Across Land and sea
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Deaths a world apart

The Australian Benedictine community is mourning two deaths.  United in their Benedictine spirituality, their lives were a world apart.

The Sisters of the Good Samaritan are mourning the death of Japanese Sister Goto Keiko who died in Nara, Japan, on December 12.  The Benedictine monks of New Norcia in Western Australia have farewelled Dom Paulino Gutiérrez OSB, the last Spanish monk in the monastery town.  He died on January 18.

SISTER GOTO KEIKO SGS

Sr Keiko was born in 1942, the second of four children.  She was baptised in the Catholic Church 24 years later, two years before she sought entry to the Sisters of the Good Samaritan.  Her novitiate began on April18, 1968, and she was professed on April 3, 1971.  A qualified kindergarten teacher, she began teaching at the Nara Catholic Kindergarten, the first of several teaching positions before she was appointed Superior of the Good Samaritan house in Tokyo in 1983.

In 1988 Sr Keiko undertook a year of study at the East Asian Pastoral Institute in Manila and in 1989, on behalf of the Sisters in Japan, she established a Filipino mission.  Solidarity with the poor of Asia had become a strong influence in the Japanese Church in the 1980s. It had come about as a reaction to growing affluence in Japan and a desire for reconciliation with South East Asian countries which had suffered during the Second World War.  The Japanese Good Samaritan Sisters wished to be part of this movement.

In April 1994, Sr Keiko was elected Kankucho of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan in Japan, a role which she carried out with wisdom, sensitivity and constant commitment to those in her care. Having completed this time of service, it was not long before she returned to her ministry in the Philippines.

When in 1998 a young Filipino woman expressed a desire to become a Good Samaritan Sister, the house at Bacolod was designated as a formation house. In July 2001 Sr Keiko was appointed as Director of Initial Formation, where again her qualities of love for the congregation and skills in leadership and formation were freely exercised.  She exercised this ministry until last year.  She had hoped for a time of renewal in Australia but illness intervened.

Her Good Samaritan Sisters recognised within her a willingness to speak with courage, a deep compassion, a welcomer and bridge-maker; a woman of gentleness and courage.  She was also acknowledged as having a readiness to be sent on mission.

further details on Sister Goto Keiko SGS
Good Samaritans arrive in Japan

 

DOM PAULINO GUTIERREZ  OSB

The Benedictine town of New Norcia’s last living link with its Spanish foundation was broken with the death of Dom Paulino Gutiérrez OSB.

Aged 99 years, he died on January 18.  He had been a monk for more than 82 years and had been at New Norcia for 81 years.  As Dom Paulino had been the last Spanish monk at New Norcia, the final living link with the Spanish foundation of New Norcia is now gone.  He also was New Norcia’s oldest and longest serving monk.

Dom Paulino was born in Villaespasa, Spain, on June 22, 1910.  He entered the monastery in El Pueyo in 1924, aged 14.  He arrived in New Norcia in August 1928.  He was the baker for 50 years and baked an estimated one million loaves in the famous bakery.  He was also the monastery infirmarian (caregiver) and the town’s shoemaker.  On retiring from baking bread and making shoes, he took over care of the olive grove, picking the olives with the help of monks, staff and volunteers; pickling some and crushing the rest for oil.

Dom Paulino attributed his longevity to  olive oil and bread.  But it must also have been in his genes:  his father died aged 96, his mother at 88, his sisters at 90 and 94.  Two brothers, aged 93 and 91, are still alive.

Described as a model monk, he was a man of simple tastes and frugal lifestyle.  He was a keen fisherman and rabbit catcher during the community’s annual holidays and for many years he was a keen stamp collector, too.

He was buried at New Norcia on January 22.