GM3Final (Page 1)

Gesta Monastica
N E W S
F R O M
T H E
A B B E Y
O F
N E W
C L A I R VA U X
Volume 2, Issue 3 Fall 2002
In this issue of Gesta Monastica:
– Progress on the Sacred Stones Project
– History of the Abbey of New Clairvaux
– Meet the Brothers
– Abbey Ranch Update
– Abbey Outreach to Starcross Community
– Recent Abbey Visitors and Events
Master stonemason Oskar Kempf painstakingly planned a detailed schematic to calculate the amount of limestone needed.
Carving, Investigating and Matching:
the Stones’ Next Phase Moves Ahead
O
ur momentous Sacred Stones project has made huge strides in the past
several months. Stones continue to be prepared and cut, expert
contacts have been formed and a new limestone source identified. Master
stonemason Oskar Kempf shares a summary of the team’s progress.
My dream to present the monks with some cut stone blocks by Christmas became a
reality. With much media fanfare, we started up the block saw for the first cut in
mid-December. While that experience was an achievement, it also presented us with new
challenges. To my surprise I realized the color of the elevation blocks was different from
the white of the portal arches and the vaulting stones in the interior.
In the 12th century, the Santa Maria de Ovila Chapter House had ochre-colored
elevation, with contrasting portals and interior vaulting stones in white. The windows
were also carved from white limestone, and the early morning rays from the sun must
have been a spectacular sight. With this new recognition of the importance of color,
I began my search for suitably matching limestone.
In February we continued the cutting and carving phase, starting with stones
for the vaulting ribs. The shaping tool (which I’m proud to report was designed and
produced by a team from the monastery) worked surprisingly well for outlining the shape
of the carving design. The pipe of the rib stones was finished with a grinder, and after
installation they will be combed with a nail brush to match the stones with the original
surface finish. Additional tools helped us to finish the stones with the same look as if they
were carved by hand centuries ago.
We needed 310 feet of ribs to complete
Ground Breaking In Sight
the total vaulting structure and by The work of our master stonemasons
mid-May all were carved. At that time we is rapidly progressing. It now appears
had also cut rough slabs for the veneer of the that all the stones, old and new, will be
interior, and ended up with two additional cut by the end of the year and the
pallets of curved wall stones – the building documents for the chapter
by-product of the rib block sides.
house and atrium will be completed.
From May to mid-June, Ross
Generous gifts from many wonderful
Leuthard, my fellow stonemason, cut the
friends across the country made this
base blocks for the 90 feet of needed wall
possible. Our dream is to break
arches, as I traveled in Europe on a mission
to learn from masters in the field while ground this spring. In order to do
visiting family. At several restoration that, we need to raise an additional
projects in Italy, I learned to avoid modern $1.5 million. Thank you for your
cement products in order to prevent continued support and God bless you
for your goodness!
efflorescence with the limestone.
continued on next page
St. Benedict icon courtesy of Sister Bede Barker, OSB
St. Cecilia’s Abbey Ryde, Isle of Wight
SHARE OUR STORY!
Would you like to share the PBS
broadcast on our Sacred Stones
project with others? If you belong to
a parish or another group which
would like to learn about our
incredible story, or if you’d simply
like to introduce the Sacred Stones
to friends, we’d like to hear from
you! Please call Sandy Goulart at
530-839-2243 for a videotape of the
broadcast and find out how you can
help spread the word. Thanks!
Contact the Abbey Online!
Our Websites:
www.maxinet.com/trappist
For Sacred Stones:
www.sacredstones.org
Recent Abbey Visitors and Events
A Word from Abbot Thomas:
Dear friends,
As this issue of Gesta Monastica goes to press,
I will be in Rome representing our community
at the biannual General Chapter of the
Cistercian Order. For the month of September,
our Order’s abbots and abbesses will offer
reflections on the life of our own communities,
review decisions made by the Abbot General,
discuss the Order’s direction and vision, and
address certain pastoral situations of various houses.
I always look forward to this gathering as an
inspiring and uplifting experience of fellowship. It is
a time to contemplate where we have come from and
where we are headed.
David Perata, author of
Orchards of Perseverance,
with his wife Pamela and
daughter Cheyenne.
City of Chico managers
watch the saw in action cutting stones for
the chapter house.
At Vina, our community of friends has grown so
wonderfully! With the timing of the General Chapter
meeting, I thought this Fall would be a good
opportunity to share with you some Cistercian history
and philosophy as well as a description of New
Clairvaux’s relationships with other monitories. I’m
also delighted to present our brothers’ short reflections
on their vocations and our monastic life. I hope you
will enjoy this “snapshot” of our community.
Robert Folger Miller and Abbot Thomas
at a Sacred Stones reception in Mr. Miller’s
home in Hillsborough.
PBS Special
In August our Sacred Stones project was featured on
the PBS program “Life 360.” The one-hour
broadcast which focused on the different ways
people pray, highlighted our project in a segment
entitled, “Prayer Stones.” Following the broadcast
the Abbey received numerous calls and e-mail
messages praising the program.
I’d like to publicly express my gratitude to the
talented production crew for the countless hours they
spent researching, filming, and editing the Sacred
Stones story. We are grateful to them and PBS for their
national coverage of our unique undertaking.
Chapter house scholar Jose
Merino at a reception in
Hillsborough.
The crew from
PBS after a long day shooting.
More Receptions
I am pleased that good friends of the monastery
continue to host receptions to help us spread the word
about our endeavor to reconstruct the ancient chapter
house of Santa Maria de Ovila. In October, Maria
and Chris Rock and their daughter Alicia will host a
reception at the “Rock Ranch” in south Chico and in
November, we’ll tell our story to friends and associates
of Joan and John Poimiroo at their home in El Dorado
Hills.
Our community is truly blessed by all of you,
who support our Abbey through your prayers,
encouragement and support.
In prayers,
Abbot Thomas X. Davis, OCSO
Photo: David Perata
Abbot
Thomas X. Davis,
OCSO
Gesta Monastica, the newsletter of The Abbey of New Clairvaux, is published twice
yearly. For address correction, to obtain additional copies, or more information on
articles, please contact Sandy Goulart at (530) 839-2243.
Publisher - Abbot Thomas X. Davis, OCSO
Editor - Sandy Goulart
Design & Production - Alan Rellaford
Tom and Nonie de Bettencourt (Paradise Reception hosts)
with their friends Marianne & Ed Leon from San Diego
visit with Brother Francis.
The Stones’ Next Phase - continued from page one
I also visited the cathedral in Freiburg,
Germany, where I was treated to a
personal tour to study the structural
elements of the different building periods
and the modern restoration methods used
today.
On a visit of the Frauenkirche
reconstruction site in Dresden, Germany,
I met with Thomas Gottschlich, the
leading architect and engineer of the
project there. We discussed different
methods of reconstruction, including
rebuilding according to original methods
and talked about seismic upgrade ideas.
Other meetings with engineers and
masons at this project opened up contacts
with experienced specialists in this field of
work which will allow us to learn about
new engineering ideas and methods used
in restoration projects around the world.
Since my return in June we finished
carving the 90 feet of wall arch stones,
and cut as many stones as possible from
the remaining limestone. With the
carving of the missing portal arch stones
and the cutting of the piers and columns
remaining, I resumed my efforts to find a
new limestone source.
After researching several quarries
overseas and in the US, I found a quarry
with the best matching stone in Texas.
I visited the TexaStone Quarry, and
decided to purchase the Cedar Hill Cream
limestone. The first load of limestone has
already arrived at the monastery.
Much progress has been made since
the first stone was carved last December.
At our current pace, we plan to have
all stones carved and prepared by the
end of 2002, moving ever closer to
groundbreaking.
-Oskar Kempf
Remembering the Abbey of New Clairvaux in your estate plan will ensure a place of peace and tranquility for generations to come.
A Lasting Gift
The Non-Profit Times estimates that over 70% of households give to a charity each year,
but fewer than 6% plan a charitable bequest in their estates. (“Estate” is simply a word
used to describe any money, property, insurance or personal belongings that someone has
at the time of their death.) Yet, those who include the Abbey in their estate plans are an
enormous part of what we do. For example, the generosity and foreplanning of several
friends of the Abbey have helped to bring our building plans closer to fruition.
If you have a professional you’re working with, such as a financial planner, lawyer,
accountant or insurance agent, you may want to talk with them about the tax benefits
associated with leaving a gift to the abbey.
The Abbey deeply appreciates and values gifts of all forms and sizes. For additional
information or questions, please contact Sandy Goulart at 530-839-2243 or
sgoulart7@netscape.com
ABBEY OF OUR LADY OF NEW CLAIRVAUX
Quiet . . .
Back a hundred years
Further back . . .
To a time long ago, when men followed other men
Not into battle
But into a life of self-denial and sacrifice
Into a life of hard work, discipline and prayer
A Spartan life unlike the modern busy world about us
Quiet . . .
Huge oaks creating deep shadows
On the green spaces at your feet
Golden day lilies brightening the distant field of vision
Time . . .
Time to think of different things
Space all about you
How to Remember the Abbey of New Clairvaux in Your Will
You may state your desire to leave a specific named
asset, a specified dollar amount or a percentage of
your estate (after other expenses are paid) to the
Abbey, as follows:
A Fixed Amount or a Designated Property:
“I give and bequeath to the Abbey of New
Clairvaux, located in Vina, CA, $_____.” (or describe
the real or personal property, including exact location)
A Percentage of the Estate:
“I give and bequeath to the Abbey of New
Clairvaux, located in Vina, CA, _____% of my
estate.”
A Residual Bequest:
“All the residue of my estate, including real and
personal property, I give and bequeath to the Abbey of
New Clairvaux, located in Vina, CA.”
Your gift can be used wherever the need is
greatest or for a specified use such as the chapter
house, library, or the education of young monks.
A Bequest for a Specific Purpose:
If you wish to have your bequest applied to a
specific facility (such as the chapter house or library)
or program (such as education) simply add “for the
benefit of (name of the facility or program) to the
language suggested above.
Space in which to set aside everyday anxieties
The everyday scurrying and hurrying of this busy world
Time to look into your soul
Daybreak!
Early rising
Birds gaily calling back and forth, chattering
Sunlight piercing the heavy foliage of the trees
A Double-Purpose Bequest:
You can provide for yourself and/or one other
person with income for life through a special gift to
the Abbey of New Clairvaux. You can do this by
establishing a charitable trust through your will.
Upon your death, the trust pays income to the
person you designate. After that person’s death,
whatever remains in the trust passes to the Abbey of
New Clairvaux
Orchards stretching onwards to the horizon
Early morning sounds
Early morning sounds of voices rising in prayer
Muted footsteps, softly traversing the choir spaces
Time
Time for man to search his soul
To find his God
To refine his spirit
To refine his soul.
by M. G. Townsend
Reno, Nevada
Abbey Retreatant
New Clairvaux’s Relationships with Other Monasteries
The Starcross Community: Monks, Parents and Children
Our Lady of Gethsemani, Kentucky
The first lasting Trappist monastery in America,
Our Lady of Gethsemani was founded in 1848 by
monks from Melleray Abbey, France. Beginning in
1955, the Gethsemani Abbot sent nearly 50 monks out
west to form a new foundation to ease the
over-population at Gethsemani. This foundation
became our own Abbey of New Clairvaux, now one of
six Gethsemani daughter-houses, five in the United
States, and one in Chile.
The Abbot of Gethsemani is Vina’s Father
Immediate, which means that he watches over the
progress of the daughterhouse, visiting every two years
to offer help and support to the Abbot and to foster
harmony in the community.
Back row: (l-r) David, Br. Toby Front row: (l-r) Holly, Sr. Marti, Andrew, Fr. Harold, Sr. Julie
M
embers of the Starcross community live
as a family according to Cistercian
monastic tradition. The community
includes foster children and adopted children, and
has a special interest in caring for children with
AIDS, supporting children in Uganda, Romania
and soon in South Africa. In addition to working
and educating the children, the community
members follow a daily schedule not unlike that at
the Abbey.
“Monastic life is a continuation of the
experience of the Christian community in the early
years. They were all little families,” explains Brother
Toby, who founded the Starcross community
with Sister Marti in 1971 in San Francisco. “As
monasteries became very large they of necessity
became institutional, but there was always the sense
that monastic life was essentially a continuation of
the process of finding God in the people with whom
we lived.” In 1976, the community moved to its
present location in Annapolis, in the coastal hills of
Sonoma County.
The Starcross community members believe that
if a monastery is quite simply an example of
Christian family life, then it is natural that children
would be considered part of that life, as they have
often been in the past. “Our first obligation has to
be to the children but there never has been any
conflict with our own spiritual growth,” Brother
Toby adds. “In fact, sitting at the bedside of a dying
daughter has helped me understand more clearly
than anything else the nature of God.”
Recognized by the Diocese of Santa Rosa as
“an association of Christian faithful,” Starcross
receives spiritual guidance, assurance, comfort, and
friendship from the Abbey of New Clairvaux, with
Father Harold serving as spiritual director. Father
Harold first met Brother Toby and Sister Marti in
early 1974 when they came to the Abbey to give a
workshop on Dr. Kubler-Ross’s, Death & Dying.
He became spiritual director at Starcross in 1999,
replacing Father Joseph James, a member of the
New Clairvaux community, who died suddenly.
As spiritual director, Father Harold spends two
or three days every year at Starcross. While there, he
enters fully into the life of the community and is
available for meetings and special ministries such as
First Communions and baptisms. Father Harold
considers his involvement with Starcross a blessing,
“Here at Vina we do not live and pray and work
with children, whereas at Starcross theirs is a full
family life.”
During Father Harold’s visit to Starcross
this August, he was surprised to learn of the
community’s decision to open a house in South
Africa. “But how are you going to do it, who is
going to do it,” he asked Brother Toby. “Everything
we’ve gotten involved in has come to us,” Brother
Toby said. “We didn’t go looking for it, so we see it
as God’s will and He will see us through it.”
Brother Toby believes that as large monastic
commuities become smaller, and people look for
alternative ways of living out their commitments to
the monastic life, more and more monks
and would-be monks are pondering the simple
description of the early Christian community who
‘lived together and shared everything in common’
and who ‘met in their houses for the breaking of
bread.’
The Starcross community and the Abbey first
came together soon after Abbot Thomas had been
elected abbot. “We were exploring bridges between
psychology and spirituality and between eastern
and western spirituality, and wanted to know more
about Cistercian spirituality,” Brother Toby
remembers. “The brothers, on the other hand, were
reeling from major changes following Vatican II and
wanted to explore some of the things that we were
investigating and living. The monks came to spend
time with us as teachers and friends. I think it was
affirming in those chaotic days to some of the
monks that we found in their life and spiritual
practices much that was not only of relevance to the
modern world but also of practical importance to
our emerging community. Very soon we found there
developed a mutual relationship. The monks
encircled our children with their arms as well as with
their prayers.”
In 1993, the two communities issued a “charter
of spiritual solidarity,” making Starcross an oblate,
or lay community of the Abbey.
And according to Brother Toby, it is a bond for
which he is grateful. “Here, for me, is the needed
and healthy connection to the people of God I call
‘church.’”
Our Lady of Joy, Lantao Island, Hong Kong
Vina’s daughterhouse since 1960, this monastery
of 15 was elevated to the rank of Abbey two years ago.
It was founded in 1928 from the first Chinese
Cistercian monastery, Our Lady of Consolation
(1883), near Beijing. In the late 1940’s, the monks of
Our Lady of Joy took refuge from the Communist
Chinese government and built a monastery and dairy
on Lantao Island from the labor of their own hands.
By the time the community was sufficiently
re-established to resume regular monastic life in 1960,
the monks of Our Lady of Consolation remained
underground in mainland China and were unable to
fulfill canonical duties to their daughterhouse. The
Abbot General suggested that Pacific Rim Vina, which
showed leadership promise, take on the role of
motherhouse. Today, Our Lady of Joy has ten monks in
the mainland and a foundation house on Taiwan
where three monks reside. In his role as Father
Immediate, the Abbot visits Lantao Island every two
years.
Our Lady of Peace, Nicaragua
In 2000, this monastery of nuns was founded by a
Cistercian community of sisters from Argentina.
Because a men’s monastery must be the official
“mother-house” or Father Immediate, Abbot Thomas
accepted the “paternity” of the new monastery in
Nicaragua in 2001 and visits the monastery every two
years in his official capacity as Father Immediate. The
community is currently building the monastery and has
yet to move to the permanent site.
Chau Son Abbey, Vietnam
The Chau Son Abbey belongs to the Order of
Citeaux, which means the community is Cistercian but
not Trappist. Therefore, the Abbey’s relationship with
this monastery of 120 is simply on a friendly basis and
not canonical. Two of Chau Son’s monks are in
residence at Vina and the monks assist them with their
immigrant status and theology. The Abbey of New
Clairvaux also acts as a base of operation for Chau
Son’s American fundraising projects since Vietnam’s
Communist government does not allow the monks to
support themselves. Vina plans to accept several
postulants from this monastery as members which may
mark the beginning of a Trappist-Cistercian
foundation in Vietnam.
Redwoods Monastery, Whitethorn, CA
In 1962 four nuns left their Abbey of Nazareth in
Belgium and established a small foundation in the
redwood forests of northern California. The Redwoods
Monastery was founded on property that belonged to
New Clairvaux in redwood country outside of
Garberville. For a time, the monks cared for the
monastery, but not on an official canonical basis. The
Abbot chose not to accept paternity for Redwoods in the
late 1960’s due to lack of personnel at Vina. However
the community has been friends and supporters of the
sisters all these years and the bonds between the two
monasteries truly reflect the Order’s Charter of Charity.
The Vina pioneers from Gethsemani, waiting for the train in Kentucky
O U R B E G I N N I N G ~ O U R H I S TO RY
I
n the early 1950’s Dom James Fox,
the Abbot of Gethsemani, visited
California in search of a site for a
new monastery. Eventually, 570 acres of
Leland Stanford’s old Vina Ranch were
purchased from Mr. Bernard Flynn, then
owner of the ranch. On July 2, 1955, the
Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed
Virgin Mary, Dom James arrived at the
newly founded monastery of New
Clairvaux with a group of monks from
Gethsemani.
Father Anselm Steinke was named
the first Superior and continued to serve
until 1959 when the monastery was
elevated to the rank of Abbey.
Three abbots have since
succeeded Father Steinke:
Dom Eusebius Wagner (19591968); Dom Bernard Johnson
(1968-1970); and the present
abbot, Dom Thomas Davis
(1970-present).
In the monastery’s early
days, the main source of income
was dairy farming and a few orchards.
The dairy farming was eventually
abandoned as resources were diverted to
the expansion of the prune and walnut
orchards.
Many buildings on the property
existed before the foundation of the
monastery. They include the winery,
brandy barns, red barn, tailor shop,
novitiate house, bunkhouse, St. Luke’s
Dining Room, and St. Matthew and
St. John’s guesthouse.
The old Stanford mansion that
served as the monks living quarters was
completely destroyed by fire on
November 28, 1970. As a result, an
extensive building program was
undertaken which included a dining
room/kitchen complex, library, Chapter
Room and private rooms for the monks.
All were designed by Brother Bob Usher
who also conceived and participated in
the construction of the park, the front
main gate and gate leading to the
monastic enclosure.
In the early 1980’s attention was
turned to the guest facilities. The result
was yet another ambitious building
program that included the construction
of a guest chapel, Welcoming Center,
library and two guesthouses.
The two major projects now before
us are the new Abbey Church and
Chapter House. Constructed in 1960,
the present church was intended to serve
our needs for two years. While it has
served us well, it is long overdue for
replacement by a church more suitable to
our prayer life.
The Chapter House, soon to be
reconstructed here at the monastery, was
originally built in Spain between 1190
and 1220. It was purchased, dismantled
and brought to San Francisco by William
Randolph Hearst in 1931. Originally
intended to be the centerpiece of a new
building project that was to surpass that
of San Simeon, it remained scattered
about Golden Gate Park until the Fine
Arts Museums of San Francisco awarded
it to the Abbey. While over the years
many stones were subject to abuse and
used for park construction projects, we
managed to secure most of the stones
and had them transported to the
monastery.
As important as all the building and
renovations are to the monastery, they
comprise its structure, not its heart.
The heart of the monastery is
the community of monks, our
prayer life, and our guests who
join us in prayer each day.
Presently there are twenty-six
monks in residence here at the
abbey. Twenty-two monks,
including two postulants, are
permanent members of the
community while four will be returning
to other monasteries upon completion of
their studies or special projects.
There have been many changes and
much growth over the past forty-seven
years. As we begin the new millennium,
we do so with thanksgiving for all the
blessings God has bestowed upon our
community in the past and look to the
future with great confidence that God
will continue to bless the community
and all our friends who come each year
to pray with us. Deo gratias!
B R O T H E R S
O
Vina’s Community Members Reflect
on Their Vocations
Abbot Thomas X. Davis, OCSO
Brother Regis King, OCSO
Birthplace: Louisville, KY
Profession: Solemn professed
Education: Degree in engineering
Present Ministry: Plumbing,
maintenance, prior
I was called to the monastic life in
1953. I’d long sought religious life which
led me to the monastic life, a simple life of
contemplation – a direct way to God.
In 1959 I was sent to Vina from Gethsemani as cellarer.
I find great joy in being called to love Jesus. This way of life is best
suited to know and follow the will of God to fuller love of Jesus and my
neighbor. This beautiful and unique place is an ideal setting in which
to live and grow in love of God.
Father Bernard Johnson, OCSO
Birthplace: Ft. Lyon, CO
Profession: Solemn professed. Entry
1946. Ordained to the priesthood.
Education: Three years US Navy.
Seminary. Licentiate in Canon Law,
Gregorian University, Rome.
Present Ministry: Former Abbot
My parents were military people;
my father was a Protestant. I wanted to
join an order in the Church where I could do the most with my life for
humanity. Twice I was asked to serve at Vina – in 1957 and 1967 –and
was elected abbot in 1968 and thus changed stability from Conyers to
Vina. It is the community life and life of prayer that is most enriching
about life at the monastery.
Father Paul Mark Schwan,
OCSO
Birthplace: Michigan, ND
Profession: Solemn professed. Entered
the monastery October 15, 1980; simple
profession 1983; solemn vows 1987;
ordained to the priesthood
June 12, 1988
Education: BA in Philosophy
Humanities; equivalent to a
Masters in Theology
Present Ministry: Vocation and novice director, sub-prior, archivist,
fire chief
I grew up on a family farm in North Dakota with six other
siblings. We were a family that worked together, played together and
most importantly prayed together. The love for God expressed in
radical community living, the liturgical life of the Divine Office, and
total dedication to God all attracted me to monastic life. I heard about
our Abbot, Father Thomas X. Davis, while at the seminary in Fargo.
When I expressed an interest in Trappist-Cistercian life, it was
recommended I write to him here at Vina.
I love the chanting of the full Divine Office, the common life with
the brothers, sharing everything and the solitude and silence to
commune with God. Our apostolate is the praise of God and prayer for
the world. By making peace in our own hearts, we spread the peace and
reconciliation around the world.
N E W
Brother Christopher Marquez,
OCSO
OCSO
Brother Laurin Hartzog, OCSO
Brother Joseph Matthew
Muratore, OCSO
Birthplace: San Giovanni, Italy
Profession: Solemn professed
Education: BS in Civil Engineering
Present Ministry: Sacristan, surveying,
consulting with the building project
My mother was Italian and my
father, who was a US citizen, worked for
an international silver company in
Connecticut. I always wanted to know and do God’s will perfectly.
At the monastery we live a contemplative life with no apostolate.
There is time to seek God always. The Abbot of Gethsemani sent me to
Vina to help with the building program.
Brother Pierre LaPointe, OCSO
Birthplace: Detroit, MI
Profession: Solemn professed
Education: Two years of college
Present Ministry: orchardist and
mechanic
I come from a large, closely-knit
family. My mother and father were
married 52 years and my mother, 100, is
still living. I felt a deep longing for the
simple life of prayer and manual labor. Only after a year at Gethsemani
did I realize it was the attraction of Christ’s love that drew me.
I was asked to go to the foundation at Vina with 27 other monks.
At 25 years old, California sounded like an adventure! I am happy
I came and yes, it is still an adventure.
Brother Joseph Gilbert Knapp
Birthplace: Kansas City, KS
Profession: Solemn professed. Became a
Postulant in 1952
Education: Rockhurst College, Kansas
City
Present Ministry: Bookkeeping and
handling mail
After my time in the Navy, I went
to a Jesuit college where religion and
philosophy were required courses. Putting God first in one’s life was a
recurring theme. My call to monastic life resulted from my efforts to
become established into a way of life. I made simple vows at the Abbey
of Gethsemani and came to Vina soon afterward in 1955.
The Cistercian Constitution mentions that monks should practice
separation from the world and follow the teaching of the desert fathers.
The section on the Spirit of the order describes the monastery as a school
of the liturgy and a fraternal charity. I feel drawn to the monastic
routine, which is ordered for contemplation. Active religious orders do
not have this orientation.
Father Paul Jerome Konkler,
OCSO
Birthplace: Lancaster, OH
Profession: Became a monk in 1959;
ordained to the priesthood in 1968.
Solemn professed.
Education: BA in history and
philosophy; Masters in Theology
Present Ministry: teaching theology,
philosophy and history; spiritual
directing at the Guest House
I have four brothers, two sisters and a brother and sister who died
as infants. I had a desire for more time to pray, a desire to deepen my
relation with God as much as possible. I first joined the Christian
Brothers and taught school for 15 years. I heard about Vina in 1958
and transferred here in 1959.
My life at Vina enables me to integrate my desires, ambitions and
ideals into a faithful life of service, both within the monastery and with
men and women who come for retreats and direction.
Birthplace: Bastrop, LA
Profession: Solemn professed. Entered
the Christian Brothers in 1954. Became
a Cistercian in 1977.
Education: BS in Business
Administration, USL; BA in English,
College of Santa Fe; MS in Economics,
St. Mary’s University at San Antonio;
doctoral work at McNeese University,
Brother John Cullen, OCSO
Birthplace: San Francisco, CA
Profession: Solemn professed
Education: Evening courses at USF
Present Ministry: Guest master
I was the youngest in a typical
Irish-Catholic family. Like so many
others, I read Thomas Merton and felt an
attraction to the monastic life. I visited
Vina a few times while considering
entering Holy Trinity in Utah, but something clicked while on a visit
during the prune harvest in 1961.
Brother Francis Flaherty, OCSO
Birthplace: Oakland, CA
Profession: Solemn professed
Education: Junior College
Present Ministry: Buyer, leader of
group tours
In 1950 I travelled to areas of Japan
that had been bombed and to China
where I saw people who were starving.
After that trip, I wanted to be in religious
life. When I finished high school I entered the Augustinians. Over the
next eight years I heard God calling me very gently and peacefully to be
a monk. I came to New Clairvaux in 1970.
I very much appreciate and love the silent atmosphere and the
time for prayer and reflection at the monastery. I also enjoy our
tranquil surroundings which aid us in prayer. In the active religious life
the key is apostolate and you do not have much time for prayer. In our
monastic schedule we have a balanced blend of prayer and work.
Father Harold Kiheipua Meyer,
OCSO
Birthplace: Hawaii
Profession: Solemn professed. Ordained
to the priesthood in 1962. Became a
monk in 1973.
Education: Queen of Peace Seminary,
NH; St. Michael’s University, VT and
BA in English Literature, University of
Hawaii.
Present Ministry: Ranch and business manager; co-orchardist;
work secretary
My great-grandfather settled on the island of Molokai as a
rancher and administrator for the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1850. My
family has lived there ever since. I first became interested in monastic
life by reading Thomas Merton. I entered the Sacred Hearts
community in Molokai in 1954. Soon afterward I wanted to become a
Trappist, but I had to wait until 1973 for formal permission.
I enjoy the basics of Cistercian life. The monastic environment of
prayer, quiet and structure has attracted and fulfilled my calling from
God.
Brother Gerard Arsenault,
OCSO
Birthplace: Rumford, ME
Profession: Solemn professed
Education: Eight years
Present Ministry: Community cook and
bread baker
I come from a family of 18 children.
We were a happy family and enjoyed each
other. I’ve lived in Maine, Massachusetts,
Vermont and Florida. I was longing for a life of deep prayer, always
longing to grow in Jesus through Mary. After I’d seen an article in the
Los Angeles Times about the Trappists in California, I came to Vina
and ended up joining the community.
What I find here is a life of quiet – no radio, no TV. There is more
time to be with Jesus and Mary.
C L A I R V A U X
Father Anthony Bellesorte,
Birthplace: Philadelphia, PA
Profession: Solemn Professed. Entered
the Dominicans in 1963, ordained to
the priesthood June 13, 1969. Came to
Vina in 1972.
Education: BS in Commerce and
Engineering; BA in Philosophy; Master
of Divinity; Pastoral training internship.
Present Ministry: Electrician, part-time cook, computer repair
coordinator, secretary/treasurer of the Abbey Ranch, Inc.,
garbage/recycle/safety coordinator, potter
I grew up the oldest of four in an Italian-Catholic family. My dad
went to daily Mass from the time he was 20 to when he died at age 90.
I was originally attracted to community life by living in a Dominican
parish with many Dominicans in residence. I felt that community life
in a religious environment must be a wonderful way to live. As I look
back, community is definitely what I wanted but did not know it till
I was 27.
A Dominican friend had been to Vina on retreat and thought
I might like it. We came for a visit and it was love at first sight.
I experienced a strong community life and it felt wonderful. It still does
30 years later!
In a special look at our community,
the monks of Our Lady of New Clairvaux
offered the following short biographies and
reflections on their lives at the Abbey.
Birthplace: Columbus, IN
Profession: Solemn professed. Ordained
to the priesthood December 20, 1958.
Education: Two years of philosophy;
four years of theology; some
post-graduate work in philosophy;
Licentiate in Canon Law, Gregorian
University, Rome.
Present Ministry: Abbot
Both sides of my family were very musical. My father was in the
band of the circuses of Ringling Brothers and Hagenback & Wallace.
My mother and her family played in the band of the New Era Showboat
on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. Both of my parents were for a time
with Buckskin Ben’s Dog and Pony Show Music Band. But in real life,
they ran a grocery store.
As long as I can remember I wanted to be a Benedictine monk
and priest. The Seven Story Mountain and The Waters of Silo had some
influence on my choice, and I was attracted to the contemplative life
style. The Trappists were the only contemplative order available to men
at that time. I entered Gethsemani in 1951 and in 1955 I was sent to
Vina by the Abbot to help start this community.
The contemplative orientation of the lifestyle is very rich. The
emphasis on personal and public prayer in a contemplative mode is
different from parish ministry and other religious orders.
F
Lake Charles, LA
Present Ministry: Runs the vineyard, the bookstore and day lilies
nursery
I grew up working in our family business – selling. Worked my
way through college and worked for a meat packing company in New
Orleans until I entered the Christian Brothers. I felt a deep yearning for
more time to spend with God and a striving to know Him and love Him
better. I heard about Vina from some monks in Georgia and I came to
spend two weeks here in June 1977. I fell in love with the place and the
brothers. The Christian Brothers released me from my contract with the
College of Santa Fe so I could stay. I never left.
This vocation is a constant reminder of God’s holy presence. The
quiet and freedom from wordly turmoil, temptations and violence are
enriching aspects of life here.
Birthplace: San Francisco, CA
Profession: Simple professed 1995
Education: BA in Theatre Arts/Acting
Present Ministry: Librarian, Cantor
My parents divorced when I was
very young and I was raised as an only
child by my mother. After being away
from the Church for seven years, I rediscovered my need for God. The monastery seemed the best place to explore
and develop my newfound – old – faith. A Franciscan told me about
Vina, and after corresponding by mail and a few visits, I decided to
enter.
I find the silence and opportunities for solitude especially
rejuvenating. Although our limited contact with the outside world can
be a source of frustration, it can also be a source of new life.
Brother Rafael Flores
Birthplace: Ibarra, Ecuador
Profession: Simple professed
Education: BA, three years of
accounting
Present Ministry: work in many
departments
I’m from Ecuador, a beautiful
country with lakes and volcanoes. My
parents and my sister live there. They have
a small farm where they plant corn, wheat, and tomatoes. We’ve always
had a simple life. I was looking for a place where I can be who I am.
I don’t want to live empty, living a worldly life.
I made my profession on Easter Sunday, April 8th, 2002. I have
a new view of my life, who I was and who I am now. It’s a deeper
intimacy with God; it’s depending on God and not on the world. We
pray for all of creation.
Brother Placid Morris, OCSO
Birthplace: Pasadena, CA
Profession: Novice
Education: Masters in Theology at St.
Meinrad School of Theology
Present Ministry: Liturgical Readings
Secretary and Chronicler
I am the youngest of a set of triplets.
I feel called to the monastic life to seek
God as a way of finding myself and
becoming like Him. Vina is a place which challenges me to be real. In
this place we strive to see ourselves always in God’s presence. In our way
of expressing faith, we are called to relate to each other in simplicity.
Brother Carlos Delgado
Birthplace: Mexico
Profession: Associate brother, 3 years ago
Education: Three years of special school
for accounting in Mexico
Present Ministry: Associate brother
I’m number five of seven brothers.
All of my family is in Mexico. After
four retreats at Vina, I like the silent
way of life. I think God is helping
me because of the silence in the monastery. It helps me focus on God.
Father John Murphy
Birthplace: San Francisco, CA
Profession: Observer. Ordained to the
priesthood in 1977
Education: Masters Degree
Present Ministry: Observer
I felt a desire to live in conscious
contact with God at all times – to offer
myself as available for His intervention in
my life. Many years ago my mother
suggested I make a retreat at Vina. The impact on my life was huge;
I never forgot these monks.
I find the regularity of prayer enriching. The rhythm of work and
divine office create an access to God and the opportunity to surrender to
Him at all levels.
Brother Carlos Diaz
Birthplace: Bogota, Colombia
Profession: Observer
Education: One semester of college,
one semester of seminary
Present Ministry: suckering orchards and
grapes
My family in Bogota all work in TV
filming. I wanted a more intimate contact
with God, with life, that I couldn’t find in
the noise of the city. I found the community at Vina on the Internet.
The monastery is a different world. Our lives of simplicity are a
counter-example to society which for centuries has tried to find paradise
in this life.
Not Pictured
Brother Anscario, OCSO
Father Lawrence Allen, OCSO
Brother Casimir, OCSO
Father Dominic Tran, OCSO
Birthplace: Vietnam
Profession: Solemn professed. Ordained
to the priesthood 1997.
Education: Masters in Spirituality
Present Ministry: Computer expert,
Mass intentions keeper
My father is an officer of the
Republican Government of Vietnam.
I have four younger sisters and three
younger brothers. Seeking God, happiness and peace is my goal in this
life. I discovered that the Cistercian way of life is consistent with my
character and my will so I chose that at last.
After finishing my studies in France, I had the opportunity to
learn more English at Vina. The Abbot accepted and supported me in
that effort. A life of prayer is the best one in spiritual life because we
communicate increasingly with God and love him. We are in contact all
the time with him who is the source of life, happiness and peace.
Brother Paul Koa, OCSO
Birthplace: Taipei, Taiwan
Profession: Solemn professed
Education: BA in Social Science, S.T.B.
Present Ministry: worker
My great-uncle, Father Nicholas,
transferred from diocesan priest to
Trappist monk when he was 70 years old.
He is now 104 and the oldest monk of our
order. I intended to search for a contem
plative religious life after college. I preferred to seek God in the
monastic life rather than parish ministry, so I made contact with the
Trappist monastery in Taiwan, which is a foundation of Vina.
I studied my novitiate over here.
Monastic life is a school of prayer. I find the liturgical and
personal prayer enriches my life.
Photo: George Fry III
T H E
The community gathers to celebrate the Holy Eucharist.
Solemn Professed:
Novice:
Observer:
Monks who have made a life commitment with solemn and perpetual vows
as given in the Rule of St. Benedict -- Stability, Conversion of Life
(conversatio) and Obedience.
A person learning to live “the life” as a monk in the Cistercian Order
according to the Abbey of New Clairvaux Traditions. During this period of
special formation the person becomes a member of the Order and prepares
to profess monastic vows at the end of the novitiate. For Cistercians this is a
two-year experience.
Someone who lives within the monastic community to accomplish a basic
decrement and elementary monastic formation in order to assist him in
discerning if God is actually calling him to enter monastic life at the Abbey
of New Clairvaux. This period may be from one to three or more months.
Simple Professed:
Monks who have made a temporary commitment of the three Benedictine
vows. A period of temporary commitment prior to making solemn and
perpetual vows is required by Church Law.
Associate Brother:
Postulant:
A person preparing to become a novice. At New Clairvaux a postulant’s
period of discernment and formation in monastic spirituality is about one
year.
A volunteer who has made an open ended commitment to live in the guest
area and share in certain monastic exercises with the community, for
example, in the choral prayer of the Opus Dei seven times a day and
manual labor. Presently, the Abbey has a policy of only one volunteer.
Abbey Ranch Update
In Memoriam:
Father Timothy VanderVennet
In April we lost another dear member
of our community, Father Timothy.
Having entered our order in
Gethsemani in 1939, he came to
New Clairvaux in 1957 to teach
theology. For many years he was prior
(second superior) of the monastery
and acted as confessor and spiritual
director for hundreds of religious and
laity who came on retreat to Vina. Born in Moline, Illinois, Father
Timothy studied at Louvain University, Belgium for the Diocese of
Peroria. He was ordained June 30, 1935.
Father Timothy loved spending time in solitude at his
hermitage, a former tool shed, on Deer Creek. He always strove to
be a “simple monk” and once said, “I’m just an ordinary guy but
God has blessed me with this vocation of just letting go so that He
can draw me into His own friendship. And then I’m responsible for
sharing with other people the same joy in my own prayers.”
Father Timothy died from complications caused by
pneumonia on April 15 during the Easter Season, a fitting time for
a monk who lived his monastic life in the context of the Easter
Mystery.
Harvest Time at the Monastery Good Wine with a Great Story
By Father Harold, Business Manager
W
alnut harvesting will begin in late
September and continue through
most of October as we “shake” the
trees for a second time. This year we are expecting a
good crop, well beyond last year’s production, which
was affected by the Palm Sunday frost of 2001.
The year we participated in the prune industry’s
“Tree Pull Program,” meaning we have 32 fewer
acres of prunes (2,861 trees), which amounts to a
25% reduction. Nevertheless, we expect to double
this year’s prune production. The reason being that
the Palm Sunday frost, mentioned above, wiped out
two-thirds of our projected crop.
For the first time in the monastery’s history, we
had another harvest before the prunes: GRAPES.
You can read about it in Brother Laurin’s column.
We praise and thank the Lord for his generous
blessings on the “work of our hands” in both
fruitful and difficult years.
By Brother Laurin
Formerly the site of Leland Stanford’s Great Vina
Ranch -- the largest winery in the world -- our fields
are once again growing grapes. In our second year of
planting, our vines look good and have maintained
their growth.
We’ve spent much effort in pruning and spacing as
well as training the shoots to grow in the proper
direction. At the end of July, we left one choice cluster
on each shoot to promote quality. Quality fruit yields
quality wine!
Our horticultural practices are paying off as our
tests show a high level of sugar as well as a high alcohol
percentage - a difficult combination to achieve when
the temperatures start climbing. We began harvesting
our Syrah grapes on August 15. The Zinfandel was
ready for harvest a week or two later.
We are doing some crushing and fermenting
ourselves. We have eight gallons of albarino juice
fermenting and will do small crushes on some of the
other varietals to test for quality.
The owners of Long Creek Winery were very
impressed with our vineyards and wine tasting room.
We are committed to sending them two tons of Syrah
and we committed all other grapes to Grey Fox Winery.
Both of these wineries are located in a nearby town,
Oroville. We are doubly blessed to find wineries so close
as well as to place all of our fruit when there is an
oversupply of grapes. This oversupply in the wine industry is known as “an embarrassment of riches.”
We are grateful to God for our first harvest and
look forward to many more!
Abbey Ranch sign, lovingly crafted
by Father Anthony, Abbey Potter
Abbot Thomas X. Davis, OCSO
Abbey of New Clairvaux
P.O. Box 80
Vina, CA 96092
Brother John Paul Fush
On June 5, we lost Brother John Paul
Fush, the first postulant to enter our
community who persevered to solemn
vows. Humbled by this distinction,
he felt a certain obligation and
responsibility to the community
which was evident every day of his
time at Vina. Brother John Paul
would have turned 78 on June 12.
Born in Lorraine, Ohio, he was a Marine veteran of World
War II and completed degrees in English and Psychology. Brother
taught with the Silesians in Los Angeles for several years before
responding to the Lord’s invitation to follow him as a Trappist
monk.
After his solemn vows on April 22, 1962 he served as guest
master and vocations director for many years. Brother also served at
our monastery in Hong Kong from 1987-96. Upon returning to
Vina in 1996, he was charged with the care of the home orchards
and was one of the community’s cooks.
Brother was regular in his attendance at the Divine Office
and other community functions until three days before his death.
Vina, CA
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