MONK'S BREAD

PIFFARD, NY – An abbey of monks in upstate New York have begun selling their homemade bread to the world!
The monks live in the Abbey of the Genesee, in York, New York. They are part of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, but are usually called Trappists.
The Abbey was founded in 1951, and one of the monks would bake bread for his brothers. After outsiders began asking about purchasing their bread, the Abbey built a modern bakery in 1956, which they use to this day.

The thirty monks take shifts working in the bakery, where they make bread, cakes, preserves, coffee and an array of other consumables. The bread is baked early in the morning, so the monks are in bed by 7pm in order to rise at 2am for work!
Due to the Benedictine tradition, they are not allowed to accept charity. Therefore, the bakery operates as a way of funding the Abbey, as well as sustaining other monasteries in Nigeria and Brazil. The monks also donate money and bread to soup kitchens and charities in the area.

“We are not just another loaf on the shelf. With Monk’s Bread, comes the entire package,” said Fr. Gerard D’Souza.
If you want to try the holy bread, the monks have conveniantly set up an online store at MonksBread.com.