The mural of St. Benedict shows him holding a book that readsora
et labora, which means "pray and work." This directive is from
the Rule of St. Benedict and has become a motto
associated with Benedictines since the earliest centuries.
In the upper right corner of the mural is the Archabbey Church,
depicted with a monk tilling a field. Like many Benedictine
monasteries, Saint Meinrad formerly shared in the traditional work
of farming. Today, while the Archabbey still owns farmland, all but
a small garden is leased to local farmers.
Saint Meinrad's primary apostolic work is the graduate-level
Seminary and School of Theology, which provides education and
formation for priests, permanent deacons and lay ministers. In the
lower right corner of the mural are young seminarians studying from
books, yet also learning about art. Arts and crafts have been an
important part of monastic life as well. Several of the monks are
artisans: painters, weavers, potters, carpenters and gardeners.
The left side of the mural is dedicated to the Liturgy of the
Hours and daily Mass. Communal prayer is a major element of the
life of a monk. The monks gather in the Archabbey Church five times
a day to pray the psalms or celebrate Mass. You can also see three
monks in choir. The monk with a closed book is a self-portrait of
the artist, Dom Gregory de Wit.
St. Meinrad was a hermit monk who lived during the ninth century
in what is present-day Switzerland. In fact, Einsiedeln Abbey,
Saint Meinrad's mother house, was built on the site of his
hermitage. Despite the mural's depiction, St. Meinrad, the martyr,
never visited America. Rather, the mural is symbolic of the history
of the monastic community at Saint Meinrad.
In the upper left corner is the Abbey of Einsiedeln, set at the
foot of the Swiss Alps. The procession of monks signifies the
Benedictines who left Einsiedeln to start a new foundation in
southern Indiana. The ship in the upper right symbolizes the monks
crossing the Atlantic Ocean to America. In fact, a ship appears as
part of the monastery's official crest.
Further down on the right, you'll see Native Americans with the
monks, who are baptizing, teaching and preaching to them. Saint
Meinrad's first abbot, Martin Marty, was very interested in
missionary work, particularly to the Native Americans. In the
1880s, the monks of Saint Meinrad became intensely involved with
the Sioux tribes in the Dakota Territory. In fact, one of Saint
Meinrad's daughter houses, Blue Cloud Abbey, was founded in the
1950s as a school for American Indians.
The mural is a typical artist's rendition of a missionary. St.
Meinrad holds in his left hand a large book that reads Evangelium,
which means "Good News." His right hand holds the cross of Christ.
His foot is stepping on the head of the devil as the devil grasps
futilely for the crown of eternal life.
The Christus, the figure of the risen Christ, is found high on
the wall of the Archabbey Church. The large Greek letters above the
figure stand for Iesous Christos (Jesus
In his left hand, Christ holds the book of life, inscribed with
the Latin words Ego Sum Vita, "I am the Life." In his
right hand is the laurel wreath crown of glory.
Three smaller Green letters, one in each of the rays of the halo
surrounding Christ's head, mean "I am the Living One," a New
Testament echo of God's words to Moses as He confronted him in the
burning bush, "I am who I am" (Exodus 3:14).