Jesus transformed water into wine, these monks transform cheese into works… The religious of the young Abbey of Donezan in Ariège have, in fact, launched a fundraiser rather special and original: “500 kg of cheese to help builder monks”.
The intention, beyond delighting the taste buds, is to sell these tommes and cobblestones to finance the rose window and stained glass windows of the abbey. The challenge will end this Sunday, June 11 and at this time, 390 kg of cheese have already been pre-ordered. A campaign exclusively on the Internet for these monks linking tradition and modernity to perfection. They rely on Divine Box, a digital platform specializing in the sale and shipment of 100% monastic products.
A springboard to allow them to move forward in the work of this building of life and religion.
An abbey that emerged from the ground in sixteen years
Rather rare in France, this abbey is very young. When these Benedictines arrived, they settled in this deserted plain of Donezan in 2007 and built an abbey from the first to the future and distant last stone at 1,350 meters above sea level. Sixteen years later, they want to tackle the stained glass windows thanks to the money raised by their cheese production. A production which is the pride of this community and which is famous as far as Germany thanks to a herd of Tarentaise cows which have followed them since 2007. By their good milk transformed into Tommes from the Pyrenees, they ensure the subsistence of the community.
In addition to this breeding and cheese-making activity, there are small crafts: making jam, gingerbread, reseating chairs, bookbinding. And for daily food, a vegetable garden, an orchard, an apiary and even a small vineyard.
If these Benedictines are far from being worried about the objective of 500 kg sold, they still have a lot of work to do as well as a lot of patience to see their abbey definitively finished.