Mcid

[osapientia]

[quote name='Staretz' post='1643230' date='Aug 31 2008, 10:34 AM']I interrupt my radio silence again to announce that the Abbot and his Council have approved my request to enter the Noviciate on October 3. That is the memorial of Blessed Columba Marmion (who seems like a neat guy) and is also the 33rd anniversary of a very traumatic and lifechanging event. That is why I chose it. I did not know about Bl. Columba Marmion.[/quote]

Congratulations to you! Many blessings to you and your brothers. Here's a link to a little information about Bl Columba Marmion. You're right, he really is a "neat guy".


[url="http://saints.sqpn.com/saintc53.htm"]http://saints.sqpn.com/saintc53.htm[/url]

[Starets]

I interrupt my radio silence to announce that one of my brother monks died this morning. Details are a bit sketchy at the moment but by the sounds of it after Lauds he made himself some breakfast from leftovers and some plants that grow on the property. It looks like he had some sort of allergic reaction that caused vomiting and a constriction in his throat. He was a couple years younger than I am. He is only the second of our monks to die.

Please say a prayer for the repose of the soul of Br. John Dat, OSB. Requiem Mass will probably be tomorrow. We are all a bit shook up right now. Requiescam in pace, and may the angels lead you into paradise, little buddy

[osapientia]

[quote name='Staretz' post='1655402' date='Sep 14 2008, 05:14 PM']I interrupt my radio silence to announce that one of my brother monks died this morning. Details are a bit sketchy at the moment but by the sounds of it after Lauds he made himself some breakfast from leftovers and some plants that grow on the property. It looks like he had some sort of allergic reaction that caused vomiting and a constriction in his throat. He was a couple years younger than I am. He is only the second of our monks to die.

Please say a prayer for the repose of the soul of Br. John Dat, OSB. Requiem Mass will probably be tomorrow. We are all a bit shook up right now. Requiescam in pace, and may the angels lead you into paradise, little buddy [/quote]

Oh I'm so sorry. What a terrible shock. I will pray for Br John and all of the monks. May Christ give you all His abundant peace in these sad times for your community. May you have peace in knowing your brother is with our Lord, whom he sought to serve with all his heart and soul and whom he has now met face to face in resurrection glory.

[puellapaschalis]

[quote name='Staretz' post='1655402' date='Sep 14 2008, 11:14 PM']I interrupt my radio silence to announce that one of my brother monks died this morning. Details are a bit sketchy at the moment but by the sounds of it after Lauds he made himself some breakfast from leftovers and some plants that grow on the property. It looks like he had some sort of allergic reaction that caused vomiting and a constriction in his throat. He was a couple years younger than I am. He is only the second of our monks to die.

Please say a prayer for the repose of the soul of Br. John Dat, OSB. Requiem Mass will probably be tomorrow. We are all a bit shook up right now. Requiescam in pace, and may the angels lead you into paradise, little buddy [/quote]

Many prayers, Br. Dunstan.

[Starets]

Hello again:

Today at Noon (Mountain) Br. John Dat Nguyen, OSB, will be laid to rest. A Requiem Mass was celebrated for him on Monday. He was autopsied yesterday morning, and cremated late yesterday afternoon. His ashes were brought home for the last time last night. His funeral mass will be at noon, with burial right after.

He is actrually the first of our monks to die. there was a Brother Christopher who died a few years ago but he was a Claustral Oblate and not a solemnly professed monk.

He was born on August 9, 1970 in Vietnam. He made his first profession on 24th of November 1995 at Thien Bin. He came here in December 2006 and made his Solemn Profession April 12, 2008. He was 38.

His death was a big shock to us. It was very sudden and he was quite young. He did, however, have a few health and medical problems. We won't know the results of the autopsy for another three weeks.

Thank you for your prayers for us in this time

[stlmom]

May God rest his soul, and give you all comfort as you mourn your loss. May he be brought from death to the new life we all hope for in Christ.

[Starets]

Here is my last update before I enter the Noviciate October 3. I do not think I will do any updates until after I take simple vows. I might make an announcement about when that will be, though!

Well, it is now 180 days since I started my Postulancy. My entrance to the Noviciate is still scheduled for October 3. I am still looking forward to it. This will be when some of the harder questions start getting asked and answered. I'd invite people to come down but by the looks of it it is a private ceremony that takes place in the Chapter Room.

One big event for me was making bread for the first time ever. I had always wanted to try but never got around to it. I took the opportunity to learn how for a work period then a couple days later I made 15 loaves of bread. I had some help from one of the "regular bakers" after the yeast had finished rising and I was about to start putting the flour in. So it wasn't completely solo. Still, it was great to taste the finished product. It was about 1/3 white flour to 2/3 whole wheat flour with some honey, olive oil and molasses as well. The bread turned out very well indeed. I hope to make more bread someday. That chance will probably come.

The biggest event of all over the last month was the sudden death of Br. John Dat Nguyen on the 14th. He died in his room sometime between the end of Lauds at 6:45 and noon when his body was discovered. He was the first solemnly professed brother to die in-house. He was 38. There was another brother who died in 2003 but he was a Claustral Oblate who was in hospital after a long illness. That isn’t the same as checking up on a brother who missed Mass and finding that he died. His death was a very big shock for all of us. After all, he was 38 and had died suddenly. His death has been particularly hard on the Vietnamese monks as they are very close.

The State Police were summoned that afternoon and his body was taken away for an autopsy in Albuquerque. I spent Tuesday’s Work Period playing with Photoshop and PageMaker in order to create a Memorial Card. The autopsy took place Tuesday morning and the cremation took place late Tuesday afternoon.

There was an announcement from our Subprior that the Prior might not be back from Santa Fe until midnight. Some of the brothers stayed up after Compline to make sure they could welcome his ashes back. He came back at about 10:30. Prior Francisco carried him in with some of the Vietnamese brothers chanting something in Vietnamese behind him. I had been in the Abbey Church by myself praying for the repose of his soul.

His Funeral Mass was Wednesday at noon. It was celebrated in Latin, Vietnamese, and English. Considering the short notice involved, it was very well attended. It was really emotional when he was placed in his grave and the grave filled in. One of the brothers, a 20 year old Vietnamese postulant who is going to be leaving the postulancy in a couple days, almost completely lost his composure and started sobbing. I hugged him and let him lean on me. I must admit that there were a couple tears in my eyes too.

He will still be formally remembered for a month after his death. There is a place set for him in the Refectory. In front of his place setting is a framed photo of him. In front of that there is a crucifix flanked by two candles.

I have not been out hiking too much. I wanted to make that long circuit I mentioned in my last missive, but I had an obligation to help with cleaning up after the lunch meal that day. Duty before pleasure. The meal itself is optional, but cleaning up after it isn't! October 3 is the next Desert Day too. If the weather is good and I have no kitchen duties that day I will do the circuit. If one of the other monks comes along on the hike, so much the better. Getting to the crosses from the long slope has never been attempted, so it will be a first.

I left the property again a few days ago for a teeth cleaning appointment. Sheesh, two trips off the property in the space of a month. Obviously I am growing lax in my observance!

There have been a few conflicts and miscommunications as well, but that is one of the things that makes monastic life monastic in the first place. Yes, there is a “Paradisus Claustralis”, a Cloistered Paradise, and yes, Christ in the Desert is part of it. But, our corner of the “Paradisus” is populated by fallible humans, as are all corners of the “Paradisus”. It is important to keep that tension between “Cloistered Paradise” and “fallen humanity” ever in mind.

I have found that now the Psalms, and indeed the Divine Office as a whole, are comfortable and familiar now. They are comfortable like an old and well loved sweater (or jumper for my English friends).

It will soon be time for my Noviciate to start. Once it does, I will not be able to be online except for abbey business and for research projects related to my formation. That will be a lot harder for me than for most. After all, given my computer skills and knowledge, I am allowed more computer access than most. After all, I am in charge of updating the Holy Website. It is a lot easier to avoid temptation when there is no temptation to avoid in the first place!

[the lords sheep]

Good luck and prayers to you Brother Dunstan! Please pray for all of us here on Phatmass!

[littlesister]

Best wishes, Brother Dunstan. Remember that the whole phamily is behind you. God's blessing on the year.

[shortnun]

A lovely update. Thank you. Continued prayers for you and this next step on your journey, as well as for your whole comunity

[Stacey]

Hi, I've just checked the monastery web site -
just to remind you Starez/Br Dunstan became a Novice last Friday,
he is now called - Br Bruno and today is his first feast day, please pray for him, pax

[puellapaschalis]

Yay! Thanks Sr.

[shortnun]

[quote name='Stacey' post='1671360' date='Oct 6 2008, 04:31 AM']Hi, I've just checked the monastery web site -
just to remind you Starez/Br Dunstan became a Novice last Friday,
he is now called - Br Bruno and today is his first feast day, please pray for him, pax[/quote]
Delightful. We shall pray for him.

[stlmom]

I just received a Christmas letter from Br. Bruno in response to my Christmas Card. He asks me to pass on his hello, that he is still at the Monastery and all is going well. He reports he has passed his 2 month scrutiny with the Abbot and the council. He administers the monastery website, but cannot post due to being in the novitiate. He is quite busy being responsible for the monastery guests' breakfasts, baking bread, assisting with the gift shop, and working on writing out the Rule of St. Benedict in Latin and English (apparently one of the expected projects to be finished by the time one makes simple vows there)! Something about "ora et labora"-- lots of labora-- He continues to hike in the surrounding terrain when possible for fun.

[Starets]

Breaking radio silence to announce that I will be making my First Profession on Saturday October 3. I don't expect anyone will be able to make it, but I thought I would announce it nonetheless.