I'm going to a monastery!

BTCarolus

T and I are going on a research trip over the next three days, to one of the most important monasteries in Euopre, Melk Abbey. I'm super excited because I get to spend two days photographing manuscripts in their library (seriously, google image search Melk Abbey library, incredible! Although we mostly don't work in the pretty room.) This is for T's research, not mine, but it's going to be really cool for me to see the place that he studies. We also get to spend time with the monks, go to mass with them, etc. I thought you guys would be more excited about this than some of the other people I've told.

PS, my parents finally got the info from the parish to me. One piece is a questionnaire about what we're including in the ceremony. Has anybody heard of using a lasso during the ceremony? I have no idea what this is, it's grouped in with all of those other optional things like unity candles with a check box and no explanation. Perhaps it's Mexican/latino and I've never seen it used before? 

professorscience

How exciting! Congratulations!

And I have seen the lasso ceremony in a secular ceremony before.  The couple's mothers got up and wrapped the couple in a rosary (I think), and then the officiant said a blessing.  He explained that it is a Latino Catholic tradition.  It wasn't even an option at our wedding, but it was kind of cute.  

Tami87

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_im-going-to-a-monastery?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:7402b0f4-2d85-49f4-bde8-2c7219e2c309Post:40b9f30a-a46c-4b2a-b10a-d8a039c873f9">I'm going to a monastery!</a>:
[QUOTE]Has anybody heard of using a lasso during the ceremony? I have no idea what this is, it's grouped in with all of those other optional things like unity candles with a check box and no explanation. Perhaps it's Mexican/latino and I've never seen it used before? 
Posted by BTCarolus[/QUOTE]

That's awesome, have fun on your trip!

My uncle had a lasso at his Catholic church wedding. His wife is Mexican and you are right it is a Mexican/latino tradition. As professor said it is a large rosary that is put around the couple in a figure 8 pattern after they exchange vows.The lasso is supposed to be symbolic of their love which should bind the couple together everyday.

caitriona87

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_im-going-to-a-monastery?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:7402b0f4-2d85-49f4-bde8-2c7219e2c309Post:7bf0489b-51ca-4c5f-9ceb-2a630839ec60">Re: I'm going to a monastery!</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to I'm going to a monastery! : That's awesome, have fun on your trip! My uncle had a lasso at his Catholic church wedding. His wife is Mexican and you are right it is a Mexican/latino tradition. As professor said it is a large rosary that is put around the couple in a figure 8 pattern after they exchange vows.The lasso is supposed to be symbolic of their love which should bind the couple together everyday.
Posted by Tami87[/QUOTE]

Yes, have a great time!

We did the lasso at our wedding (DH's family is from Spain)...they actually make a special rosary for it that has two big loops instead of one like a normal rosary. It went on during the vows and then came off. The pastor of the church where we got married just happened to have one that we borrowed, even though he is Irish and the church is not in a super Hispanic area...who knows how he ended up with it, lol.

bibliophile2010

Ditto others. The lasso is definitely a Hispanic thing. I would say that, like any "extra," if it isn't meaningful to you, don't do it.

On the other hand, I am so, so jealous of your trip. That sounds super amazing and awesome. What is your fiance's field of study? There was a point in my life where I seriously considered going into medieval studies. I think if I had things to do over again, I would have given some serious consideration to becoming an archival librarian. Needless to say, I think your trip sounds amazing (even in the ugly document rooms).

caiti2u

Wow, just googled the library. Beautiful! 

BTCarolus

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_im-going-to-a-monastery?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:7402b0f4-2d85-49f4-bde8-2c7219e2c309Post:f5090b71-748f-47de-9c6a-5faab4b8e90b">Re: I'm going to a monastery!</a>:
[QUOTE]The pastor of the church where we got married just happened to have one that we borrowed, even though he is Irish and the church is not in a super Hispanic area...who knows how he ended up with it, lol.
Posted by caitriona87[/QUOTE]
That's given me a funny image of a priest with a rosary lasso on the wall of his study.

BTCarolus

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_im-going-to-a-monastery?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:7402b0f4-2d85-49f4-bde8-2c7219e2c309Post:6d46640e-dacf-40b4-bb41-9de1ecbd59a9">Re: I'm going to a monastery!</a>:
[QUOTE]On the other hand, I am so, so jealous of your trip. That sounds super amazing and awesome. What is your fiance's field of study? There was a point in my life where I seriously considered going into medieval studies. I think if I had things to do over again, I would have given some serious consideration to becoming an archival librarian. Needless to say, I think your trip sounds amazing (even in the ugly document rooms).
Posted by bibliophile2010[/QUOTE]
T is a medieval history doctoral student. His dissertation is on a canon and theologian named Hugh of St. Victor. Hugh was hot stuff in the Middle Ages (actually considered up there with Augustine) but for some reason his work hasn't been translated out of Latin, and St. Victor was destroyed during the French revolution, so now nobody has heard of him. T is particularly studying how Hugh's work influenced a late medieval monastic reform movement centered around Melk and the Bavarian monastery Tegernsee, and particularly how the monks understood his work.<div>
</div><div>I did my MA thesis in medieval history as well (on how secular leaders used religious devotion for political reasons), although now I'm transfering to a "real job." There's a lot of allure in medieval studies, but one of us will have to pay the rent while the other is finishing up their work in the back rooms of archives. I may go back for my PhD, depending on how things work out in the next few years.</div>

bibliophile2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_im-going-to-a-monastery?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:7402b0f4-2d85-49f4-bde8-2c7219e2c309Post:728d9343-7063-4b1a-9f01-ed1db0d61c02">Re: I'm going to a monastery!</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: I'm going to a monastery! : T is a medieval history doctoral student. His dissertation is on a canon and theologian named Hugh of St. Victor. Hugh was hot stuff in the Middle Ages (actually considered up there with Augustine) but for some reason his work hasn't been translated out of Latin, and St. Victor was destroyed during the French revolution, so now nobody has heard of him. T is particularly studying how Hugh's work influenced a late medieval monastic reform movement centered around Melk and the Bavarian monastery Tegernsee, and particularly how the monks understood his work. I did my MA thesis in medieval history as well (on how secular leaders used religious devotion for political reasons), although now I'm transfering to a "real job." There's a lot of allure in medieval studies, but one of us will have to pay the rent while the other is finishing up their work in the back rooms of archives. I may go back for my PhD, depending on how things work out in the next few years.
Posted by BTCarolus[/QUOTE]

*sigh* That whole real job thing is certainly pesky, isn't it?!? That's one of the things that deterred me from pursuing history any further back in college, maybe even the main thing, if I'm being honest. T's dissertation, though, sounds way cool. I'm definitely excited for future updates about the trip, his work, etc. :)

sassnspark

I've been to Melk...it's awesome!  The library and church are both so beautiful and I know you will enjoy it there.  Austria rocks!!!  If you have a chance, go to a small vineyard that is typical in that area along the Danube---good food and good wine!