February 2010
+R. D. Teresa Arlete Rodrigues OSB
On 1 February 2010, Dame Teresa Arlete Rodrigues OSB, 79, sometime member of Stanbrook Abbey, died fortified by the sacraments of the Church in the 59th year of her monastic life. From 1984 to 1996 Sister Teresa guided the work of the Alliance for International Monasticism (AIM) in Paris. Her work brought her into contact with hundreds of monasteries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. She died as a member of Holy Trinity Monastery, East Hendred, Wantage, Oxfordshire. Enjoying the rewards of the good and faithful servant, may she rest in peace.
Conception Abbey
The National Catholic Reporter focused on Conception Abbey's
use of management consultants to revitalize
The Printery House, the
monks' apostolate of Catholic publishing. Abbot Gregory Polan OSB said,
"'The Printery House serves our mission of spreading the Gospel and it puts bread and butter on our table.' In addition, the abbey welcomes 8,000 visitors a year for retreats through its hospitality center, educates seminarians from 22 dioceses, and is a
vibrant monastery" (Tom Gallagher).
World Day for Consecrated Life
In 1997, Pope John Paul II instituted 2 February as a day of prayer for women
and men in consecrated life. In the US the celebration of
World Day for Consecrated Life is transferred to Sunday, 7 February 2010, in order to enable as much participation as possible.
Consecrated Life Sunday is an annual day of prayer for the men and women who have committed themselves to a consecrated life, be it a public life of active ministry or a hidden life of prayer in a monastery.
"The Church is greatly blessed by the many contributions of consecrated men and women, through their ministries in the areas of education, health care, spiritual formation, and social service," said
Sean Cardinal O'Malley OFM Cap., chairman of the U.S. Bishops' Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations.
The U.S. bishops have named the promotion of vocations to priesthood and consecrated life as one of their five priorities. USCCB will launch a new website in April 2010 highlighting the gift of consecrated life to the Church.
January 2010
Updates on Haiti
The website for L'Abbaye Saint Guénolé, founding community of Morne St. Benoît, Haiti, posts updates regularly, in French, on the continuing crisis in Haiti. The Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM) posts messages concerning various religious communities in Haiti.
Oldest Spanish-born Monk in Australia
The last Spanish-born Benedictine monk in Australia's only monastic town has died at the age of 99. Dom Paulino Gutierrez OSB died on Monday, 18 January 2010, after battling a chest infection. Since moving to New Norcia Abbey in 1928 at the age of 18, Dom Paulino had many roles -- baker, miller, infirmarian, and cobbler -- and he helped produce the monastery's olive oil. The Benedictine community of New Norcia celebrated the Mass of Christian Burial on Friday (ABC News). May he rest in peace.
Morne St. Benedict Spared in Haitian Earthquake
A communication from Brother Jean-Michel reached the Secretariat of the Subiaco Congregation bringing news from Morne Saint-Benoît, Port au Prince, Haiti.
This afternoon we experienced here the rather violent jolts of the earthquake which touched Port au Prince and the zones of Petionville and Carrefour with full force. The brothers who have family in these zones are anxious. It is known that several public buildings were damaged. One cannot telephone any more in Port au Prince because the relays of telecommunication have been disturbed.
At Morne [Mount] St. Benedict the buildings held the shock well. I was with Abbot Jacques when the jolt was felt, it lasted a good minute. We left to go outside to the back of the building. A cloud of dust rose up the Morne and one heard a thunderous noise. That lasted a little while.
At the moment when I am writing these lines, we have just felt two jolts which made us leave the building again. We do not fear anything here, but we can imagine the situation at Port au Prince. I hope that we will not be shaken too much this night.
So long,
Bro. Jean-Michel
The Abbot Visitor, present in Haiti for a canonical visit, and the Abbot of Landevennec also sent messages to the Secretariat assuring them their brother monks in Haiti were safe.
The extent of the destruction and loss of life in the capital, however, is incalculable. Catholic Relief Services is participating in a scheme making it possible to make a donation from a cell phone as well as online by using a credit card. Most authorities agree that at this
stage of the crisis, donations of cash are the most efficient way to offer support. The people of Haiti figure prominently in the prayers of Benedictines and their friends throughout the world.
Podcasts on the Prologue
A few weeks ago, Tarrawarra
Abbey, Australia, launched a new podcast series on the
Prologue of the Rule of St Benedict.
It is a weekly reflection on the Prologue, and the speaker is
Fr. Michael Casey OCSO. The podcast can be found at <www.cistercian.org.au/iMonk>.
The audio can be downloaded from the above website, heard online, or
received from iTunes.
Resources for Oblates
Oblate Spring is a comprehensive website of resources designed by a married Oblate in Florida to
"answer your initial questions about oblate monasticism." An especially helpful feature added in January 2010 is the page devoted to
Benedictine Oblate Newsletters & Programs. The Oblate Spring website is supplemented by
The Oblate Blog.
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Rev.
05 Feb 2010
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