Benedictine Sisters, Monastery of St. Gertrude, Cottonwood, Idaho

Monastery of St. Gertrude-Virtual Tour

Monastery Chapel

	The Monastic life of the Benedictine Sisters at the Monastery of St. Gertrude centers around the chapel. Women called to dedicate their lives to the service of God and the Church enter the community by making their monastic profession in this chapel when they vow stability, obedience and fidelity to the monastic way of life. Three times daily the entire community gathers together here to pray for and with the church and the world. Upon death, sisters are escorted through this sacred chapel on their final journey to God. Sanctuary The high altar is located at the east end of the chapel. This work of art was shipped from Germany via Belgium and the Panama Canal to Portland, OR, in 1927. It reached Cottonwood in 1928 after a freight train ride from Oregon. It finally arrived at St. Gertrude's pulled by a four-horse wagon. The altar was designed by Engelbert Gier the same architect who designed the blue porphyry portion of the monastery. Otto Kieber came from Germany to erect the altar where it is today. No nails were used in its construction; all the parts are mortised and glued.
	Constructed of rich oak, all the decorations and carvings are hand done. The Roman style altar stands under a 27-foot baldachin. At the top center of the baldachin, there is a silver-coated pelican. The pelican, which feeds its young by tearing its breast, represents Christ giving himself as food to the church.
	At the top of the vault there are gold spiral on a blue background. These are replicas of those in a pilgrimage chapel in Beuron, Germany. The Holy Spirit emblem is covered in gold leaf, as are the oak leaves on the pillars.
	The painting above the altar is one of eight which can be changed for various liturgical feasts or seasons. You may see The Good Shepherd, The Blessed Mother, The Holy Family, The Holy Trinity and The Resurrection of Christ the King. Two paintings for the millennium were commissioned in 1999: Creator Spiritus, based on a photo taken from the Hubble telescope, and Heralding Divine Love, based on images in the writings of St. Gertrude.

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Many of the items you see outside and inside the chapel were donated by friends and family of members of our community. We acknowledge their gracious generosity and offer daily prayers for their intentions.

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© 1997-2005
Idaho Corporation of Benedictine Sisters
Monastery of St. Gertrude
HC 3 Box 121
Cottonwood, ID 83522-9408
208-962-3224
FAX 208-962-7212
contact: Webweaver
monastery@connectwireless.us
Revised 30 September, 2005

Monastery of St. Gertrude-Virtual Tour

Monastery Chapel

Sanctuary