On the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, Friday, Aug. 15, the Monks of St. Bernard Abbey, the St. Bernard Prep school community, and many guests gathered in joyful celebration as Brother Augustine Munkachy, O.S.B., professed his solemn monastic vows at St. Bernard Abbey, committing himself to God for life in the monastery.

During the liturgy, Junior Master Father Joel Martin, presented Brother Augustine to Abbot Marcus Voss, O.S.B. for solemn profession. Following the monastic community’s affirmation, Abbot Voss delivered the homily, reflecting on the meaning of the vowed life and the Benedictine tradition. He emphasized the profound commitment of those who embrace the monastic vocation, renouncing all things to follow Christ.

In keeping with ancient Benedictine custom, Brother Augustine professed his vows before the Abbot and signed the hand-written document of profession upon the altar, witnessed by two monks of the community. He then lay prostrate before the altar and was covered in the funeral pall, symbolizing his dying to self so that he might rise with Christ. Then the abbot prayed the solemn prayer of consecration to the monastic life. At the conclusion of the rite, Brother Augustine was vested in the cuculla—the pleated cowl worn by monks who have made their final vows, signifying his lifetime commitment in the Benedictine community.

Following the Mass, guests joined the monks for dinner in the St. Bernard refectory, marking the joyous occasion with good food, fellowship, and thanksgiving.

Brother Augustine, 43, was born in Prattville, Alabama, and raised in a military family that lived in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Portugal, and Texas. He is a graduate of Midwestern State University with a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences. He served five years in the U.S. Navy aboard the submarine USS Maryland. After completing his military service, he worked as an IT contractor in Washington, D.C., with the Department of Homeland Security and later the FBI. In 2015, he launched an online business, which allowed him to live and work abroad in Hawaii, Hungary, and Spain. Brother Augustine currently serves the abbey and school as webmaster in the Administration Building.

The solemn profession of vows marks a lifelong commitment to the Benedictine way of life—a life of prayer and work. With gratitude and joy, the monks of St. Bernard Abbey welcome Brother Augustine as a fully professed monk, united in the mission of knowing, loving, and serving God in community, under an abbot according to the Rule of St. Benedict that has stood the test of time for over 1,500 years.