OLP News Update
May 31, 2008
Dear
Friends:
Peace
and blessings. I must apologize for neglecting to update our website. It is
quite a surprise that the abbey of OLP gets considerable interest from readers.
So in response to this interest here are a few significant events for the
months of April and May.
- The province of Guimaras holds a mango
festival annually around the peak of the mango harvest. This year the
organizing group advanced the week long festival to the month of April
instead of the later part of May. So from the 15th to 20th
the province
of Guimaras
pulled off another rather successful event using for its theme:
“environmental protection and ecological awareness in the pursuit of development
for the province”. On 18th of April government officials from the highest
to the lowest levels and guests from the national government as well mango
growers and their families gathered at the Abbey Church of OLP for a mass
and day of prayer with the specific intention of promoting environmental
safety. Fr Abbot was the main celebrant at this Mass attended by well over
500 people. After the Mass a group of young musicians gave a brief concert
for the guests.
- The 13th of May
marked the 1st anniversary of the passing away of our Br.
Lawrence. Our Br Orly scheduled the celebration
of his 25th anniversary of monastic profession to coincide with
this date which is also the memorial of our Lady Fatima. In spite of the
rainy weather 300 people came to celebrate with us including 25 of his
siblings, nephews, nieces, friends and benefactors.
- From the 19th to 25th
of May, the abbot went to Korea
as an invited guest of the east Asian Benedictine Superiors. The meeting
was a conference on Confucian culture and the prospects of the eventual
return to a more open and regular Benedictine/Cistercian life in China.
The relationship between the Church and the government will need a lot of
serious study and preparation for the future of the Church and monastic
life in China.
Fr Fil then took the opportunity to visit our Trappistine monastery of Sujong,
the family of our present Korean Novice Br Magdaleno
and our former novice Alberto.
Now for some news coming from our working
departments:
- The guest house is fully booked
until the end of the first semester which is in November. Brs Meme and Delfin together
with four employees run the department smoothly while awaiting the return
of Fr Bruno who is convalescing after a delicate operation. He will be
back in mid August and be able to resume his assignment as our guesthouse
chaplain attending to the spiritual needs of the guests. Four weeks ago a
thunderstorm severely damaged and temporarily knocked the standby
generator and the transformers respectively. Fortunately, our friends from
the electric coop were able to restore two of the transformers but the
damage to our standby generator will cost us initially some three thousand
dollars to repair.
- The food processing, in spite
of numerous setbacks and delays, is pushing ahead in improving the quality
of its range of products structuring its operations and stabilizing its marketing and sales approach. Brs.
Rafael Inaki Orly and Paul
Chris have made fruitful efforts to work together as a team and fine tune
their area of responsibility. They will be joined by Br. Aelred when he returns from his studies in Rome early in June.
- The farm orchards and forest
departments are also moving ahead with their respective programs. The
never ending rise in production costs makes us even more determined to
survive our difficult situation to support ourselves and our workers.
During these months of April and May the workers through the help and
guidance of Fr Jess our cellarer organized themselves into an informal
cooperative by which they can raise funds for their cash advances and
purchase their basic needs especially rice at a third of the retail price
outside.
- The gift shop continues to be
the main outlet for our trappist
monastic food products providing us with our basic daily needs.
- Finally we commend to your
prayers our Brs Stephen and Vincent who have
come to the conclusion to seek dispensation from their monastic vows and
commitment after several years of discernment. Our senior novice brother
Conrad has also voluntarily withdrawn his application for first vows due
to his health situation. May the good Lord continue to guide and protect
them. Likewise you our valued readers.
Sincerely
in Christ,
Filomeno OCSO
Abbot
of OLP
Back to OLP news