Abbey of Our Lady of New Clairvaux, Vina, CA (2026)

06/04/2026

Seven young men joined us May 29-31 for a monastic experience weekend. Our guests prayed, ate, worked with the monks, and received instruction from Abbot Paul Mark and Fr. Thomas on contemplative prayer and lectio divina. We were delighted to have this special opportunity to share the wisdom and beauty of the monastic tradition with young men who are seeking God. The next monastic experience weekend is in October. Contact our vocation secretary, Br. Christopher, to inquire about visiting the Abbey and learning more about our way of life.

05/27/2026

Our upcoming monastic experience weekend, May 29-31, is filled up! We are blessed to have received lots of interest from young men looking to experience our way of life. Another experience weekend is scheduled for October. Visit our website for more information about speaking with a monk about our way of life and visiting the Abbey anytime.

05/22/2026

FACEBOOK FRIDAY- Dear Friends, Br. Christopher shares on 3 signs of a Trappist-Cistercian vocation: Like any vocation, a Cistercian vocation contains its share of mystery. Few (if any) know for certain that they are called until they begin the search and take some risks. But it is a mystery well worth seeking and answering. Below are a few simple principles to keep in mind that may be signs of a Cistercian monastic calling:
1. I feel drawn to a simple life where there are other people who have the same Christian values.
A joy-filled community following the Gospel is one of the most convincing witnesses to the presence of Christ. Community affirms the person, giving to one another what rank, education, or position cannot; the promise of love and the support to grow in love.
2. I am happy at this moment in my life
Sensing a personal happiness now is an important starting point in discerning a vocation. Monastic life must be seen as it really is, not as someone, hopes, imagines, or likes it to be. Monasteries are not "perfect" places for superhuman people who desire to be wrapped in an aura of mysticism and bide their time expressing their creativity. Community, work, and prayer have realities that cannot be avoided and circumstances that need to be seen in the light of their ordinariness. Monasteries are the wrong places to run away from an unhealthy and unhappy situation. The structure becomes too confining and burdensome for a run-away.
3. I want to dedicate my life to God
As often as monks are questioned on why they joined the monastery, total giving of oneself to God is expressed as the primary reason. This seems indispensable. Accompanying the total gift of self to God is the yearning to give everything for all people everywhere.
Ultimately, the best way to test a vocation is to visit, experience, listen and pray. Be assured that the One Who Calls also give the Grace to respond to the call!

05/15/2026

FACEBOOK FRIDAY: Dear Friends, A guest blog by St. Rafael Arnaiz: I see, Brother, that the path you follow is the simple life. God does not require more of us than simplicity without and love within. The truth is that the real pathways of God are very easy and very simple when we walk along them full of the spirit of trust and with free hearts fixed on God.
Happy, indeed, is the Trappist who is not merely a Trappist externally, but whose interior life is marked by the simplicity that makes the real Trappist.
God always lets his light shine on anyone who loves and seeks him in simplicity. We have to find our way along many winding paths before we arrive at the simple straight one. What causes us more distress than complicating things! How we human beings love to complicate everything for ourselves! Unless we keep ourselves under control by the practice of virtue, repeatedly, with our complicated way of existing we drive far from us everything that is simple.
Time and again, we fail to grasp the greatness hidden deep down in an act of simplicity. We want to seek greatness in complexity and think that only when things are difficult have they anything worthwhile to offer.
Perhaps I am not making myself clear, but I do see clearly now that what previously saw as confused and complicated is really clear and simple.

Blessings,

Your brothers of New Clairvaux

05/09/2026

Let us celebrate Fr. Mark's birthday!
Fr. Mark is our most local vocation--he's from Sacramento, CA. He entered Vina in the late 70s. He served the Order as abbot at two other Trappist monasteries in the United States before returning to Vina a few years ago. Currently, he is our bread baker and home orchardist. He makes a wonderful sourdough bread and keeps the brothers supplied with copious amounts of citrus.

05/08/2026

Brother Francis Hieu Pham
Brother Francis of Buon Ma Thuot, the central highlands of Vietnam, is the fourth of seven children. He grew up on a farm where his family grew coffee. At five years of age, he went to live with his grandmother, helping her as she went about her chores and helping the parish priest at his home.
As a youth he attended a liturgical school for musicians in Ho Chi Minh City, with special training in choir directing and organ. Following this, he directed a parish choir, and coordinated the liturgy for two years before entering Chau Son Abbey in 2002, where he lived for two years as a postulant.
In 2004, the Abbot at Chau Son asked Francis if he might be interested in transferring to the Abbey of New Clairvaux in California. After a period of six months that he spent in prayer to discern God’s will, in 2005, he made the decision to come to Vina. Brother Frances states: “Even though I have had many struggles and difficulties with language, culture, and so on… more and more I find peace and joy in my commitment to God, and to my brothers at the community of Vina.”
Brother Francis is Head Cantor and Organist.
Brother Francis says of Vina, “The monastery is a place where I can meet and love God simply and directly.”

05/06/2026

Are you a single Catholic man, aged 18-36, seeking a deeper connection with God? The monks of Our Lady of New Clairvaux Abbey invite you to immerse yourself in the ancient yet living tradition of monastic life and prayer for a MONASTIC WEEKEND MAY 29-31.

05/01/2026

FACEBOOK FRIDAY- Dear Friends, Fr. Paul Mark speaks on the apostolate of monks: "Sometimes it is asked what monks do for the world? The world has social concerns, and these have been part of the fabric of society ever since conscience formed in human consciousness. Every disciple of Jesus Christ, called to live/witness the gospel, must respond to the needs of our world and society.
All Christians hold in common our baptism through which we heard and responded to Christ’s invitation, “Follow me”! The following of Christ, common to every Christian, is expressed uniquely by each Christian. This is what it means to be a member of the Body of Christ which St. Paul teaches in two of his letters, 1 Corinthians and Ephesians. “As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many are one body so also in Christ.” St. Paul goes on to explain how the body is not a single part but many, feet, hands, etc. and no part of the body can say to another, “I don’t need you,” (1 Cor 12:12-21).
In Ephesians St. Paul states, “Grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” Hence disciples are teachers, pastors, evangelists, etc., for the purpose to build up the body of Christ, (Eph 4:7-12).
As a monk, what do I do for the world? “Living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ…until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God… to the extent of the full stature of Christ…with the proper functioning of each part (i.e. each disciple), bringing about the body’s growth (i.e. the Body of Christ) and building itself up in love, (Eph 4:13-16).

Blessings,

Your brothers of New Clairvaux

04/25/2026

FACEBOOK FRIDAY: Dear Friends, Br. Peter Damian speaks on How to Find Inner Peace: In today’s world, we witness wars happening in some places. Establishing peace is challenging due to ongoing conflicts. I am referring, however, to establishing inner peace in the realm of spiritual life. You may ask, “How can I achieve inner peace then?
First of all, we acknowledge that peace is a divine gift. In the Gospel of John, Jesus said to his disciples before He underwent the Passion: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you” (John 14:27). We do not establish peace with God, but we ask Him for peace, and we cannot obtain it unless we live in a relationship with Him. Therefore, to obtain this peace, one must cultivate a prayer life and grow in a close relationship with Jesus, as only He can give peace, for He is the source of peace. This peace enables us to maintain balance in life and dispel all fears and darkness, even in the most difficult circumstances. After His resurrection, the first word Jesus greeted His disciples with was the word “peace.” “Peace be with you” (John 20:19). This peace dispelled the fears and doubts of His disciples after His Resurrection.
For monks, inner peace in spiritual life is a deep, steady state of calm and clarity that does not depend on external circumstances. The opposite of peace is not merely war, but chaos, disorder, anxiety, or confusion of any kind. Inner peace is not just “feeling relaxed.” It is more rooted in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Therefore, monks pursue this inner peace by cultivating a relationship with Jesus through solitude, daily lectio Divina, meditation, and prayer, allowing the peace of Christ to touch and transform the depth of our hearts. These aspects are essential for a monastic life. Monks experience inner peace when they experience God’s presence in their lives.

Inner peace is unattainable without a harmonious relationship with God and others; understanding inner peace is a gift from God. “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” (Col 3:15).

Blessings,

Your brothers of New Clairvaux

04/22/2026

Are you a single Catholic man, aged 18-36, seeking a deeper connection with God? The monks of Our Lady of New Clairvaux Abbey invite you to immerse yourself in the ancient yet living tradition of monastic life and prayer.
If you know someone who might interested this opportunity, please spread the word!

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