The Trappist abbey of Snowmass, located in the US state of Colorado, has been sold for 120 million dollars, according to CNA. The operation, carried out privately shortly before Christmas, would have Alex Karp as the buyer, co-founder and CEO of the technology company Palantir, according to data published by The Wall Street Journal.
The monastery, officially named Abbey of Saint Benedict, belonged to the Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance (Trappists) and is located on an extensive property of around 1,500 hectares on the Snowmass plateau, near Aspen.
Origin of the monastic community in Colorado
The Trappist presence in Snowmass dates back to the late 1950s. After rapid growth of the community at the Abbey of Saint Joseph in Spencer (Massachusetts), the monks considered a new foundation necessary to maintain the monastic lifestyle they sought. In 1958, a group of religious was sent to Colorado, where they acquired an old ranch and began construction of the new monastery.
That same year, on November 21, 1958, the first 35 monks arrived from Spencer. The community dedicated itself to the contemplative life typical of the Trappists, combining prayer with manual labor in an environment marked by the altitude, close to 2,400 meters.
Economic activities and difficulties
To sustain themselves economically, the monks attempted various productive activities. In a first stage, they ventured into candy making, an initiative that failed due to the effects of the altitude on the products. Later, the community tried ranching, although the physical demands eventually led to abandoning this activity.
Starting in 1967, the monastery maintained a poultry farm for nearly two decades, selling eggs to local restaurants, which allowed supplementing the community’s income.
Decline after the Second Vatican Council
In 1970, the monastery was elevated to the status of abbey, but shortly afterward the effects of the profound changes experienced by many religious communities after the Second Vatican Council began to manifest. The Snowmass community was not immune to this crisis: over the years, there was a notable decline in the number of monks, until it was reduced to seven religious in 1978.
The progressive decrease in vocations and the aging of the members eventually led to the decision to close and sell the monastery. Initially, the property was put up for sale for 150 million dollars, although the final price was set at 120 million.
The buyer and the definitive closure
According to CNA, the buyer would be Alex Karp, a technology entrepreneur with an estimated net worth of 18 billion dollars, whose company maintains ties with the US military and intelligence services. The future fate of the monastic complex has not been detailed publicly.
With the sale, the Trappists leave Snowmass after nearly 70 years of presence. The last superior of the community, the former abbot Dom Damian Carr, has announced that the last public liturgy at the Abbey of Saint Benedict will be held on January 11, 2026, putting an end to monastic life in this Colorado enclave.