8/18/2010 11:24:00 AM
Local man professes solemn vows in California
An Oregon native will make solemn profession of religious vows Aug. 28 at St. Michael Abbey Church in Orange County, Calif. Christopher Okapal of St. Pius X Parish in Cedar Mill is now Brother Maximilian, a member of the Order of Canons Regular of Premontre, commonly known as the Norbertines.
Brother Maximilian is the son of Dan and Mary Okapal and a member of the Knights of Columbus. He will return to Rome this fall to continue theology studies at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas — The Angelicum.
Brother Maximilian graduated from Sunset High School in Beaverton in 1998 and from Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, Calif. in 2002. He entered the Norbertines the same year.
The Norbertine Order was founded by St. Norbert of Xanten (1080-1134) in the valley of Prémontré in France. Norbert had been a worldly young canon in the church of St. Victor in Xanten in Germany, when he converted his life in the aftermath of being knocked from his horse by a lightning bolt in a thunderstorm. Returning to St. Victor’s after his ordination to the priesthood, Norbert did not succeed in convincing his fellow priests of the urgent need to reform toward austerity and fervor, and so he set out on his own, eventually gaining followers.
[But the photo accompanying the article is not of me. Hmm...]
[Update: They have the right photo now:]
Way to go bro! I'll have to check out the article and see who the picture is of.... I like the trees in the background of your blog. Very nice.
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