Order Benedictines Mother house Saint Vincent Archabbey Dedicated to Mary Help of Christians | Established April 1876 Added to NRHP 11 April 1973 | |
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Full name Abbey of Mary, Help of Christians Controlled churches Cathedral Basilica of St. Mary Founder(s) Dom Herman Wolfe, O.S.B. Abbot The Rt. Rev. Placid Solari, O.S.B. Weather 13°C, Wind NW at 16 km/h, 28% Humidity Diocese Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte Heritage designation National Register of Historic Places | ||
The Abbey of Mary Help of Christians, better known as Belmont Abbey, is a small American monastery of Benedictine monks and Basilica in the town of Belmont, Gaston County, North Carolina, outside of Charlotte, North Carolina.
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History
The abbey was founded in 1876 by Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and is the motherhouse to Saint Leo Abbey in Tampa, Florida, as well as Mary Mother of the Church Abbey in Richmond, Virginia. The monks also are the benefactors of Belmont Abbey College, a four-year Catholic liberal arts school.
From 1910 through 1977, Belmont Abbey was a territorial abbey, exercising some functions of a diocese. It had authority over parishes in the North Carolina counties of Gaston, Catawba, Cleveland, Burke, Lincoln, McDowell, Polk, and Rutherford. In 1944, its territory, except for Gaston County, was given to the Diocese of Raleigh. In July 1960, Gaston County too was placed under the Diocese of Raleigh. In 1977, its status as a territorial abbey was suppressed under the Diocese of Charlotte.
Belmont Abbey Cathedral was built between 1892 and 1894, and is a large cruciform plan, Gothic Revival style brick church. It has a steep gable roof and the front facade features two towers of unequal size.
The cathedral was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
The abbey currently numbers about twenty monks.