Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance (Trappists)
INFORMATION BULLETIN 143
February, 2002
New Elenchus
Called by the Lord
Bulletin 141 - Bulletin 142I. Preparation for the General Chapters of 2002
All the houses except a very few have sent in their statistics and vital facts in view of a renewed Book of Statistics for the General Chapters in September of this year.
Almost all the Working Papers for the Chapter have also been submitted. The General Booklet for the MGM 2002 is now being prepared by the Secretariat of the Generalate. A printed copy of this booklet, and a diskette with an electronic copy in the three main languages of the Order, will be sent to all the houses by the end of April. For additional printed copies, please contact the Secretariat.
Most of the monasteries are now preparing their House Report, which should be sent to the Generalate so as to arrive by May 1. They can be sent in any language and, if possible, on a floppy disk or by e-mail to ocsoroma@ocso.org .
For more details on writing the House Reports, see the last Information Bulletin, the Minutes of the Central Commissions of 2001 or go to MGM 2002.
II. MonasteriesNew Melleray [19]
On January 19, 2002, Dom BRENDAN FREEMAN was reelected Abbot of New Melleray Abbey near Dubuque, Iowa, U.S.A., for a fourth term of six years.
Viaceli [46]
On December 14, 2001, Dom ALEJANDRO CASTRO was reelected Abbot of Our Lady of Viaceli Abbey, Cóbreces (Cantabria), Spain, for a second term of six years.
Portglenone - Bethlehem [61]
On November 8, 2001, Dom CELSUS KELLY was re-elected Abbot of Our Lady of Bethlehem Abbey, Portglenone (Co. Antrim), Northern Ireland, for a fifth term of six years.Mepkin [62]
On January 22, 2002, Dom FRANCIS KLINE was reelected Abbot of Our Lady of Mepkin Abbey, Moncks Corner, South Carolina, U.S.A., for a third term of six years.On December 8, 2001, Dom MARK SCOTT was elected Abbot of Assumption Abbey, Ava, Missouri, U.S.A., for six years. Dom Mark had been Superior ad nutum of Ava for over a year (cf. Information Bulletin 137). His abbatial blessing will take place on February 2, 2002.Ava [65]
Mokoto [68]
Following the recent eruptions from the Nyiragongo volcano to the northeast of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the lava has covered 14 villages and a good part of the city of Goma. The result is tragic. At least half of this city of 500,000 people has been destroyed by flames, including the cathedral. Practically the whole population has had to flee, most of them in the direction of the border town of Gisenyi in Rwanda.
The Trappist brothers of the community of Our Lady of Mokoto, in Keshero, a few miles outside of Goma, have not been directly affected and seem to be out of danger. The lava, after flowing through the city, made its way to Lake Kivu at a point a few miles away from the monastery.
However, the Cistercian Bernardine Sisters (of Esquermes) in Goma, whose monastery and school are at the center of the city, were obliged to flee to Rwanda and have taken refuge with our Trappistine Sisters at Kibungo. Two of them remained in Goma long enough to see the lava stop literally at the wall of their monastery. These two Bernardines are now with our brothers of Mokoto at Keshero. A camp has been established near the Keshero monastery for the refugees from Goma.Kokoubou [84]
On October 13, 2001, Dom CHARLES FAUCHER, founding Superior of the Monastery of Our Lady of Kokoubou, near the city of Parakou in Benin, West Africa, and since 1985 its Titular Prior, presented his resignation to the Abbot General because of increasingly poor health. The resignation was accepted by the Abbot General with the consent of his Council and became effective on December 1, 2001.
On January 5, 2002, Father JEAN FORESTIER was elected Titular Prior of the same monastery for a term of six years. Dom Jean was born in Grez-Neuville, France, in 1941. He entered the monastery of Bellefontaine in 1961, made solemn profession in 1967, was ordained priest in 1972 and immediately sent as a founder to Kokoubou. He was novice master from 1984 until his election as Titular Prior.Jacona [88]
On November 13, 2001, Dom Enrique Trigueros, Abbot of San Isidoro, Spain, named Brother RAFAEL DEL VALLE as Superior ad nutum of the monastery of the Virgin of Curutarán, near Jacona (Michoacán), Mexico.
Dom Rafael was born in Valladolid, Spain, in 1938 and entered San Isidoro in 1970, making his solemn profession there in 1976. He was sent to Mexico in 1980 as one of the founders of Jacona and made his stability there in 1988 when the foundation became an autonomous priory. He has served his community as Novice Master since 1998.Butende [41*]
On December 11, 2001, Dom Charles Lwanga Kawesi, Abbot of Our Lady of Victoria Abbey, Kenya, named Sister AGATHA NYIRAMUGISHA as Superior ad nutum of Our Lady of Praise Abbey at Butende, Uganda.
Mother Agatha was born in Nyarutembe, Uganda, in 1961 and entered Butende in 1990, making her solemn profession in 1998. She was house cellarer at the time of her appointment.
III. New ELENCHUS MONASTERIORUM
The new Elenchus Monasteriorum for 2002 has just come from the printer and is being mailed to all the houses of the Order. It incorporates the announcements and address changes that have appeared in these Information Bulletins throughout 2001, along with a few other changes. As usual, it is important to copy these updates into your personal and community address books, so that they can become effective.
Here is a further modification which has just arrived:
Blauvac [05*] Add twice (Tel. and Fax): [33] (4) 90.61.86.79 (abbesse)
The Elenchus contains the e-mail addresses of the monasteries as they are at the beginning of the year. Changes and additions to the e-mail addresses and websites of the monasteries are found on the Order's website: http://www.ocso.org/net/monwb-en.htm . To modify these electronic addresses, contact the section's webmaster, Brother Anthony of Genesee: AnthonyWeber@geneseeabbey.org.IV. CALLED BY THE LORD
The Lord has called to himself the following members of the Order:
Tilburg (30)
On November 6, 2001, Father ADALBERTUS Bakker, jubilarian. He was born in Westwoud, Netherlands, in 1916 and entered Tilburg in 1936. After making solemn profession in 1942, he was ordained to the priesthood in 1946, then served his community as subprior from 1960 to 1962 and as prior from 1993 to 1996.Prairies (42)
On December 5, 2001, Father ROBERT Dalton. Born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1922, he became an Oblate of Mary Immaculate and was ordained priest in 1956. He entered the community of Prairies in 1972 and was solemnly professed in 1975.Mistassini (43)
On January 23, 2002, Brother ANDRÉ Patenaude, jubilarian. He was born in Montreal, Quebec, in 1910 and entered Mistassini in 1927. His first profession was made in 1934 and he pronounced his solemn vows in 1937.Mellifont (56)
On October 20, 2001, Brother PATRICK Reilly. He was born in Crossakeel, Co. Meath, Ireland, in 1931 and entered Mellifont in 1950. He made his first profession on the Feast of St. Bernard, 1952, and his solemn profession in 1955.Assomption (03*)
On November 26, 2001, Sister BRIGITTE Daigle, jubilarian. She was born in Pointe-Sapin, New Brunswick, Canada, in 1910, entered the community of Saint-Romuald, Quebec, in 1943 and made her first profession there in 1947. Three years later she transfered to the Abbey of Assomption, in New Brunswick, and made her solemn profession there in 1954.Ubexy (06*)
On December 30, 2001, Sister JOSEPH MARIE Martin, jubilarian. She was born in Padoux (Vosges), France, in 1909 and entered Ubexy in 1949. She made her solemn profession in 1954.Belval (14*)
On December 2, 2001, Sister ALETH Hivin. She was born in Reubreuviette (Pas de Calais), France, in 1928 and entered Belval in 1961. She was a claustral oblate for several years before making her solemn profession in 1974.Campénéac (19*)
On October 26, 2001, Sister MARIE-ALBÉRIC Piriou, jubilarian. She was born in Gouesnau, France, in 1910 and entered the Congregation of the Daughters of the Cross in 1925. She made her simple profession with them, then entered Campénéac in 1945, where she pronounced her solemn vows in 1947.
On January 17, 2002, Sister LOUISE Labat, jubilarian. Born in Sizun, France, in 1914, she entered Campénéac in 1937 and made her solemn profession in 1942.Glencairn (24*)
On December 15, 2001, Sister MARY JOSEPH Costelloe. She was born in Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland, in 1941 and entered religious life with the Daughters of the Cross. After her simple profession she transferred to Glencairn in 1969 and made solemn profession in 1972.Maria Frieden (31*)
On November 28, 2001, Sister M. LIOBA Wiegert. She was born in Obersasbach, Germany, in 1925 and entered Maria Frieden in 1956. After some years as an oblate, she made her solemn profession in 1974.Butende (41*)
On October 24, 2001, Sister JACOBA Megens. She was born in Niftrik, Netherlands, in 1915 and entered Berkel in 1948, making her solemn profession in 1955. She went on Berkel's foundation in Butende, Uganda, in 1964 and was there for 31 years, changing her stability to Butende when it became autonomous in 1971. She returned to Netherlands for health reasons in 1995 at the age of 80.
We commend each one of them to the prayers of all the brothers and sisters of the Order.
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