STORYBOARD #1
IMAGE: Exterior shot of St. Andrew Abbey
VOICEOVER: “St. Andrew Abbey in the heart of Cleveland, Ohio is a monastery of 25 Benedictine monks living, working, and praying together under the Rule of St. Benedict.”
SOUNDTRACK: Stirring organ music.
STORYBOARD #2
IMAGE: Photo of Father Conrad in monastic habit
VOICEOVER: “I, Father Conrad, am one of the monks of St. Andrew Abbey, but where did Benedictine monks come from, and how did I end up as one of them?”
SOUNDTRACK: None.
STORYBOARD #3
IMAGE: Iconic image of St. Benedict of Nursia
VOICEOVER: “It all started about 1,500 years ago in Italy with a man named Benedict of Nursia who founded a place called a monastery for men who wanted to live a life dedicated to God through prayer and work, while living in a community with others who shared the same goal.”
SOUNDTRACK: Gregorian chant.
STORYBOARD #4
IMAGE: Photo of the Rule of St. Benedict
VOICEOVER: “Benedict wrote a guideline for how monks are to live together, known as the Rule of St. Benedict, which monks follow to this very day.”
SOUNDTRACK: None.
STORYBOARD #5
IMAGE: Exterior shot of St. Vincent Archabbey
VOICEOVER: “Due to Saint Benedict and the monks who came after him, monasteries spread throughout Europe and, eventually, to North America. The first Benedictine monastery in the United States was opened in 1846 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania by a group of monks from Germany. That monastery, St. Vincent Archabbey, today has over 160 monks.”
SOUNDTRACK: None.
STORYBOARD #6
IMAGE: Exterior shot of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit
VOICEOVER: “So how did I get interested in monks? Well, I grew up in the State of Georgia not far from a monastery that my father and I would visit sometimes when I was a boy.”
SOUNDTRACK: Instrumental Southern music.
STORYBOARD #7
IMAGE: Interior shot of chapel of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit
VOICEOVER: “Their chapel was a beautiful place that seemed really large and almost magical to my eyes.”
SOUNDTRACK: None.
STORYBOARD #8
IMAGE: Photo of monks in procession
VOICEOVER: “The monks seemed like such mysterious figures to me because they were very quiet, they were dressed in robes, and they were always praying the rosary or reading from the Bible.”
SOUNDTRACK: Somber chant.
STORYBOARD #9
IMAGE: Photo of Father Anthony Delisi
VOICEOVER: “Until one day I spoke to one of the monks, Father Anthony. He smiled at me and said ‘Hello!’ I didn’t know they could talk, let alone smile! We talked for several minutes and he told me about his job making the chocolate fudge that the monks sold to support themselves. I learned that monks not only pray but do real work too, like other people.”
SOUNDTRACK: Light, cheerful instrumental music.
STORYBOARD #10
IMAGE: Photo image of “Ora et Labora”
VOICEOVER: “From Father Anthony and my repeated visits to his monastery over the years, I came to respect and admire those who would leave life in the outside or regular world and join a community of likeminded people who wanted to grow closer to God through a life of prayer and work. In fact, the Benedictine motto is ‘Ora et Labora’ – Pray and Work.”
SOUNDTRACK: None.
STORYBOARD #11
IMAGE: Photo of the monks of St. Andrew Abbey, including Father Conrad
VOICEOVER: “Many years later I made the decision myself to join a monastery. St. Andrew Abbey was founded in 1922 by immigrants from the Central European country of Slovakia. We monks pray together four times a day, and our work is centered on teaching and service at Benedictine High School. As St. Andrew Abbey approaches its 100th anniversary, I am happy to be part of this community of faith in the heart of Cleveland.”
SOUNDTRACK: Slovak traditional music.
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