In 1876, Benedictine monks founded a college in Belmont, North Carolina. Today the monks continue to teach, mentor and celebrate mass at Belmont college. The college is a private, liberal arts, roman catholic institution covering 700 acres. 

We visited in December 2023. It was a beautiful cool winter day. The students were out for the holidays. We stopped at the office to make sure it would be ok to wander across the empty campus. Only the monastery was private. Our first stop was Mary Help of Christians Basilica. It was built in 1892. It is listed on the National Register of Historic places. We then walked over to the outdoor Stations of the Cross Trail leading to an outdoor shrine for Saint Lourdes. Flowers and rosaries adorning the metal fencing reminded me of chapels in Lebanon. We then walked over to the cemetery and St. Joseph adoration chapel. The chapel backs into the woods with windows all around the structure giving a sense of praying outdoors while being indoors. It’s absolutely inspirational and beautiful.

Reference Belmont Abbey