Many travelers get away to LivCo for the ample peace and tranquility easily found among the area’s lush forests and rolling fields. Possibly no one understands the simple joy to be discovered among the LivCo landscape quite like the Trappists monks that call The Abbey of the Genesee home.
Founded in 1951, The Abbey of the Genesee houses about two dozen monks, whose simple, contemplative lives revolve around prayer and lectio divina. While the monastery’s primary mission is to pray for the world, not long after the Abbey’s founding, the monks happened upon another way to serve the local community and travelers lucky enough to discover their work: Monks’ Bread.
In 1953, one of the Abbey’s first monks began baking bread for the Abbey’s own consumption, relying on baking skills he had honed while in the Navy. Word about the delicious bread — so good that it didn’t even need butter, a luxury the first monks eschewed — spread via visiting guests and tradespeople and, eventually, a demand for what became known as Monks’ Bread arose.
Now, the Abbey’s bakery produces around 15,000 loaves of Monks’ Bread per week, with 70,000 loaves produced per week at the bakery’s height of production, according to Father Isaac Slater. Loaves are available in a range of varieties, from white and wheat to Genesee rye and maple cinnamon.
“It just tastes terrific,” Father Slater said of the bread’s popularity. “It’s a great sandwich bread. There’s a good variety of flavors. The white bread has always been a big hit… The raisin bread has been one of the top sellers right from the start. The sunflower bread is great for sandwiches or a good breakfast bread.”
Over the years, the monks’ work has expanded to also include baking an array of specialty items, such as biscotti and fruit cake. While the now-industrialized bread bakery is entirely employee-ran at the moment, the monks do still work hands-on in the specialty bakery, as the less physically demanding operations allow for some of the older monks to participate in the process.
While Monks’ Bread is available around the region at stores such as Wegman’s, as well as online at monksbread.com, visiting the Abbey in person is the best way to both shop for a larger selection of Monks’ products, as well as to get a glimpse into the monastery’s operations and the monks’ lifestyle (the bakery is just one of the Abbey’s income streams, which also include a farm and retreat space).
The Abbey is home to a gift shop, open Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., that sells Monks’ Bread and other baked goods, as well as a wide selection of books and local and specialty food products. There’s also a welcome center, and the chapel is open to the public, with liturgical services taking place throughout each day.
“A lot of people come just for a quiet space to spend an afternoon. They get a coffee in the store and spend some time in the chapel,” described Father Slater.
He also noted that the Abbey receives visitors from all walks of life. While the monks’ mission may be firmly rooted in the Christian faith, their values resonate with many, regardless of background or beliefs.
“The things that monastic culture values, like rest, solitude, spaciousness, peace, reading, worship — all of these to one degree or another are part of the human spirit. A lot of people that may not be Catholic or don't have any attraction to parish life, people of other religions or denominations, or of no faith tradition, feel an affinity with the monastery and with that human impulse to seek those values…” said Father Slater. “[As such], they feel at home at the monastery in a way that they wouldn't at just an ordinary parish. Something about the monastic life resonates with them. Many people from different traditions and backgrounds come here over the course of the day and soak in the peace.”
Considering visiting The Abbey of the Genesee during a trip to LivCo? Consider bundling a stop at this serene locale with exploring some of the conveniently close natural attractions in the area, such as Letchworth State Park, only a 10-minute drive away, or the nearby Genesee Valley Greenway State Park, an excellent option for short hikes.
Learn more and start planning your visit at geneseeabbey.org.