Nonetheless, he remained in France. The abbey remained without an abbot for years. After a visitation in January 1898, Dom Edmond Obrecht from La Trappe was appointed the administrator and then elected abbot in 1898. Dom Obrecht's collection of manuscripts Obrecht, originally from Alsace, had been at the Sorbonne before becoming a monk. In 1875 he entered La Trappe, and later served as secretary to Procurators General François-Régis Martrin-Donos (1808-1880) and Stanislaus White (1838-1911), working in Rome until 1892. From 1893 to 1897 he collected donations in Europe and in the United States for the construction of Tre Fontane Abbey in Rome. He collected medieval manuscripts (and documents from the time of the French Revolution), kept today at Western Michigan University. Trappists as writers Two Gethsamni monks of the 20th century are well known for their writing: Thomas Merton and Raymond Flanagan. Merton wrote on the spirituality of the Cistercians, while Flanagan's work was aimed at a more popular audience. Both published widely and had their books translated into several languages. Present The current abbot is Elias Dietz. Silence is still encouraged. The 40-odd monks who make up the community mingle with visitors and leave the monastery grounds for medical appointments and business concerning the abbey. The monastery uses hired help for some of their maintenance, construction tasks and to staff their mail-order phone center. Mass is held every weekday at 6:15 a.m., and at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays in the main chapel. There are also vespers and other services interspersed throughout most days. William Least Heat-Moon wrote about his 1978 visit to the monastery in his book Blue Highways. List of abbots Eutropius Proust (1848–1859) Benedict Berger (1861–1889) Edward Chaix-Bourbon (1890–1896) Benedict Dupont (1896–1898) Edmond Obrecht (1898–1935) Frederic Dunne (1935–1948) James Fox (1948–1968) Flavian Burns (1968–1973) Timothy Kelly (1973–2000) Damien Thompson (2000–2008) Elias Dietz (2008–present) Life at the abbey Monastic admission Admission into the abbey is a difficult process for those interested in entering monastic life. The monastery requires applicants to make several visits to Gethsemani and encourages them to look into other communities as well. Finally, before being admitted they must pass psychological testing. Once accepted, an individual spends six months as a postulant and is then given his white robe. He then spends two years as a novice monk. If the monk is then found to be competent, he is approved by a council of "fully professed"