A Letter from Theabbey
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A LetterDecember 2019 from the Abbey Briefly Travelogue Fr. Bernard recounts his short trip back to Dallas and his return to Hungary, where he is serving as Prior to the Abbey of Zirc See pg. 2 Carta turns 900 For three days in July, Our Lady of Dallas hosted dozens of monks and nuns from around the world MERRY CHRISTMAS See pgs. 3-4 A Letter from the Abbot FROM CISTERCIAN Fr. Abbot Peter Verhalen Br. Francis in Rome With a variation on 1 John 4:8, the Cistercian abbot St. Aelred of Br. Francis updates us on Rievaulx once wrote that “God is friendship.” Made in God’s image, his Ph.D. studies in Rome we are made for friendship. Christmas reminds us that our longing See pg. 4 to love and be loved, to experience friendship, is as basic as reality itself, as God. As a most intimate “friend,” God has shared our life, Ordinations! has walked with us in his Son and thus Fr. Raphael Schaner is enabled us to love others as dear ordained a priest and Br. friends. This Christmas we Francis Gruber a deacon give thanks for all our See p. 5 friends and pray that you will experience A trip out West the joys of Fr. Peter joins Fr. Stephen this profound for a quick trip to California friendship with for an abbatial installation God and with See pg. 6 those in your lives. Fr. Abbot Peter speaks with Abbot General Mauro at the Carta Caritatis Colloquium. 1 THE TRAVELS OF FR. BERNARD Fr. Bernard Marton my fake Texas-accented English. His it matters little what you say as long as it Hungarian accent is genuine (and rather is you – a Cistercian in black and white strong) so any of our alumni who regret habit – who says it.” They crave our the disappearance of the Hungarian presence. And I have actually preached accent from the Prep School could hear on the topic of what it means to me to him would be delighted. I am having a be present. Forgive me the quote that hard time switching from the classical served as the launching pad: “The past pronunciation (that we use in the Prep is history, the future is a mystery, today School) to church Latin (mostly Italian is a gift of God – that’s why we call it pronunciation) and the peculiar Austro- present.” Hungarian Latin of my childhood that I After the nearly three hard years now find strange. Nivard is a wonderful, of purging and reconnecting, the This little report on Zirc might end up delightful student who satisfies my community is relatively peaceful but like a travelogue, yet I will include a few craving for teaching that I sorely missed especially hopeful. Abbot Bernát is an details since they form an essential part the last couple of indefatigable work- of what might be of interest to our Dallas years while in Zirc. horse who finds the friends. His presence is the energy to criss-cross My short visit to the monastery just flew reason I am here; the country several by, and I thoroughly enjoyed my visits his perseverance is times a month, who with members of the community and the hope that a new has brought stability my longtime friends. Exactly two weeks bud will eventually and foresight to the after my arrival I was already on my way bring forth yet community. We now back to the old country, via Washington, another flowering need more brother D.C., where I officiated at the wedding tree as it has done Nivards. Who knows, of a Cistercian alumnus of 2004, Cart numerous times perhaps another Weiland and his lovely wife, Carol from the Hungarian wishful, Abbot Szurkowski at St. Peter’s Church on soil. Denis-style prayer Capitol Hill. Between rehearsal activities Of the six monks will be answered just and the ceremony itself, I was shown who reside as when he prayed around by another alum, Drew Roberts permanently in for the intercession of ’12, who happens to work in the the Abbey, four of our sainted Capitol and has clearance to most parts are capable of praying the full divine predecessors: “If God sends us five good of the building. It was a lovely occasion office, much of it chanting. There is vocations in ten years, we shall survive!” and a mini-reunion. plenty of work both in the parish and We would not insist on duplicating our Having finished with the wedding, I was in the schools where unfortunately Dallas history of ten in five years but on my way to the airport to catch a direct the Cistercian presence is sorely would be grateful for the literal five. flight to Vienna with Austrian Airlines, lacking. I have accepted numerous Please do pray for us! cutting nearly half of my normal travel speaking engagements, retreats, days time to just eight hours thirty-two of recollections in the towns where minutes. I was briefly (well, not so briefly, our schools for nearly two hours) hassled as I tried are located to to obtain my boarding pass, given the show the colors. fact that my return back to the States was When doubting nearly ten months later. my own ability Eventually, I arrived in Zirc and to perform any was heartily received by the small useful missionary community, especially by Br. Nivard, work – as I feel our novice and newest member. I very inadequate immediately re-started the lessons we in promoting true interrupted when I left: I am teaching spirituality – I him Latin and English. Actually, it was immensely is Latin in English. We go over the helped by a grammatical constructions of mostly statement of one scriptural passages that we are daily of the teachers at reciting in the Divine Office. St. Emery when Br. Nivard is an eager student who she replied to my wants to learn everything, including hesitation: “Father 2 Carta Caritatis Colloquium: 900 years Fr. John Bayer in such numbers. Among the guests founders wanted to make clear “by what Throughout this year, in 2019, were many monks, nuns and scholars covenant” all the monasteries should be Cistercian monks and nuns around from at least twelve countries, some as knit together. the world are celebrating the 900th far away as Germany and Australia, The Charter enacted important anniversary of the Carta Caritatis or as well as the general abbots of both systems of accountability between the “Charter of Charity” (1119), the document the Cistercian Order (O.Cist.) and the monasteries: every year all the abbots that formally gathered together the first Trappist Order (OCSO), the two leaders would gather together to discuss relevant Cistercian monasteries into a shared life who are collectively responsible for over issues and hold each other accountable to and mutual responsibility. This document 7,000 Cistercian monks and nuns around was so successful it was eventually the world. embraced as that model by which the The Charter of Charity receives its medieval Church asked religious orders to name in part from the intention of the organize themselves at the Fourth Lateran Cistercian founders Council (1215). to ensure that the It remains relationship between a source of their monasteries inspiration would not be reduced today. to the economic From July 16- relationship that 19, Cistercian existed at the Abbey Our time between Lady of Dallas medieval feudal hosted an estates and many international other monasteries, conference to according to which discuss the one house would Charter of Charity. Unique in several found another house for its own economic ways, this was the first time Cistercians advantage. In writing the document, the and Trappists of North America gathered BR. FRANCIS REPORTS FROM ROME Br. Francis Gruber On the last day of I am beginning a doctorate September, I shipped off in philosophy at the Pontifical to commence my studies Gregorian University, which grew in Rome. Immediately out of a school originally founded upon arriving at the by St. Ignatius of Loyola himself in Cistercian General 1551. House, I was met with I am one of eighteen other students the warm greetings of from all over the world who were Frs. Lluc from Poblet, accepted in the doctoral program Spain, and Cesare from in philosophy. We are all part of Dominus Tecum, in a weekly seminar that covers the Piedmont, whom I had basics of how to conduct doctoral gotten to know well research, wherein all students must years ago while studying also give a substantial presentation here. on the status of their research, along Within a few short with a critical discussion amongst days, I felt back to the whole class that follows. the comfort level of the home-away-from-home I had All in all, it has been a wonderful experience thus far, experienced when I spent the spring semester of 2017 here and I am very grateful to have this opportunity. in Rome. their commitments; and every year the The presence of lay scholars was a great mother house should visit her daughter aid to the conference, as their expertise house to ensure the material and spiritual and critical perspective increased the well-being of its members. sophistication of the discussions. At Taking its inspiration from this sense of the same time, the earnest and lively Christian solidarity in all things material engagement of the monks and nuns (some and spiritual, the conference organized of them scholars as well), made it clear its presentations. There were seven that these days of study were not just of lectures from different scholars, as well theoretical interest but of vital concern as presentations by Cistercian superiors to the future of the Cistercian tradition on the current state of the two orders and the personal growth of its members (Cistercians and Trappists) and a panel and those they serve.