Former Bunbury man Peter Castieau made his final profession as a Carmelite monk in Wyoming, USA on March 25.
The 26-year-old, who has taken on the name of Br Paul Marie of the Cross, has spent the past six years at the Carmelite monastery in preparation for his final profession.
Members of his family and Perth’s Latin Mass chaplain Fr Michael Rowe, who supported and encouraged Br Paul to search out his vocation initially, all travelled to the US for the profession.
Br Paul’s father Brian Castieau told The Record it was a joyful occasion to witness.
“Seeing him prostrate before the altar reminded me of how we first presented him as a baby for baptism, and here he was now presenting himself freely to God,” he said. “We were bursting with happiness and joy.”
Although the final vows are professed privately at the Carmelite monastery, the Castieau family and Fr Rowe joined the ceremony immediately after.
The local parish also celebrated Mass in the afternoon to mark the occasion, and to honour the feast of the Annunciation. Mass was offered in the Carmelite Rite, or the Rite of the Holy Sepulchre and Church of Jerusalem, which the Wyoming monks celebrate daily.
“They’re one of the few places in the world that does the Carmelite rite,” Fr Rowe said. “It’s very rare to see, especially in a solemn form.”
During their one-week visit to the monastery, the family were able to spend time each day speaking to Br Paul Marie, and Mr Castieau said his son was thoroughly enjoying life there and feels very much at home.
“He needed something in life that would demand the use of all of his spiritual, intellectual, physical and social gifts, and life as a monk fits the bill,” he said.
The monastery is located in the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming, and is home to 16 monks at various stages of formation. The average age of the men in the community is 28.
Mr Castieau said over the past six years the family had gotten used to the idea of having one member living so far away.
“We’re glad he’s doing God’s will,” he said.
“We talk to him by phone every month. We are united with him in Christ’s mystical Body.”
Br Paul first took on his new religious name in 2009, when he entered the novitiate, almost a year after he entered the monastery. His family also attended his first profession in May 2011.
Eventually, Br Paul hopes to complete his studies to become a priest within the community.
The monks follow the Rule of St Albert, and spend their time allocated to manual labour roasting and preparing their well-known and highly regarded ‘Mystic Monk Coffee’.
Mr Castieau said Br Paul assists with developing new blends and marketing the coffee, which the monks have prepared and sold since 2003 as a means of maintaining the monastery.
The coffee is renowned for its quality and freshness, and is a particular favourite of Fr Rowe’s, as he offers various blends for sale at St Anne’s Parish in Belmont.
Fr Rowe said he was pleased to be able to attend Br Paul’s profession, and he described his former altar server as a good fit for the contemplative monastic life.
“He seems very happy there and he’s really settled in. He looks like he’s a very holy monk now,” he said. “It was a privilege to go, and we were blessed to be able to spend so much time with him. Normally we wouldn’t, it’s only because the monastery isn’t built that we were able to.”
The current monastery is only a temporary one for Br Paul and his fellow monks, with a new, larger site being constructed on nearby mountain land.
With the monks receiving more than 300 vocational enquiries every year, it was decided that a bigger monastery would be required to accommodate the growing community.
However, due to large amounts of snow in the area for up to six months each year, the new, enclosed monastery won’t be completed for several years.
For more information on the Carmelites of Wyoming, visit www.carmelitemonks.org.