Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Glenstal monks release iPhone app

A community of monks living in County Limerick have become one of the first religious congregations in Ireland to launch their own iPhone app. 

Benedictine monks at Glenstal Abbey in County Limerick have launched the app, which can be downloaded on the iPhone or Android phone free of charge. 

The application provides the latest information from the Abbey on morning and evening daily prayer for each week, a selection of Gregorian chants and quotes from the rule of Saint Benedict as well as some general information about Glenstal Abbey. 

Fr Simon Sleeman,OSB from Glenstal said that the development of the Abbey's own iPhone app came about as a result of a chance conversation between himself and entrepreneur and Glasgow Celtic director Dermot Desmond when the latter suggested that Glenstal should develop its own app. 

According to Fr Sleeman, “With Dermot's help we were able to get the app up and running just before Christmas.” 

He said that using the app “is just like downloading the Glenstal website onto your phone and it's completely free.” 

Fr Sleeman said that users can also learn about the monk's lives, the boarding school, the farm and the Glenstal guesthouse. 

Fr Sleeman also added that over 30 people downloaded the Glenstal app in the first week alone and it has grown in popularity since then. 

Information on the app can be found at www.glenstal.org.

SIC: CIN/IE