People from all over the world once called Our Lady of the Valley home.

Today, at Saint Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts, there stands a large pink stone. This is the final resting place of the monks of Our Lady of the Valley who died between the years of 1900 and 1950. In August of 1969, they were reunited with the rest of their brothers in Spencer. As the inscription on the plaque reads, "separated neither in life nor in death". 

1. John Mary Murphy, 6 July 1913

2. John O’Connor, 13 October 1945

3. Br. Aloysius van Enschot, 3 November 1902

4. Br. Michael McCool, 20 December 1913

5. Br. Augustine Herran, 4 December 1917

6. Br. Sylvester Degan, 13 April 1918

7. Br. Stephen Ahearn, 18 July 1923

8. Br. Francis Fitzpatrick, 9 November 1925

9. Br. Mary Ryan, 15 February 1926

10. Br. Joseph Gilmartin, 23 March 1926

11. Br. Charles Lavoix, 10 April 1926

12. Fr. Joseph Conaghan, 23 April 1927

13. Fr. Francis X. Mulligan, 2 March 1929

14. Fr. Bernard Demers, 7 June 1930

15. Fr. Aloysius Connolly, 26 March 1932

16. Rev. Etienne Guyot, 9 May 1912

17. Rev. Achille Flesselle, 12 May 1913

18. Fr. Remi Baron, 17 March 1934

19. Fr. Alberic Crotty, 16 October 1935

20. Br. Leo Beale, 6 June 1936

21. Br. Richard Torpey, 30 July 1940

22. Br. Kevin Cafferty, 19 February 1941

23. Fr. Augustine O’Brien, 11 August 1941

24. Br. Dominic O’Leary, 10 December 1941

25. Fr. Alfred Vézina, 5 April 1942

26. Br. Paul LeChartier, 4 April 1943

27. Br. Anthony Chisholm, 23 September 1943

28. Br. Simon Poirier, 24 December 1944

29. Fr. Giles Campbell, 31 March 1947

30. Fr. Benedict Barré, 9 January 1948

31. Br. Gerard Conrad, 15 September 1950

32. Rev. Fr. Caillaut, 1925

33. Daniel Cox, 8 March 1923

Biographies 

Fr. Murphy studied at Le Grand Seminaire in Montreal, and later became the first novice to enter the Abbey of Notre Dame du Lac in Oka, Quebec, Canada on January 8, 1883. Four years later on June 7, 1887, Fr. Murphy was ordained into the priesthood. Under the leadership of Dom Antoine Oger, he was appointed to the position of prior. On top of the duties required of him at Notre Dame du Lac, he cofounded l'Adoration Nocturne de Montreal with Louis-Joseph-Amédée Derome, noted photographer and business owner of la Librarie (or Imprimante) Saint-Joseph (Auclair, 1922).

On November 13, 1898, he was appointed to be the superior of the Abbey of Petit Clairvaux in Tracadie, Nova Scotia, which was supposed to be a temporary position. However, Petit Clairvaux's abbot, Fr. Dominic Schietecatte, resigned his position early due to stress caused by the series of fires in 1892 and 1896. Due to these fires, the question of what to do with Petit Clairvaux came up many times during the 1899 General Chapter (a meeting attended by leaders of the Order). Fr. Murphy effectively saved Petit Clairvaux during this General Chapter meeting, as reported by Dom Jean-Marie Chouteau, Abbot of the Abbey of Notre Dame de Bellefontaine:

...This question was asked: 'Should Petit Clairvaux be suppressed?' And an affirmative answer was being upheld and would probably have won the day, had it not been for the good impression made by Rev. Father John Mary Murphy on all the members of the chapter and for the confidence that he was able to inspire. They were ready to grant all that he was asking... (Chouteau, 1899, as cited in Bertoniere, 2005, p. 186). 

Fr. Murphy died on Sunday, July 6, 1913 at the age of 64, after battling a long-term illness. According to his obituary written by Fr. Michael Holland, he was a well-beloved prior who "shar[ed] the hardships and labors of his brethren", and was known for his "genuine devotion and earnestness in the divine service". 

Described by Boston Traveler writer, Joe Toye, as 

A magnificent man in body and spirit: a big, two-fisted man in a white robe of fine wool. He was more than all that: he was a gentleman. Look in my eyes, or the eyes of your neighbor, or your brother: they are tired eyes, nervous eyes, worried eyes. Let me tell you about Father John's eyes: calm eyes, restful, soothing, ready, clear, kindly; the eyes of a man who had looked into this thing we call life and had discovered what it is all about; who had decided what it all meant and where we were going, who had settled everything to his own satisfaction and therefore faced the future with a profound calm. If I were in hysterical distress I would flee to such eyes because I would know that they would understand all about my perplexities and solve them. Those eyes were a relief; that's what they were (Toye, 1923, p. 2).

He died on October 13, 1945 at the age of 81. 

Fr. Alfred was known to the people of Cumberland as the "Apple Man", as he was in charge of the monastery's fruit orchards for more than 12 years. ("Fr. Alfred", 1942, p. 12) He also served as the sub-prior from 1931 to 1940. 

He died on April 5, 1942 at the age of 71. 

He arrived at Our Lady of the Valley in 1911, and almost immediately was assigned the role of cellarer, though he wore many hats during his time at the monastery. These included:

1. Becoming the third superior in 1912

2. Assuming the role of Novice Master (1918-1943)

3. Being assigned the role of "spiritual director" (Cawley, 2004) at the Guest House, making him well known to the surrounding community

4. Taking on many of the responsibilities required to construct various monastery buildings, including the Chapel, Chapter Wing, Novitiate, and Porter's Lodge.

5. Constructing the Cairn at the site of Nine Men's Misery in 1928

He died on January 10, 1948 at the age of 80.

In Fr. Martinus Cawley's book, The Monks of Jordan 1904-2004, Br. Stanislaus Gillis, formerly of Our Lady of the Valley, provided some memories he had of Fr. Benedict:

From Br. Stanislaus Gillis (1889-1984):

In answer to your letter of July 1st… When I entered in May, 1922… 

As for dear old Father Benedict, he was Master of Novices (both schools) for a long time. He was really naive. He liked to hear all about one’s career and careening before entering the monastery, and some of the rascally choir novices (as one of them told me) gave him an earful, and had the innocent man gasping. 

He was enthusiastic about the mysterious holy woman of Woonsocket, R.I., her story is in the book called She Wears a Crown of Thorns.

At moments Father Benedict had sadness of the spirit, and he would ask one to pray for him. Once at least I caused him some amusement. As a novice I used to wonder why Saint Benedict’s statue had a broken chalice, and so I finally complained to Father Benedict that the monks were negligent. He soon put me wise about that- another little lesson among the many, past, present and future/ Come another opportunity, I’ll prime them.

…[In Heaven] I will not be so dumb, but will ask Father Benedict about his experiences (minus escapades). At present we hope to be enlightened by your continued research.

With best wishes,

(Signed) Bro. Stan (as cited in Cawley, 2004).

I would highly recommend reading Fr. Benedict's memoir, which was published in Fr. Martinus Cawley's 2004 book The Monks of Jordan 1904-2004. 

In Fr. Martinus Cawley's book, Monks of Jordan 1904-2004, several former Valley monks provided some memories they had of Br. Mary. 

From Fr. Owen Hoey (1910-1990):

I learned that Br. Mary was born John J. Ryan in London, England, on Nov. 22, 1872, came to America early in life and served for a time as a teaching Brother. He entered Jordan some time after 1907, aged at least 35 years, but he did not receive the habit until St. Joseph’s Day, a little after reaching The Valley (1911). His simple profession followed without delay, but solemn vows were delayed until after World War I, when it could be decided how to apply the 1917 Canon Law to his case. After simple profession he managed the poultry and also repaired shoes. He died of a stroke, on Feb. 15, 1926 (as cited in Cawley, 2004).

From Br. Stanislaus Gillis (1889-1984):

I remember Br. Mary very well, I never had a chance to talk to him, and I did not learn much about him. When I entered in May of 1922, he was very friendly but, obeying the strict rule of silence, he never talked to me. He made lots of signs but I never was any good at Cistercian dactylology. Brother was rather stout, and I don’t think he had the least brogue. I heard he had been submaster of the brothers for some time before 1922, and that he was particularly happy when feast days came along and there was a little more rest from work, at Xmas time perhaps “five solid days” as he was reported to have said. His characteristic trait was certainly kindliness and mildness, and he was no holy terror at the chapter of faults. I remember he was devoted to the Way of the Cross. And when he happened to be barber he was not barbarous. That could not be said of good Dom John O’Connor. If he cut your hair you were a martyr (as cited in Cawley, 2004).

After his ordination, Fr. Augustine became the pastor of three churches in Kilkenny, Waterville, and Montgomery, Minnesota. The churches in Waterville and Montgomery (at the time) were located in remote areas of the state, and so Fr. Augustine had to travel "more than 40 miles on Sundays to celebrate mass in the three churches using horses and a carriage for transportation. On many occasions, he made the trip on a handcar or in the caboose of a freight train" ("Fr. Augustine Dead", 1941, p. 12). After "32 years of hard service" ("Fr. Augustine Dead, 1941, p. 12), he entered the Monastery of Our Lady of the Valley in 1917.

During his time at the Valley, Fr. Augustine acted as the fundraiser for the monastery, and played an important role in gathering funds for the construction of the chapel building. 

He died on August 11, 1941 at the age of 83.

Fr. Rémi was very involved with the French Canadian Catholic community of Woonsocket, despite the Trappist Order's tenets of silence and solitude. He was known to preach at L'Église du Précieux Sang in Woonsocket ("À Travers", 1903, p. 4), spoke to groups of parishioners about the importance of holding on to one's French Canadian heritage and language ("Pawtucket", 1901, p. 1), held conferences for religious groups such as the Chevaliers du Sacré-Coeur ("À Manville", 1904, p. 4),  and attended events on behalf of the monastery ("Grande Demonstration", 1907, p. 1). Because of this, he was well known throughout the diocese of Providence, and a large delegation of clergy attended his funeral on March 20, 1934 ("Last Tribute", 1934, p. 12; "Funeral Rites", 1934, p. 12).

He died on March 17, 1934 at the age of 77, and was a priest for 51 years. He is remembered as being, in the words of Fr. Michael Holland, "a little man endowed with unusual vigor of mind and will" (Our Lady of the Valley Memorial Scrapbook).

References:

À Manville. (1904, February 2). La Tribune, 4. https://books.google.com/books?id=z_ZeAAAAIBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false 

À travers la ville. (1903, June 1). La Tribune, 4. https://books.google.com/books?id=kdRgAAAAIBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false 

Auclair, É-J. (1922). Courte notice sur la vie et les oeuvres de Louis-Joseph-Amedee Jerome: Fondateur de l'adoration nocturne au Canada. Arbour et Dupont. https://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/details/52327/2022229 

Auclair, É-J. (1907). Chronique mensuelle. Le Propagateur, 4(1), 1-15. https://archive.org/details/lepropagateurbul03montuoft/page/448/mode/2up 

Bertoniere, G. (2005). Through Faith and Fire: The Monks of Spencer 1825-1958. Yorkville Press Inc. 

Brother Anthony dead in 71st year. (1943, September 30). The Providence Journal.

Cawley, M. (2004). Monks of Jordan 1904-2004. Guadalupe Translations.

"Chronique Mensuelle". (1907, January). Le Propagateur. 4(1), 1-17. https://archive.org/details/lepropagateurbul03montuoft/page/448/mode/2up 

Cook, R., & Hamelin, J. (Eds.) (1998). Dictionary of Canadian biography: 1911 to 1920. (Vol. XIV). University of Toronto Press.

Death claims third monk of Cistercian Order in Cumberland. (1926, April 23). The Pawtucket Times, 1. https://pawtucket.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?i=f&d=01011825-12311976&e=former%20theology&m=between&ord=e1&fn=pawtucket_times_usa_rhode_island_pawtucket_19260423_english_1&df=1&dt=4  

Doucet, C-A. (1979). La Trappe D'Oka: Son histoire depuis sa fondation, en 1881, jusqu'a nos jours. Bibliotheque National de Quebec. https://archive.org/details/latrappedoka0000unse/mode/2up 

Élu prieur titulaire. (1907, May 7). La Presse. https://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/details/52327/3213247 

Élu prieur titulaire. (1907, May 10). Le Progres de l'Est, 2. https://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/details/52327/3546050 

Father Augustine, 82, dies in east. (1941, August 13). The Austin Daily Herald, 7. https://austinpubliclibrary.newspapers.com/image/1002823790/?article=be88b0d9-2f45-42e9-acc0-8899ac60d148&terms=%22matthew%20o%27brien%22 

Father Augustine dead at age of 83. (1941, August 12). The Providence Journal, 12. 

Finest pigeon-blue granite quarried at monastery for novitiate of Cistercian Order in Cumberland (1936, August 7). The Pawtucket Times, 4. https://pawtucket.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?k=granite&i=f&by=1936&bdd=1930&d=08071936-08071936&m=between&ord=k1&fn=pawtucket_times_usa_rhode_island_pawtucket_19360807_english_4&df=1&dt=2 

Fr. Alfred dead at Cumberland. (1942, April 6). The Providence Journal, 12.

Funeral rites tomorrow for monastery founder. (1934, March 19). The Providence Journal, 12. 

Grande demonstration: La paroisse Sainte Anne acclame son pasteur. (1907, July 15). La Tribune, 1. https://books.google.com/books?id=7_BgAAAAIBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false 

Last tribute paid cistercian monk. (1934, March 21). The Providence Journal, 12.

Monk credited with successful RFD plea. (1935, October 19). The Pawtucket Times, 1. https://pawtucket.historyarchives.online/viewer?k=alberic&i=f&by=1935&bdd=1930&d=10191935-10191935&m=between&ord=k1&fn=pawtucket_times_usa_rhode_island_pawtucket_19351019_english_1&df=1&dt=1 

Rites conducted for Fr. Augustine. (1941, August 14). The Providence Journal, 14.

Schoenberg, W.P. (1987). A History of the Catholic Church in the Pacific Northwest, 1743-1983. Pastoral Press, Washington, D.C.https://archive.org/details/historyofcatholi0000scho/mode/2up 

Schrepfer, L. (1947). Pioneer Monks in Nova Scotia. Saint Augustine's Monastery, N.S. https://archive.org/details/pioneermonksinno0000schr/mode/2up 

Simple rites mark burial of Fr. M. Remi. (1934, March 20). The Pawtucket Times, 1. https://pawtucket.historyarchives.online/viewer?i=f&by=1934&bdd=1930&d=03201934-03201934&fn=pawtucket_times_usa_rhode_island_pawtucket_19340320_english_1&df=1&dt=10 

St. Bonaventure College and Seminary (1941). Alumni Directory 1859-1941. https://stbonaventure.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?i=f&d=01011837-12312023&e=valley%20falls&m=between&ord=e1&fn=ledgers_alumni_directory_usa_new_york_st_francis_monastery_18590101_english_1035&df=1&dt=4 

Survivors of Cumberland Monastery founders. (1925, July 12). The Providence Journal, 81.

Toye, J. (1923, November 17). Joe Toye learns Trappist Monks are real men, thoroughly educated, firm in purpose, disciplined, most hospitable. The Boston Traveler, 2.

Wilson, B., & Lemoine, A. (1921). L'Évolution de la race Française en Amérique: Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island. (Vol. 1). Librairie Beauchemin Limitée, Montréal. https://archive.org/details/levolutiondelara0000unse/mode/2up