All We Know of Heaven by Remy Rougeau

Nineteen year old Paul Seneschal shocks an inquisitive lady on a train by telling her he wants to become a monk "to find meaning in life." She replies "Why would anyone want to do that?" His mother and father, though good Catholics, feel equally baffled by Paul's interest in the monks. Mrs. Seneschal, the mayor of the small town of St. Jean-Baptiste in rural Manitoba, objects because he is her only child and this will rob her of grandchildren. Paul looks for a sign from God to tell him whether he should pursue the monastic path, and sees a shooting star in the night sky. Thus, young Paul enters the cloistered Cistercian abbey of Saint Norbert near Winnepeg.

This beautifully written novel follows Paul's experiences as he enters monastic life as an innocent and idealistic boy who is still unsure of his vocation. Paul struggles with spiritual distraction and physical temptation, as he gradually progresses through the stages from novitiate to full vows. The author, who also spent six years as a Cistercian monk (and is now a Benedictine monk) tells this story slowly and richly, with insights obviously drawn from his own experience. Paul soon sees that life as a cloistered Cistercian monk challenges the very essence of the usual definition of human identity in the Western sense. Paul must surrender his name, his possessions, and even his voice. He is given a new name (Antoine) because there is already a Brother Paul. The Cistercians observe silence and do not speak, except to the Abbot or with special permission. To communicate they must use a kind of crude sign language that limits their ability to express thoughts. Antoine's head is shaven and his shoes are deemed too noisy and replaced by old ones from a dead monk. Even in death the monks are buried without a coffin and no names remain on the headstones in the cemetery. Confined behind the monastery gate, their numbers dwindling as old monks die and few new ones join, it seems that these men barely exist to the outside world.

But contrary to this impression, each chapter illustrates the humanity of these eccentric, very human men who have found themselves together at St. Norbert. The book's structure and pace reminded me of James Herriott, and it almost could have been called All Monks Great and Lowly, or fat and thin, or sane and crazy. Antoine's wonderful observations of characters such as Brother Ignace, the pyromaniac, Brother Eli who still feuds with another old monk on his deathbed, Brother Bernard whose incorrupt body three years after death may signify he was a saint (or a devil, depending on one's beliefs?), and Cello, the visiting Tibetan monk with a secret, are priceless. These experiences gradually teach him that there is no perfection, no holy asceticism, no absolute knowledge that will reveal ultimate spiritual truth. Rather, Antoine comes to understand that spiritual growth is revealed through work, through the natural world, through the everyday experiences we take for granted. A flower blooming, a cow's full udder, a meal lovingly prepared, perhaps this is all we can know of heaven and all we need to know.


All We Know of Heaven by Remy Rougeau Nineteen year old Paul Seneschal shocks an inquisitive lady on a train by telling her he wants to become a monk "to find meaning in life." She replies "Why would anyone want to do that?" His mother and father, though good Catholics, feel equally baffled by Paul's interest in the monks. Mrs. Seneschal, the mayor of the small town of St. Jean-Baptiste in rural Manitoba, objects because he is her only child and this will rob her of grandchildren. Paul looks for a sign from God to tell him whether he should pursue the monastic path, and sees a shooting star in the night sky. Thus, young Paul enters the cloistered Cistercian abbey of Saint Norbert near Winnepeg. This beautifully written novel follows Paul's experiences as he enters monastic life as an innocent and idealistic boy who is still unsure of his vocation. Paul struggles with spiritual distraction and physical temptation, as he gradually progresses through the stages from novitiate to full vows. The author, who also spent six years as a Cistercian monk (and is now a Benedictine monk) tells this story slowly and richly, with insights obviously drawn from his own experience. Paul soon sees that life as a cloistered Cistercian monk challenges the very essence of the usual definition of human identity in the Western sense. Paul must surrender his name, his possessions, and even his voice. He is given a new name (Antoine) because there is already a Brother Paul. The Cistercians observe silence and do not speak, except to the Abbot or with special permission. To communicate they must use a kind of crude sign language that limits their ability to express thoughts. Antoine's head is shaven and his shoes are deemed too noisy and replaced by old ones from a dead monk. Even in death the monks are buried without a coffin and no names remain on the headstones in the cemetery. Confined behind the monastery gate, their numbers dwindling as old monks die and few new ones join, it seems that these men barely exist to the outside world. But contrary to this impression, each chapter illustrates the humanity of these eccentric, very human men who have found themselves together at St. Norbert. The book's structure and pace reminded me of James Herriott, and it almost could have been called All Monks Great and Lowly, or fat and thin, or sane and crazy. Antoine's wonderful observations of characters such as Brother Ignace, the pyromaniac, Brother Eli who still feuds with another old monk on his deathbed, Brother Bernard whose incorrupt body three years after death may signify he was a saint (or a devil, depending on one's beliefs?), and Cello, the visiting Tibetan monk with a secret, are priceless. These experiences gradually teach him that there is no perfection, no holy asceticism, no absolute knowledge that will reveal ultimate spiritual truth. Rather, Antoine comes to understand that spiritual growth is revealed through work, through the natural world, through the everyday experiences we take for granted. A flower blooming, a cow's full udder, a meal lovingly prepared, perhaps this is all we can know of heaven and all we need to know.
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