Saint Martin’s Abbey is currently home to 20 monks. Each monk has a unique story and calling from God, and many of us would love to share it with you some time! Here are just a few:
Fr. Peter Tynan, OSB
Fr. Peter Tynan’s journey to becoming a monk begins in the small, rural town of Fairbury, Nebraska, where he attended Catholic grade school and served at Mass. As with many teenagers, he struggled with his faith because he wanted to be like everyone else. “This led me to engage in fraternity life while studying business at the University of Nebraska,” he remembers. “This lifestyle, which promised happiness, merely left me empty and feeling foolish.”
At this time, Fr. Peter returned to God and asked Him what He wanted to him to do. “To my amazement I got an answer: enter religious life. I felt attracted to monastic life, but feared the vow of stability, so I joined the Jesuits.” Though he received an excellent education, it did not work out.
He came to Saint Martin’s to try monastic life and put his Master of Library Science to work in the library. “I found at Saint Martin’s what I was seeking deep down: confreres who support me through thick and thin, a life balanced between work and prayer, and a place of beauty and peace where meditation and contemplation are possible.” Fr. Peter was ordained a priest in 2011 and is currently serving as our university’s chaplain and is working on a Doctor of Ministry.
Br. Damien-Joseph Rappuhn, OSB
Brother Damien-Joseph Rappuhn, OSB, is an “army brat,” having lived in dozens of cities across the world before landing in college at Western Washington University, where he received his degree in English in 2010. After a career in web marketing and ebook development, he took up a position as Web Content Manager for Saint Martin’s University, and from there discerned his way into the abbey in 2016. He was given the name “Damien-Joseph” after St. Damien of Molokai and his successor, Joseph Dutton. He made solemn vows in 2021.
Br. Damien is our social media and website content manager. But good luck finding him! During the school year, he studies for priesthood at Mount Angel Seminary in Mount Angel, OR, with an expected graduation date of 2026. During summers, he travels to conferences and directs vocation retreats at the abbey. He has a passion for cooking, brewing, gardening, higher learning, and of course, the sacramental life.
Br. Thériè Pascua, OSB
“My journey to become a monk helps show me the role of happiness in God’s purpose for my life,” Br. Thériè recounts. “My parents were born and raised on Oahu, HI. That’s where they had me. We didn’t stay there for very long.” Br. Thériè’s dad was in the military. After college, he worked as a college prep advisor to Tacoma schools through AmeriCorps. Shortly afterward, he joined a Catholic missionary organization, travelling around the New England states to give retreats to middle-school and high-school students.
“Before I signed up to be a missionary, there was a moment I encountered God in a profound way,” he reflected. “On a retreat, I prayed through the Gospel scene of Our Lord’s baptism. ‘This is my beloved Son.’ It felt like God said that about me. That God loves who I am even before he considers what I did. This was a major revelation that led me to consider monastic life.”
Br. Thériè made his simple profession of vows in February of 2022. He currently works in the Office of Admissions, with prospective students from Catholic high schools and parishes. He continues to discern his vocation through his work with the school, his daily reading of Scripture, and community prayer.