New Clairvaux Abbey received two men into the Novitiate on October 9.  Following a year of probation as postulants, Fredrick Adoc of Manila, Philippines, and Curtis Ockotovich of Florida were clothed in the white Novice habit and cloak by Abbot Paul Mark Schwan.  The ceremony took place after Holy Mass in the Chapter Room in the presence of the monastic community.  As part of the ritual, the abbot asks the traditional question posed to men entering the monastery: “What do you seek?’, and the men answer with the traditional response, “The Mercy of God and of the Order.  The entering of the Novitiate marks the canonical beginning of their lives as religious.  Henceforth, Fredrick will be known as Br. Erick and Curtis as Br. Isaac.

Please pray for Brother Erick, Brother Isaac and all of our Order’s monks and nuns.

For those interested in exploring joining our way of life, we invite you to visit our page Becoming a Trappist