November 22, 2009

At this morning's community meeting, Br. Michael John Gajarski made his first profession of vows as a monk of New Melleray. His religious vows of obedience, stability, and the monastic way of life for three years are part of his formation in preparation for solemn profession.

Br. Michael John was born in 1963, and grew up in New Jersey. He will be 46 years old this week Br. Michael John has one older sister who is married, and one younger brother. His parents a live in Vienna, Maine.

Br. Michael attended Divine Word Seminary High School in New Jersey, and then went to Divine Word College in Epworth, Iowa, for two and a half years. He completed a B.A. degree in English at Trenton State College, New Jersey. For the next year and a half he was an exchange student in Frankfurt, Germany, at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University. He attended the graduate school of the University from 1991 to 1994. In 1995 he went to Tokyo, Japan. For the next twelve years he worked in Japan in various fields, especially teaching English to Japanese students.

Br. Michael John's interest in monastic life began when he read The Little Flowers of Saint Francis of Assisi at age 13 or 14. He visited New Melleray several times during his years at Divine Word Seminary in Epworth, Iowa, and in college he read Thomas Merton and some of John of the Cross. Educational opportunities drew him away from pursuing a religious vocation, but the desire never left him. Eventually, with spiritual direction, he began discerning the possibility of becoming a monk.

He made a six week observership with us in December of 2006. Then he returned to Japan to complete his teaching contract. He asked to enter New Melleray. After being accepted he moved back to the United States. He entered as a postulant on May 27, 2007, and received the novice's habit on Nov. 25, 2007. We rejoice in Br. Michael John's profession of vows on this feast of Christ the King.