The Abbey of Gethsemani is a Trappist (Cistercian of the Strict Observance) monastery in Nelson County, Kentucky, founded on December 21, 1848, by monks from the Abbey of Melleray in France and raised to abbey status in 1851. It is the oldest Trappist monastery still operating in the United States and is considered the motherhouse of American Trappist and Trappistine communities. The abbey is best known as the home of Thomas Merton, the influential 20th-century writer and monk, and it hosts guests for silent retreats.