There is a beautiful rolling mountain scenery as you rise in elevation and if you attend the 8 0’clock mass as I did, you too will see the breathtaking sunrise. I highly recommend taking this road trip, along with a picnic to eat after mass at Huntsville State Park next to the lake, or go skiing/snowboarding at Snowbasin Resort. At the end of a long street is the entrance of the
From the parking lot, there is a little white sign on the left of the Quonset hut that houses the gift shop and shows which way the church is with an arrow. There are two double heavy wooden doors that lead into the nave of the church. Once inside there are two sections of pews with one main aisle and two side ones. These pews are towards the back of the church and are behind a roped-off area that is marked for visitors not to cross and go beyond. The seating for the monks is near the center of the center area and on the left and right so that they face each other. This area is called the choir and the area where the monks sit is called a stall. Behind the left side of the stalls are the Stations of the Cross. Both side walls have large frosted windows that allow plenty of light to pass through. The main focal point, the stained glass window, cannot be overlooked and is located at the altar in the presbytery. An exquisite stained glass window of Our Lady of the Holy Trinity in beautiful shades of blue and red. Below the window is the tabernacle covered with a lovely white laced canopy. The altar table is adorned in white linen and a processional cross to the right.
There are a few things different that I noticed during mass. The first one is that the monks do not kneel to pray. Instead they stand as a sign of respect for the Lord. There is no processional or recessional or offertory basket. But, there is a very peaceful, chanting and Holy Spirit filled service. I feel an intense blessing from God to have visited today. No words can express my respect for these men and their dedication to Our Lord. O Jesus, our great High Priest, hear my prayer on behalf of your monks. Let the Abbey of Our Lady of the Holy Trinity continue to be a sign of Your love for all, and a reminder for us to serve You by serving You in one another. Please continue to send the Spirit of Jesus into their hearts and keep them from pain and suffering as they go about their daily lives. Amen.
After I returned home from my visit, I found the following sad article regarding the Abbey: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865609002/End-of-an-era-Huntsville-bookshop-closing-monastery-not-far-behind.html
Current news regarding the Abbey's property: http://www.icatholic.org/article/huntsville-abbey-has-been-sold-7818303
Update: After 70 years, the monastery is now closed and under new ownership.