Monday 8 December 2008

Br. Dominic-Maria died Dec 2

Caldey – Br. Dominic Maria RIP


Caldey Abbey – Br. Dominic Maria RIP
The OCSO (Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance)
Necrology page announced:
December 2, 2008 : Brother Dominic Maria Morgan was born in 1922 in New York (USA). He entered Caldey in 1990 and made his solemn profession in 1995. Brother was 86 years old and had been in monastic vows for 16 years when the Lord called him.


I came to know the colourful character of Br. Dominic-Maria in the course of visiting the community of Caldey in the 1999s. The island abbey is a place of extraordinary interest. The sea and rugged surroundings are no less unique than the personalities of the monks who have come from such varied members.
Happily, Br. Dominic-Maria was free about telling me the story of his life, his discovery of Caldey and finding of his vocation as a monk.
The annals of the St Benedict Centre Still River, Massachusetts keep the account of one of the Single Brothers called Temple Morgan (Br. Dominic Maria)
“Temple Emmett Morgan was a member of the exclusive Porcelian Club at Harvard. He had been a B-19 pilot in WWII. He was converted to the Catholic Faith by Father Feeney while at Harvard. He realized the incompatibility of his Faith with all that Harvard stood for and therefore declined to accept his degree when he graduated. Predictably this caused a stir and drew the attention of the powers that be to the number of converts that Father Feeney was making among the Harvard students. At the Centre, he excelled in bookselling. He was also a barber and a cobbler and a good friend of Eddie Cunningham who was his partner in these activities. Br. Dominic Maria was one of the three brothers assigned to speak every week on Boston Common. After the move to Still River he was very active on the farm. In 1987 he left St. Benedict Centre as they were preparing to become Benedictine. After short stays at several Abbeys he entered the Trappist Monastery of Our Lady on Caldey Island off the coast of Wales where he remains”.


His name, Dominic-Maria, was rooted in his early formation in the theology of St Louis- Marie Grignon de Montfort, naming themselves Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Dominic-Maria cherished his memories with the association of the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in which he was rooted in the spirit of Louis-Marie Grignon.
His greatest passion was to live out the Cistercian vocation and all the community witnessed his heartfelt devotion to Mary, the mother of Jesus.
In all Brother Dominic was able to express his love manifested itself in his work in and especially around the Abbey. Near the last he still served that kind service to the Brothers as the untiring faithful barber.
“His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy”. (Mat 25:21)

His name, Dominic-Maria, was rooted in his early formation in the theology of St Louis- Marie Grignon de Montfort, naming themselves Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Dominic-Maria cherished his memories with the association of the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in which he was rooted in the spirit of Louis-Marie Grignon.
His greatest passion was to live out the Cistercian vocation and all the community witnessed his heartfelt devotion to Mary, the mother of Jesus.
In all Brother Dominic was able to express his love manifested itself in his work in and especially around the Abbey. Near the last he still served that kind service to the Brothers as the untiring faithful barber.
“His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy”. (Mat 25:21)

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1 comment:

Sister BJ said...

Father Donald, I have been trying to e-mail you but your e-mail address keeps coming back as undeliverable. I need to cancel the August 2009 retreat time I had reserved for a group of college students from Montana, USA. The economy has forced us to cancel the trip altogether. Sister Barbara Jean, Neark, Delaware