Forty-four of them came to Kentucky from France in 1848. Their journey ended where a road sign now points left to Trappist. The monks’ beautiful, serene singing of the Psalms is heard hours before the sun rises as they begin the first of the “seven hours” of daily prayer.

The holy week of Easter brought some reprieve from the monastery’s daily structure as special services and time for reflection were given to the monks and the surrounding community that comes to take part in the Easter services.

“Why didn’t he stop Judas,” Brother Paul Quenon said, of Jesus. “He knew Judas was going to betray him.”

Andreas Fuhrmann is a senior photojournalism student from Bowling Green. He can be reached at [email protected].