**** This letter was translated Korean into English by Papago translator (papago.naver.com) ***

Fall of 2022

Dear friends of St. Paul’s Abbey

Chuseok, Korean’s unique holiday, has passed, and now grains and fruits are becoming more ripe. Last year, it rained a lot and the heat continued, and this summer, it did not rain for a long time, so it was given to dry trees in large barrels, but some newly planted Dogwoods around the path of grace and the monastery bowed their heads due to heat and thirst. Fortunately, it rained before and after Chuseok, so the drought was resolved and the trees were revived.

Although the coronavirus is still making our lives difficult, the number of visitors and customers visiting the monastery is steadily increasing, and many people came to the monastery vegetable garden to pick peppers and have a good time at the wondumak (a shed on stilts for a melon patch guard). As the saying goes, the land hardens more after rain, and we are suffering from the coronavirus we are experiencing and conflicts and wars all over the world, but if we overcome these difficulties with faith and hope in the Lord, our lives will become more mature and rich. Our Newton Abbey still has many things to solve and many difficulties, but we live faithfully with hope from the Lord.

Our brothers held an annual retreat from September 12 to 16 under the guidance of Father Choi Jong-Geun (Pacomio) of St. Joseph’s Abbey in Korea. And I’m going to leave for Germany to attend the General Assembly of the Union at St. Ottilien Abbey in Germany with Father Pacomio. I think by the time we get this letter, we’re in the middle of a general meeting. The story of the General Assembly and the news of the monastery after Easter will be delivered at Christmas greetings.

These days, mail may not be delivered properly, so I would like to give you the exact address of the monastery.

Street address                                                 Mailing address
St. Paul’s Abbey                                             St. Paul’s Abbey
289 US Highway 206                                     P.O. Box 7
Newton, NJ 07860                                          Newton, NJ 07860

By the way, please make sure to send a letter or mail it through the post office to the mailing address. This is because when you come to the Street address from the post office, it is often sent back or not delivered properly.

If you want to apply for a mass at the monastery, please feel free to write with your intentions, and if you want to dedicate the All-Souls masses during November, please apply for a memorial mass in the enclosed envelope and send it.

Our Newtonian community is always grateful for your prayers and help and is praying for the Lord’s great grace and love to fall in abundance.

Sincerely yours

Fr. Samuel Kim, O.S.B., Prior
and the monks of St. Paul’s Abbey.

IN CHRISTO OMNES UNUM SUMUS

†

Abbot Odo (Walter) Haas OSB

– Korean name: 오도환吳道煥

Abbot Odo Haas, the first abbot of Waegwan Abbey, died because of a chronic disease on 17 February, 2019 at thirteen minutes past three in the afternoon at Fatima Hospital in Daegu. We ask for your prayers so that Abbot Odo may find true peace in God. He was 88 years old and in the 66th year of his vows.

Abbot Odo was born on 4 March 1931 in Karlstadt am Main, a city within the Diocese of Würzburg. When he was baptized he received the name Walter. His parents were Otto and Dorothea Haas. It was the difficult time between the First and the Second World War when Abbot Odo came into this world. In 1937 he started to attend elementary school. Shortly after the war, in 1946, he began to study at the gymnasium. In 1952 he entered Münsterschwarzach Abbey. Here he received as his monastic name the name of Abbot Odo of Cluny Abbey which is famous for its reforms during the Middle Ages. He made his temporary vows on 12 September, 1952. Thereafter he began to study
philosophy at the Archabbey of St. Ottilien. Then he studied theology at Würzburg University where he concluded his studies with a licentiate. On 6 July 1958 he was ordained a priest by Bishop Dr. Josef Stangel. His first assignment as a priest were the parishes which at that time were cared for by Münsterschwarzach Abbey. In 1959 he started to prepare himself for the Mission in Korea.

He was sent into the Mission solemnly together with more than 500 other new missionaries from Europe on 10 October 1959 by Pope John XXIII. in the Cathedral of St. Peter in Rome. He boarded a ship and arrived in the harbour of Busan (Korea) on 7 March, 1960. After learning Korean he was assigned to the parish in Sangju as assistant priest. It was a ministry which did not last long because he was elected at the very young age of 33 years as the first abbot of Waegwan on 28 April 1964.

Abbot Odo has laid the foundation for Waegwan Abbey which because of its past history is closely related to Tokwon Abbey in North-Korea and Yeongil (Yanji) Abbey in China. Abbot Odo has made it clear from the beginning of his service as abbot that in the future there should be a Korean to lead the abbey in Waegwan. He did not wait long. After close to 7 years as abbot of Waegwan he resigned from his office on 24 February, 1971. Then the first Korean abbot was elected. It was Abbot Placidus Ri.

Soon after his resignation Abbot Odo went to Japan. He did so because of his missionary consciousness and also to create space for his successor. In Japan he joined a community of Benedictines in Meguro (Tokyo) who were also responsible for the djunct parish of St. Anselm. After learning Japanese Abbot Odo became the parish priest. The parish had a special character because it was a Benedictine Parish. It was instrumental in making Benedictine spirituality known in Japan.

Japan was not the last station for Abbot Odo. Another big missionary service was asked from him by the leadership of our Congregation of St. Ottilien, namely to start a new monastery in the Philippines. He went there in 1982 and stayed for 22 years. The location was the southern Philippine island Mindanao. It was there where he founded together with two confreres from Germany and two from Korea a Benedictine community in Digos which has grown into a Conventual Priory, a flourishing monastery, which is spreading through various means the Good News in the region.

In 2004 Abbot Odo came back to Waegwan for a year, – to recharge. Then, on 17 January 2005, he went – again at the request of the Congregation of St. Ottilien – to one of the 4 great churches in Rome, The Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, here he was also a member of the Benedictine Community which was in charge of the church. His assignment was to hear confession for the pilgrims coming to the church. On his confessional was a sign that German, English, Korean, Japanese or Cebuano (a Philippine language) could be spoken during confession. But Abbot Odo recalled that most of those who came for confession were Italians!

In August 2008 Abbot Odo returned to Korea. Here he served as chaplain for the Filipinos who came on Sundays to attend Mass to the Workers’ Cultural Center in Gumi which was run by Waegwan Abbey at that time. He also went to the Benedictine Monastery in Kumily, India, to assist the community there. There was also a time when he served as chaplain of the Benedictine Sisters in Tansu, Taiwan. Throughout his life he was and remained a missionary who was available when and were he was needed.

Up to the beginning of this year Abbot Odo was always present when our community prayed and meditated. He also had the wish to visit his German homeland one more time, but starting from 21 January his health faltered and he had to be transferred to Fatima Hospital of the Benedictine Sisters in Daegu where he died on 17 February.

‘Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him!’

Waegwan, 18 February 2019

Abbot Blasio Park and the Community of Waegwan Abbey

Happy Independence Day !!!

 

God of justice, Father of truth,
who guide creation in wisdom and goodness
to fulfillment in Christ your Son,
open our hearts to the truth of his Gospel,
that your peace may rule in our hearts
and your justice guide our lives.

from the Collect of the Mass on the fourth of July