The Abbey of Gethsemani is located at 3642 Monks Road in Trappist, Kentucky. It was founded in 1848 by monks from the Abbey of Melleray in Western France. Forty-four Trappist monks escaped overcrowding and political unrest in their home country to a farm that was purchased from the Sisters of Loretto in Nelson County, Kentucky, at the behest of Benedict Joseph Flaget, Bishop of Louisville. French continued to be its primary language until the beginning of the twentieth century.

The abbey's most famous resident was the monk and author Thomas Merton. Since May 3, 1949, the abbey church is a minor basilica. Today, the term basilica is a special designation given by the Holy Father to certain churches because of their antiquity, dignity, historical importance, or significance as a places of worship.

External links

• Abbey of Gethsemani
• Minor Basilicas in the United States

1848 establishments | Basilica churches in North America | Monasteries in the United States | Nelson County, Kentucky | Trappist monasteries