Monastery Transfer - OCSO to O. Cist

[Luigi]

Here's something you don't see very often, but it's a win-win situation. 

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Abbot Mark to Attend Transfer of Assumption Monastery

While transfer of a monk from one monastery to an other happens from time to time, the transfer of a monastery from one religious institute to another is exceedingly rare - and will take place on August 15.  Assumption Abbey, in Ava Missouri, is a community of Trappist monks founded by New Melleray Abbey in 1950  This means Assumption Abbey is our "daughter house", and the abbot of New Melleray is the "Father Immediate" responsible for pastoral care of the community as abbot of the founding house.  For many years, the community at Ava has had difficulty attracting and retaining new candidates with the result that, there are at present only about five elderly Trappist monks still residing there.  Several years ago, in a most unusual development, several Cisterican monks from a monastery in Vietnam approached the community and proposed sending a few from their community to live with the Trappists.  In Vietnamese culture there is great care and reverence for one's elders and the Ava Trappists were charmed by the arrival of these able-bodied brothers who were pleased to support and provided for them in their later years.  Discussions ensued about the possibility of transferring the monastery to the "Order of Cistercians", (Or Cistercians of the Common Observance), at a point in time agreed upon by all parties involved.  Monasteries in Vietnam are presently receiving many candidates and this community wished to make a new foundation in the U.S.  Their offer to come and live at Ava permits the old monks there to finish their days in the place and on the site where they took their monastic vows many years ago.  They were very grateful for this arrangement which they prefer to transferring to another monastery.  So, on August 15, in a formal ceremony, Assumption Abbey will be transferred from the "Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance", (Trappists), to the "Order of Cistercians".  The Trappist monks will remain Trappists, but instead of hosting their Vietnamese brothers, will from now on, be themselves the guests of the Vietnamese community and true brothers in Christ.  While the monastic life-style and culture of the two institutes is very similar, it is not identical.  Your prayers are appreciated for our Trappist brothers who will need to make some adjustments and also for our Vietnamese brothers who face all the challenges of making a new foundation.  Finally, you might offer a prayer that these men from Vietnam are able to live in peace with their neighbors who were born and raised in the Ozarks!  And in all things may God be glorified.

Author: New Melleray Abbey

[nikita92]

Well...it sounds like a win-win situation for everyone involved. 

Blending of cultures however will not be without it's "hiccups" I'm sure!

I am curious..will the Vietnam brothers get "visas" in order to come here and stay? Or is there a special accomendation for them (immigration speaking) ..seeing how they are a religious community..

Also..will the "Strict observant" Cistercian brothers way of living, be "impacted"...(meaning- no longer able to  utilize the "Strict" aspect of their order) by the "common observant" Cistercian Asian brothers?? 

"Change" is a difficult aspect to adjust to as one ages! My heart goes out to the brother monks as they learn to readjust their sails at this point in their lives! 

I wish the best to ALL of them!!

[Luigi]

Yes, the O. Cist. brothers who come from Vietnam get visas to live in the United States. A couple of the brothers were scheduled to move to the monastery at a given time but were delayed because the Vietnamese government dragged its feet on the paperwork.

I'm sure there have been some hiccups. For instance the OCSO brothers are learning Vietnamese, which can't be easy for them, because the long-range goal is that the office will be chanted in Vietnamese. The O.Cist. brothers are also learning English. I don't know if Mass and preaching will be in English or Vietnamese. The article mentions that the OCSO and O. Cist. practices aren't identical, but it doesn't specify how - horarium? chapter? But the Trappist brothers who entered at Assumption will stay at the monastery until they die.

If you have time, you can go to the monastery's web site. They publish a brief newsletter on an irregular schedule - meaning, when the Spirit moves them! - and they're all archived here: http://www.assumptionabbey.org/newsletters.asp You can read the last three or four years' worth of newsletters to see how this has evolved.

This is at least the second foundation by Vietnamese Cistercians in the United States, the other being in California. And a Carmelilte nuns' monastery in Mobile, Alabama was transferred to Vietnamese Carmelites about two or three years ago. There's a large congregation of Vietnamese Dominican sisters in Houston, I think it is. And there's a very large congregation of Vietnamese priests & brother (Congregation of Mary Co-Redemptorix) headquartered in Carthage, Missouri. It may, in fact, have been this congregation that put the American Trappists and the Vietnamese Cistercians in  contact. In Vietnam itself, the Redemptorists are thriving, and so are the Dominicans, who are just concluding their every-nine-years general chapter in Bien Hoa, Vietnam.

[Luigi]

I misspoke above. The Dominican general chapter is every THREE years. The Master of the order serves for nine years, and a new Master was elected at the current/recent general chapter in Bien Hoa, Vietnam. The next general chapter will be in Mexico in 2022.

Sorry if I caused any confusion or consternation.

[nikita92]

Understood!

Thank you kindly for the explanation and information!