Compline

Compline consists of a weekly (and sometimes semi-weekly) Gregorian chant service open to the public, often with local priests. We connect with and honor the medieval monastery in which we produce our work. We connect with tradition by reanimating this ancient ritual of the final chants in Latin, sung and prayed before bed. The practice of Compline has an interesting effect on the community. While most meals are accompanied by boisterous and often irreverent conversation, those same community members value the quiet and specialness of the church ritual. In addition to affecting the community members, guests are often touched. “A moment that I knew the Art Monastery was special was the night I witnessed the Compline. That night I saw the most honest evening prayer in my life. I realized how beautiful prayer can be, not for what it says or means, but for how and why it’s done,” says visitor Gerard Jara. The singing of Compline achieves the mission of the Art Monastery by deepening the community practice through a direct connection to monasticism, making a meaningful offering to the local community, and by exploring the life of the Artmonk.