Letter to our friends
July 5, 2013
Dear Friends,
This July 5th, we will celebrate the 1150th anniversary of the arrival of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Great Moravia. We have already talked about this event with you. Fr. André explains on page 3 how we will distribute in our area coins with the image of these two great spreaders of the Gospel in Europe.
Last January, the Czech government signed an agreement, with the representatives of different religions that are present in our country, concerning the restitution of goods confiscated by the Communists. The new law will allow the Catholic Church, Protestant churches, Jews and Muslims to function independently of the state. To give some relief to the diocese in which we have established ourselves, we have agreed to care for the small church of Krašov, which is close to our monastery. You will find some information about it on page 4, along with news about the construction going on at Novy Dvur.
A new bishop of Moulins was named last February. The monks of Sept-Fons received him at the abbey in June. In the spring, the diocese of Plzen celebrated the 20th anniversary of the creation of the diocese in 1993 by John Paul II and the nomination of its first bishop, Msgr. Radkovský. We tell you about these two events on page 4.
In our December 2011 letter, you were discreetly informed about the new book, With all my heart – on the Christian future of our age, from Ad Solem editions, which arrived without undue noise in France before being translated and published in the Czech Republic in the springtime. One review appeared in the Dominican journal, Salve: “One thing that is endearing – and in this the book distinguishes itself from current autobiographies or literary journals – even though the attentive reader learns an enormous number of things, Dom Samuel, with great sincerity, does not unveil the interior mystery inherent to his community.” I do not resist the temptation of citing this text for you because, since our foundation, we have tried to give you truthful news, but to take care to respect individuals, their secrets and their weaknesses.
Now that he has been ordained a deacon, Brother Lev, sub-master of novices for seven or eight years now, will take on the role of Master of Novices at Novy Dvur. We will share more about this.
Each year, the Feast of Corpus Christi allows us to manifest our faith in the real presence of the Lord in the Eucharist. To decorate our cloisters for the procession of the Holy Sacrament, we strip our gardens and those of our neighbors. They let us get away with it. To thank them, we present some photos of the cloisters of our two monasteries and extracts from the day’s homilies.
Speaking about the monastic life is not easy, because, to cite again the extract of the article above, “The solemnities, public events, articles or books have almost nothing in common with that to which we have been called, with our daily life...” of which the essential tasks are virtually invisible: prayer, the celebration of the office, the joys and the harshness of that life in common which upholds everything. It sometimes happens that a brother leaves the monastery to render a service, or to visit a doctor. What he hears about the monastic life often surprises him. And so it was that one day in May I had to go with Br. Bruno to the National Pilgrimage of Priests in Velehrad to give a speech requested by the bishop of Plzen. A pious pilgrim said to our brother: “You are a Trappist? I thought it was forbidden for you to leave the monastery!” That’s not how it is at all! The good that is done leaves hardly a trace. If one day you hear something that surprises you, drop us a line. We will tell you the truth of the matter.
Continue to pray for us. The opportunities to rejoice are not lacking, just like in your families – nor are the worries. And count on our prayers.
Br. Samuel, Abbot of Novy Dvur
Letter of the Father Master to Brother Lev from Sept-Fons
February 2009
September, 2nd 2014
Autumn 2013
March 10, 2013
A few weeks before Christmas 2012
September 2, 2012, Solemnity of the Dedication of Novy Dvur
Whit Sunday 2012
January 11, 2012
September 30, 2011, Feast of Saint Jerome
May 1 2011
September 2 2010
May, 2010
January 29, 2010
Pentecost 2009
February 2009
May, 2008
February 2, 2008
September 2, 2007
July 5, 2007
September 2, 2006
March 25, 2006
February 2, 2006
September 2, 2005