Nesletter – 2023 Easter – (E)

Easter 2023 

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. I send you brief monastery news from Newton with a prayer that, just as new life bursts forth in the frozen earth and flowers blossom, so may your lives be full of energy and bear abundant fruits with the Lord’s resurrection.  

Brothers: Abbot Joel, who has served as Prior at Schuyler monastery in Nebraska, a dependent monastery of Münsterschwarzach Abbey in Germany, for six years, returned to Newton on March 16. Now Abbot Joel plans to organize old monastic documents and compile a brief booklet for Newton Abbey’s centennial anniversary next year. Br. Luke Oh, the organist, visited the Monastery of the Havana Priory of the Epiphany of the Lord in Cuba from February 27 to March 4. The Havana Priory currently has two priests on assignment from Waegwan Abbey in Korea, Fr. Aaron Jang, who serves as Prior, and Fr. Athanasius Lee, who ministers in the city of Havana. Now six brothers in the Cuban community are faithfully living out its life of sharing and witnessing the Benedictine spirituality in the region. Br. Luke delighted the brothers by bringing many things which the Cuban community needed, especially a large platter of Korean food. Your prayers for our brothers in the Cuban community, who live in many difficult circumstances, would be greatly appreciated. On March 21, the feast of the death of our Holy Father St. Benedict, our brothers in the Newton community were invited to St. Mary’s Abbey in Morristown, New Jersey. We were invited to St. Mary’s Abbey for Solemn Vespers, food, and brotherhood as Benedictines. The celebration was attended by Bishop Kevin Sweeney, Bishop of the Diocese of Peterson, and Sister Teresa Lee of the Salesians Order, who is the Chancellor / Delegate for Religious of the Diocese of Paterson. Sister Teresa Lee is a Korean who immigrated to the United States as a child and joined the Salesians here. On March 23, four our brothers and I attended Mr. Geoffrey J. Crann’s funeral Mass at St. Joseph Parish in Newton. Mr. Crann and his wife, Louise, have been very helpful to our monastery in many ways since we came here to Newton.  

Guests: Abbot Blasio came on January 4 and stayed until the 11th, encouraging the brothers and presiding over the Perpetual oblation on the 8th. On January 16, two Benedictine sisters, who are assisting in the ministry at the Korean American parish in Demarest, New Jersey, visited and were pleased to see the monastery. On March 7, Abbot Jonathan and a Benedictine priest from St. Mary’s Abbey, New Jersey, visited and had lunch with us; Abbot Jonathan is the President of the American-Cassinese Congregation and the current Prior administrator of St. Mary’s Abbey. On March 8, Sister Teresa Lee, the Chancellor / Delegate for Religious of the Diocese of Paterson, visited us and had a valuable conversation for our community with me. We were also delighted to welcome on March 10, Fr. Deoksoo Han, a member of the Archdiocese of Gwangju in Korea who served at 103 Martyrs Korean Catholic community in New Jersey; he now ministers to the Korean Catholic community in Orlando, Florida, and is the President of the North American Council of the Korean Priests.  

Perpetual Oblation: Oblates who began their oblation in 2017 finally completed their formation period, and 15 oblates including one American, promised oblation for life on January 8 on the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. During the ceremony by Abbot Blasio, the oblates promised to live a life of faithful following and witnessing to the Lord Jesus Christ in the spirit and teachings of the Rule of St. Benedict as oblates of the Newton community, now for life.  

Abbey Address: The post office changed the address once again and sent it to us, but instead of 206 North, it was 206 South, which is what we had been using. We apologize for any confusion regarding the address. 

St. Paul’s Abbey
289 Route 206 S    
Newton, NJ 07860 

Dear friends, we are ever grateful for your prayers and support. With your help, we are slowly developing and stabilizing, and we are truly grateful. We hope and pray that your lives are ever more filled with the great grace of the Lord’s resurrection. 

May our Risen Lord bless you abundantly this Easter season! 

Prior Samuel Kim  
and the community of St. Paul’s Abbey