The celebration of the completion of the Chapter House vault ceiling was marked by several memorable speeches.  The first of which was the architect, Patrick Cole, who spoke of architecture as a language which in this case is about "living in the radiance of absolute truth."  General contractor, Phil Sunseri, next spoke of the history of his involvement with New Clairvaux Abbey which started back in 1974.  He recounted a conversation he had with Brother Regis, a long-time and now deceased monk and from whom Phil learned that Cistercian monastic buildings are designed to last for hundreds of years.  It is the standard to which Phil applied as he undertook the reconstruction of our medieval Chapter House.  Master mason, Frank Helmholz, next took the microphone and spoke of a stonemason's dream of working on a building in which he oversees the entire creation from laying the foundation to placing the final capstone.  And he is able to do all this on Cistercian monastery grounds next to the abbey church where the monks break the rhythm of work seven times a day to chant their praises to God.  Abbot of New Clairvaux, Father Paul Mark, spoke of the original vision that brought about the monastery of Santa Maria de Ovila, Spain, in 1167, and how that same vision which was once threatened to be snuffed out and lost, is now slowly reopening and being renewed in our midst.  The abbot also introduced architect, Dave Richen, who is now entrusted with completing this vision.  Dave shared that the monastic community has chosen to use the medieval Chapter House as their future abbey church, a building in which the divine praises of God will continue to be sung by Cistercian monks who shared the same vision 800 years ago.
    Visit our Sacred Stones website:  www.sacredstones.org

On May 5th, the monks of New Clairvaux celebrated the completion of the Chapter House vault with benefactors and friends of the abbey.  After the Divine Office of Vespers, the monks led our guests in procession to the construction site.  The monks concluded the ceremony in the Cistercian tradition of singing the Salve Regina, the ancient Latin hymn to the Blessed Virgin. 
The stones which lay silent for so many years once again echoes now with living voices.
(Visit our blog again for more pictures of the May 5th event)

    The trans-vaulted ceiling of the Ovila chapterhouse is unveiled.  The old medieval stones are placed alonside newly carved ones creating curious, checkered patterns.  The interior of many 12th-century Cistercian buildings reveal something of an unseen harmony.  For Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, porprotion was a key element which tended to allow the acoustics of the interior space to become a natural resonator transforming the earthly voices of monks into something that might be described as heavenly music.  The monks of New Clairvaux, however, cannot claim to have the voices of angels.  But perhaps if he were here, Saint Bernard might still be proud to see the Cistercian legacy still alive today in the reconstruction of the Ovila chapterhouse.  
    To read an essay on Cistercian architecture written by New Clairvaux's abbot emeritus, Father Thomas Davis, click on the following link:  http://www.newclairvaux.org/cistercian-architecture.html

A drawing of the Ovila chapterhouse portal made by the architect and Sacred Stones project consultant, Dr. Jose Miguel Merino de Caceres.

To learn more about the reconstruction of the Ovila medieval Chapterhouse building also known as our Sacred Stones project, please visit www.sacredstones.org