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Abbey's newest monks make simple profession
by Abby Simons
After converging upon Conception Abbey from different worlds, novices
Timothy Letter and Ronald Valenzuela on Aug. 15, the Feast of the
Assumption of the Virgin Mary, became brothers.
Through vows of stability, obedience, and fidelity to the monastic way
of life, Novice Timothy, the outgoing 21-year-old son of Wisconsin dairy
farmers, and Novice Ronald, the creative and thoughtful 41-year-old from
the deserts and beaches of Southern California, marked the completion of
a yearlong novitiate by receiving new clothing, new names and new
responsibilities. Over the next three years, under “simple vows,” they
will complete a program of study, formation and work, after which they
may ask the chapter’s permission to make final and solemn vows, a
permanent commitment to Conception Abbey.
As the men embarked on new lives as monks, Abbot Gregory Polan gave
Novice Timothy the name Guerric and Novice Ronald became John Baptist.
They also traded the shorter scapular (a sleeveless, hooded outer
garment that hangs from the shoulders) for the longer one worn by
professed monks.
In his “admonition,” Abbot Gregory compared the opening of new doors in
their lives to Advent.
“All too often, we think of Advent as a season that precedes the
celebration of Christmas. Yet the truth is that every day is an advent,
a coming of God to us.” he said. “By your response to God’s advent in
your life, you came to the monastery, to the rolling hill-country of
Nodaway County. And by your willingness to submit to the yoke of
obedience, to ascend the ladder of humility, and to prefer nothing
whatever to the love of Christ, you have manifested your desire to be a
disciple in this Benedictine school of the Lord’s service.”
In taking the name of an abbot from among the earliest Cistercian
foundations, Brother Guerric reflected the ways of a young follower who
took up a life of solitude at an early age, accompanied by his spiritual
advisor, St. Bernard.
Brother Guerric Letter professes his simple vows
before Abbot Gregory
Polan. Looking on are (l-r) Novice Cody McDowell, Father Samuel
Russell, Novice Daniel Fister and Brother Bernard Montgomery.
It was no coincidence that it was novicemaster Brother Bernard
Montgomery who persuaded Novice Timothy not to leave the novitiate.
The symbolism of his new moniker is a sure fit for Brother Guerric, the
youngest of 11, who knew he wanted to become a priest in the second
grade. The former track star and self-professed “band geek” faced challenges
growing up in a largely Lutheran town.
“It wasn’t necessarily pressure, but it was a lot of questions,” he
said. “People would ask me, ‘Why don’t you want to get married?’ or ‘Why
don’t you want to have kids?’ and I just said, ‘God’s calling me to do
this.’” He said townspeople knew he was determined, “so they kind of
accepted it for what it was.”
After entering Conception Seminary College to prepare for the diocesan
priesthood, Brother Guerric opted instead to stay and live as a monk.
He noticed changes in himself immediately.
“I’ve really changed in the way I handle myself and carry myself,” he
said. “Being the youngest of 11, you get used to being put in your place,
but now I have a confidence in me that I didn’t have a year ago. I’ve
grown to be an adult much quicker than some other 21-year-olds.”
Brother John Baptist, much like his new patron, has endured a “desert
experience” in coming to Conception. Abbot Gregory said St. John the
Baptist’s words, “He must increase, and I must decrease,” fit the humble
and faithful Novice Ronald.
Abbot Gregory Polan vest Brother John Baptist
Valenzuela in
his new scapular.
Despite several stops along the way, Brother John Baptist says he has
found his true path. Growing up in Orange County, Calif., during the
heyday of “the surfer dude atmosphere,” he instead focused his energy on
more creative endeavors, gaining a greater appreciation of nature and a
strong work ethic. After trying his hand at cosmetology, interior design
and as a paralegal, his life took a 90-degree turn when he befriended a
parish priest.
“I’d never had a priest as a friend before,” he said. “It made him so
much more human, and I was really drawn to the aspect of the way he
expressed his spirituality.”
After entering a Wisconsin seminary for second-career vocations in hopes
of becoming a priest for the Diocese of Fresno, a visit to Conception
changed his mind. Since entering the novitiate, Brother John Baptist has
proven himself a master gardener, transforming the abbey grounds with a
floral palette of colors. His family initially held reservations, but the
fourth of five children – whose mother, Alma, lovingly describes as “a
very dramatic child,”— eventually persuaded his family that he had followed
the right path.
“They just had this idea that I wouldn’t be available for the outside
world and that they’d have to talk to me through a grille or something,”
he laughed. “They understand now that it’s all part of the life I’ve
chosen and that I’m happy and content here.”
Immediately after the profession Mass, the two monks headed out for
vacations with their families, their first in more than a year. Brother
John Baptist admitted he was "just dying" to indulge in an "In-N-Out
Burger."
Brother Guerric, however, planned to exercise his monastic sensibilities
upon his return to Wisconsin.
"I'm going to bed," he said. "It'll be late when we get there."
Three new novices, (l-r) Cody McDowell, Juan Martinez
and Daniel
Fister, are clothed by Brother Bernard Montgomery (center) and
Father Samuel Russell at the Aug. 14 Reception into the Novitiate
ceremony. The novitiate lasts a year and a day, at which time the
novices may ask to make their simple profession.
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