from St. Andrew's are fast becoming popular collectibles for the faithful.
In short, Father Maur's artistry has not only kept the wolf from the abbey's door but has allowed the monks to create a tranquil refuge featuring serene fountains and stirring artwork. His gift has given the other monks the gift of security and stability.
"Father Maur has created about 300 different angels and saints," says Mary Kouf, who was hired as a retail representative. "We have customers in Italy, Australia, England, New Zealand."
Each year, the priest creates new versions for the 600 shops that order his wares. He has come up with angels holding clarinets, hockey sticks, gardening tools, plumber's helpers, quill pens, paint brushes, trombones, pom-poms and dental drills. A whole subset of angels are petting black and yellow Labradors, cocker spaniels, collies, poodles, Chihuahuas, beagles, dachshunds and cats. Another subset are dressed as firefighters, letter carriers, executives, baseball players, skateboarders and clowns. There are "cell-phone angels," "scrapbooking angels," "quilting angels" and "manicurist angels." He has also produced his own version of just about every saint in the book.
Given his prolific output, does he have a favorite design?
Father Maur looks up from carving a new mold and pauses.
"The faceless Madonnas," he says. "I like those very much. I've had to make five different molds for the Madonna, because they wear out."
In the mornings, Father Maur works on the patio of the ceramic shop. In the afternoon, he retires to his studio, a completely white room without decoration or distractions. He has always loved the idea of order, he says. It's why he became a monk. And that choice has led him on an interesting journey.
"When I was 15, a Jesuit priest looked after me while I was in art school," he says. "I'd already been thinking about becoming a priest, however, since I was eight or nine."
Born in France in 1925, Father Maur grew up in Belgium in a family of nine. His parents were farmers and flower growers. In 1942, he spent seven years studying art in Ghent with some of the region's finest teachers. In 1951, he entered the monastery in Belgium, the place that was to become the motherhouse for the St. Andrew's Abbey in California. In 1965, he visited the abbey in California and was asked if he would help the monks establish a small ceramics industry. They had tried growing olive trees and other ventures with little success. The prior, Philippe Verhagen, thought producing art might be the key to stability.
Father Maur visited Mexico, learned about folk art and began producing figures that he based on the St. Nicholas cookies that the children of Belgium eat each Christmas.
Over time, as the popularity of the little creations grew, several people from nearby towns were brought in to help paint, fire and glaze the figures.
If you go …
St. Andrew's monastery is ideal for spiritual retreats
Along with the ceramics, St. Andrew's is also known as a great place for spiritual retreats. Tucked into the desert hills east of Los Angeles and up the road from Palmdale, the abbey has a simple but sturdy little church, an austere dining room and comfortable but Spartan living quarters. A winding road takes you through the property and up to the ceramic shop, where Father Maur works. At the entrance to the monastery, a gift shop features an impressive selection of religious books, as well as crafts and artwork from other Catholic artisans. Father Maur's cherubic saints and angels can be seen everywhere, from the signs giving directions to the Stations of the Cross in the chapel. His angel faces have become, in a sense, the monastery's beloved "brand."
Visitors are always welcome — whether in person or online.
For those wishing to learn more about the abbey, Father Maur or his famous cookies, go to www.StAndrewsAbbeyCeramics.com.