The real McCoy.
If you're curious about what happened to Fr. Bernard McCoy from Our Lady of Springbank ...
A follow up to 'What happened to Laser Monks?' here.
And Tour of Mayberry.
History.
Ed. Note: A few years ago I posted about the sudden dissolution of Springbank along with a couple of discussions as to what happened, but I removed most of them simply because they were speculative and bordered on detraction. It was an amazingly quiet dissolution for a traditional Cistercian abbey with a successful business and having recently relocated to a newly built cloister. I wish Michael Voris could go down to Mayberry to interview Mr. McCoy. What's that Granny?
H/T DB
Terry I still am wondering what happened to Bernard McCoy. There is a story here yet to be told. I followed the Springbrook Group for a while a few years back. As I understand and remember they were a always a small group of "white" Trappist who emigrated from Hungry to Milwaukee in the 1920's. that brought a particularly sacred icon of Our Lady. Somewhere along the line they built the new monastery and headed for the woods. Along comes Bernard McCoy with youth, energy and bright ideas and the monastery is off into many speculative projects including a golf community with high prices lots and of course laser monks. After hitting it big Fr. McCoy and his now smal band of three monks are in the news. McCoy, the brain, buys a plane, horses and generally spends the small operation into banckruptcy. He is another in a long line of monastic charlatans who soar to success only to ruin the entire operation. The monastery closes suddenly, everything is auctioned off and McCoy disappears to Ireland to reflect. Of course he reappears in a few years rested and with another money makin idea to get rich quick. Like I said, the story has been told a hundred times but it is still fascinating. Someone needs to write the novel.
ReplyDeleteYou know more details than I do - I knew he had many enterprising adventures and money-making schemes and after disappearing to Ireland, he just showed up making moonshine. LOL! He hardly seems to have been following the Holy Spirit - rather the entrepreneurial spirit. I was thinking this morning that corruption is not limited to the 'Novus Ordo' side - OL of Springbank was definitely a Traditionalist conclave, favored by high ranking bishop(s). For me, it dispels any notion that one form is any more efficacious to save the world than another.
DeleteYes indeed Terry. I am fascinated by the type of man who is drawn to religious communities as a way to build a business. The Shakers did it too! Not saying it is wrong by itself but it snowballs out of their control. Just watched the video and can see how McCoy can charm and hold a group in his grasp. I wonder what happened to his vows? I also wonder where the sacred icon went and the money laser monks raked in. They targeted parishes and religious groups for their "recycling" of ink cartridges. I think some orders where never filled. What happened to the monastic property? I know they were done to two or three monks when he just disappeared. He is not hiding so maybe it was all settled above board. Interesting character. One in a long line of religious entrepreneurs.
DeleteI met him when I went to O. L.of Springbank around the time Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida.
ReplyDeleteFor some weird reason I thought about that Monastery and thought to find out what happened to the property after they disbanded the Community.
Wonder if there is any way of getting a hold of Mr. McCoy?
You can get a hold of him - just Google him - he is now Vann McCoy, owner and operator of Mayberry Spirits, a distillery in the heart of Mount Airy, North Carolina that specializes in premium small-batch spirits.
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