I’ve always been drawn to the quiet mystery of abbeys — in books, in travel, and even here in Louisiana.

Until earlier this month I had never been to St. Joseph Abbey near Covington. All I knew about it was that they made caskets , which you can learn more about at this link: saintjosephabbey.com/caskets — and that they had won a hard-fought legal battle to sell the simple wooden coffins in Louisiana.

The fight began in 2007 and reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in the abbey’s favor in 2013. While I was visiting, I met Deacon Mark Coudrain, who shortly after Hurricane Katrina, suggested that the Benedictine monks and volunteers begin making simple wooden caskets to generate funds to pay for the medical/educational needs of the Benedictine monks.

Coudrain now works full-

See Full Page