Showing posts with label Cistercian Monks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cistercian Monks. Show all posts
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Major Motion Picture: Of Gods and Men - Movie about the Trappist Monks in Algeria
"Cannes Film Festival grand-prize winner had 'monastic adviser' on set"
By Mark Pattison
Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- "Of Gods and Men," the Cannes Film Festival grand prize-winning feature now debuting across the country, had a "monastic adviser" on the set to help faithfully depict the lives of the French monks whose story is at the heart of the movie.
Henry Quinson, who lived for six years at a Cistercian monastery in France, knew two of the monks portrayed in the film.
The subject matter is not typical for a movie: the lives of seven Trappist monks in turmoil-ridden Algeria in the mid-1990s. All seven were kidnapped in 1996 and ultimately beheaded.
"It's very difficult for me to make a movie that would be cheap -- the kind of movie that would only be about blood," Quinson told Catholic News Service in a Feb. 18 telephone interview from Marseilles, France, where he lives. "It would be very far away from the spirit of the people I knew."
Xavier Beauvois, who directed and co-wrote "Of Gods and Men," approached Quinson after seeing his memoir on monastic life; Quinson had earlier translated into French an English-language book on the murdered monks.
Quinson said Beauvois e-mailed him asking, "I need someone to be with me on this movie. ... When it's written (in the script) 'the monks pray,' how are they dressed? What do they do? Do they sing? I need someone who knows the monastic life from the inside."
Quinson, who had been considering making a movie himself on the French Trappists, agreed to help Beauvois.
"My little job," Quinson said, "was to tell their story, ... be faithful to the brothers, and reach out to as many people as we can."
Quinson said Algeria in the mid-1990s was struggling through many of the same issues today roiling Muslim-majority nations in North Africa and the Middle East.
"The murder of the monks was a turning point in Algeria. That doesn't mean there's no violence in Algeria today. Things are shaking up in Algeria right now," he told CNS. "What is true is that no Christians were murdered after '96, and I think that Algerian people started to come to terms with the idea that violence is not going to beget any bright future and another way to solve the problems would not be terrorizing people, not only for their religious faith -- most people who were murdered in Algeria were Muslims themselves -- but questions were raised about who murders whom."
Quinson said, "For the two months when we shot the movie in Morocco, I was there every day. Beauvois would have me very close to him -- 'Henry, are you sure this is right?' -- to re-create the atmosphere of the monastery."
Then came the bombshell from Beauvois when it came to the chapel scenes: "Henry, for these parts you are the film director. I cannot direct something I know nothing about. What are they going to do? What are they going to think?"
"I found all the songs, and all the dialogue, which makes up about 15 percent of the movie. I rewrote one of the speeches about being a martyr, which was a very important part of the movie," Quinson told CNS. "We spent several days in a monastery" coaching the actors, working with Beauvois on the setting, and re-creating the monastery in Morocco for filming.
Quinson, the son of a banker, was born in New York City but has lived in Europe, primarily France and Belgium, since age 5.
"I'm not a real monk in the sense that I'm not a part of a monastic order. But I'm celibate, working within the church," said Quinson, who turns 50 March 8. "I worked as teacher here in Marseille. I managed to have part-time jobs so I would have a lot of time to help out the neighbors" in a Muslim enclave in Marseille with "a lot of educational help and now a lot of financial help. ... A lot of these kids were considered not very able to go far in their studies" for academic or financial reasons.
Quinson said that, before filming, he had gotten advice from "a big French film producer" he would not name that "this story with seven monks being killed is not going to sell." Cannes awards and international acclaim later, the producer's opinion is being debunked.
In his review of "Of Gods and Men," John Mulderig of CNS' Media Review Office called the movie "a restrained religious masterpiece and a memorable viewing experience."
The film received a classification of A-III -- adults -- for brief gory violence, some unsettling images and a single instance each of rough and crass language. But Mulderig said older teens could profit from seeing the movie.
Director Beauvois, according to Mulderig, "finds a path to the heart of the Gospel through simplicity, a compassionate sense of brotherhood and an atmosphere of prayer enriched by sacred music and potent silence."
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Monday, January 19, 2009
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Cistercian Monks from Vietnam Found New Monastery
"'There is God in this deserted place' -- Vietnamese monks live in remote Lucerne Valley monastery" By DAVID OLSON
The Press-Enterprise
Long before dawn in the remote desert south of Barstow, the only light for miles around is a faint glow from a triple-wide trailer.
Inside, several monks chant in Vietnamese. Then there is silence.
The trailer is home to the first cloistered Catholic monastery in the Inland area. The white-robed monks pray and chant together seven times a day and silently meditate twice. Here in Lucerne Valley, off a dirt road and at the foot of barren mountains, there is little to disturb them.
"There is God in this deserted place," said Brother Matthew Nguyen. "There are not many people here, but God is here."
San Bernardino Diocese Bishop Gerald Barnes celebrated the opening of St. Joseph Monastery on Aug. 17, but for now, the two cream-colored trailers, a water pump and solar panels are all that sit on the 80-acre site.
The monks hope to one day erect permanent buildings to house a chapel, retreat center and living quarters.
St. Joseph is the second U.S. outpost of a Vietnamese congregation of Cistercian-order monks, who seclude themselves in monasteries to devote their lives to contemplation. The other opened in June near Sacramento.
There are nearly 7,000 Cistercian monks and nuns worldwide. Most sites are open to the Catholic faithful for retreats, as St. Joseph's visitors trailer will be in a few months.
The monks and nuns in Cistercian monasteries typically spend little time outside them, except for shopping for groceries and other necessities, and for special events such as ordinations.
Although the number of monks and nuns in U.S. monasteries has declined over the past few decades, experts say the drop has not been as steep as the fall in nonmonastic priests and nuns.
Proportionately more people choose a monastic life than before as a reaction to secularism and an increasingly fast-paced U.S. lifestyle, said Sister Patricia Wittberg, a professor of sociology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
There are about 200 Catholic monasteries in the United States, but there is no reliable count of how many people live inside them.
Like the parish priests who minister to their congregants and the nuns who serve the poor and sick, Cistercians and their devotion to intensely contemplative lives form a vital part of the Catholic church, said the Rev. Thomas Rausch, a professor of Catholic theology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
"It's a special vocation," Rausch said. "The church needs people who energize it from within with their prayer."
Prayer and Meditation
The monks of St. Joseph rise each morning at precisely 3:55 a.m.
Twenty minutes later, they gather in the dim light of the trailer's chapel to chant for a half-hour. Then comes 30 minutes of meditation broken by the ringing of a bell announcing daily Mass.
The rest of the day is dedicated to prayer, meditation, singing, Bible-reading, study and work. They speak to each other as little as possible, said the Rev. Anthony Pham, the monastery's superior.
"Most of our time is for God," Pham said, as he ate a breakfast of fried eggs topped with soy sauce.
Pham said that, while he is meditating, he reflects upon God's love and the meaning of his calling as a monk. Work is an integral part of monastic life. As much of it as possible is manual labor, to leave the monks' minds free for contemplation.
The monks are now clearing brush, digging trenches for pipes, grading land and performing other tasks to build and adorn their monastery.
Like other monasteries, St. Joseph must be self-supporting, so the monks are discussing possible business ventures.
Other monasteries make products such as beer, fruitcake or cheese, and one in Wisconsin sells toner cartridges under the name Lasermonks.
The St. Joseph monks are thinking of opening an on-site gift shop featuring Vietnamese religious articles that they would also sell online. Or perhaps they'll make tofu for Vietnamese markets.
Spiritual Retreat
The 12-bed retreat center that will open in several months is why the monastery exists. A Vietnamese priest from Santa Ana, who attended a Cistercian boarding school as a boy, contacted the Cistercian order to convey the need for a retreat house geared toward Vietnamese immigrants, Pham said.
Many older Vietnamese Catholics do not speak English and would not feel at home or get the spiritual nourishment they seek if they were to attend a retreat at an English-speaking monastery, he said.
They and many other Catholics yearn for a place to recharge, to take a break from their busy lives to focus on their relationship with God, Pham said.
The retreat guests -- visitors who are not Vietnamese will be welcome as well -- will participate in the same prayers, singing, meditation and other devotions as the monks, Pham said.
If asked, the monks will guide them, suggesting which Biblical verses to read. But much of the benefit of a retreat will be the example the monks set, Pham said.
"The way we live has a special effect and impact on other people, in the way that we get closer to God," Pham said. "When we are closer to God, we love God more."
Even more than parish priests, the monks forgo worldly goods. Because they rarely leave the monastery, they have few material needs. They do not eat meat, as a way of sacrificing for God.
"If we put too many things in ourselves, we cannot serve other people," Pham said. "If you're willing to throw things like the good car, like status in the community away, you come back to only being a human being, nothing more. We try to empty ourselves, so God can pour his graces into us."
Building A Monastery
When a permanent monastery is complete, Pham will spend almost all his time there.
Until then, Pham is busier than he would sometimes like. He regularly interrupts the contemplative life of Lucerne Valley to drive to Victorville. There, he fills out forms, applies for permits and talks with county bureaucrats. Even monks can't avoid San Bernardino County land-use and building codes.
He has a studded ring on his right hand that he rubs while driving, so he can pray the Rosary while on the road.
All six monks who live at the monastery spent at least six months at a Benedictine monastery in Pennsylvania to improve their English and acculturate themselves, Pham said.
Two more monks are now in Pennsylvania, preparing to move to St. Joseph. The goal is to have 13 monks by the end of 2009.
The monks receive several-thousand dollars a month to support themselves and the monastery. Most money comes from Vietnamese immigrants in Orange County. Further donations, along with revenue from the monks' forthcoming business, will fund the construction of the permanent monastery.
The trailer chapel where the monks now spend much of their time is spare. The monks sit on white plastic chairs or kneel on a blue-and-white carpet before a crucifix and a wooden altar carved in Orange County by a Vietnamese craftsman. Statues of St. Joseph and Our Lady of La Vang -- an apparition of the Virgin Mary in 18th century Vietnam -- stand near a plaque commemorating Bishop Barnes' visit.
Outside, there is little but sand and desert brush.
Taking A Risk
Lucerne Valley was chosen for the monastery because it is remote enough to foster contemplation but within driving distance of the huge Vietnamese community in Orange County.
The land cost $80,000. Pham started paying for it with his $200 monthly stipend, along with donations from Vietnamese families.
It was a risk. Pham knew the money wasn't enough to pay the entire cost of the land. But he trusted in God.
Then a Vietnamese family took him to Florida with them on vacation. By chance, he met a wealthy Vietnamese Catholic there. Pham mentioned the monastery he was building. He didn't ask the man for money. But by the time he left Florida, the man offered to pay the remaining cost of the land.
"I didn't know this person, and I didn't have the money to pay for the land," Pham said.
"But everything comes together with God."
The Press-Enterprise
Long before dawn in the remote desert south of Barstow, the only light for miles around is a faint glow from a triple-wide trailer.
Inside, several monks chant in Vietnamese. Then there is silence.
The trailer is home to the first cloistered Catholic monastery in the Inland area. The white-robed monks pray and chant together seven times a day and silently meditate twice. Here in Lucerne Valley, off a dirt road and at the foot of barren mountains, there is little to disturb them.
"There is God in this deserted place," said Brother Matthew Nguyen. "There are not many people here, but God is here."
San Bernardino Diocese Bishop Gerald Barnes celebrated the opening of St. Joseph Monastery on Aug. 17, but for now, the two cream-colored trailers, a water pump and solar panels are all that sit on the 80-acre site.
The monks hope to one day erect permanent buildings to house a chapel, retreat center and living quarters.
St. Joseph is the second U.S. outpost of a Vietnamese congregation of Cistercian-order monks, who seclude themselves in monasteries to devote their lives to contemplation. The other opened in June near Sacramento.
There are nearly 7,000 Cistercian monks and nuns worldwide. Most sites are open to the Catholic faithful for retreats, as St. Joseph's visitors trailer will be in a few months.
The monks and nuns in Cistercian monasteries typically spend little time outside them, except for shopping for groceries and other necessities, and for special events such as ordinations.
Although the number of monks and nuns in U.S. monasteries has declined over the past few decades, experts say the drop has not been as steep as the fall in nonmonastic priests and nuns.
Proportionately more people choose a monastic life than before as a reaction to secularism and an increasingly fast-paced U.S. lifestyle, said Sister Patricia Wittberg, a professor of sociology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
There are about 200 Catholic monasteries in the United States, but there is no reliable count of how many people live inside them.
Like the parish priests who minister to their congregants and the nuns who serve the poor and sick, Cistercians and their devotion to intensely contemplative lives form a vital part of the Catholic church, said the Rev. Thomas Rausch, a professor of Catholic theology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
"It's a special vocation," Rausch said. "The church needs people who energize it from within with their prayer."
Prayer and MeditationThe monks of St. Joseph rise each morning at precisely 3:55 a.m.
Twenty minutes later, they gather in the dim light of the trailer's chapel to chant for a half-hour. Then comes 30 minutes of meditation broken by the ringing of a bell announcing daily Mass.
The rest of the day is dedicated to prayer, meditation, singing, Bible-reading, study and work. They speak to each other as little as possible, said the Rev. Anthony Pham, the monastery's superior.
"Most of our time is for God," Pham said, as he ate a breakfast of fried eggs topped with soy sauce.
Pham said that, while he is meditating, he reflects upon God's love and the meaning of his calling as a monk. Work is an integral part of monastic life. As much of it as possible is manual labor, to leave the monks' minds free for contemplation.
The monks are now clearing brush, digging trenches for pipes, grading land and performing other tasks to build and adorn their monastery.
Like other monasteries, St. Joseph must be self-supporting, so the monks are discussing possible business ventures.
Other monasteries make products such as beer, fruitcake or cheese, and one in Wisconsin sells toner cartridges under the name Lasermonks.
The St. Joseph monks are thinking of opening an on-site gift shop featuring Vietnamese religious articles that they would also sell online. Or perhaps they'll make tofu for Vietnamese markets.
Spiritual Retreat
The 12-bed retreat center that will open in several months is why the monastery exists. A Vietnamese priest from Santa Ana, who attended a Cistercian boarding school as a boy, contacted the Cistercian order to convey the need for a retreat house geared toward Vietnamese immigrants, Pham said.
Many older Vietnamese Catholics do not speak English and would not feel at home or get the spiritual nourishment they seek if they were to attend a retreat at an English-speaking monastery, he said.
They and many other Catholics yearn for a place to recharge, to take a break from their busy lives to focus on their relationship with God, Pham said.
The retreat guests -- visitors who are not Vietnamese will be welcome as well -- will participate in the same prayers, singing, meditation and other devotions as the monks, Pham said.
If asked, the monks will guide them, suggesting which Biblical verses to read. But much of the benefit of a retreat will be the example the monks set, Pham said.
"The way we live has a special effect and impact on other people, in the way that we get closer to God," Pham said. "When we are closer to God, we love God more."
Even more than parish priests, the monks forgo worldly goods. Because they rarely leave the monastery, they have few material needs. They do not eat meat, as a way of sacrificing for God.
"If we put too many things in ourselves, we cannot serve other people," Pham said. "If you're willing to throw things like the good car, like status in the community away, you come back to only being a human being, nothing more. We try to empty ourselves, so God can pour his graces into us."
Building A Monastery
When a permanent monastery is complete, Pham will spend almost all his time there.
Until then, Pham is busier than he would sometimes like. He regularly interrupts the contemplative life of Lucerne Valley to drive to Victorville. There, he fills out forms, applies for permits and talks with county bureaucrats. Even monks can't avoid San Bernardino County land-use and building codes.
He has a studded ring on his right hand that he rubs while driving, so he can pray the Rosary while on the road.
All six monks who live at the monastery spent at least six months at a Benedictine monastery in Pennsylvania to improve their English and acculturate themselves, Pham said.
Two more monks are now in Pennsylvania, preparing to move to St. Joseph. The goal is to have 13 monks by the end of 2009.
The monks receive several-thousand dollars a month to support themselves and the monastery. Most money comes from Vietnamese immigrants in Orange County. Further donations, along with revenue from the monks' forthcoming business, will fund the construction of the permanent monastery.
The trailer chapel where the monks now spend much of their time is spare. The monks sit on white plastic chairs or kneel on a blue-and-white carpet before a crucifix and a wooden altar carved in Orange County by a Vietnamese craftsman. Statues of St. Joseph and Our Lady of La Vang -- an apparition of the Virgin Mary in 18th century Vietnam -- stand near a plaque commemorating Bishop Barnes' visit.
Outside, there is little but sand and desert brush.
Taking A Risk
Lucerne Valley was chosen for the monastery because it is remote enough to foster contemplation but within driving distance of the huge Vietnamese community in Orange County.
The land cost $80,000. Pham started paying for it with his $200 monthly stipend, along with donations from Vietnamese families.
It was a risk. Pham knew the money wasn't enough to pay the entire cost of the land. But he trusted in God.
Then a Vietnamese family took him to Florida with them on vacation. By chance, he met a wealthy Vietnamese Catholic there. Pham mentioned the monastery he was building. He didn't ask the man for money. But by the time he left Florida, the man offered to pay the remaining cost of the land.
"I didn't know this person, and I didn't have the money to pay for the land," Pham said.
"But everything comes together with God."
Thursday, July 17, 2008
"We're not pop stars, say chart-topping monks"
From The AustralianBy Iain Shedden, Music writer
BROTHER Johannes Paul and Brother Edmund are not the only monks visiting Sydney this week, but they must be the only two whose debut CD is in the charts across most of Europe.
The two young men, along with 15 others from the Cistercian Monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz in Austria, have shocked the music industry - and the church - by becoming pop stars with their Gregorian chant music, recorded in their 12th-century monastery near Vienna.
Even more surprisingly, their success has come after they posted a home-made video of their chanting on YouTube for the benefit of tourists.
Yesterday in Sydney the brothers, who are leading a group of 40 Austrian teenagers on a pilgrimage to World Youth Day, were playing down their new-found fame.
"We don't feel like pop stars," said Brother Johannes Paul, 25. "We are monks. As monks, what we do is pray. We published this CD with these prayers. We're happy that many people have listened to it and that we have made people happy. But we don't want to be pop stars."
The monks' CD, Chant: Music For Paradise, came about after Father Karl Wallner from the monastery entered their video in a talent quest organised by record company Universal.
The CD, released in Australia last week, entered the British charts at No7 and topped the Austrian charts when it was released in May.
They can count the Pope among their legion of fans; the pontiff visited the monastery last year to hear them chant.
"The Pope is very devoted to the ancient forms of Christian prayer," said Brother Edmund, 24, "especially the Gregorian chants that we practise in our monastery, so he wanted to come and pray with us."
Unlike most musicians, the monks' day-to-day devotion begins with prayers at 5.15am.
"Life in the monastery is very beautiful," Brother Edmund said. "We dedicate that life completely to God in a harmonious way. With these beautiful ancient chants, we express this life."
Money raised from the CD will be used for the monastery's theology training program.
"We have a papal college for theology students, many from Third World countries, so the more CDs we can sell, the more we can support these students," Brother Johannes Paul said.
The brothers' main source of excitement this week, he added, was "to celebrate our faith and to see the Pope".
"So far (this week) we've only seen him in the newspaper," said Brother Johannes Paul.
Friday, April 25, 2008
"MONASTERY OF SOUND"
.JPG)
I received the following press release from Dominic Gilmore with Universal Music:UNIVERSAL-SIGNED YOUTUBE MONKS RELEASE DEBUT ALBUM
CHANT: Music For Paradise
(VIDEO below)
Released on 19th May 2008
The Cistercian Monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz are delighted to release their debut album with Universal Music following an incredible few months in which they were signed to the music company after submitting their demo via a YouTube link. The monks subsequently recorded their unique sound with amazing speed and will release Chant: Music For Paradise on May 19th.
Universal Music, the largest record company in the world who are better-known for promoting the music of Eminem and Amy Winehouse, launched their search for sacred singers in February through adverts placed in UK religious press. The adverts prompted an incredible response with over 100 entries pouring in from religious organisations around the world.
On the closing day for entries Tom Lewis, A&R Manager of Universal Classics and Jazz (UCJ), received a YouTube link from the Monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz, based in the Vienna woods in Austria. Mr Lewis was immediately bowled over by their sound, saying "They are, quite simply, the best Gregorian singers we have heard. They make a magical, evocative sound which is both immediately calming and deeply moving.”
The Monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz, who count both young and old among their number, reside in the oldest continually inhabited Cistercian monastery in the world, and put their selection down to divine intervention. They had been due to record an album last year but cancelled plans because of a prestigious visit to their monastery by Pope Benedict XVI. So when a friend in London spotted the advert on the closing date he encouraged them to hurriedly submit their entry via YouTube to ensure instant consideration.
By Easter the record giant had signed the Monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz, considering them to be the most accomplished singers of Gregorian Chant, and just a week later recording began. The monks were equally pleased to record their first ever commercial album, as originally planned, in order to bring their voice, and the spirit of their peaceful monastic existence, to a wider audience. Dating from the 7th century A.D., Gregorian Chant is the earliest form of music to be written down but, more importantly, to the monks it is their form of prayer.
Gregorian Chant has recently been popularised by the Xbox game, Halo, driving demand for a 21st-Century recording of the ancient music and reaching out to a whole new generation who don't remember the mid-90s success of Enigma and the Benedictine Monks of Silos. UCJ Managing Director, Dickon Stainer, said of the initiative, "Our aim is to reach singers from outside the X-Factor generation and bring the spirit of the cloisters to the outside world.”
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
"Austrian monks win recording contract with YouTube clip"
Read my recent post about the Cistercian Monks from Heiligenkreuz HERE. Youtube video to go with the article below is at the bottom of this post.Monday, March 24, 2008 12:26 PM CBC News
A group of Austrian monks have signed a major recording contract after submitting a YouTube clip of their Gregorian chanting.
Universal Music put out a call in religious publications for "monks, men of the cloth and sacred singers" in February.
Recording executives were inundated with hundreds of demos but said the monks from the Heiligenkreuz monastery stood head and shoulders above the competition.
Tom Lewis said he was "blown away" by the quality of the monks' singing.
"It was beautiful, beautiful music, and they're using the very latest in terms of communication devices available to them to get their music heard," Lewis told BBC News.
"They're lovely people, they're very passionate about their music and they're very excited about this opportunity."
Universal is hoping to re-create the success of the Benedictine monks of Santo Domingo De Silos in northern Spain, who reinvigorated interest in Gregorian chanting through a CD that sold in excess of five million worldwide in the early 1990s.
The Gregorian chant is a melodic ritual song that has its roots dating back to the sixth century.
There are 80 monks at Heiligenkreuz, a Cistercian monastery located in the Vienna woods that dates back to 1133.
An album, set for global release later this year, will be recorded next month.
The monastery's Rev. Karl Wallner said the album would include about a dozen singers.
"It's a fun experience because I didn't think they would choose us — it was just for fun that we [contacted] them. It's a good thing because Gregorian chant is part of spirituality and our life."
Wallner also said he didn't think his monks were on the level of music superstars.
"We're not Robbie Williams or Michael Jackson, we're just a group of monks who sing every day."
Monday, February 25, 2008
Cistercians - Stift Heiligenkreuz im Wienerwald
When I started this blog a year ago, I had no idea the readership it would take on. Just yesterday this humble vocations blog was visited by someone at the Vatican using a German language computer! No, I don't think for a minute that the Holy Father visited romancatholicvocations (although that would be pretty amazing), but somebody from the Vatican did seek out this site. One word: wow.
Then today I received an email from one of the Cistercian Monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz im Wienerwald, Austria. The good Father contacted me with a request that I correct a miss labeled picture. In a recent post I said that the following picture was of Our Holy Father and a group of Trappists:
As you've probably put together at this point, these are Cistercians not Trappists. If I might offer a weak excuse - I was tired and didn't take the time to go back and look who the order was in the picture. I had saved it because it was such a great photo, but failed to save it with the name of the order.
Regardless I was very happy that Fr. Ignatius contacted me about it. I have since had the pleasure of visiting their website. Stift Heiligenkreuz is the second-oldest Cistercian Monastery in the world. It is certainly one of the most beautiful. You should visit their site if for no other reason than to see all of the beautiful pictures, particularly of Pope Benedict's visit. Two of my favorite lines on the only English page of the website: "It is one of the most beautiful medieval monasteries of the world. In 2007 Pope Benedict XVI. visited the monastery, which is full with young vocations." You have to like that last line.
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