Day 22 of the Chapter. Grande Finale.

Another beautiful liturgy together with many languages represented from the Oriens region. Dom Eamon was the principle celebrant. Our work in the Aula got underway at the usual time. There was much comradery in the air. We went through the presentation of votes 64 through 71. Then those were set aside and we listened to the end-of-Chapter evaluations of the 14 commissions. This Chapter received rave reviews. There was much praise for the Central Commission and the ad hoc commissions. Problems and issues had been handled very efficiently when they came up, and with much pastoral solicitude. As one commission put it, “The sensitivity of the Chapter toward difficult situations is remarkable.” Comments were made that this Chapter had more of a fraternal feel to it. The Papal Audience and Mass in St. Peter’s was seen as a highlight. Much thanks was expressed to the translators and secretaries and other staff members of our Order for keeping the Chapter running so smoothly.

After the mid-morning break, we came back to take votes 64-71. There was great unanimity in all the votes, and we finished them quickly, thanks to the electronic voting process and seeing the results on the overhead screen. Then the various members of our support team came into to the room and went up front where we were able to give them an enthusiastic round of applause.

Dom Eamon’s final address was the last item on the agenda. He is such a wonderful example of humility and simplicity and fatherly love. He commented that this Chapter was full of life, good energy, good humor, and a shared concern about our way of life. This Chapter sparkled with friendships, fraternity and dialogue. He told us that we need to not only go out to others but go deeper into ourselves; we need more interiority. He encouraged us to move more along the path of revitalization. And he pointed out that there will be much from these days to reflect on later, much to unpack from this rich Chapter. He expressed his gladness that the Papal audience had gone so well – this had been our 3^rd attempt after two cancelations at the last couple General Chapters. We expressed our gratitude to him with prolonged applause, and he officially closed the General Chapter of 2017 around 11:40. What a blessing to have been part of it.

Impressions: Holiness perfects human nature. I can see it in the faces of the participants of this General Chapter. And it can take such a variety of forms. Many from the outside may see our life as confining, but it produces great freedom. It can be witnessed in the pictures in the “gallery” pull-down tab of this blog page. The Holy Spirit was alive and well in our gathering here this September. A very special thanks to all who prayed for us.

Fr. Stephen, Genesee

The last day of the General Chapter

They came from all over the world,
We came from all over the world,
And we worked together,
Listening to each other,
Hearing the joys,
The sorrows,
The difficulties,
The set backs,
The challenges.
We heard of new life,
Of life lived to the full,
Of life transmitting life.
We tasted new wine
From wise wineskins.
And we looked for new skins,
New and better ways,
To bring this new wine 
To the next generation.
And we discovered
That wine must not be kept in the dark,
In the cold, 
Enclosed too long.
It must flow.
It must flow from an overflowing source,
A source filled to the rim
With the goodness of living water,
Turned to the better new wine
Through the Word of the Lord.
Do what He saying will,
Said His Mother.
And the water flowed,
The new wine flowed, 
From more than six stone jars,
It flowed from more than two hundred hearts,
From the generous hearts
Of Abbots and Abbesses,
Of monks and nuns,
Of brothers and sisters.
And it will bring joy to their beloved,
Peace and joy,
Gentleness and kindness,
Fraternity and mutual support
To live the life of the Word,
The life of Charity,
The life of Faith,
The life of Hope,
The life of Christ
Whose Spirit 
Brought us together 
From all over the word,
And work together
And listen
To what the Spirit says to the Churches,
The local Churches
Of our communities,
And the Church at large.
And than…
Live accordingly,
Live,
Live to the full,
Live eternally
And share this life
With all who 
Seek life.

This General Chapter
Gave life,
Pascal Life,
To all capitulants
And to the whole Order,
And to the world at large.


Thank you,
God be praised.

Fr Jan
Region of the Isles

Day 21 of the General Chapter

It was very nice to attend Holy Mass said and sung in Dutch. Since my entry on Caldey, the Dutch and the Flemish Church had agreed on a common text of the Our Father, and so I made some mistakes. Dom Natanaël of Westmalle, was the main celebrant and he also celebrated his birthday today. Dom Celsus of Bethlehem reached the canonical age of 75 and treated his commission with chocolate, but this a bit later in the day. Today was also the feast day of Dom Damian of Spencer. In Brazil, our moderator of the day, Dom Bernardo of Novo Mundo, tols us, Cosmas and Damian are represented as children and today is a special children’s day today with a sharing of gifts and sweets. So he suggested Dom Damian to keep up this beautiful tradition.

Yet, the day was not spent in celebration, it was a working day. Dom Eamon, Abbot General, opened with the notice that in the Generalate two places become vacant, one for cellarer or economo, in charge of all the practical work in the house, and one for porter. If any of the houses have a candidate, they can let it know.

And then business began with a series of votes, similar to those of the last few days, and a proposal for some other votes. These votes were taken later in the day. Next came the nomination for the Coordinating Commission of the General Chapter 2020. We also listened to a short report on the working of the Law Commission. After the break we went into commissions to reflect on the reports concerning the Father Immediate in preparation of the afternoons exchange and discussion, and to make an evaluation of the General Chapter.

After yet another tasty lunch and much appreciated siesta, we resumed work with the votes which were presented during the first session of the day. Then we listened to what the  14 commissions found important concerning the Father Immediate. After the break we had a lively discussion on this. This was a memorable moment of the Chapter, because it expressed the great pastoral care of all, Abbots and Abbesses alike, for the whole Order in the line of the Charter of Charity.

After this exchange of ideas, we voted for the new Coordinating Commission, who will do a as great a job on the net Chapter as the CC did on this GC. Dom Elias of Getsemani is the new kid on the block and we took leave of Dom Bernardo, whose input was very much appreciated.

To end this beautiful day in even more beauty, we listened to the evaluation of the Delegates who said “We are unanimously happy to be here! We leave encouraged to walk happily towards the same goal. The experience of the GC brings us back to the challenges of our communities: living our lives fully is the only way open to the future…. We are challenged to live in truth. It is like an injection of fresh blood, new wine! It is an unforgettable experience for which we all thank!”

Fr Jan,

Region of the Isles

Day 20 of the General Chapter

Our Mass this morning was led by the French region again. Man, Sr. Annie could make a lot of money with her voice if she wasn’t in a convent. Mother Rebekka was the main moderator again once we got back to work in the Aula. After announcements, we listened to an address by Padre Pasqualino, OFM. He was representing the Franciscans who have been making our stay here in Assisi so great. Dom Eamon responded afterwards. Then we went on to more voting, followed by reports of commissions, and discussions of those reports. We ended up spending all day in the Aula. 

When we quit at 6:00, there was a meeting of the delegates, aided by the same translators up in the booths who had been translating all day long. What an incredible job they have been doing! Anyway, the meeting of the delegates was quite lively and animated. During the time spent in the Aula we hardly ever said anything. But now with everyone gone we couldn’t hardly wait for our turn to speak into the microphones. We wanted to talk about the wonderful experience we are having at this General Chapter. 

Impressions: I’m loving the Italian people. They’re very warm and sociable. Very verbal. In general, they tend to be spontaneous, less organized, slap-happy, hang-loose, casual, free with their emotions. They’re very family-oriented. Family loyalty is big. They’re more at-home with religion, more comfortable with it. As I would walk around in my habit I was approached numerous times to bless religious articles or people. That was true of both Rome and here. Dom Eamon referenced this deeply ingrained faith of the Italians in his comments this morning too. He said they are “Catholic in the best sense of that word.” He’s been living in Rome now for quite a few years. And he has travelled all over the world visiting our monasteries, so he knows what he’s comparing them to. They’re also, on average, very nice-looking. Gratefully, I see a lot less tattoos and piercings than what I’m used to in the US. They seem to be upbeat, optimistic, jolly. A word I’ve heard a lot is “Bellisimo!” (most beautiful) And I love the sing-song accent of their phrases. It’s so charming. 

Switching gears a bit, Trappists tend to love farm animals. I would discover that in informal conversations over meals and during breaks, etc. One night at supper I was sitting next to the delegate from the French region, Fr. Bernard from Citeaux. We realized that 30 years ago we were both milking cows in Cistercian monasteries in different parts of the world – he in France, I in Utah. Sadly, many of our houses have had to sell their cows and change to more profitable industries like fruitcakes and candy. For centuries, our Order was agriculturally based, but now, due to economic pressures and lack of personnel, that’s slipping away. There’s a part of us that’s slipping away with it. Also, with the passing away of family farms, and the transition to agribusiness, fewer people are growing up on farms. I have sat at table a couple times with Dom Celsus of Bethlehem in Ireland and Mother Marie of Glencairn in Ireland. All three of us grew up on farms and used to milk cows in the monastery. Mother Marie was even still milking them when she was an abbess. We shared the sadness of seeing the cows go. The two nuns from our priory of Klaarlands in Belgium assured me very sincerely that their cat, Domino, is a very special cat. He’s named that because he’s colored like a domino. Sr. Tamar was delighted to show me pictures of all their cats, and also their two donkeys. I was happy to hear, in a conversation with Dom Malachias of Echt in Holland, that they raise pigs in their monastery. I think Wrentham, in the US, still has sheep. It broke poor Sr. Robbie’s heart when they sold the cows. I remember how hard it was for Fr. Joseph when we sold the cows at Holy Trinity.

Fr. Stephen, Genesee

Day 19 of the General Chapter

Yesterday had been a most marvellous day as could read in Fr Stephen’s blog. And everyone was very happy about the experience. Everyone was well rested and relaxed and eager to do some work again, at least for half a day, since it is Sunday today.

So day began with Lauds and Holy Mass, animated by the USA Region. Today was also the feast of Our Lady of Tenderness, the patron feast of Boa Vista, Brazil. Aiguebelle and Tamié celebrate the dedication of their abbey churches and we all rejoiced in the birthday of Sr Renée of Grandselve, one of the typists of the Chapter. She is one of a whole team of people, typists, translaters, interpreters, technicians, and so on, who are working in silence in the background, often unnoticed, but doing very essential work and offering a great service to the General Chapter and the Order. We are very grateful for their assistance.

After the usual notices, work began with a series of votes. As usual Fr Thomas led the capitulants through the votes and Riccardo took care of the technical aspects of it. And so under their professionalthe votes guidance six votes were taken on a series of different subjects, as we were doing already for some days now. This voting session was followed with the presentation of a new series of votes that will come in the following days. It gave the General Chapter to ask questions about clarification or to comment on them so that everyone could make a well informed vote.

After the reading of the report of one ad hoc commission about a fragile community, we went through a marathon session of listening to fourteen reports about the revision of the constitution and statutes concerning fragile communities. It was interesting to hear how the working papers, prepared by the Law Commission were appreciated and can be used in drawing up some new legislation and pastoral guidelines to help fragile communities to choose life, even if some communities have to go through a real Pascal experience which includes passion and death.

The morning ended with the question of Dom Roberto, the moderator of the day, asking where the next General Chapter should be taking place. Dom Hugues of Les Neiges answered saying: “Why ask the question when you know that all of us want it to be here in Domus Pacis in Assisi?”. The assembly approved this answer with applause. 

And on this joyful note we ended the busy half day of work and started focusing on the free afternoon.

Fr Jan

Region of the Isles

Address of the Holy Father

Audience with the participants in the General Chapter of the Order of the Cistercians of the Strict Observance, 23.09.2017

Address of the Holy Father

Dear brothers and sisters,

I welcome you with joy on the occasion of your General Chapter. I thank each one of you for this visit, starting with the Abbot General who has acted as interpreter for all of you, also illustrating the purpose and objectives of your assembly. Through you I would like to send a cordial greeting to the brothers and sisters of your monasteries throughout various countries. I go with my heart and mind to your silent cloisters, from which the prayer for the Church and for the world continues ceaselessly. And I thank the Lord for the irreplaceable presence of the monastic communities, which represent a spiritual richness and a constant call to seek first of all “the things up above”, so as to live earthly realities to the right extent.

In these days of reflection and exchange of experiences, you are called upon to identify goals and paths to live with greater authenticity your vocation and your consecration, taking into account the needs of the present moment, so as to be witnesses of assiduous prayer, of sobriety, of unity in charity.

Your contemplative life is characterized by assiduous prayer, an expression of your love for God and reflection of a love that embraces all humanity. Following the example of Saint Benedict, you do not place anything before the opus Dei: I urge you to give great importance to meditation on the Word of God, especially the lectio divina, which is a source of prayer and school of contemplation. To be contemplative requires a faithful and persevering journey, to become men and women of prayer, ever more pervaded by love for the Lord and transformed into his friends. They are not “professionals” – in a negative sense – but lovers of prayer, considering fidelity external to the practices and norms that regulate it and mark the moments not as the end, but as a means of progressing in the personal relationship with God. In this way you become teachers and witnesses who offer Him the sacrifice of praise and intercede for the necessities and the salvation of the people. And at the same time your monasteries continue to be privileged places where you can find true peace and genuine happiness that only God, our safe refuge, can give.

From the very beginning, the Cistercians of the Strict Observance have been characterised by a great sobriety of life, in their conviction that it was a valid help in concentrating on the essential and in reaching more easily the joy of the spousal encounter with Christ. This element of spiritual and existential simplicity preserves all its worth as testimony in today’s cultural context, which too often leads to the desire for ephemeral goods and illusory artificial paradises.

This lifestyle also favours your interior and exterior relationships with the monastery. You do not live like hermits in a community, but as cenobites in a unique desert. God manifests Himself in your personal solitude, as well as in the solidarity that joins the members of the community. You are alone and separated from the world to advance on the path of divine intimacy; at the same time, you are called to make known and to share this spiritual experience with other brothers and sisters in a constant balance between personal contemplation, union with the liturgy of the Church, and welcome to those who seek moments of silence so as to be introduced into the experience of living with God. Your Order, like every religious institute, is a gift made by God to the Church; therefore, it is necessary that he lives well inserted into the communal dimension of the Church itself. I encourage you to be a qualified witness of the search for God, a school of prayer, and a school of charity for all.

The “Charter of charity”, a document that sets out the ways of your vocation duly authenticated by the Church, establishes the essential features of the General Chapter, called to be a sign of unity in charity for the whole Institute. This unity in charity is the paradigm of every religious family called upon to follow Christ more closely in the dimension of community life, and is expressed first in your individual monastic communities in a climate of true and cordial fraternity, according to the words of the Psalm: “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” (133,1). In this regard, the invitation of Saint Benedict is always present: "No one is disturbed or saddened in the house of God”.

Unity in charity is also expressed in fidelity to spiritual heritage, that is, to the identity of your Order. In this regard, the General Chapter is a propitious occasion for renewing, in a climate of dialogue and mutual listening, the communion of intent in seeking the will of God. I urge you to question yourselves with serenity and truth about the quality of your testimony of life, dynamic fidelity to the charism, on how it has been lived by your monastic communities, as well as by single monks and nuns. The safeguarding of the charism is indeed one of the main responsibilities of the General Chapter and it is a vital experience of the present, situated between grateful memory of the past and the prospects for a future of hope.

Your Order, in the events of its history, has known times of grace and moments of difficulty; however, it has always persevered in faith in following Christ, with the objective of the glory of God and the good of the people. Following in the wake of your spiritual tradition, you are able to read the current state of the Order in its moments of light and darkness, and in the newness of the Spirit, identify with courage new possibilities and opportunities to bear witness to your charism in the Church and in society today.

I hope that this witness will be made even more eloquent by an increasingly organic coordination between the various branches of the Order.

May the Virgin Mary, Mother of God and of the Church, model of every consecrated life, accompany the works of your Chapter and the path of the Order with her maternal intercession. With such vows, as I ask you to pray for me, I impart to you my apostolic blessing, which I extend to all the monks and nuns of your communities. Thank you.

Papal Audience 23 September 2017

Day 18 of the General Chapter

Lauds together was at 7:00. Our four Buses pushed off around 8:00. There were about 160 of us. We reached Rome around 11:00. Our buses parked a few blocks away from St. Peter’s, so we had to walk the rest of the way. It was a bit of a sight to see such a long line of “penguins”. The situation seemed a bit chaotic when we got to St. Peter’s Square because of all the people and the barriers, but then things became organized and we were all being herded in the right direction. We then passed through security – the same as in any airport. That took a while, since there were so many of us. Then we were on the move again and wending our way through all kinds of passages and stairs in the Vatican that most people never see. 

The audience took place in a room (Sala Clementina) that was just right for our group. Everyone was sitting, except for some short people in the back. Pope Francis was sitting up front with a bishop on either side. You could see the excitement on our faces as you looked around. Dom Eamon, our Abbot General, went up front where there was a microphone and gave an address in Italian. Then the Pope read a presentation in Italian. We all thought that was going to be the extent of it, but then the ushers started motioning for us to come up and greet the Pope personally. Professional photographers were in place and clicking away as we filed by and either kissed Francis’ ring or clasped his hand. The flow was pretty well-organized, so they were able to knock out 160 people in a relatively short amount of time. We were looking at each other like, “Is this really happening?” When it was my turn, I was feeling a bit like Forest Gump. At the end, they put a chair for the Pope in the midst of us and they took group shots. Then the Pope left the room, waving and smiling. I hear we will be able to order the pictures on the website of L’Osservatore Romano. 

Then all of our black and white habits flowed through the Vatican passageways again and ended up in St. Peter’s Church. A large portion of it had been reserved for us. Those of us priests who had brought albs and stoles along vested and lined up. The rest filled in the pews. We priests then took our positions behind the main altar. Our Father General, Dom Eamon, then processed in with two assistants. One was our retired Abbot General, Dom Bernardo Olivera, the current abbot of Azul in Argentina. The other was Br. Ruben, also from Azul. He is a transitional deacon, so he functioned as deacon during the whole Mass and read the Gospel in English. Most of the Mass was in English because Dom Eamon is from Ireland. Br. Ruben must have had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. He grew up on a ranch in Argentina and was a gaucho. That’s what he did after he entered the monastery, too. His hard-working hands are a testimony to it. But then his Abbot decided to make him novice master. It is said, he went from taking care of the bulls, to taking care of the novices. 

Meanwhile, we were being accompanied on the main organ of St. Peter’s by Dom Richard of Mt. Melleray in Ireland. Born in 1976, he may be our youngest superior. And here he was, having a very memorable day indeed. With him, with flutes, were Mother Maria Gratia, of Maria Frieden in Germany, and Sr. Annie of Laval in France. What a great experience it was for all of us. From what I heard, it’s not very often that they allow a group to say Mass there. 

Afterwards, we filed out through St. Peter’s Square to a pre-arranged place where a car was waiting for us with our packed lunches. We sat on a curb in a grassy spot and ate our lunches, sharing our crumbs with the pigeons. By this time it was nearly 3:00 and we were quite hungry. We then had a little less than two hours to see what we could before getting back to the buses by the 5:15 departure time. The ride home was accompanied with happy and excited voices. The day had surpassed our expectations. Waiting for us when we returned to Domus Pacis was another great meal. God was very gracious today to his Cistercian children gathered at this General Chapter. I’m sure it put a smile on his face to see us all enjoying it so much. 

Fr. Stephen, Genesee

[The official pictures of the audience are available at http://www.photovat.com/index1.htm > EVENTS 2017 > SEPTEMBER > 23.09.2017 > CAPITOLO GENERALE CISTERCENSI]

Day 17 of the General Chapter

We had quite a busy morning today in the aula. First we congratulated Fr Thomas, the secretary of the Coordinating Commission on his birthday. The Abbot General’s Counsel was presented and also the members of the new Law Commission.

And then it was time to vote. There were votes about continuing the regimen of Superior ad Nutum in a few houses, and votes on the resignation of several Abbots and Abbesses. This was followed by the presentation of new votes on similar subjects, and the formation of a few commissions of Aid to assist houses in difficulties. For the rest of the morning we listened on a whole series of reports concerning resignation, houses in difficulties and the summary reports on the House Reports by different commissions. 

In the afternoon the Regions met to elect a new president and vice-president and a delegate and substitute delegate for the Central Commission of 2019 to prepare the General Chapter of 2020. After the break, some commissions met to finalise their reports. As many of the capitulants are ill, with colds and/or flue, the tiredness begins to be felt even more. Those who were ready with their work could enjoy some extra free time and enjoy the beautiful Italian weather.

And tomorrow is another day, a great day, for we are invited to meet Pope Francis in a special audience. But this will be the subject of another contribution by Fr Stephen.

Fr Jan,

Region of the Isles.

Day 16 of the General Chapter

Feast of St. Matthew. The liturgy today was celebrated in Spanish. Dom Isaac of La Oliva in Spain was the principle celebrant and did a nice job. A couple days ago he invited me to come visit his monastery on my way home. I probably won’t take him up on it, but it was a kind gesture. 

Our first meeting got underway at 8:45. Dom Jean-Marc from Bellefontaine was our chief moderator. We wished Fr. Matthew of Awhum a happy feastday. We were given more information on our Papal Audience on Saturday. Four buses will be leaving here at 7:15 and drop us off near St. Peter’s Square. The audience at 11:30 will be just for us members of the Trappist Order. At 1:00, we are scheduled to have Mass in St. Peter’s. Afterwards, there will be some time to wander around. The buses will leave around 4:15, unless we can get Domus Pacis to reschedule our dinner that night for a little later back here. It should be a memorable outing. I hope I get on the same bus with Dom Brendan Freeman and Dom Peter McCarthy. They are such a riot when they get together. 

We did a lot of voting and covered a good bit of other business this morning before breaking into commissions toward the end. Our commission was able to finish all its work before lunch, so we got the afternoon off. Others had finished also. This Chapter seems to be moving along quite smoothly. I’ve heard several remark that it has more of a friendly and upbeat atmosphere, too. 

Impressions: I’m impressed with our Order’s devotion to the Eucharist. We have a Tabernacle in the sanctuary of our “theater church”. Dom Hugues of Les Neiges has the sanctuary very tastefully decorated, with plants and icons and candles. It’s a very inviting space. The church is usually fairly dark, too. I think every time I’ve gone in there, there have been several monks and nuns praying silently. Sometimes a nun is kneeling on one of the steps going up into the sanctuary. I was a Carthusian for eight years and they didn’t have this devotion in their tradition. The emphasis there was on the cell, and you didn’t linger in the church after an Office or make visits to the Blessed Sacrament in between. I missed it. 

Before leaving Genesee, our former abbot, John Denburger, had told me about a favorite little chapel of his around behind the Basilica where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed all day long. I’m including a picture. It really is quite conducive to prayer. While I was there this afternoon, four other Trappists were there also. They had wondered over independently. To me, it says a lot about the health of our Order. 

Each time a new poll is taken, it seems like fewer and fewer Catholics believe in the Real Presence. They say actions speak louder than words. Throughout the Church, I think there are a lot of people coming up short in their reverence and actions toward the Blessed Sacrament. Is it any wonder that belief is slipping? It came out in our house reports, that many of our houses have Exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament every week and Benediction. They noted it as a special time for them. 

When I was a little boy I followed my dad all around. If he went to town grocery shopping or for errands, he would take me with him. He would always stop by our parish church and make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament. I was probably only a little higher than his knee. We would walk down the center aisle of this dark church with its special smells and kneel down at the altar rail. I had no idea what was going on, but I sensed something important happening between my dad and that metal box up there. I knew my dad wasn’t faking it. And my dad was always very fervent after receiving Communion at Mass. I would be next to him and look up at his face and try to figure this all out. His actions were catechizing me. 

Fr. Stephen, Genesee

Day 15 of the General Chapter

The day started with Lauds and Mass, taken care of by the Japanese group within the Region of Oriens. Today we commemorate Saints Andrew Kim Taegon, Priest, and Paul Chong Hasang, and their Companions, Martyrs. We prayed especially for our community in South Korea, and for the people of North Korea, who go through a very difficult period. We pray for peace.

Today we also celebrated the birthday of Mother Maria Gratia, the abbess of Maria Frieden, and of Sister Grace, one of the secretaries in the aula. They not only share the same birthday, they also share the same name Grace/Gratia. 

The first part of the morning was taken up by a series of votes and of presentation of votes, among other about the resignation of Superiors ad Nutum to be approved or not, a new foundation to be approved, a resignation of an abbot to accepted, the formation program Experientia, the regional procedure, etcetera. After that we listened to reports of several commissions concerning the house reports, concerning the resignation of some Superiors ad Nutum, and abbots. 

Finally, before the break Dom Isidoro presented the working paper on the Financial Needs of the Houses of the Order, which has to be studied in the different commissions.

For the rest of the day, we worked in our commissions or in the special commissions ad hoc, on the house reports and on the presented paper. 

Again it was a busy but inspiring day.

Fr Jan,

Region of the Isles

Day 14 of the General Chapter

What would a General Chapter be without a cold going around and a great number of people getting it? Whatever this year’s bug is, it seems to hit some people worse than others. Poor Dom Augustine of Conyers has been out for several days. This is his first Chapter, and not exactly a pleasant experience so far. I saw him today and he seems to be looking a little better. He asked to borrow some electric hair clippers I brought along in my suitcase. One of the latest victims has been Fr. Jan from Caldey who has been writing half of these blog posts. He felt it coming on last night and warned me that I might have to cover for him today with an entry. He was out all day, but looked a little better when I saw him this evening. 

Our liturgy this morning was in Italian. The Mass, with so many of us gathered together, is such a wonderful experience each morning. Everyone is so respectful and reverent. Work began in the aula at 7:00. We wished a Happy Birthday to Dom Lino, Titular Prior of Boschi in Italy. Mother Rebekka of Klaarland in Belgium was our main moderator for the day. She always does such a fine job. I marvel at her ability to lead a group like that with such grace and good humor. She is in my commission too, and a real gem in our Order. Born in 1967, she still looks quite young. 

Then we moved on to voting. The first two votes were fairly significant. I would love to share what they were but I might get fired. Next, we voted for two members of the Abbot General’s Council. After that, we voted for the members of the law commission. There were some more votes and some other business, and we finished out the last half hour of the morning working in our commissions. The two periods of the afternoon were also devoted to work in our commissions. We have some very likable people in our 2nd Commission, and we seem to be making rapid progress in the tasks assigned to us. We’re hoping to finish early and have an extra day or two off. A lot of that is due to our phenomenal secretary, Dom Erik Varden, who is able to compose brilliant-sounding summaries of our discussions on his tablet right there during the meetings and read them off to us at the end as if it took no effort at all. Our commission president, Dom Mark of New Melleray, and our vice president, Mother Rebecca of Mississippi, have also been putting in stellar performances.

Impressions: A theme that has come up several times in our work in the aula is a concern for handing on the Cistercian charism to the next generation. We have received such a rich tradition. It has been handed down through the centuries, and we are now its custodians. The decisions we make will affect this passing on of the baton. When we look around, we see a lot of diminishment in our Order. Will there even be a next generation? In a great number of places, vocations aren’t exactly booming. Is what we have to offer still relevant? The culture that our youth are coming from is so different than it was in the 40s and 50s when our Order was flourishing. How much should we adapt to that culture? Like the wise householder, we need to be able to bring out things old and new. We also need to be able to listen to the young without compromising any of our fundamental elements. This will take a lot of wisdom from the Holy Spirit. We can also count on the motherly care of Our Lady. Our Order is dedicated to her and she has guided us thus far. She will not allow us to flounder. I see many signs of hope in this General Chapter of 2017.

Fr. Stephen, Genesee

Day 13 of the General Chapter

 Well, we started the day “bright-eyed and bushy-tailed” after the refreshing afternoon off yesterday. Members of our houses in the British Isles led us in the liturgy. Dom Roberto of Cardena in Spain was our main moderator for the day. Today is the birthday of Fr. Godefroy from Aiguebelle in France and currently chaplain for our sisters in Syria. He is a usual face at these Chapters for his interpreting skills. He was the equivalent of a Navy Seal before becoming a monk, and still looks very fit. It was noted that it was a national holiday in Chile – I think their Independence Day. Today was our last day of having Lauds at 7:15. It will be moved up to 7:00 in response to some of the suggestions in our mid-Chapter evaluations. 

After the announcements were out of the way, Dom Erik Varden from Mt. St. Bernard in England gave his presentation of “The Vision of the Order”. I think that is number 5 in a series of 7. It was excellent! Outstanding! He is such a gift to our Order. We were told earlier in the morning that these papers on the Vision of the Order in the 21st Century will be made available on the OCSO website at the end of the Chapter. Time is needed to render all the translations. Anyway, I would highly recommend seeking out Dom Erik’s presentation once the texts are posted. To give you a taste: “I feel gratitude. I also feel perplexity. My perplexity springs from what I see as a crisis of transmission. It is on this I wish to reflect. When I entered the monastery in 2002, I was conscious of entering a flow of continuous life. I was no less conscious of entering a history of rupture.” As you can imagine, much stimulating discussion followed it. 

Then we went on to the 7 remaining reports from the commissions on Fathers Immediate. After the mid-morning break, Dom Gregory Polan, the Abbot Primate of the Benedictine Order, gave a presentation. It was mainly about an inter-religious dialogue he had been involved in recently with Shiite Muslims. Before being chosen Abbot Primate, he was the abbot of Conception Abbey in Missouri, USA. 

After accomplishing some other business, we broke for two hours and another wonderful midday meal. I made use of the opportunity to run up to Assisi and take some more photos. Such a wonderful place!

We met back in the aula at 2:30 for None and then nominations for two positions on the Abbot General’s Council. That was followed by nominations for the Law Commission. Afterwards, we finished out the afternoon with work in our 14 commissions and ad hoc commissions. 

I would like to reflect on what a central role the House Reports play in General Chapters. Someone remarked to me, before I even left for the General Chapter, that the House Reports are really the main work of the Chapter. At the time, I had a hard time making sense of that statement. Now I see the truth of it. A tremendous amount of time is devoted to having commissions study them. The abbot of the house is invited into the commission to ask him questions and make comments. Often, the Father Immediate of the house is also invited in to get his input. It is all done in a spirit of solicitude and genuine caring. Picture the gathering of a close-knit family where people are asking each other how things are going at home, and each has the opportunity to share his burdens, his struggles, his joys and successes. All is done in a spirit of trust and transparency. There is much mutual concern. As mentioned in our commission today, we receive inspiration from some of the abbots and abbesses we interview, and learn things that we can take back to our communities. At the same time, the abbot or abbess connected to the House Report under review feels the support and love of the people in the commission. They are genuinely seeking the health and well-being of the community in question. Often, too, we would ask what the abbot or abbess was doing to take care of herself, in order to make sure she wasn’t letting herself get spread too thin and allow her life to get out of balance. Even before all of this, when the House Report is being drawn up by the individual communities, the members of the communities have the chance to air their concerns and get things off their chest. It is a call for the community to take a good, hard look at itself and do a self-evaluation. I realize now that House Reports play an important role in fostering the health of the Order. 

Fr. Stephen, Genesee

Day 12 of The General Chapter

After Mass, animated by the African Region, with songs in different African languages, we started our half day of work, with a presentation by the General Secretary for Formation, Sister Marie Mouris of Val d’Igny. The main part of the conference, with the additional Q&A, was the presentation of Experientia, a program of Reflection and Sharing, that would start in 2018. 10 themes were chosen with fitting texts from our Cistercian patrimony to be studied personally and then shared within the community. This could be a very good help in the ongoing formation of monks and nuns personally and as community.

After this interesting talk, we listened to the evaluations of the different commissions, as we are half way through the chapter. The evaluations were very positive, although some minor issues could be addressed. Every one agreed that the Sunday afternoon free was a very good idea, and we all enjoyed it today, as we did last week. After this the General Chapter took some votes and worked a bit more in the different commissions. And this concluded this half day of work.

Fr Jan,

Region of the Isles

Here all is well

Here all is well. Thanks to the professional care of our doctor on site, the sick people start to recover.

This afternoon we had some fierce showers with lightning and thunder. But on the whole the weather is very nice here.

Greetings from Assisi,

Fr Jan

Day 11 of the General Chapter

We started out the day with Vigils on our own and some silent prayer and lectio. That was followed with breakfast together in Domus Pacis. There is no talking, since it is at 6:00 and still during the Grand Silence. There is ham, cheese, croissants, rolls, sort of a cake thing, cereal (including some really good granola), apple sauce, fruit, coffee, juice, etc. Even though we aren’t conversing there is still fellowship. I find it interesting to notice the different mannerisms of the various cultures. 

After a break, there is Lauds at 7:15, followed by Mass. The French region was in charge of the liturgy again as we celebrated the Martyrs Cornelius and Cyprian. Dom Hugues, Abbot of Les Neiges, was the principle celebrant and did a flawless job. He is also the sacristan of the General Chapter. 

Work in the aula began at 8:45. In the announcements, two deaths were noted: Sr. Caritas of Arnhem (I’m guessing that’s in Holland); and Fr. Marcellus Earl from Genesee in New York. He had actually died before the announcements of the previous day and I was expecting to hear it, but I guess it hadn’t reached the moderators yet. Birthdays are also announced, and it was the birthday of Sr. Paula-Maria, delegate of the Spanish region. This is her second General Chapter and she has been doing a fine job as secretary of the 13th commission. 

Things are still on track for our Papal Audience toward the end of our stay here. It will be on a Saturday, and we will receive more details from the papal representative a couple days before the private audience. 

Next was the 4th of our 7 presentations on “The Vision of the Order in the 21st Century”. It was given by a young abbess: Mother Mariela of Quilvo in Chile. She made many striking points and it was well-received in the aula, with good discussion following.

Then we went on to vote on the elevation to a simple priory of two houses, and the elevation to an abbey of a third. The last two were given bouquets by their Father Immediate. Many cell phones and tablets were held up shooting videos as they made their way to the mother superior. Then another vote was taken regarding the transfer of paternity of a men’s monastery. Wisecracks were made about the lack of a bouquet. 

That was followed by more input on the topic of Fathers Immediate. Each commission was required to study this issue and give a summary of their discussions and suggestions. We heard the reports of seven commissions, and still have seven to go. 

After the mid-morning break we heard the report of the ad hoc committee on Fathers Immediate. This was followed with time for questions and clarifications on the commission reports heard this morning on this complicated issue. Then we were shown the formulation of votes 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. We will take the votes on those formulations later. After some other business, we quit for lunch. It was a little early (12:00) but no one complained. 

We were free until 2:30 when we met in our commissions and continued reviewing house reports. Sext and None are said on our own during the lunch break. We also did a mid-point evaluation in our commissions of how the General Chapter has been going so far. Several improvements were noted from the 2014 GC, including a big screen behind the moderators, as shown in some of the pictures in our blogs, and also electronic voting, which saves a lot of time. 

After the mid-afternoon break we met again in the aula and listened to a presentation by Sr. Gabriela on General Postulation. She is the Postulatrix General. She furthers the cause of members of our Order who might be canonized someday. She gave us an update on Venerable Fr. Romano Bottegal, Blessed Maria Gabriella, Blessed Joseph-Marie Cassant, and Blessed Cyprian Iwene Tansi. This was followed by a wonderful presentation by Fr. Tomas Georgeon, Postulator, on the 19 Martyrs of Algeria, including our 7 brothers of Tibherine. The progress on their cause looks very encouraging. We are, of course, limited in what we can share, but if your interest is piqued you can go to: www.moines-tibhirine.org.

Then a short break and Vespers in our language groups, followed by another yummy dinner with great company and entertaining conversations. I sat next to Br. Philippe-Marie from our monastery of Bellefontaine, whom we all agreed could be a comedian. When he didn’t know an English word, he would act it out! Of course, the wine helped too. 

A hardcore group stayed up visiting in the lobby, quite a few of them Americans. Did I say in an earlier blog that we were really good at keeping the Grand Silence? Hey, General Chapters only happen every three years. You’ve got to make the most of them. 

Fr. Stephen, Genesee

Day 10 of the General Chapter

As usual this was a busy day. We began the day with Lauds and Mass, presided by the Region of the United States. And the we spent the whole morning in the aula. After praying Terce and the daily practical notices, work began.

First we listened to Mother Geneviève, secretary of the Committee of Aid of the Order. She introduced us, and especially the new capitulants, to the working of this committee that was founded to study the different projects asking financial support from the Order, and to provide, when approved, the necessary money from the fund that is made from donations by many monasteries of the Order.

After some Q&A, we listened, questioned and commented on a whole series of reports:

• the reports of the commissions working on votes 47-50 of last Chapter, concerning the age of retirement of abbots and abbesses,
• the reports concerning the dissolutions of a few monasteries,
• the reports concerning the retirement of several superiors.
• and the proposals of the votes for the independence of a few houses and the transfer of Paternity of one house.

All this took up the whole morning.

After a tasty lunch and a much needed siesta, we resumed our work in the different commissions. Because many capitulants are ill with flue or colds, and because there were also extra commissions ad hoc, studying serious problems at the same time, many commissions could not work at full capacity. Yet, a lot was done, so that many, like yours truly, could enjoy an easy evening, after praying Vespers and sharing another delicious evening meal.

Fr Jan

Region of the Isles