Lived in Wolf Hill Co Cork.
Worked as a Commercial Traveller in the stationery trade in his early career.
Decided to return to his "Alma Mater" at Mount St. Josephs Abbey when he was 50+
and become a Cistercian Monk!
He had to spend the first two years of his vocation proving himself! He was put to work in the Grain Mill on the estate, humping bags of grain on and off lorries!
He surivived that and proved himself.
He was then put into the Souvenier Shop at the Guest House in the Abbey, and went on to make a great success of that Shop, which delivered good profits to the Community.
Thank you Tom for connecting us all together. I am really enjoying this search.
When you mentioned Bro Cronin making profits for community, I was reminded of a conversation I had recently with Fr Kevin,who remembered Bro Cronin with great affection. He spoke of his earlier years as a young priest, meeting Bro Cronin late one evening looking for the Abbot because a bus full of Amarican visitors had arrived at the Guest House!
The following morning Fr Kevin asked him how he got on? Bro Cronin's eyes lit up and with a big smile he said "I made buckets of money".
They were keeping the great silence!!!