Community is integral to Benedictine spirituality. In addition to communal prayer, monks and nuns would gather multiple times a day for meals. In Hildegard’s small commentary on the Rule of St. Benedict, she notes that “eating away from the monastery is prohibited” without the abbot or abbesses permission. Eating away from the community without permission carried a serious penalty including the possibility of excommunication! Meals would be simple and largely vegetarian (chicken was allowed but red meat was forbidden except for those who were sick). Many of the meals would include alcoholic beverages. In the middle ages, fermented beverages were actually healthier and safer than water.

Here at the Hildegard Haus, communal meals are important to our spirituality as well! While we have several members in our community, including our founding pastor, who are vegetarian, most of our dinners include a selection of dishes (meat and non-meat based) and always include on option for beer or wine, provided by the members of the community. When appropriate, we have incorporated a bit of “Oktoberfest” into our pot-lucks and gatherings.

Our kitchen includes a commercial refrigerator, freezer, several convection ovens, a microwave, and plenty of counter and cupboard space! We proudly serve fair-trade coffee and tea for our events which are hosted by our hospitality committee.

In addition to plenty of tables and chairs (provided for by the local community), our “biergarten” hall is decorated with several German piece of art including a collection of twenty German wall plates gifted by David and Deborah Linn, a cabinet of assorted beer steins gifted by members of the community, a wax monk purchased in Dusseldorf, Germany by our founding pastor, a large wooden St. Anthony monk for the door gifted anonymously, and a wooden wall image purchased in Bingen, Germany (not pictured). The German lettering throughout the hall was painted by our friend Rosie.

While we do not impart the penalty of excommunication for community members who do not join us for meals – we have come along way from the 12th century – we do love when the community is able to come together for these meal-based gatherings.