Brother John Cullen passed into eternity on Thursday, April 4, 2013, while the brothers were each taking turns watching over him throughout the night.  
   Brother John was born of Irish parents in San Francisco.  He was very proud of his Irish heritage.  Brother worked as a lithographer and served in the army for several years before he entered the monastery.  He entered the Abbey of New Clairvaux on May 21, 1962.  He held the position of guestmaster for which he was known, but performed many other important tasks such as being the monastery launderer, cantor, librarian and part-time cook.  As cook, he was famous for baking gingerbread for the monks.  Brother John was also fond of cats especially one he named "Angel."  
   Several days before his death the monastic community gathered by his bedside to recite the prayers of recommendation for the dying.  Although Brother John was conscious, he was barely able to speak.  But as each brother bid his final farewell, Brother John was able to communicate the words, “I love you.”  Brother John was 84 years old and had been in solemn monastic vows for 43 years when the Lord called him.

Monastic architecture tries to capture a truth about divinity and expresses it in the way it is built.  For the early Cistercians, this truth was marked by a certain vastness of space as if you were being enveloped entirely by a mysterious yet welcoming presence.   They used proportion to convey a sense of harmony as if the very walls resonated with an unheard of ethereal music.   The simplicity of line devoid of ornamentation directs the gaze forward and lifts the eyes upward towards that place where only God can touch the soul and no one else.  In many early Cistercian abbey churches, you would find a round oculus, a symbol of approaching divine perfection.  Others may have three arched windows representing the Trinity.  Another characteristic of the early Cistercian architecture was light representing divine illumination.  

A quotation from the sermons on the Song of Songs by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

The monastic community of New Clairvaux was pleased to welcome Dom Eamon Fitzgerald, the Abbot General of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance.  This is Dom Eamon's first visit to Vina and was glad to see the sun shining in California after being in dismally wet weather in Oregon with our brothers of Guadalupe Abbey and knee-deep in snow with our brothers of New Melleray Abbey in Iowa.  The Abbot General ministers to each and every monastery of the Order in all the continents.  He traveled with his secretary, Father Thomas, a monk of La Trappe Abbey in France.  They spent four days here at New Clairvaux visiting with each of the brothers and celebrating Mardi Gras.  After their visit, Dom Eamon and his secretary will go to see our sisters at Redwoods Abbey and conclude their stay in the United States to return to Rome.

At New Clairvaux, we honor the tradition of celebrating the Lunar New Year held by several of our monks from Asia.  A simple meal of noodles and shrimp tempura, rice cakes and egg rolls, was prepared to ring in the Year of the Snake.  While humble in comparison to other New Year celebrations, the monks of New Clairvaux take delight in a simple meal shared in joy.
chúc mừng năm mới 
新年快樂 
새해 복 많이 받으세요
Happy New Year!

Day visitors to the monastery and guest retreatants might be taken aback by the sight of our orchards at this time.  The monks of New Clairvaux will be planting 167 acres with walnut trees.  Some of these orchards like the "John-Teresa" and "Little Flower" orchards have been around since 1960.  Thus, it is a time of renewal for our orchards.  These trees, like our senior monks, have deep roots.  They have provided for the monastery for many years and have offered up their fruits through many long harvests.  And although there might be sadness in seeing them go, the soil is, at the same time, being prepared to receive a new generation of young trees that are ready to sink their roots in order to find life-giving water that will continue to nourish them for many more years to come.

In the 11th century in the area of what is now France, Robert, Alberic, Stephen and their companion monks were inspired by a vision and were granted permission to set out to establish a "new monastery" in a place called Citeaux.  This new monastery started what later became the Cistercian Order.  The call to be a Cistercian monk or nun today is brought about through personal contacts with a particular monastery involving regular visits and is carefully guided and nurtured by a particular monk or nun of a particular monastery.  Monasteries of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, otherwise known as Trappists, can be found in specially chosen places across the continents around the planet earth.  Wherever you are in the universe, whoever you are, and whenever you feel a pull or attraction toward making a visit to such a place, know that it is your heart that searches for inner quiet and that it is God who beckons you to be still and know.   For more information on Cistercian monasteries of monks and nuns, please visit the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance website at:   www.ocso.org

The light of Christ's manifestation continues to this day as witnessed in the lives of many young men and women who choose to dedicate their lives and pronounce their vows in an act of fuller commitment to Christ.  Our novice, Brother Luis Cortez, professed monastic vows of obedience, stability in a community, and fidelity to monastic life, before Abbot Paul Mark of New Clairvaux, on this solemn feast of the Epiphany (January 6th).  Brother Luis was born and raised in California and will carry on in the monastery growing in the life to which God has called him.

The period of time after monastic profession of vows is one of a deepening commitment to follow Christ along the monastic way and further integration into the monastic community in which the monk lives out this commitment.  This period will also entail further studies in monastic theology, scripture, morality, and liturgy so as to deepen the monk's practice of contemplation and solitude.  All things work toward an end, which is God.  For a junior monk like Brother Luis, he makes this end the sole focus of his whole search.  The vows of his monastic profession are what will guide him towards making a final and complete surrender at a later stage when a monk makes his life-long commitment of solemn monastic consecration.
   For now, the monks of New Clairvaux rejoice and give thanks to God for continuing to send men who are willing to heed Christ's call and follow him.

Last month, our Brother Placid Morris, was ordained to the transitional diaconate.  Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento was present to ordain Brother Placid, and afterwards, he joined the monastic community in the monks' refectory to celebrate the occasion.  Brother Placid will spend the next year preparing for ordination to the priesthood by exercising his ministry.  As deacon, Brother may proclaim the Gospel during Mass as well as assist the presiding priest in preparing the altar for Eucharist.  Occasionally, the deacon is asked to give the homily for the edification of the faithful.

In the refectory, our Abbot asked  Bishop Soto if he would update us with events and happenings around the diocese of Sacramento.  He was excited to share news especially of his focus on Catholic education and evangelization among youth.  The monks of New Clairvaux thank the kind bishop for making the trip to Vina to ordain our Brother Placid.  We appreciate his continued support and for keeping us in his prayers.