Sweet Marmalade Abbey: A Comforting Tale from Detroit

The Benedictine monks of St. Adelaide Abbey in Detroit are a delightfully curious lot. Brother Philip is frequently in trouble because of his inability to control his various impulses. Brother Manuel experiences smells as sounds, and Brother Bede is a six-foot five ex-bouncer. Holding everything together, is the Abbot, Father Albert, who is so depressed about the state of Western Civilization that he steals the abbey’s bread van and drives to a secluded cabin up north to be alone. The monks’ interactions with each other and with the outside world lead to many comical and sometimes poignant situations. No matter. Each man works out his own salvation with fear and trembling. When all else fails, the gentle brothers have the delicious marmalade tarts which they bake and sell to the public, to soothe their own weary souls.