The Pecos Benedictine - Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey

The Pecos Benedictine
Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey
The Official Quarterly Newsletter of Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey - PO Box 1080 Pecos NM 87552-1080 - 505-757-6600
.Inside:
Winter 2014
Renovations
1
Jericho Building
1
Our Newest
Postulant
2
Renovations to the old cells
Meet the Monks 3
in Formation
Renovations
3
Superior’s Message
4
Special points
of interest:

Frank Kozel enters
the Postulancy

Our Juniors

Renovations to the
main building
Volume 1, Issue 2
Once this cell is completed, it will be used by
one of our Senior Monks
As the seniors in the monastery continue
to age it is important to insure for their
continued safety and care. During the
winter months it has become increasingly
difficult and hazardous for many of the
seniors to trek to the main building
through the cold and snow. For some the
length of the walk is becoming difficult
and it involves crossing through the guest
facilities. In addition, none of the rooms
where they now reside in the northern
cloister are handicapped accessible.
Our work crew, led by Bruce Wadsworth,
facilities supervisor, has worked to restore vacant dilapidated rooms, in the
main building, originally constructed in
1906, into up-to date, handicapped accessible rooms similar to those found in
modern assisted living facilities. Our
team has moved walls and put in new
plumbing and wiring. Air leaks have been
plugged, old plaster has been removed,
and new dry wall has been installed. Additional flooring has been laid down to
prevent creaking and nails from popping
through, also providing for better acoustic
and thermal insulation. New bathroom
facilities have large handicapped accessible showers with grab bars and folding
seats. Raised toilets with grab bars will
also help our seniors. Needless to say the
rooms will have new tile, carpeting, paint
and lighting fixtures.
One additional room will be used as a
Utility Room and a second for an office
for Fr. Bob. Because most of the work has
been done by our own hard working staff
the overall cost is a third of what we otherwise would have paid.
Upcoming Retreats
Oblates and Friends Retreat: March 20-22
Jericho Building
Lettering and Calligraphy
In years past the building
furthest south on the property, named Jericho, was
used as the novitiate
house. Br. Aidan and Br.
Joseph both spent their
novitiate year over at Jericho. Lately it has been
Workshop: May 11-17
School for Spiritual Direction: May 31-June 28
For more information
see our website.
used to house male volunteers but now that Zion
and Tabor are being earmarked for renovation as a
new retreat house those in
formation once again will
be taking up residence in
Jericho. Jericho has a
chapel, kitchenette, common area and six monastic
cells.
Page 2
The Pecos Benedictine
Frank becomes our new Postulant
As I continue to grow in
my relationship with Jesus Christ and in my monastic life, I have come to
understand more and
more the importance of
being attentive to the
movement of the Holy
Spirit in my life and the
gifts that come from the
Holy Spirit.
Some weeks ago on the
Feast Day of Our Lady of
the Rosary during Vespers, Frank Kozel became
a postulant, and so began
his journey into monastic
life according to the Rule
of St. Benedict. At 37
years of age Frank is a big
man, he is six feet three
inches tall and towers
over me at a modest five
feet eleven and a quarter
(that 1/4” is very important!), yet he is such a
gentle man. He is indeed,
a gift.
Entering into Postulancy
is a very simple matter,
but it’s significant in that
it is the first step for anyone who comes knocking
at the door of the monastery seeking admission.
After numerous visits
with community over the
past year Frank was ready
to take the first step, and
I thank him for doing so.
Please keep him and our
other monks in formation
in your prayers, and also
those who are discerning.
We thank you Frank for
taking that ‘first step’ .
Fr. Aidan. OSB oliv
Frank Kozel enters the Postulancy
Frank Kozel
We have two
Juniors, a Novice
and a Postulant this
year.
I was born on May 23,
1977 in Annapolis, Maryland. I currently reside
in Dallas, Texas.
I graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas
with a Bachelor’s degree
in Business. I have
worked for Pizazz,
Dillards, Shaklee, Knowbility and Wal-Mart in
various capacities. I am
also a Fourth Degree
Knight of Columbus and
former member of Toastmasters.
Br. Edmond Myszkier
Br. Edmond (Bill) was born in Inkster, Michigan, just outside of Detroit.
The eldest of three children, his sister Marie has been an oblate of the Pecos
Monastery for a few years. Bill left Michigan with his father in 2008 after
his mother had died. Marie and Bill took care of their father till he passed
away in January, 2012. After working as a chaplain/CPE student at Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque for a year, he joined the Pecos Community
in September, 2013 and entered the novitiate on May 3, 2014 taking the
name Edmond after his father. His father used to describe him as a perpetual student. He has a BS with majors in Math and Physics, two MA degrees
in theology along with a MDiv. He also earned a clinical doctorate in audiology. He is happy to be in Pecos and continues to seek after God.
Currently, I am a postulant at the Benedictine
Monastery under the
Olivetan tradition in Pecos, New Mexico.
Volume 1, Issue 2
Page 3
Br. Bruno Boyko
I was born in Weyburn Saskatchewan in 1963. I graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with degrees in English and History in 1987. I taught myself computer hardware repair and software troubleshooting, which led to various positions in software
support, customer service and technical writing.
But my greatest joy in those years was when I would be “Starets” or Spiritual Director
for several people over about a 15 year period. Some of them have adopted me as a surrogate father or uncle. I am still in touch with some of them. One of them even calls me
“Brother Monkle.”
I was in a different Benedictine community for a few years but it did not work out. I initially arrived here in the spring of 2013 as a long term volunteer. I was allowed to use my
old name in religion and to have a seat in Choir with the monks. After a year of being a
monk in all but official standing, I decided to stay and pursue a vocation here.
I do some of the gardening and baking. I also look after the newsletter.
Br. Joseph Janeczko
I was born in the 50’s and
have 6 other siblings near
my age.
Before entering religious
life, I was a plumber and
also a maintenance man.
There are 3 areas where I
grow vegetables. First
place is the “hot house”,
which helps to start the
seedlings and get them
ready for transfer to the
ground outside, which I
have to wait until the end
of May. The seedlings are
started around February
or March. The other place
that I grow plants is the
Hoop House. I also have
an outside garden.
I’ve been making quilts
since the early 90’s. Fr.
Aidan had seen some of
the quilts I’ve made in the
past and asked if I would
make some for the Gift
shop, and I said yes.
Renovations
Because most of the work has been done by our own hard working staff the overall cost is a third
of what we otherwise would have paid. How can you be a part of this work? Glad you asked! The
cost of renovating the monastic cells in the main building has been about $3,600 per cell. Would
you like to sponsor a cell for your favorite monk for $3,600 and give the cell the name of your favorite saint? If so, please contact our guest office at (505) 757-6415 to make a tax deductible donation of that or any amount. A plaque will be placed outside of each cell with the names of the
saint and the donor(s). Cells in the main building will be used for Fr. Aidan, Br. Jim, Fr. Bob, Fr.
Sam, Fr. Colman, Br. John, and Br. Francis. Two additional rooms in the renovation will be used
as an office for Fr. Bob and as a laundry room so that the monks do not have to take the spiral
staircase down to the main laundry area. You can sponsor either of these rooms as well for $1,800
or any amount.
A picture of the Jericho
building
Pe c o s B e n e d i c t i n e M o n a s t e r y
Pecos Benedictine Monastery
16 Guadalupe LanePecos Benedictine
Monastery
16 Guadalupe Ln
16 Guadalupe Lane
PO Box 1080
PO Box 1080
Pecos 87552-1080, New Mexico, USA
Phone: 505-757-6415 ext. 104
Fax:Phone:
505-757-2285
505-757-6415
E-mail:
Fax:[email protected]
505-757-2285
Email:
[email protected]
Web:
www.pecosmonastery.org
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage Paid
St. Meinrad, IN
Permit No. 16
Mailing Label
Web: www.pecosmonastery.org
Superior’s Message
By the time this Newsletter
reaches you we will be in Advent, a special time of the year
given by Holy Mother Church
to help us better prepare for
the celebration of Christmas.
What better time of the year to
thank you so much for all of the
support you have offered us
throughout the year, we really
couldn’t do it without you. I
hope you will enjoy reading
this newsletter which is a
‘special edition’ for the Advent/
Christmas Season.
Our monks in formation enjoyed writing their individual
bios for you so that you can get
to know them a little bit. We
have two more men who are ‘in
the wings’ so to speak, so
please keep them in prayer as
they continue their discernment process and take care of
the things one needs to take
care of before entering religious
life.
We have also received very positive feedback for our newly
formatted newsletter, so we
thank you for your encouragement and support. We really
are trying to listen to what you
are saying, and make changes
as needed.
I pray that you will have a safe
and blessed Advent and Christmas Season, and that the joy
with which we celebrate the
birth of Jesus will carry with
you throughout the New Year.
Sincerely in Christ Jesus,
Fr. Aidan, OSB oliv
Online Gifts
Online Donations can be made
at the website by clicking
“Contribute”, “Donate online
HERE” and following the instructions.