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         Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance (Trappists)

              INFORMATION BULLETIN 142

Solemnity of All Saints, 2001

Genesee   
Address Changes  
Called by the Lord   
Bulletin 141  

I.  Preparation for the General Chapters of 2002
      
See the page for the Mixed General Meeting.


II. Monasteries

Mount Melleray [14]
     On July 19, 2001, Dom EAMON FITZGERALD was re-elected Abbot of Our Lady of Mount Melleray Abbey, Cappoquin, Co. Waterford, Ireland, for a third term of six years.

Neiges [21]
    
On April 24, 2001, the Holy See appointed the Abbot of Notre-Dame du Désert, Dom JEAN-MARIE COUVREUR, Apostolic Visitor and Administrator of the Abbey of Notre-Dame des Neiges, in France. Official affairs for the Abbey of Neiges should therefore be addressed to him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dombes [24]
    
On November first of this year, two months will have passed from the time that the community members of the Abbey of Dombes were welcomed with great kindness and affection into the communities where they had chosen to go. The brothers are all deeply grateful. Their spirits are good and their health is also generally good. Dom Bernard, their Abbot, will soon make his first visit to the community in its diaspora. He is now chaplain of the sisters at Blauvac. His telephone and fax number there is: [33] (4) 90.61.76.13.
     The bonding between the Community of Chemin Neuf, now established at Dombes, and the Order, has been a channel of grace and light because it was "born from the common inspiration of the Spirit," as Dom Bernard affirms.  Father Laurent Fabre of Chemin Neuf agrees.

Genesee [64]  
    
On his 75th birthday, August 24, 2001, Dom John Eudes Bamberger offered his resignation as Abbot of Genesee Abbey, near Rochester, New York State, U.S.A. He had served his community in this capacity for over 30 years and for the last 35 years had been a key person for the renewal of our Order in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council. Dom John Eude’s resignation was accepted by the Abbot General, with the consent of his Council, on September 4th and became effective on September 14, 2001. 
     On October 2, 2001, Father JOHN DENBURGER was elected Abbot of the same Abbey of the Genesee, for a term of six years. Dom John was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 1937. Ordained priest for that diocese in 1963, he entered Genesee in 1987. He made his solemn profession in 1992 and served his community as its prior and master of young professed monks. He assisted at the General Chapter of 1996 as the delegate of the USA Region.

Koutaba [66]
    
On July 25, 2001, Dom GERMAIN MBIDA MBIDA was elected for a six year term as Titular Prior of the monastery of Our Lady of Koutaba in Cameroon. Dom Germain had been Superior ad nutum of the monastery since September, 1998 (see Information Bulletin 127). 

Bamenda [79]
    
On the Feast of the Transfiguration, August 6, 2001, Father JUDE FORCHAM TAH was elected Abbot of Bamenda Abbey, Cameroon, for a six year term. Dom Jude was born in 1955 at Njindom, N.W. Province, Cameroon. He entered Bamenda in 1974, made his solemn profession in 1981 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1986. After three years as prior of the community, he was its Superior ad nutum from 1996 to 1998, assisting in this capacity at the General Chapter of 1996.

Laval [02*]
    
On August 31, 2001, Mother MYRIAM FONTAINE was re-elected Abbess of Our Lady of La Coudre Abbey, Laval, France, for a second term of six years.

Whitland [18*]
    
On September 15, 2001, the term of office of Mother CATHERINE PRIEST as Abbess of Our Lady of the Holy Cross, in Whitland, South Wales, came to an end. She served her community as Superior since 1980, guiding it especially during its relocation to Whitland from Stapehill in England.
     On the same day, Sister JACQUELINE MOOR was elected for a six year term as the new Abbess of the community. Mother Jacqueline was born in Wallasey, near Liverpool, England, in 1932. She entered Stapehill in 1955 and made her solemn profession in 1960. She had served several years as subprioress, prioress and secretary/treasurer. From 1995 to 2000 she was English language secretary at the Generalate and had been translator of texts from French to English at the General Chapters of 1996 and 1999.

Imari [32*]
    
In the course of his recent pastoral visitation to the Monastery of Our Lady of Imari (Kyushu), Japan, the Father Immediate, Dom Charles Robilliard of Bricquebec, named a new Superior ad nutum: Sister JOSEPHA YASHIRO TOMIKO. Mother Josepha was born in Akita (Honshu) in 1929 and entered Imari in 1954 soon after its foundation. She made solemn profession in 1960 and was prioress of the community for many years.

Ajimu [53*]
    
As announced earlier this year (cf. Information Bulletin 139), the community of nuns on the island of Miyako in southern Japan decided to relocate further north, to the island of Kyushu. This move took place on August 25 of this year and implies changing the name of the monastery to that of the nearby village, Ajimu. Below, in the list of changes to the Elenchus, are the new address and telephone numbers.

Cistercian Congregation of St. Bernard, Spain
    
On September 22, 2001, Mother MARIA JESUS FERNANDEZ ESTALAYO was re-elected for a second six-year term as Abbess President of this Congregation of Cistercian contemplative nuns officially associated to the OCSO. Mother Mª Jesús was born in 1935 in the city of Burgos and there entered the Abbey of Las Huelgas in 1953, making her solemn profession in 1958. She was Secretary, then Abbess President of the Las Huelgas Federation of Cistercian Nuns until 1995, when this Federation became an autonomous Congregation and she was elected its first Abbess President and Supreme Moderator. Since 1987 she has assisted as an observer at all the OCSO General Chapters.

Beatification
    
On Sunday, October 21, 2001, in the context of an international congress for the 20th anniversary of Familiaris Consortio, his encyclical on Christian family life, Pope John Paul II beatified the married couple, Luigi Beltrame Quattrocchi (1880-1951) and Maria Corsini (1884-1965). Some members of the Order may not realize that this man and wife are the parents of Father Paolino Beltrame Quattrocchi, monk of Frattocchie and former Postulator of our Order. Along with his brother, a diocesain priest, and his sister, a consecrated laywoman, Father Paolino could thus assist at the beatification of his own parents. With him and his family we give thanks to the Lord.

Jubilee Gift to the Holy Father
    
During the Holy Year 2000, on the occasion of the Jubilee for Religious, all the Institutes of consecrated life throughout the world joined to offer the Pope a large sum of money as a "prophetic gesture of communion and solidarity," so that he could make a similar gesture for the sake of the Church and the world today. Our Order joined generously in this project. A reply from the Vatican has now been given, expressing the deep gratitude of the Holy Father and announcing that the gift has been used to create a Catholic University in Amman, Jordan.

From The Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church
    
For the sake of those monasteries with some type of museum or collection, attention is drawn to a Circular Letter of 70 pages from this Commission, published on August 15, 2001: The Pastoral Function of Ecclesiastical Museums.


III. Address Changes in the ELENCHUS
MONASTERIORUM

Deliverance [32]    Change of number:            Fax: [386] (178) 77.570

Vina [71]                Change of Abbot’s fax:      [1] (530) 839-9811 (abbot)

Victoria [73]           Add postal code:                 Kipkelion 20202

Bamenda [79]        Addition:                             Tel.: [871] 762 - 945 179

Jarabacoa [90]      No fax in the monastery:    Fax: [1] (809) 574-2593 (público)

Blauvac [05*]        Add twice (Tel. and Fax):   [33] (4) 90.61.76.13 (aumônier)

Whitland [18*]      Addition:                              Fax: [44] (1994) 24.11.83

Redwoods [40*]   Contrary to what was stated in the last Information Bulletin, the two telephone
                              numbers of Redwoods remain as in the Elenchus, but there is now only one fax
                              number for both abbess and community:   
Fax: [1] (707) 986-1176.

               New name and address:
Ajimu [53*]              
Diocesis Oitaensis (Oita), B. M. de Ajimu

Ajimu no Seibo Shudoin
1180 Kayagomori
Ajimu-cho, Usa-gun
Oita-ken 872-0723
JAPAN

Tel.: [81] (978) 48-2711
Fax: [81] (978) 48-2766


IV.  CALLED BY THE LORD

The Lord has called to himself the following members of the Order:

Oka (31)
       On the Solemnity of the Assumption, August 15, 2001, Brother LOUIS Lachapelle, jubilarian. He was born in Joliette (Québec), Canada, in 1904, entered Oka in 1929 and made his solemn profession in 1935.
       On September 17, 2001, Brother VINCENT Magnan, jubilarian. He was born in Sorel, Québec, Canada in 1915, entered Oka in 1940 and made solemn profession in 1946. He had been cellarer at Oka and participated in the foundation at Orangeville.

Mellifont (56)
    
 On September 20, 2001, Brother ALOYSIUS Deane. He was born in Dundalk, Co.Louth, Ireland, in 1932 and entered Mellifont in 1960. He made temporary profession as a Laybrother in 1962, but was solemnly professed after the Decree of Unification, in 1966. He was prior at the time of his sudden passing away.

Ubexy (06*)
    
 On August 30, 2001, Sister EDMOND Poinsot, jubilarian. She was born in Coussey (Vosges), France, in 1923 and entered Ubexy in 1945, pronouncing her perpetual vows in 1950. She had been cellarer and then subprioress.

Chambarand (12*)
      On August 30, 2001, Mother AGNES Arthaud, Abbess emerita and jubilarian. She was born in Beaurepaire (Is
Pre), France, in 1912 and entered Chambarand in 1933, being the first postulant to enter the monastery after its refoundation by Trappistines from Maubec and from Féluy in Belgium. Mother Agnes made perpetual profession in 1938 and was Abbess from 1953 to 1981. She was one of the first abbesses to assist as an observer at the General Chapter of Abbots, in 1971.

Chimay (13*)
    
 On September 2, 2001, Sister GHISLAINE Michaux, jubilarian. She was born in 1909 at Froidchapelle, near Tournai, Belgium, and entered Chimay in 1934, making her perpetual profession in 1939.

St Romuald (16*)
    
 On July 26, 2001, Sister LUCILLE Lavoie, jubilarian. She was born in 1918 at Saint Anaclet (Québec), Canada, and entered Saint Romuald in 1944, making her solemn profession in 1950.

Igny (23*)
    
 On July 20, 2001, Sister ALPHONSE-MARIE Créton, jubilarian. She was born in 1911 at Vandi
Pres (Champagne), France, and entered Igny in 1936, making her perpetual profession in 1942. She had been subprioress at Igny in the 1950's, then went to Maubec in 1960 for several years to help that community.

       
We commend each one of them to the prayers of all the brothers and sisters of the Order.


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