Monastery Candle Company prepares for holiday season
By Staff
Special to the Enquirer
The aroma of Br. David Bryant's monastery candle shop could be mistaken for a bakery, especially this time of year.
For the past three years the brother, who has been at St. Bernard Abbey for more than five years, has been in the business of producing aromatic candles for everyday and decorative uses. Having no professional training in making candles, the 29-year-old monk said he made his first candle using old wax from old candles and a gift paper roll. "I tied the wicks together to make it burn. I haven't made one like that since, but it burned well."
Being raised in Knoxville, Tenn., Br. David, along with an older brother, Chris, grew up in the floral business owned by his parents, William and Carolyn Bryant. He felt he could use his talents to help the monks with some sort of income.
"One day I was thinking about all the leftover wax in the monastery and felt it needed to be used for something, so I went plundering through the basement of the kitchen and found these two big kettles. I immediately claimed them and started the candle-making." The two pots are used like a double boiler. Br. David said that is ideal for melting wax.
Looking around the candle shop, more than 300 molds can be found in a variety of shapes and sizes. "I probably have about 40 different types of molds. Star shapes, square votive, regular pillars and fluted with straight or spiral ridges."
Most of the candles being made now are for the upcoming holiday season. Br. David has been a crowd favorite at Bloomin' Festival and the Cullman Oktoberfest celebration.
"People really like my candles. A lot of folks want to know where they can buy the candles." Currently the candles are being sold in the Ave Maria Grotto. We are working on an online store, but I have trouble keeping enough inventory together for the supply and demand."
Br. David grins when compared to Br. Joseph, the Benedictine monk who created Ave Maria Grotto. Br. Joseph was a very talented man who worked with what he had or treasures folks gave him. Br. David says, "The leftover wax didn't last long. Now we order and have several kinds of wax delivered each week. Most candles weigh at least one pound, but our Easter candles weighed at least ten pounds each."
Currently he tries to do 10 to 15 different fragrances with the 600 pounds of wax per week. Br. David uses paraffin wax and a soy with palm wax. He rolls bees wax candles too. Chunk candles have become his best seller. "During the fall, I can do more colors with paraffin by making chunk candles. I am in the process of making pumpkin pie and carrot cake-scented candles now. With this wax, the candles come out the way I want them to."
"Being a one-man show, until we get bigger vats and more molds, we have to keep volume low," Br. David said. "My mom and dad visit with me and help me label and wrap candles. Mom closed her florist business recently and has donated all her supplies to the shop for gift baskets. She helps me with my displays by bringing different linens, candle holders and whatever she can find to make the displays look better."
When he is not in the candle shop, Br. David can be found working on computer networking in the monastery and on the abbey website. He also decorates for special meals at the abbey using his candles to accent the tables. He is also the resident guardian of the abbey pet sheep-a-doodle, Thecla.
Abbot Cletus said the candle shop has been a big help to the monastery as the proceeds benefit the abbey. "It is our hope to get an online store up and running soon and to increase the volume of sales and production in the near future. To purchase one of the monastery candles, visit Ave Maria Grotto Gift Shop, open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
