Blue Cloud Abbey

Blue Cloud Abbey, formally known as Our Lady of the Snows Abbey, was a Benedictine monastery established in South Dakota in the mid-20th century. Its foundation in 1950 was driven by the desire of monks from St. Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana to create a more stable monastic presence in the Dakotas, with a particular focus on serving Native American communities and operating schools for them.

History and Development

The decision to establish a new monastery arose from the ongoing mission work of St. Meinrad Archabbey in the Dakotas during the first half of the 20th century. In 1949, a scouting mission identified a suitable location near Marvin, South Dakota. The monks were drawn to the land, and a serendipitous encounter with a banker named Effner Benedict, coupled with the land becoming available just moments before their inquiry, was seen as a sign. The land was purchased, and construction began that same year. The abbey was named after Blue Cloud, a Native American figure credited with spreading the Catholic faith in the area.

Blue Cloud Abbey was formally established on June 24, 1950, as a dependency of St. Meinrad Archabbey. It progressed to the status of a semi-independent priory on August 5, 1952, and finally achieved full autonomy as an abbey on March 21, 1954, with Gilbert Hess, O.S.B., elected as its first abbot. The community reached its peak membership of forty monks during the tenure of its second abbot, Alan Berndt, O.S.B. The abbey church was consecrated on October 17, 1967.

A significant initiative was the establishment of the American Indian Culture Research Center in 1967 by Fr. Stan Maudlin. This center amassed a substantial collection of photographs, artifacts, and oral histories related to Native American culture. In 1964, the abbey also founded a daughter house, the Priory of the Resurrection, in Cobán, Guatemala, to aid Catholics in Latin America.

Closure and Current Status

By the turn of the millennium, the monastery faced declining numbers, with only 28 monks in final vows by 2000. The community ultimately voted to close Blue Cloud Abbey on May 29, 2012, citing the inability to attract sufficient new members and an aging monastic population. The abbey officially ceased operations on August 5, 2012, with the remaining fourteen monks, mostly over 70 years old, dispersing to other monasteries.

Following the closure, the abbey property was acquired in December 2013 by a Catholic non-profit organization. It is now operated as the Abbey of the Hills Inn and Retreat Center, offering accommodations and retreat facilities, and includes two hermitages. While the abbey has not been legally dissolved, its function as an active monastic community has ended.