| Abbot Raymond Jaconelli from the Cistercian Community at Nunraw stepped down on May 30 and Dom Mark Caira was elected as the new abbot. Cath Doherty talks to Abbot Raymond about his experience and future plans. ‘IT is not good for Man to be alone' ABBOT Raymond Jaconelli is a happy man. Pausing outside the church at Sancta Maria Abbey at Nunraw, in the archdiocese of t Andrews and Edinburgh, he gives a sigh of sheer pleasure as he invites me to admire his favourite view - a pastoral landscape, a wide valley sweeping down from Nunraw and away towards the distant River Forth. "Beautiful, isn't it?" he said. "I never tire of it." His happiness is infectious. As we make our way back to the guesthouse where hospitality is offered in true Cistercian tradition, he pauses to greet those who have come to spend a few days in the tranquillity of Nunraw or simply to pay an afternoon visit, leaving smiles in his wake. Temptation Abbot Jaconelli has a vivid recall of the beginnings of his vocation. He speaks of his early Life in Airdrie. Born and brought up there, his mother took him on frequent visits to Carfin, 'in the days of the famous Canon Taylor. 'He fondly recalls his secondary education at St Mungo's, Glasgow, a Marist school, which clearly had a strong influence on his choices in life. He tells of a growing interest in his Faith in his teenage years and mentions two books in particular as part of that influence. One was St Teresa's Story of the Soul, the other a book given to him by one of his Marist teachers, Elected Silence by Thomas Merton. The latter book drew him towards the Cistercian rule. And, as he finished his secondary education, he found that prayer and reflection on a possible vocation gradually displaced everything else in his life. "I suddenly realised then that the preoccupation with it all was, in fact, my vocation," he said. He requested admission to Nunraw, having just gained a place at university. His acceptance as a Cistercian novice came in his first few weeks at university. "I had taken just three lectures, but when the call came from Nunraw, I just packed up and came here without delay," he said. That was in 1951. Asked if he had ever been tempted to leave, Abbot Raymond was emphatic. "Never," he said. Winds of change Speaking of the changes to the outside world since then, he recalled working in the fields during his early years in the abbey and returning exhausted but satisfied, and sounded almost regretful that everything had mechanised over the years. On the broader changes of the last half-century, he focussed on the tendency these days to self-interest and indeed, in some cases, selfishness, which damages society. "Stability and commitment affect everything in a very positive sense," he said. "Marriage, jobs, family structure and vocations come from living within that structure, in a culture of faith." When asked about his frequent reference to our Creator's words 'It is not good for Man to be alone,' he explained the significance of relationships and interdependence. "Stemming from the Trinity, relationships are the very foundation of our existence," he said. "They serve all the needs of society. We are all part of a family. It is not possible for man to be alone. For example, the teacher needs the nurse ... the doctor needs the milkman ... and the monk needs them all. They benefit, too, from the Monk's Life of service and dedication. All of us have a role to play." Music Abbot Jaconelli is known as a musician, an organist and obviously a skilled exponent of Plainsong. Speaking of music and the liturgy, he enthused about music as the 'most expressive of all the arts' . "It reaches into the soul," he said. And as he spoke, a real passion for music emerged. He said that in providing music for the liturgy, people should be allowed to use the music appropriate to their experience in giving praise, in that way opening up a wider field. "Where music's concerned, there's something for everybody," he said. Speaking of his involvement in the production of English Liturgy books, he explained that he had been in charge of printing at the abbey at that particular time, and enthused about 'getting to know' computers and devising a method of replicating Plainsong in print using the components of a discarded Daisy Wheel. Kitchen duties Before being elected abbot some six years ago, he had undertaken a variety of duties within his community. "Everything except tailoring," he explained. Having been novice master and procurator, he served as guest master for some 20 years. He particularly enjoyed that duty. "I love cooking for guests," he said, and went on to explain that welcoming guests is an integral part of the monastic life, that it has a spiritual dimension and honours the Rule of St Benedict, on which monasticism is founded, in the best possible way. "It's an enriching, healing thing for both host and guest," he said. "It gives a witness, more than any sermon." Reaching out Asked about his experience of leading Time for Reflection at the Scottish Parliament, he admitted that the chamber at Holyrood seemed to be a rather noisy place after the peace and tranquillity of the monastery. His message to politicians was simple, however. "They must remember that this world isn't the be all and end all," he said. "There is another dimension to life." Abbot Jaconelli has journeyed to Nigeria on several occasions during his term as abbot. He explained that in Nsugbe, Nigeria, the Cistercian Foundation of the Monastery of Our Lady and the Angels had had the overview of Nunraw as its 'Mother House' that has always been used to assist new monasteries within the Cistercian order. There is satisfaction that the new foundation is now firmly established, but the Abbot admitted that the climate in Nigeria formed something of a challenge for him. Nearer home, the abbot also expressed his pleasure that strong links had been forged between the abbey at Nunraw and the surrounding community. These began shortly after the monks arrived. Blizzards had rendered the roads impassable for days on end. The community came to the assistance of their neighbours by making journeys of up to seven miles across the fields, carrying baskets of bread and other provisions. They lent similar assistance at a time of widespread flooding and now share neighbourly events like Christmas parties. The future When Abbot Jaconelli's term of office as Abbot ended on May 30, Dom Mark Caira was elected as new abbot by the community at Nunraw. Abbot Mark was born in 1939 and he entered Nunraw in 1960. He professed solemn vows in 1968 and was ordained priest in 1973. Abbot Jaconelli will now take on the tasks assigned to him within the abbey. When he asked if he has any preferences, he remarks again that he particularly enjoys cooking, but he will just have to wait and see. First of all though, he intends to take' a small sabbatical for a few weeks' ... a pause in his journey of more than 50 years. In that time, although the world has changed, there have been few changes in the monastic life. There is a little relaxation of the rules, in that the monks are allowed to watch the news bulletins in the evenings if they so wish ... and, with a chuckle, the abbot confesses that he has seen 'a little bit' of Last of the Summer Wine. And he summarises his journey of prayer, work and contemplation by saying, "My treasure grows richer, deeper, fuller with the passing years." Asked for a message with which he might mark the conclusion of his abbacy, this pause in his journey, he uses a line from Psalm 30. "Be strong, let your heart take courage, hope in the Lord ."
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