The Benedictine monks at the Portsmouth Abbey in Portsmouth, R.I., have a problem. They are aging - five are octogenarians and the youngest will be 50 on his next birthday - and their numbers have fallen to 12, from a peak of about 24 in 1969.
So the monks, who for centuries have shied away from any outside distractions, have instead done what many troubled organizations are doing to find new members - they have taken to the Internet with an elaborate ad campaign featuring videos, a blog and even a Gregorian chant ringtone.
