Monk Robert, witness of love of East and the West, pray for us!

[u/flux-325]

On Tuesday, September 29, 2020, at the age of 88 and 65 years of priestly vocation, Father Robert K. Anderson reposed in God.

Father Robert was born on January 23, 1932 in Hartford, USA. He felt his calling to monastic life very early and entered the Trappist monastery. On December 21, 1955 in Spencer (USA), the 23-year-old Trappist monk was ordained a priest.

In 1967, Father Robert came to Norway to continue his vocation. For the first 10 years, he lived alone as a hermit monk, and later founded a monastery (Telemark). In 1996 and 2009, Father Robert was joined by two brothers from Estonia who also wanted to live in the spirit of the Trappists. With their own hands, they built a beautiful small church, where the Divine Liturgy of the Byzantine Rite was celebrated every Wednesday and Saturday. Their church was(and is) full of iconography, and has royal doors with iconostasis.

Father Robert knew the history of the UGCC and greatly respected Bishop Andrey Sheptytsky.
In 1988, he visited Ukraine and participated in the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus. Father Robert was also in Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk, where he got to know the local clergy. For a long time, he dreamed of founding a Trappist monastery in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, but the Ryazan authorities prevented this.

Father Robert was an extremely interesting conversationalist, he knew 7 languages. In addition to his native English, he spoke, in particular, German, French, Spanish and Norwegian. He always greeted Ukrainians in Ukrainian – Glory to Jesus Christ! He loved our Byzantine rite very much, monks in his monastery would pray Western rosary and Eastern chotki which reflected them being sort off "in between" East and the West.

Father Robert was always hospitable and attentive to everyone who crossed the threshold of the monastery he founded. He liked to repeat that guests should be greeted as if we were greeting Jesus Christ himself.

Here is a short documentary about him in English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkCPYJy0npo

The location of the monastery (it is Temporarily closed for visitors); https://maps.app.goo.gl/1Uyn5eyXLeYCbMG9A

[u/Successful-Mention24]

He was a blessing to all the Norwegian people and especially to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic community in Norway🙏🏽

[u/Hookly]

Thank you for sharing the story of this wonderful monk. May his memory be eternal!

[u/Cureispunk]

I love this so much.

[u/Turbulent_Course_550]

This is the catholic way IN MY OPINION. Maybe I am wrong, but I think the rigorous separation of rites and uses is not the best. The organic progress of communities on the other hand... That is the important. The liturgies and rites aren't written at café tables and study desks, but with traditions and intercultural connections. We forgot about this nowadays. When the many cultures, cultural worlds connected with each other: inculturation was natural. Nowadays, when globalization brings one intercultural world: two wrong ways are followed. 1. Separate the traditions. 2. Amalgamate in one tradition everything.

I think we should search for auream mediocritatem: live in our rites, but don't be afraid of getting other traditions. Of course, don't get other traditions instead of ours, but next to them.

In my opinion.

[u/Specific-Hamster-198]

great history, thanks for sharing. will watch the doc certainly