The dream of a trappist monk

“Seek the face of God” is the pastoral letter that Msgr. Francisco Hellín, archbishop of Burgos, Msgr. José Ignacio Munilla, bishop of Palencia, Msgr. Ricardo Blázquez, bishop of Bilbao, Msgr. Rafael Palmero, bishop of Orihuela-Alicante, Msgr. Francisco Cerro, bishop of Cória-Cáceres, Msgr. Manuel Sánchez, bishop of Mondoñedo-Ferrol, Msgr. Gerardo Melgar, bishop of Osma-Soria, devoted to Blessed María Rafael Arnáiz Barón, better known as “brother Rafael”, due to be canonized in the Vatican by Benedict XVI next October 11. The prelates, who are bound to the future saint in different ways, addressed their letter to the young – in body or spirit – with the hope that the example of father Rafael may “enlighten and fortify the faith” of Christian youth and, like the Blessed Rafael, “bear witness to Christ in contemporary society”. Co-Patron of the WYD. Acknowledging the positive message conveyed through the life of the young Trappist monk, in their Letter the seven bishops claim they “Confide that brother Rafael Arnáiz will accompany us as one of the ‘Co-Patrons’ of the encounter, so that world youth may learn the works of God in the life of this 20th century” young man. “Brother Rafael – the seven prelates wrote – has a prophetic mission towards contemporary youth, especially towards those seeking the meaning of life and an ideal they can fight for”. The young Trappist monk is a role model for the youth, for “those who are of older age but who are endowed with a young spirit” and wish to follow Christ; for “mature, disenchanted persons, those hampered by cold-heartedness and indifference, but who wish to overcome these sentiments”. A model of sanctity. The witness of this young monk, the bishops write, “prompts us to sanctity in our particular vocation. The Church proposes brother Rafael as a role model – but without imitating his life mundanely. Rather his discernment will pave the paths that God traced for us”. In this life all of us have our own models, whether consciously or not. “They may be trivial or they may be stimulating and exalted models. A trivial ideal produces trivial lives and an ideal saint makes men and woman saints. Rafael’s model was Jesus Christ”. “For Jesus Christ – the seven bishops continue – Rafael renounced everything: his refined tastes, his beloved ones, his vanity, his projects…” This is not all. The young Trappist “managed to deliver painful farewells to follow his vocation, embracing the ‘impossible’ dream of being a monk, accepting a cureless disease. United to Jesus Christ, he found rigid monastic life unsustainable: the silence, the food, the hours, solitude, coldness … and worst still he had to endure the humiliation of being a weak monk, unable to fully comply with monastic rule”. Swimming against the tide. For the prelates, “Rafael’s Christ-centrism isn’t an aspect of his life. Rather it constitutes his very essence: his very life”. For brother Rafael “The Eucharist was the irresistible source of attraction”. A star that “shone along his path was Mary, Mother of Jesus”. For the young Trappist monk sanctity was “another word for happiness”, indeed, it was “the necessary condition for true happiness”. Brother Rafael’s example must be cherished dearly. “May it not be that those of us ‘at home’ do not acknowledge the treasure that we have among us, and that others should come from abroad to open our eyes!”. Hence the invitation to learn about the life of the future saint and “to be as authentic as brother Rafael! You, young Catholics of this 21st century have the task of swimming against the tide. We are aware of this! It’s not easy to be authentic amidst the many appeals and temptations that divert us from the path of the Gospel”, the bishops conclude. Fact sheetBrother Rafael was born in Burgos, Spain, in 1911. He undertook his studies with the Jesuit fathers. Since he was a child he was especially sensitive to spiritual themes, and also to art and painting. He temporarily interrupted his studies for health reasons. Once recovered, his father brought him to Saragossa in 1922 to be consecrated to the Virgin of Pilar. Soonafter, his famiy moved to Oviedo, where he completed secondary school studies. In 1930 he registered at the Higher School for Architecture in Madrid. In July 1932 Rafael left his architecture books aside for a few days to fulfill spiritual exercises in the monastery where he received the calling to become a Cistercensis monk. At 23 he entered the Monastery of Saint Isidro de Dueñas.Diabetes caused his death in the Monastery’s infirmary on April 26 1938. On August 19 1989 John Paul II proposed that his life be taken as a model by the youth gathered in Santiago de Compostela on the occasion of the World Youth Day. On September 27 1992 Father Rafael was proclaimed ‘Blessed’ by the Holy Father in Saint Peter’s square.