The chapel measures six feet by nine feet, and the ceiling is eight feet high. It was built in 1878 by monks at a monastery in nearby Covington, Kentucky. The monks who built the church operated vineyards, and they used to visit the church for prayer after a long day of work.
When prohibition hit in 1920, the monks were no longer able to distribute their wine to other states. With no way to support themselves, they had no choice but to leave Kentucky and return to Pennsylvania. Monte Casino Chapel was abandoned for the next 45 years in its original Covington location. A local historian named Chester F. Geaslen took an interest in the chapel, and attempted to find its original owners since it had fallen into disrepair. In 1964, he found that the rightful owner was a plumber named Fred Riedinger, who had bought the land that the chapel occupied from St. Vincent Abbey in Pennsylvania. Riedinger decided to preserve the chapel in memory of his mother. The little chapel weighs 50 tons.
Monte Casino Chapel was moved from its original spot in 1965, which was developed into a residential neighborhood. It now looks out over this lake at Thomas More College.
I have lived in central KY all my life and never knew this little church existed. I was just watching KET and learned about it. I would love to go vist it.
ReplyDelete