Even from a distance, Conception Abbey peeks above the horizon. The giant 120-year-old brick basilica rises from the pastoral landscape. It’s home to 65 Benedictine monks, who comprise nearly a third of the population of Conception, Missouri. Back in 1893, the building was only two years old when a tornado hit it, so the monks lovingly restored it, using what must be a billion bricks. Only a few blocks away,The Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration set up shop in Clyde, Missouri, proud that they possess more documented saintly artifacts than any other spot in the country. The edifices that house the monks and sisters used to be the tallest elements on the skyline along the rolling prairie. No longer. Their newest neighbors tower above them, giant wind generators which have sprouted like dandelions on nearby farms. Still, there’s absolutely no truth to the rumor that the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration will change their name to the Sisters of Propeller Adoration. (Photo courtesy conceptionabbey.org)

–from A Road Trip Into America’s Hidden Heart