Easter 2015

Happy Easter!

“Yes, Christ my hope is arisen…. Christ indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining. Have Mercy, Victor King, ever reigning.” (Easter Sequence)

 

Dear friends of St. Paul’s Abbey,

Happy Easter! May the risen Lord give you and your loved ones His abundant grace, peace and happiness. We pray that you have a glorious and blessed Easter season.

Brief Monastery News

On January 1, we started the year of the sheep with a New Year’s Greeting after Morning Prayer. We greeted one another with faith, hope and love in Jesus, giving thanks for God’s great love and grace.

Renovation: The renovation of our retreat house and the installation of fire alarms and smoke detectors in the entire monastery building have almost been finished. We opened the retreat house on April 2 for the Easter Triduum Retreat. Around 6 retreatants and several guests attended the Easter Triduum Liturgies. We are still waiting to change from our old boiler to a high efficiency natural gas boiler and to replace some of the windows to prevent heat loss.  We expect that the construction will start this spring after the snow melts and ground the thaws.

Visitors: We always welcome guests and visitors to our community. On January 10, Srs. Lumen Gloria and Caritad Choi and Philipa of the Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing visited us and had lunch with us. Srs. Lumen Gloria and Caritad Choi are Congregation Council members of the Tutzing Sisters. While they visited their sisters at the Korean community in Demarest, NJ, they came here to meet us. On Sunday, Jan. 11, the Right Reverend Yu Soo-il Francis Xavier, the bishop of Military Ordinariate in Korea, visited us and stayed with us until the next day. Fr. Francisco Lee, who came here on November 11, 2014 during his sabbatical year, returned to Korea on February 4. While he was here, he gave us our Annual Retreat for 2014 and influenced us with many good examples. On Sunday, March 8, Fr. Stephano Sang-Jin Kim, who work in China as a Benedictine missionary, and his brother Alex visited us and celebrated mass with us. They left after lunch. On March 11, there was a special event in our community. Two family members of Sewol ferry victims from Korea visited us and attended mass with us at 11:30am. Around 25 Koreans and 10 Americans also attended the mass. We consoled them and prayed for God’s merciful love and help. After the mass, we had lunch with guests in the retreat house dining room. In the Sewol ferry disaster, around 293 people mainly high school students, lost their lives; 9 people are still missing.

Our Brothers: As usual, we were invited by the Benedictine community of St. Walburga Convent to join their Vespers and dinner to celebrate the Feast of St. Scholastica on Feb. 10. Abbot Joel and Br. Luke attended the celebration and had a joyful time with the sisters and other monastic guests. The next day, Abbot Joel went to Germany to work on behalf of the Congregation at St. Ottilien at the request of the Abbot President. He returned home on March 7. We were also invited by Bishop Serratelli of Paterson Diocese to join him for Midday Prayer and a reception to celebrate World Day for Consecrated Life at St. Philip the Apostle Church in Clifton, NJ on Feb. 15. Br. Luke, Br. Matthias and Br. Barnabas joined the event.

As a prior of our community, I attended the American Abbots and Priors’ workshop at St. Bernardo Abbey in Cullman, AL from Feb. 2 to 9. On March 13, I went to the Korean community in Memphis, TN to give some lenten lectures and hear confessions until March 17. I was so impressed by their good faith and piety. Fr. Matthew also went to the Korean community in Cleveland, OH to celebrate Sunday mass and hear confessions from March 14 to 16.

Fr. Bede, who was the first confrere to take vows at Newton after the Korean brothers came here, was assigned to Waegwan Abbey in Korea on March 13. Now he serves ill brothers in the infirmary.

Dear friends of St. Paul’s Abbey, we really appreciate your prayer and help for our monastic life. We will keep trying to prosper and firmly plant the Benedictine monastic way of life in this ground.  We also humbly ask you to keep helping us with prayer and generosity. We will pray for your help and kindness so that Jesus Christ will repay your good deeds with abundant gifts and grace, especially Easter grace. May the Risen Lord’s peace and happiness always be with you.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

 

Fr. Samuel Kim, O.S.B., Prior
and the monks of St. Paul’s Abbey

Advent / Christmas 2014

Dear Friend of St. Paul’s Abbey,

Greetings and the abundant blessings of our Lord to all of you in this Christmastime and the New Year of 2015. We thank you for your kindness and help which you showed us throughout the year of 2014. We keep praying for you so that you may always live in the love and protection of Jesus Christ who is the true source of happiness and peace in our lives. Giving thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ for his love and grace, I would like to bring you up to date concerning the news from our community.

When we look back 2014, there were many big events such as canonical visitation, the preparation and start of renovation for our retreat house and installation of fire alarms and smoke detectors in the entire monastery buildings. The renovation of our retreat house and installation of fire alarms and smoke detectors have proceeded well since last November. Even though all the buildings are dusty and noisy because of constructions, it is not unbearable when we think about the newly renovated plan of our buildings. We will also change our old boiler into a high efficiency natural gas boiler. The natural gas pipeline passes far from our monastery, but the company will provide the gas line to the boiler room exterior wall. When we change the old boiler to gas, we will save a lot of energy and money. We expect that the construction will be finished at least by March.

 I have to say a word about Christmas tree sale. For several reasons, such as lack of tall trees, bad weather conditions and financial stagnation, we couldn’t sell enough trees this year. But we have a positive attitude because every year we keep planting trees and the trees are growing. We believe that with the fresh tree smell, God’s grace and blessing will be delivered to the homes of the people who bought trees. We really appreciate the many volunteers for their good work and help. We also are thankful for the Don Bosco Knights of Columbus and the Columbiettes who made Christmas wreaths for us.

 In the Newton community, there are 10 Koreans, 3 Americans and 1 Tanzanian from Hanga Abbey. Last December 10, Br. Marinus Kim went to Waegwan Abbey in Korea for around 6 to 12 months to have a monastic experience before taking his solemn vows. Fr. Matthew also went to Korea to renew his visa on November 10, 2014 and will return home on January 13.

 We also have had some guests. Fr. Francisco Lee, who was a prior of St. Joseph priory in Korea, will stay with us from November 11, 2014 until February 4 during his sabbatical year. He has given us our Annual retreat for 2014 and helped us with many things. He is a somewhat famous spiritual director in his area of Korea. Many parishioners, especially priests, used to visit him to make confessions. He is also helping many people while he is here. On October 13, Fr. Michael Patella, a rector of the seminary at Saint John’s Abbey in Collegeville, visited us to introduce his school to us. He also visited Waegwan Abbey last year. Fr. Damian and Abbot Justin came here on October 20 and 21 respectively. Fr. Damian returned to Tanzania on Saturday, Oct. 25. Abbot Justin stayed with us for a couple days and went to Boston. He said that we will come back after our construction. After the canonical visitation last September, Br. Ansgar and Mr. Ballhausen came here to have financial visitation from November 2 to 5. After seeing the construction and checking our financial condition, they encouraged us and gave us much good advice in order to successfully carry out various works and develop our community.

 Dear friends and benefactors, we have been here for almost 13 years. We are trying to give witness to Jesus Christ and his words by the motto of our Congregation, “Lumen Caecis – Light to the Blind” even though we are still struggling with many difficulties. I ask you to pray for us to firmly root in this area so that we can successfully spread the true light and essence of Jesus Christ. Once again, we thank you for your prayer and help. I also ask you to keep helping us in our work. May God give you and your family his great grace and abundant gifts throughout the year of 2015.

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2014 대림 / 성탄

뉴튼 수도원을 아껴 주시는 모든 분들께,

지극히 높으신 천주 성자께서 우리를 죄와 죽음에서 구원하시고 우리의 참 빛과 희망이 되기 위해 이 땅에 오신 이 거룩하고 복된 주님의 성탄! 이 기쁨을 뉴튼 수도원을 아껴주시는 모든 분들과 함께 나누고 싶습니다. 아기 예수님의 성탄을 진심으로 축하하며 여러분 모두의 가정에 주님의 크신 은총과 사랑이 풍성히 내려 2015년 새해에는 더욱 기쁘고 복된 한 해가 되길 바라며 기도합니다.

2014년을 뒤돌아보면 연합회 정기 시찰과 피정집 공사 그리고 수도원 전체 건물에 대한 소방 안전 설비에 대한 준비와 시작이라는 큰일이 있었습니다. 또한 지난 소식지에서 알려 드렸듯이 전례 거행에 있어 중심 언어를 한국어로 바꾸는 큰 변화가 있었습니다. 10월 5일부터 낮기도와 끝기도를 제외한 모든 기도를 한국말로 하고 있는데, 특히 저녁기도는 한국의 왜관 수도원에서 하고 있는 “안티포날레” 라는 베네딕도회 성무일도를 위한 그리고리안 성가집을 사용하고 있습니다. 기도를 그레고리안으로 노래하기 때문에 더욱 기도에 전념할 수 있고 참석하는 분들도 쉽게 따라 할 수 있게 되었습니다. 그리고 미사도 수요일과 토요일을 제외하고는 한국어로 거행하고 있으며, 주일 미사는 10시 30분에 드리기 때문에 먼 곳에서도 수도원 미사에 참석할 수 있게 하였습니다.

피정집 공사와 소방 안전 설치는 11월 초부터 시작되어서 지금 순조롭게 진행되고 있습니다. 월요일부터 금요일까지 수도원은 공사로 인해 시끄럽고 먼지가 많이 날리고 있지만 새롭게 단장될 모습을 생각하면 소음과 먼지가 싫지만은 않는 것 같습니다. 내년 2월이나 3월에는 공사가 끝날 것으로 희망하고 있습니다. 많은 분들이 새롭게 단장된 피정집에서 피정도 하며 수도원 전례에도 많이 참석하시어 주님의 사랑과 은총에 함께 감사하며 찬미를 드렸으면 좋겠습니다.

크리스마스 트리에 대한 이야기를 하지 않으면 안 될 것 같습니다. 매년과 같이 Thanksgiving Day 다음날부터 성탄 트리를 판매하고 있는데, 좋고 큰 나무들이 많이 없어 매년 판매량이 줄어들고 있어서 걱정입니다. 그러나 심어 놓은 나무들이 점점 자라고 있어 2년이나 3년쯤 지나면 좋아지리라 예상하고 있습니다. 올해도 많은 봉사자들의 수고해 주었는데, 특히 맨하튼 청년회, 동북부 청년 레지오 단원들 그리고 핫쵸코 판매를 위해 수고해 주신 자매님들과 여러 본당에서 오신 형제자매님들께 진심으로 감사 드립니다. 또한 성탄 화관 (Christmas wreath)을 만들어 준 Knights of Columbus 회원들과 St. Joseph 성당 학생들에게도 감사합니다.

뉴튼의 형제들은 현재 한국인 10명, 미국인 3명 그리고 탄자니아인 1명으로 모두 14명이며, 김 마리누스 수사는 왜관 수도원 본원에서 6개월에서 1년 정도 수도생활을 체험하고 종신 서원을 준비하기 위해 12월 10일에 한국으로 갔습니다. 김 마태오 신부는 비자 갱신과 고국 휴가 차 한국을 방문하고 있습니다. 손님으로는 한국의 성 요셉 수도원에서 원장으로 오랫동안 일해 오던 이 수철 프란치스코 신부가 안식년 기간 중에 11월 11일부터 내년 2월 4일까지 이곳 뉴튼에서 생활하고 있습니다. 그리고 지난 9월에 있었던 연합회 정기 시찰에 이어 11월 2일부터 5일까지는 연합회 재정 담당인 Ansgar 수사와, 함께 일하고 있는 Mr. Ballhausen이 와서 재정 시찰을 하고 돌아갔습니다. 우리 공동체가 현재 진행중인 공사와 수도원 재정에 대해 살펴보고 나아가야 할 방향에 많은 조언을 해주었습니다.

친애하는 친구 은인 여러분, 이곳에 온지 13년째를 준비하고 있는 우리 한인 수도자들은 아직 많은 점에서 부족하지만 “눈먼 이들에게 빛”이라는 우리 연합회의 모토에 따라 참된 빛이신 예수 그리스도를 증거하기 위해 노력하고 있습니다. 우리 뉴튼 수도형제들이 이 지역에 제대로 뿌리를 내려 그리스도의 향기와 빛을 전하고 증거할 수 있도록 많은 기도와 관심 그리고 도움을 청합니다. 현재 피정집 공사는 순조롭게 진행되고 있으며, 내년 2월이나 3월에는 마치게 되리라 생각합니다. 우리 뉴튼 수도원이 좀 더 새롭게 단장된 피정집으로 찾아 오는 모든 분들의 쉼터가 되었으면 좋겠습니다.

다시 한 번 여러분들의 도움과 사랑에 감사드리며, 주님 성탄의 기쁨과 평화 그리고 희망이 여러분의 가정에 가득 넘치기를 바라며 기도합니다. 감사합니다.

Fr. Samuel Kim, O.S.B., Prior
and the monks of St. Paul’s Abbey