History

In 1949, Porter R. Chandler offered a 570-acre plot of land, known as the old Harris Farm, to Dom James Fox of the Abbey of Gethsemani, for the purpose of bringing a monastery to the Genesee Valley. Originally designated Christ the King, the monastery came to be called Our Lady of the Genesee, being named after the Genesee River which marks the eastern boundary of the property. A list of 21 choir monks and 16 lay brothers was drawn up and Father Gerard McGinley was named the founding superior. On Easter Sunday, March 25, 1951, six brothers and one priest were invited to set up the new foundation in the "Valley of Mary's Smile". If they were willing to accept, they would leave for Piffard, New York on April 4.
 

Volunteer workers from the local area helped the monks remodel the farm buildings and build whatever other structures were needed Bros. Quentin and Martin, assisted by the Spezzanos and some hired help set up the interiors of all the buildings and built 235 feet of cloister between the months of May and October.

On October 15, 1952, carrying the foundation cross, Dom Gerard led the community in a procession from Bethlehem to "the hill". On the last Sunday of October, the Feast of Christ the King, which had been designated the monastery's patronal feast, Mass was celebrated for the first time in the church. A walk was built through the enclosure so that guests could get to the tribune of the church.

On May 30, 1953, the Altar was consecrated by Dom James Fox. Later that day, the monastic buildings were blessed by Bishop Kearney. He celebrated a pontifical liturgy and later in the day presided over a solemn benediction service. The buildings were open to the public for tours throughout the day.

Many of the volunteers who had worked with the monks would take their meals with the community. Brother Sylvester, the baker of the first loaf of Monks’ Bread, delighted in sharing a loaf of the bread from the kitchen of the Abbey of the Genesee with guests who came to visit. The word began to spread across Western New York about the wholesome delicious bread...

In 1952 a wooden structure was put up behind Bethlehem and two-pound loaves were produced which Peter Cleary took to sell outside of churches near Conesus Lake. When the pastor of St. Francis Church in Rochester offered to sell the bread outside his church, Syl McGinley started a distribution program. As guests came they likewise began to buy the bread. Neighborhood stores also would ask for bread to sell. The monks found in the sale of their bread a welcome source of income to help cover the expense of erecting their permanent monastic buildings.

When they were assured that all of the qualities of their bread could be maintained in large-scale production, it was decided that they would further develop the baking industry.The baking operation was moved "up the hill" in 1953. It was obvious that a larger plant was needed and in 1956 the present bakery was opened. Even with mechanization, the brothers were not able to meet the growing demand for their bread.  
 

At the beginning of the General Chapter 1955, Dom Gerard had an apparent heart attack in connection with  a severe case of diabetes which had plagued him for years. He was admitted to a hospital in Dijon where he died on September 19. His body was returned to the grieving monastic community on October 3 and was buried on October 6. His funeral mass was celebrated at the cathedral. His early, unexpected death was a terrible blow to the young Genesee community. Dom Gerard was well-loved by both the brothers and the local community. Many projects and possibilities abruptly shifted with his passing.

Father Walter Helmstetter, the Novice Master at Gethsemani, was elected the second abbot on November 16, 1955. Bishop Kearney imparted the abbatial blessing on February 8, 1956.

On May 19, 1964, Father Jerome Burke, a former Redemptorist, was appointed the community's third abbot by the Vatican after taking consultation of the community. The abbatial blessing was conferred by Bishop Kearney on December 5, 1964. Much of the work of implementing the decrees of Vatican II fell to Dom Jerome. The community was unified, the choir office was translated into English. Plans were drawn up to provide each monk with a private cell.

This was also a time of transition and instability for many members of the community. The roster which had numbered 70 in 1963 had shrunk to 29 in 1970, with many of those who had been sent to Rome for studies leaving to pursue work in active ministry. The Order began to phase out the division between "laybrothers" (non-ordained brothers who prayed a simple office and did most of the manual work) and choir monks (all priests, more focused on liturgy and studies).
After ably shepherding the community through the tumultuous years in the wake of the Council, Dom Jerome resigned as abbot (October 1971) to pursue life as a hermit.

 

 On November 12, 1971, the Conventual chapter elected Father John Eudes Bamberger, a monk of Gethsemani, who was the Secretary to the Consilium Generale of the Order at the time, as its fourth abbot. At the time, his mandate was limited to a period of six years.  The new superior arrived at the monastery on December 3 and his installation took place on December 5. He received his abbatial blessing from Bishop Joseph L. Hogan on January 26, 1972. Almost right away, Dom John Eudes began to plan for the construction of a new church, which was completed in 1974.

Dom John Eudes was a student of Thomas Merton at Gethsemani and later worked closely with him on the vocations screening committee. It was Merton who first suggested that, since he was already a medical doctor, he might extend his studies to psychiatry (which he did, in time, at Georgetown). He was well known for his work in monastic studies, especially on Evagrius. The regular observance of the Genesee community owes a good deal to his stress on attendance at the Office and participation in the common life.

 

On November 12, 1977, Fr. John Eudes was reelected abbot. This time for an indefinite term (until he would reach the age of 75). During his tenure, Dom John Eudes was involved in the establishment of two foundations, one in Lapa, Brazil (1977) (transferred to Campo do Tenente 4 March 1982) and the other in Awhum, Nigeria (1978). Both, while quite unique in their origins, required the expenditure of much support and personnel from Genesee.

 

On October 2, 2001, the Conventual chapter elected Rev. John Denburger as their fifth abbot for a term of six years. He received the abbatial blessing from Bishop Matthew Clark on Monday, November 5, 2001. A native of Allentown, Pa., he was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Allentown in 1963. While a change of leadership after 30 years was daunting, the brothers were grateful for Rev. John's warmth, flexibility and pastoral awareness. 

On October 2, 2007, Rev. John was elected to his second six-year term as abbot. He relinquished his mandate on May 11, 2012 on the occasion of his 75^th birthday. He spearheaded the process that eventually culminated in the drawing up of a Master Plan for the monastery and the renovation of the Abbey Church.

During his time in office the farm operation was leased to a third party and a number of employees were hired both to offset a dearth of vocations and to contend with growing complexity in food production. The start-up of the abbey's online store, Monksbread.com, was another forward-looking initiative.

 

The current abbot, Rev. Gerard D'Souza, was elected May 30, 2012. The first major undertaking in his term was the extensive renovation of the church's interior, a project that had stalled because of a lack of direction and consensus. Improved communication among the brothers has led to greater unity and peace. The liturgy, formation program and the organization of the businesses have been reworked and the challenge of "right-sizing" buildings and operations for a smaller and older community faced squarely. There has been a significant increase in vocational inquiries and applicants and the brothers remain both hopeful and realistic about the future.