Story Archive

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

Two Franciscan Brothers at the St. Elizabeth of Hungary monastery in Bucksport, Maine, are giving up on their 18-year venture, the Friar’s Bakehouse, a bakery and lunch spot in Bangor. “After all these years, commuting in the dark, in the snow and rain half the year is just not worth it anymore,” said Br. Don. “I won’t miss getting up at 3:00 a.m. I won’t miss that one bit.” He and Br. Ken are instead opening a new place where they can arrive at more civilized hours. Friar’s Brewhouse Tap Room is coming soon to Bucksport, where they’ll serve beer made at the monastery. “Someone asked me, ‘Oh, will you brew a big, juicy New England IPA?’ And I said ‘No way. The world doesn’t need another mediocre IPA’,” Br. Don says. “We brew monastic-style German and Belgian beers, standard European-style brews. Why would I try something else?” Dogs will be allowed — St. Francis is the patron saint of animals — but cell phones will not be, just like at the bakery. Unlike the bakery, they’ll take credit cards. (RC/Bangor Daily News) ...And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.