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New Novices for the Trappist Cistercian order.
Several communities in the US Region of the Trappist Order clothed new novices this past year.
HOLY CROSS ABBEY– Berryville, VA It was a joyous occasion when Brother Patrick (having completed his postulancy) received the Cistercian Habit and began his Canonical Novitiate on March 25, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. He now joins Brothers Paul and Aelred in the novitiate as he (and they) prepares for first vows.
NEW CLAIRVAUX ABBEY– Vina, CA On the celebration of the Annunciation of the Lord, March 25, Fr. Steve Valeo, a diocesan priest from Detroit, MI, completed his year of Postulancy and was received into the Novitiate, taking the name of ‘Fr. Aelred’, after St. Aelred of Rievaulx, a 12th Century Cistercian abbot and spiritual writer. As a novice monk, he will be given new responsibilities in community service and initiated into the next level of formation, beginning our Guided Reading program in which he will go through the writing of the Fathers of the Church and our own Cistercian Fathers. The novitiate lasts two years after which the novice is eligible to make first monastic profession of vows. On October 9.
Following a year of probation as postulants, Fredrick Adoc of Manila, Philippines, and Curtis Ockotovich of Florida were clothed in the white Novice habit and cloak by Abbot Paul Mark Schwan. The ceremony took place after Holy Mass in the Chapter Room in the presence of the monastic community. As part of the ritual, the abbot asks the traditional question posed to men entering the monastery: “What do you seek?’, and the men answer with the traditional response, “The Mercy of God and of the Order. The entering of the Novitiate marks the canonical beginning of their lives as religious. Henceforth, Fredrick will be known as Br. Erick and Curtis as Br. Isaac.
NEW MELLERAY ABBEY– Peoria, IA
Fittingly occurring on March 27, Laetare (Rejoice) Sunday, Br. Charles Ross received the novice’s habit as a member of the community. Together with the habit, he chose to be henceforth called “Br. Philip.” The novice has the option of retaining his baptismal name or assuming a new name to signify the fundamental change that monastic life and conversion will demand of his person. Br. Philip is 43 years old and most recently lived in Clinton, Iowa. He served in the U.S. Marines for four years and then worked as a mechanical engineer. He visited New Melleray a number of times before deciding to join the community. He is mature, deeply committed to following Christ and to placing his trust in God as he meets Him in our community life. We ask prayers that the grace and Spirit of Christ may be alive in his life.
SANTA RITA- Sonoita Arizona After a one-year postulancy, Sharon Bezner was clothed in the Cistercian habit on the Feast of the Annunciation and began her novitiate. Sr. Sharon will continue to share in our daily monastic life of prayer, lectio divina, and work, and will continue studying the Rule of St. Benedict and other monastic topics with the novice mistress, Sr. Rita. Please keep Sr. Sharon in your prayers! To read more visit www.trappists.org/becoming-trappist/ #ThursdayThoughts #thursday #thursdaymotivation #trappist #novice #vocation
For those interested in exploring joining our way of life, we invite you to visit our page Becoming a Trappist

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