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          Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance (Trappists)

              INFORMATION BULLETIN 145

 July 2002

Monasteries 
Elenchus Changes
Called by the Lord
  Bulletin 143 - Bulletin 144

I.  Preparation for the General Chapters
        Final preparations are being made for the General Chapter of Abbots and the General Chapter of Abbesses, meeting simultaneously in Rome from September 4 through 24, at the Generalate of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. As is the custom, all the monasteries of the Order are invited to join the capitulants, above all, in the Eucharist of September 4, to ask for the guiding light of the Holy Spirit during the Chapters.
        Those attending the Chapters are also expected to bring with them their copy of the General Booklet for the General Chapters of 2002, which they recently received. The Minutes of the meeting of the Central Commissions at La Trappe, in 2001, will also be helpful, as well as a copy of the Constitutions and of the Acts of the General Chapters of 1996 and 1999, which contain the texts of several Statutes that will be studied at the meeting. Priests are requested to bring their alb and stole. All participants are reminded that, if they have not already done so, they should send their travel arrangements and arrival time to the Generalate as soon as possible.

        The revised edition of the book of statistics ("Blue Book") is now in the hands of the printers. It has benefitted from the corrections sent by several houses. The statistics themselves are necessarily those of the latest yearly Relatio with the personnel figures as of December 31, 2001. There is, however, one exception: the age of the superiors corresponds to the first week of July 2002, since it is automatically updated by the database program!.
         For a better idea of the General Chapters as a whole, click here.


II. Monasteries

Spencer [26]
     On June 17, 2002, Dom DAMIAN CARR was reelected for a second six-year term as Abbot of St. Joseph’s Abbey, Spencer, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

Conyers [57]
     On April 30, 2002, Dom M. BASIL PENNINGTON, Abbot of Holy Spirit Abbey in Conyers, Georgia, U.S.A., presented his resignation to the Abbot General. With the consent of his Council, Dom Bernardo accepted his resignation, which became effective on May 12th.
     On May 25, 2002, Abbot Damien Thompson of Gethsemani, Father Immediate of Conyers, after consulting the brothers of the community and with the necessary permissions, named Father ANTHONY DELISI as Superior ad nutum.
     Dom Anthony was born in 1928 in Avonmore, Pennsylvania, and entered Conyers in 1948. He made solemn profession in 1953 and was ordained priest the following year. From 1982 to 1987 he was chaplain of the foundation of Trappistine nuns at Abakaliki, Nigeria. After his return to Conyers he served as prior from 1991 to 1995, then as chaplain of Conyer’s lay associates. At the time of his appointment as Superior ad nutum he was prior once again.

Nsugbe [100]
     During his recent pastoral visit to the monastery of Our Lady of the Angeles, at Nsugbe, near Onitsha, Nigeria, Dom Donald of Nunraw, the present founding house, named a new Superior: Father STEPHEN WARA-ANGU of Bamenda Abbey. Dom Stephen was born in Mankon, Cameroon, in 1957, entered Bamenda in 1976 and made solemn profession in 1985. He was the community’s subprior and cellarer before being ordained priest in 1996. In 2001 he was sent to Nsugbe to support the growth of the foundation.

Chambarand [12*]
     On May 6, 2002, Mother MARIE-CLAIRE MÜLLER offered her resignation as Abbess of the monastery of Our Lady of Chambarand, in the diocese of Grenoble, France, having served her community in this capacity for over 20 years. The Abbot General, with the consent of his Council, accepted the resignation, which became effective on June 4th.
     On July 2, 2002, Mother ANNE MORIN was appointed Superior ad nutum of Chambarand by its Father Immediate, Dom Patrick of Sept-Fons. The appointment becomes effective on July 19.
    Mother Anne was born in 1930 at Saint-Brieuc, in Brittany, France. She entered Laval in 1951 and made solemn profession there in 1956. She was subprior for two years, 1966-1968, before being named founding Superior of Grandselve, in Cameroun, West Africa. She served in this capacity until 1985 then, in 1987, was named Superior ad nutum of Ubexy, in France, where she was elected Abbess in 1988 and re-elected in 1994 for an unrestricted term. In 2000, she resigned as Abbess and reassumed her original stability at Laval.

Alloz [22*]
     On May 13, 2002, Mother ROSA SANTOS was reeelected for a third consecutive six-year term of office as Abbess of Alloz, in Navarra, Spain.

Armenteira [60*]
     On May 13, 2002, Mother CARMEN BIURRUN was elected Titular Prioress of Armenteira, near Pontevedra, Spain, for an unrestricted term of office.
     Mother Carmen is a former Abbess of Alloz and one of the foundresses of Armenteira. She was born in Legarda, Navarre, Spain, in 1934, entered the monastery of Alloz in 1956 and made solemn profession in 1961 taking the name of Dolores. After being subprioress and Superior ad nutum for a year, she was elected Abbess in 1978 and reelected in 1984. She resigned in 1989 to take part in the foundation of Armenteira. At this time she changed to her baptismal name of Carmen. At Armenteira she was second superioress from the beginning of the foundation and changed her stability when the monastery became autonomous in 1993. She had been novice director since 1998.

 

III. CHANGES TO THE ELENCHUS

Marija Zvijezda [27]    (Omit the Post Office Box number, "pp 93":)
                                             Samostan Marija Zvijezda
                                             78001 Banja Luka
                                             BOSNIA

Atlas [54]                     (New fax number and only one e–mail box:)
                                             Prieuré N.-D. de l’Atlas
                                             B.P. 82
                                             MA 54350 Midelt
                                             MOROCCO

Tél: [212] 55.58.08.58
Fax: [212] 55.58.27.52
E-mail: atlas333@iam.net.ma

 

IV.  CALLED BY THE LORD

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


Melleray (04)
       On June 16, 2002, Father RAYMOND Clarenson, jubilarian. He was born at Nantes, France, in 1919 and entered Timadeuc in 1947, transferring during his novitiate to Melleray, where he made his solemn profession in 1953. He was ordained priest later the same year.

Sint Sixtus (13)
      On May 28, 2002, Father JOHN BOSCO Van Laecke, jubilarian. Born in 1916 at Sijsele, near Bruges, Belgium, he entered Sint Sixtus in 1936. He made solemn profession in 1941 and was ordained priest in 1943.

Engelszell (47)
      On June 11, 2002, Father WOLFGANG Frey, jubilarian. Born in 1920 at Ulm on the Danube, Germany, he entered the monastery of Mariastern (now Marija Zvijezda), in Bosnia, as a child oblate in 1931 and pronounced his temporary vows in 1939 only a few days before the outbreak of World War II. He was drafted into the German infantry and served in France and Russia, where he was wounded three times. He was eventually taken prisoner by the American Army. After the war he reentered the Order at Mariaveen, a priory that no longer exists, where several German monks of Mariastern had taken refuge. He made solemn profession there in 1947, was ordained priest the following year, then moved in 1951 with his companions to Engelszell, in Austria, changing his stability in 1952. For many years he was farm chief and business manager.

Calvaire (48)
     On April 2, 2001, Father EDMOND Richard, jubilarian. He was born in Saint-Louis de Kent, Canada, in 1911, entered Calvaire in 1926, made his solemn profession in 1935 and was ordained priest in 1936. He was Superior ad nutum of Calvaire for ten months in 1938, then chaplain of the Trappistines of Assomption during many years. The present Archbishop of Moncton, the diocese of both Calvaire and Assomption, is a nephew of Father Edmond, as was his immediate predecessor.
     On October 5, 2001, Father ADÉLARD Robichaud, jubilarian. Born in 1914 at Saint-Ignace, Canada, he entered Calvaire in 1927, made his solemn profession in 1937 and was sent to the Mother House, Bonnecombe, in France, for his theological studies. World War II prevented him from returning to Canada and he was ordained priest at Bonnecombe in 1941. After returning to Calvaire, he was chaplain of the nuns of Assomption from 1960 to 1970.
     On January 27, 2002, Father ROBERT Richard, jubilarian. Born in 1910 in Moncton, Canada, he entered Calvaire in 1931, made his solemn profession in 1937 and was ordained to the priesthood at the Mother House, Bonnecombe, France, in 1938. After his return to Calvaire, he was for many years porter and guest master.
     On February 18, 2002, Father ALEXANDRE LeBlanc, jubilarian, whose passing away was the 5th at Calvaire in slightly over a year. Father Alexandre was born in 1910 at Marcelville, Canada. He was a schoolmate of Father Robert Richard, whom we have just commemorated above. Like Father Robert, Father Alexandre entered Calvaire in 1931, made solemn profession in 1937 and was ordained at Bonnecombe in 1938. For several years he was chaplain of the Trappistines of Assomption.

Vina (71)
      On April 15, 2002, Father TIMOTHY VanderVennet, jubilarian. Born in Moline, Illinois, U.S.A., in 1910, he entered the seminary and was ordained priest in 1935 for the diocese of Peoria. He entered Gethsemani in 1939 and made his solemn profession there in 1946. He participated in the founding of Vina, in 1955, was a student at Monte Cistello in Rome, 1962-1964, then Master of our Roman students in 1965 and 1966. After his return to Vina, he was the community’s prior for many years.
      On June 5, 2002, Brother JOHN PAUL Fush.  He was born in Lorain, Ohio, U.S.A., in 1924 and entered Vina in 1956, taking the name of Andrew. After his solemn profession in 1962, he returned to his baptismal name of John Paul. He was subprior at Vina before being sent to Hong Kong, to help Vina’s daughter house of Lantao. He was novice master at Lantao for several years before his return to Vina in 1996.

Snowmass (72)
      On Palm Sunday, March 24, 2002, Father DANIEL Kelliher. He was born in Roslindale, Massachusetts, U.S.A., in 1922 and was ordained priest for the Boston archdiocese in 1948. He entered Spencer Abbey in 1950, taking the name, Regis, and made solemn profession in 1955. After several years as chaplain at Wrentham, he was novice master at Spencer from 1959 to 1966. In 1973 he went to Spencer’s daughter house at Snowmass, where he reverted to his baptismal name of Daniel. He changed his stability to Snowmass in 1974 and was prior there during 1975 and 1976.

Ubexy (06*)
     On Good Shepherd Sunday, April 21, 2002, Sister BRIGITTE Freby. Born in 1915 in Lamarch, Vosges, France, she entered Ubexy in 1960 and made her solemn profession there in 1966.

Campénéac (19*)
      On May 6, 2002, Sister JACQUELINE Hurman, jubilarian. Born in 1922 in Muzittac, Brittany, France, she entered the community of Campénéac in 1947, taking the name of Andrée, and made solemn profession in 1952. In 1977 she returned to her baptismal name of Jacqueline. She was subprioress from 1978 to 1982, then prioress until 1996.

Soleilmont (21*)
     On May 5, 2002, Sister MARIE-FRANÇOISE Tilman, jubilarian. Born in 1903 in Uccle, near Maline, Belgium, she entered Soleilmont in 1924, soon after its reincorporation into the Order. She pronounced her perpetual vows in 1929. Besides being one of the oldest members of the Order, she was one of the very few who lived to celebrate the 75th anniversary of her monastic profession.

Igny (23*)
     On April 29, 2002, Sister COLETTE Faucheur, jubilarian. Born in 1916 in Montpellier, France, she entered Igny in 1938 and pronounced her perpetual vows in 1943.

Nishinomiya (25*)
      On June 8, 2002, Sister MARIE-ANGE Chaussepied, jubiliarian. She was born in Courléon, Anjou, France, in 1914 and entered as a nun of Laval in 1938, making her solemn profession there in 1943. In 1949 she answered a call to help the monastery of Our Lady of Lourdes, Seiboën, near Osaka, Japan. She arrived soon after the relocation of the community from Himeji to Nishinomiya and made her official change of stability in 1953.

Clarté-Dieu (36*)
       On May 13, 2002, Mother LUTGARDE Lehalle, jubilarian and Abbess emerita of both Igny and La Clarté-Dieu. Born in 1913 in Vigneulles, near Verdun, France, she entered Igny in 1935 and made solemn profession in 1940. After being cellarer, then prioress, she was elected Abbess of Igny in 1951. In 1955, she headed the group of foundresses of La Clarté-Dieu, near Kivu in the eastern part of what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was the first house of Trappistine nuns on the African continent. When La Clarté-Dieu became autonomous in 1956, Mother Lutgarde was elected as its first Abbess and was continually re-elected until 1974, when the sisters elected their first African Abbess. The latter named Mother Lutgarde her prioress. Due to the the civil war, Mother Lutgarde had to return to Igny with several other French sisters in 1996. She remained to the end a nun of La Clarté-Dieu.

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

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