Saint Martin’s Abbey is currently home to 21 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. Simeon Goodson, OSB
Brother Simeon Goodson, OSB, is a local, born and raised in Tacoma, Washington. Since high school, he’s been slowly tugged by God into the discernment of religious life. After a couple years in educational volunteering and software development, he put more serious action toward pursuing a religious vocation and found his way to Saint Martin’s Abbey.
“The community life and prayer in the monastery has given me a firm foundation for keep my relationship with God the priority in my life,” he observes. “Being alongside other monks pursing the same path continues to build our solidarity.” Br. Simeon made his simple profession of vows in February of 2022. Currently he is working in the university’s Housing and Residence Life, doing day-to-day work in the residence halls to ensure a strong sense of community and hospitality for our students.
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.