St. Peter’s AbbeyNewsletter

Vol. 34 No. 1 Summer and Fall 2013

By Paul Paproski, OSB

Two miracles occurred on MountCarmel Sunday honoring Fr. LawrenceDeMong, OSB on his 50th year of priest-hood.

The first marvel came from the skieswhich opened at the beginning of Mass.The clouds departed, sending the rainaway, allowing the sunshine to breakthrough. The day began with damp wetweather that threatened to bring the can-cellation of the annual outdoor Mass. Theskies brought forth sunshine and warmtemperatures just before Mass began.

“In addition to the rain stopping forMass, I experienced another little mira-cle,” Fr. Lawrence remembered. “As thefirst to receive a ciborium for commun-ion, I went to the top of the hill. I decidedwhere to begin distributing so as to haveenough hosts, but soon began to wonderhow I would arrange to get more as I wasrunning short and, of all  things, gave thelast host to the last person who came!” heexclaimed excitedly. Bishop DonaldBolen was the celebrant for MountCarmel Sunday, July 21. The location wasthe perfect setting to honor Fr. Lawrencewho was raised at St. Benedict in the for-mer St. Peter’s Abbacy. Parishioners ofthe abbacy often attended pilgrimages atMount Carmel.

“I suspect that my first ‘pilgrimage’ toMt Carmel was as a baby at thebreast. At least that’s what I remember ofmy younger siblings. Our family alwaysattended the pilgrimage. And as BishopBolen said, the weather these past twoyears is telling us that Mary wants thisyearly prayer gathering to continue.”

Saskatoon Bishop Francis Kleinordained Fr. Lawrence and several othersin 1963 at St. Paul’s Cathedral inSaskatoon. The setting was unusual for aBenedictine of St. Peter’s Abbey. Monks

are traditionally ordained at St. Peter’sCathedral at Muenster. Fr. Lawrence isn’tsure if anyone from the abbey, besidesAbbot Jerome, attended, although he has avivid memory of the presence of his fami-ly and uncle, Frank DeMong, OMI. Onephoto was taken of Fr. Lawrence to com-memorate his special day. The pictureshows Fr. Lawrence with his grandmotherin the church basement having coffee.

Fr. Lawrence has vivid memories ofthe first Mass he celebrated back home atSt. Benedict.

“My dear mother had made all thePentecost vestments for celebrant,  assis-tant priest, deacon, subdeacon in brightred raw silk, designed with all the help Icould get at St. John’s Abbey where I hadstudied. The chalice of gold and dark redenamel, given by my parents, wasdesigned according to predictions as to

what Vatican II would soon bring about,with everyone receiving the cup. Thehuge effort put out by my family to havea banquet in the new Quonset machineshed on our farm was clearly a sign ofhow they supported me throughout mydiscernment and studies to become amonk and priest,” he remarked. His moth-er prepared a fruit cake in the shape of themain altar of the new church at St. John’sAbbey, Minnesota. The cake was baked ina pan built by his brother Ray. The com-mitment put into making the special cakeexemplified the communal effort andwork of his family to make the day a suc-cess and that still astounds Fr. Lawrencetoday. The excitement was clouded thefollowing June 3, 1963 with the sad newsthat “dear” Pope John XXIII had died.

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Fr. Lawrence celebrates 50 years of priesthood

CELEBRATES 50TH – Bishop Donald Bolen was the celebrant for the 91st annualMount Carmel Pilgrimage on Sunday, July 21. The pilgrimage honored Fr. LawrenceDeMong, OSB who is celebrating his 50th year of priesthood.

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Just 10 years ago we celebrated the100th anniversary of the arrival of theBenedictine monks at Muenster in 1903.Now, we have been here for 110 years,though we are not having any specialcelebrations.

As I was preparing to write this mes-sage, a strange coincidence struck me. Icame to the monastery as a novice in1963, exactly 50 years ago. However, Icame to St. Peter’s College as a studentin 1958, which is 55 years ago — halfthe life of our monastic community herein Saskatchewan.

In addition, Fr. Joseph Ackerman,now pastor at Bruno and Peterson, cele-brated his 55th anniversary of ordinationthis summer. That means he has beenserving as a priest in our area for half itshistory. That is quite a record. At age 88(89 on Sept. 20), Fr. Joe is the oldestactive priest in the Saskatoon Diocese.As far as being the oldest in the commu-nity, Br. Wolfgang Thiem beats him bysix months. Both still enjoy excellenthealth.

Speaking of anniversaries, theUrsuline Sisters of Bruno came to thisarea in 1913 and are celebrating theircentennial this year. The ElizabethanSisters celebrated their centennial twoyears ago. Both groups have made won-derful contributions to the people in thisarea but, because of advancing age, mostwill be leaving to retire in Saskatoon in a

year’s time. What achange that will beafter a hundred-yearpresence.

Abbots are oftennoted for being awayfrom their monaster-ies. Whether it’s giv-ing retreats, attend-ing conferences orcelebrations, thedemands are numer-ous and not everyinvitation can beaccepted. Today,with the means ofsocial media one caneasily keep in con-tact with themonastery and withfriends. However,one must sympathize with our forbearersfor what it was like for them when traveland communication were slower andmore difficult.

Our history tells us that Abbot Bruno,for example, was appointed vicar gener-al of the Prince Albert Diocese in 1913,just two years after being named abbot.In 1918 he received an indult to admin-ister the sacrament of confirmation inthe diocese and he traveled to Saskatoonfor this mission the week of his death in1919. Earlier, he made several trips toEurope on behalf of the colony, mainly

to recruit sisters for serving as teachersand nurses in St. Peter’s Colony. He alsofilled in for Bishop Pascal in the diocesewhen he traveled to Europe. At thattime, such trips often took severalmonths.

A hundred years later things havechanged. But the legacy of the religioushas helped to shape the traditions andhistory of this area. We know that Godwill continue to provide for the needs ofhis people as new opportunities areopened up. So it was in the past; so it willbe in the future.

A message from Abbot Peter’s desk

GENERAL CHAPTER — Abbot Peter Novecosky, OSB andFr. Paul Paproski, OSB abbey delegate, met with AbbotPrimate Notker Wolff at the General Chapter meeting of theAmerican Cassinese Congregation. The meeting was held,June 16-21, at St. Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

ABBOTS’ WORKSHOP — Abbot Peter took in the abbots’workshop, Feb. 1-5, at Prince of Peace Abbey near San Diego,Calif.

COFFEE BREAK — Some of the monks joined the abbey staffand volunteers for a Christmas coffee break. Special drawswere held for prizes.

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By Paul Paproski, OSB

Some deer congregated on the southend of St. Peter’s monastery during thelast winter and spring where they feastedon corn. Their presence was a welcomesight for the Benedictines who oftenspotted them in the morning or earlyevening.

The entertainment was courtesy of Br.Wolfgang Thiem, OSB who fed the deercorn that he picked from the abbey gar-den in the late summer of 2012. The cornwas abundant and many cobs were leftunpicked, so Br. Wolfgang decided touse some of them for local wildlife.Perhaps he was aware that the snowfallwould be heavier than usual in early2013 making it more difficult for thedeer to forage for food.

This year was a landmark for Br.Wolfgang, 89, who marked his 40th yearof profession as a monk at St. Peter’sAbbey. He was professed on March 21,the feast of St. Benedict, in 1973. Hemade a noteworthy decision on his 40thto take piano lessons from Br. Benedict,one of the novices. Br. Wolfgang’s desireto learn something new is emblematic ofhis enthusiasm for monastic life wherehe has carried out many roles, from serv-ing as a carpenter and mason to gardenerand cantor at office. He is most famousfor the tomatoes he grows in the abbeygreenhouse. Visitors often comment onthe quality of the tomatoes which areoften dark red, large and very delicious.Br. Wolfgang has also grown largepumpkins and other garden vegetables.Some of his other hobbies are reading,and listening to international news whichhe likes to discuss with his confreres,and cross-country skiing in the winter.

The Rule of St. Benedict stresses theimportance of living a life of modera-tion, both in prayer and work. Br.Wolfgang has exemplified this teachingwell as a Benedictine monk where he isknown for being pleasant and cool as acucumber. He does everything at aleisurely pace, whether in his walkingand talking or his work and recreationalactivities. He is faithful to attendingmonastic office where he has often beenassigned the role of a cantor or reader.

Blessed with good health and a senseof humor, Br. Wolfgang likes to demon-

strate, especially to younger monks, hisstrength by improvising a punch or karatekick in their direction. He often tells themhe is “mean and lean.” The good healthand sharp mind of Br. Wolfgang wereespecially noticeable four years ago dur-ing renovations to the college building ofMichael Hall and St. Peter’s monastery.He helped with renovations on the topfloor of Michael Hall in 2009 and was amajor contributor to renovations to theupper and lower floors of St. Peter’smonastery between 2010 and 2012. Br.Wolfgang constructed inside walls withinsulation in many monastery rooms, andsmashed some cinderblock walls in a fewrooms to convert them into larger units.He is often asked to help with small car-pentry projects, whether building shelvesor fixing picture frames and tables.

Br. Wolfgang was born in 1924 inSchwab Gmund, south central Germany,in a predominantly Catholic area. TheSecond World War was devastatingEurope when he graduated from highschool. Students in his school weretaught German and two foreign lan-guages, so he used the opportunity tolearn some French and English. At theage of 18 he was drafted into the airforce and then transferred to an antiair-craft unit in Germany.

As the Russians advanced towardsGermany, Br. Wolfgang was given thechoice to join the infantry to face the

Russians or join the parachutist division.Br. Wolfgang chose the parachute optionknowing it would move westward, awayfrom the Russian front. He then learnedto work with horses to cope with a severegasoline shortage in Germany. At the endof the war, Br. Wolfgang was sent back toRuhr in Germany and later taken prison-er by the Americans on Christmas Eve in1945. He had served two-and-a-halfyears in the military and was to spendanother three-and-a-half years as aPrisoner Of War.

Previous to the war Br. Wolfgang hadthought of going to America because ofthe unstable political condition inGermany. Br. Wolfgang joined a secularinstitute founded by an Oblate priest inTrois Rivieres, Quebec, and helped buildresidences and a chapel for the women ofthe secular institute. He worked in brick-laying in the summertime, and in thewinter he did inside carpenter work. Hetravelled to Haiti where he helped con-struct buildings for the secular institute.

Br. Wolfgang spent a few months in aTrappist monastery and read the PrairieMessenger, the most worldly newspaperallowed there. He decided, in the sum-mer of 1971, to visit St. Peter’s Abbey.He had helped the Trappists with hayingand found himself doing the same workat the abbey. Br. Wolfgang entered thenovitiate and made his profession as abrother in March of 1973.

Br. Wolfgang, 89, active in monastic life

ENJOYS OUTDOORS – Br. Wolfgang, 89, enjoys cross-country skiing in the winter.He celebrated his 40th year as a Benedictine monk at St. Peter’s Abbey.

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Fr. Lawrence recalls an interestingmemory during his preparations for cele-brating Mass. Celebrations were a littlemore complicated, then, when Latin wasstill a part of the church liturgy.

“I had a repeated dream of being outat the altar with no clothes on.  Well,later, while studying catechetics atLaval, a professor said of me, ‘He hasthe priesthood in his bones!’ The factthat this painful dream never happenedagain after ordination says how mypriesthood and my life had come togeth-er, something for which I am truly grate-ful,” he remarked.

The Second Vatican Council was heldonly a few years following Fr. Lawrence’sordination and the council underlinedhow everyone needs to read the signs ofthe times, he commented. The experi-ences of the past 50 years have taught Fr.Lawrence that the most powerful teacheris “life.” His studies in religious educationmade him aware that no experience, noevent, is outside our faith or outside ourcontinuous conversation with God.  Thisbelief was heightened through his experi-ences in serving the directorship of theNational Office of Religious Education inOttawa, 1982 to 1986, and when he wasasked to return to Brazil in 1998 to domission work.

“My own experience of trust wasundoubtedly deepened by my parentswhose example was extraordinary. Themost powerful was when I had to tell mypoor mom in Phoenix that her son Rogerand his family had died in a car crash. Ibegan with, ‘Mom, I have good newsand bad news. The good news is that Dadhas visitors.’

“‘Who died?’” sheasked. “When Iexplained that Rogerand his family were ina car accident I wassure she understoodthat they had all died.After allowing hertime to cry, I calledand her first questionwas, ‘How’s Marionand the kids?’ It washeartbreaking to sayall four of them haddied. Her immediateresponse was like bib-lical Job: ‘This is theYear of the Family!They’re all together!’”

Reflecting on thechurch over the past50 years, Fr.Lawrence said that hehas experienced a

Catholic Church that has gone from thestable vision of Pius XII to the excitingand joyful one of John XXIII; then to thepuzzling death of John Paul I, and to theoccasional reversals of Vatican II duringthe leadership of John Paul II andBenedict XVI.  God is ever so much big-ger than our human foibles, he com-mented. God’s infinite patience is stillgathering us on a deeper level than ourideologies and leading us as the peoplein the desert to a promised land.

Looking to the future Fr. Lawrenceremarked that his commitment to justicecontinues to inspire him to do morethings. He said he has had some power-ful experiences concerning the call tojustice, especially with the personalexperience and experiences of othersbeing bullied. The call to justice hasdeepened over the years and the bottomline of the Gospel is simply whetherpeople care at all about other humanbeings, all of them, not just specialfriends.

“I hope to keep on struggling againstthe bullies who demean, degrade anddestroy this beautiful world, especiallyits people, and try my best to make thebeauty of God and God’s creation shineforth.   And no matter what I do andwhere I am, I hope to be a God-seeker asa monk and a bridge builder as a priest.”

Ordination to priesthood is a community event

BLESSED SACRAMENT – Bishop Donald Bolen leads a procession with the BlessedSacrament, July 21, at the 91st Mount Carmel Pilgrimage. The servers are: from left,Kirk Duffley, Angelica Hill and Joan Hill of St. Scholastica Church, Burr.

HORSESHOES – Abbot Peter Novecosky, OSB throws ahorseshoe at the annual Priests Sports Days at St. Peter’sAbbey. Watching are Bishop Emeritus Gerald Wiesner ofSaskatoon, left, and Chris Bencharski of Meadow Lake,member of the KC State Council.

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By Paul Paproski, OSBFive men have responded with gener-

ous hearts to let God’s word become en-fleshed in their lives through the monasticway of life, Abbot Peter Novecosky, OSBsaid, March 21, at a Mass celebrating thefeast day of St. Benedict and Rite ofInitiation into Monastic Life.

“Like Peter in today’s Gospel,they’ve heard the invitation to leave allthings to follow Jesus and the payoff willbe hundredfold blessings and to inheriteternal life,” he said referring to the fivecandidates at St. Peter’s Abbey whowere being invested as novices.

“St. Paul tells the Ephesians to put onthe whole armor of God. Well, St.Benedict refines this further in his Rule,outlining the niche armor of the monas-tic way of life, the vows, the tools ofgood works, community life, communityprayer, stability and obedience. St. Paulencourages us to stand firm, to standfirm not only when days are good, butalso to stand firm when days are difficultand bad,” Abbot Peter remarked.

The five men, who first entered St.Peter’s Abbey as candidates in Septemberof 2012, were invested as novices to offi-cially mark a new stage in their monasticjourney. The candidates publically request-ed at the ceremony, that they be allowed toenter the novitiate. A community memberresponded on the candidate’s behalf withhis acceptance and recommendation. Thecommunity then gave its approval. Thenovices were given their monastic namesand then put on Benedictine habits. Threeof the novices, Linden Predy, 19, ofSaskatoon; Christopher Weber, 36, ofHanover, Ontario; and Peter van Ginkel,50, of Winnipeg adopted religious namesof saints. Linden will now be known asStephen; Christopher will be calledDamian; and Peter is Benedict. The othernovices are Andreas Hofer, 29, of NewZealand, and Dominic Leo, 42, ofVancouver.

Br. Andreas, originally from Austria,came from New Zealand where he wasself-employed in residential, commercialand industrial construction, as well ascarpentry, joinery and cabinet making.His skills in carpentry have been notice-able around the abbey where he hashelped in repair and construction. Br.Andreas noted that he has a special con-

nection to Jesus who was a carpenterbefore beginning his ministry.

The youngest novice, Br. Stephen,who has attended university for one year,said it is an honor to be accepted into themonastic community. His model, Jesus,walked with a meek and humble heartand he wants to learn how to let go ofvanity, pride and all worldly passions tofollow Christ.

It is hard to believe that the sixmonths of candidacy have come to aclose and another phase of monastic lifehas begun, Br. Damian remarked. Thenext phase of the monastic journey willbe helpful in learning what it means tolive as a faithful monk of St. Peter’sAbbey. Br. Damian said his aspirationsfor the novitiate year will be to do God’swill through prayer, and continuing tolearn how everything depends on God.

Br. Damian completed a year of stud-ies in theology at the Seminary of Christthe King in Mission, B.C. Previously, heworked five years in the lay apostolatethrough the Secular Franciscan order. Heresided in the Diocese of Antigonish,Nova Scotia, where he lived and workedat Our Lady of Grace Monastery, doingmaintenance and assisting in the retreathouse.

“Wearing a habit is helping me tounderstand my role in a more meaningfulway as a member of St. Peter’s Abbey,”Br. Benedict said. He joked that his habitmakes him look taller. He is looking for-ward to his next year of study, spiritualreading and scripture. Br. Benedict, amusician, has been playing the organ formonastic office and teaching Gregorianchant.

“Though I knew that this was animportant step in my monastic journey,there weren’t any nerves involved beforethe event, as I did not comprehend theenormity of the investiture that was soongoing to take place,” Br. Dominic com-mented when reflecting on his new role asa novice. The ceremony at the Massopened him to sensing the awe and won-der of the new phase of monastic life. Therite of initiation gave him the feeling thathe was one more step closer to Jesus andwith the members of the monastic com-munity.

Br. Dominic worked as anInformation Technology (IT) technicianand computer programmer analyst inVancouver for the Knights of Columbus.He spent two years of seminary at theBenedictine monastery at WestminsterAbbey in Mission, BC.

Novices begin new journey at St. Peter’s Abbey

NOVICES – Five men were invested as novices, March 21, at St. Peter’s Abbey. Theyinclude: from left, Br. Andreas Hofer of New Zealand; Br. Damian (Christopher)Weber of Hanover, Ontario; Br. Stephen (Linden) Predy of Saskatoon; Br. DominicLeo of Vancouver, B.C.; and Br. Benedict (Peter) van Ginkel, of Winnipeg.

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By Paul Paproski, OSB

St. Peter’s College Campus Ministryreceived a shot in the arm this summerwhen the Saskatchewan Knights ofColumbus Charitable Foundation donat-ed $2,500 towards its work. The dona-

tion will be used to help CampusMinistry in its mandate to promote aBenedictine presence and Christian spir-ituality at St. Peter’s College, CampusMinistry chairperson Fr. Paul Paproski,OSB said.

The college campus ministry teamhas brought in guest speakers who havespoken to students and staff on topicsranging from journaling and Christiancustoms to the problems of cults whichare still present today. The presentationswere given during luncheons known asLunch with Benedict, Fr. Paul remarked.

“We have been very privileged tohave Bishop Bryan Bayda, CSsR, of theEparchy of Saskatoon speak on subjectsranging from Byzantine spirituality toour attachment to technology. Sr.Theodosia Papirnik, SSJ of the Sisters ofSt. Joseph in Saskatoon addressed theUkraine and her work with orphanagesin the Ukraine. Rev. Colin Clay, anAnglican minister, has addressed cults.The students and staff learned aboutaspects of Benedictine spirituality fromguest speakers Abbot Peter Novecosky,

OSB, Frs. DemetriusWasyly niuk, OSB and Fr.Paul Paproski, OSB.

Campus ministry spon-sors a welcome lunch atthe beginning of the schoolterm with tours of the cam-

pus andd r a w s .During thecourse of theyear stu-dents areinvited totake part invarious cam-pus ministrye v e n t s .Some of theevents havei n c l u d e d :writing con-tests ongrace, the meaning ofChristmas and Easter; aSeder Supper (that com-memorates Passover), andpresentations on Alpha(basics of Christianity).

One of the highlightsof the year is the annual MedievalFeast held on Shrove Tuesday, the daybefore Ash Wednesday. The feast cele-

brates the beginning of Lent.Participants dress in medieval cos-tumes and enjoy a menu of medievalfood at a banquet where the plates aremade of bread. A king and queen arethe guests of honour. Everyone isentertained with singing, charades,poetry and other fun.

“We are always looking for new ideasto bring to our program,” Fr. Paul said.

Benedictines minister through presence

CAMPUS MINISTRY – Brad Lefebvre of Humboldt,left, representing the Saskatchewan Knights ofColumbus Charitable Foundation, presents $2,500 toRob Harasymchuk, president of St. Peter’s College. Themoney will be used towards the St. Peter’s CollegeCampus Ministry program.

MEDIEVAL FEAST – Benedictine monks joined students and guests at the annualMedieval Feast held just before Lent. Participants dress in medieval costumes andtake part in fun and games. The Medieval Feast is sponsored by Campus Ministry.

SPEAKS ABOUT UKRAINE – Fr. Demetrius Wasylyniuk,OSB, of St. Peter’s College Campus Ministry welcomesSrs. Theodosia, SSJ middle, and Sophia, SSJ to St. Peter’sCollege. Sr. Theodosia was the guest speaker at a noonhour luncheon, sponsored by campus ministry. She spokeabout the Ukraine and the work of the Sisters of St.Joseph (SSJ) in the Ukraine. Srs. Theodosia and Sophialive in Saska toon where they operate a nursing home.

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By Paul Paproski, OSB

Visitors to St. Peter’s College oftencomment on how impressed they arewith the bright new look of the collegeand quality of facilities in the classroomsand science labs. The atmosphere forlearning has improved immensely sincethe completion of the renovations twoyears ago, according to CollegePresident Robert Harasymchuk.

“There are more comfortable class-rooms with brighter walls, muchimproved lighting and temperature con-trol. The student lounge has become aplace of community for our students.Guests and visitors are quick to commenton the ‘new’ facilities which are fullymodern and yet have the traditional lookwhich makes it still feel like the sameplace,” he remarked.

The renovations have been importantfor everyone in the surrounding commu-nity, as well, who use the college facili-ties. The college building (Michael Hall)is ideal for choir practice and meetings,and the gymnasium is excellent for soc-

cer and other sports. The upgrading hasencouraged the administration and staffto continue looking for new ways andmeans to improve student experience.New program opportunities are present-ly being developed for the next schoolyear.

“We are blessed to attract qualifiedpeople who serve the college, and we arelooking forward to a great start of a newacademic year in September,”Harasymchuk added. The college recent-ly welcomed “some fantastic new peo-ple” on board in administration.

One of the challenges of the adminis-tration is to complete the final phase offundraising to help pay the remaining $4million renovation debt.

“Fundraising for the college is a con-stant pursuit. Renovating and maintain-ing facilities of this size and scope iscostly, but we remain committed toensuring that it is available to all ourstakeholders for education, sport andrecreation, the arts, retreats and all theother uses that people find from our cam-pus. We continue to fundraise to pay for

the renovations project that restoredMichael Hall to serve the community.We count on our alumni and the commu-nity to support the projects that make St.Peter’s the special place that it is and wethank all those donors that keep us inmind with their generosity and recogni-tion of the importance of purpose thecollege holds for this region of Saskatch -ewan,” he remarked.

Renovations affected every floor ofMichael Hall which was gutted, rebuiltand refurbished with new floors, walls,doors, lighting and windows. Doorwayentrances were wid ened, bathroomsupgraded, and wiring brought to standardto enable information technology sys-tems to be used. There are three new sci-ence labs on the basement floor. Studentscan study and visit in a student loungeand recreation room, and exercise in amodern fitness centre that is popularamong students and staff. One of themost noticeable changes is the new ele-vator and shaft, a new addition to thewest side of the building.

Renovations were made possible throughthe federal KnowledgeInfra structure grant pro-gram, the provincialMinistry of AdvancedEducation, donationsfrom alumni and otherswho gave through to thecapital campaign.Maurice Soloudre was thearchitect and MinersConstruction was the proj-ect manager. Support wasprovided by the collegeboard of governors andmonks of St. Peter’sAbbey.

The college presentlyoffers classes in arts andscience, business/com-merce, agriculture andkinesiology, to fulfill theentry requirements tocolleges such asDentistry, Medicine,Nutrition, Pharmacy,Nursing, Vet-Medicine,Law and Education, orto complete the college’sinnovative writing diplo-ma program.

College renovations strengthen community

LOOKING UPWARDS – St. Peter’s College, a landmark of the local area since 1921, looks heavenlywith its new elevator and west entrance. The elevator, standing 85 feet high, was designed by MauriceSoloudre Architect Ltd. and will accommodate wheelchairs and stretchers. The miniature bird house inthe shape of Michael Hall was designed and built by Miners Constructor, project manager for the ren-ovations.

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October 2012 — onward

October 24 — Reva Bauer was elect-ed first female mayor of Muenster. Revawas an employee of St. Peter’s Collegeat the time.

November 6 — Fr. Paul Paproski,OSB gave a presentation to St. GabrielParish in Biggar on Traits of a HealthySpirituality.

November 15 — Fr. Paul Paproski,OSB gave a presentation to St. FrancisXavier Parish in Saskatoon on Traits of aHealthy Spirituality.

November 22 — Sr. Theodosia ofSisters of St. Joseph in Saskatoon spoketo students and staff at a Lunch withBenedict, sponsored by St. Peter’sCollege Campus Ministry. Her topic wasThe Ukraine.

November 29 — A book launch forRule of Faith, Fr. Andrew Britz’s posthu-mous second collection of editorials, washeld at the Saskatoon cathedral.

December 19 — Some of the monksjoined the abbey staff and volunteers fora Christmas coffee break.

The novices and a live-in visited Fr.Rudolph Novecosky at the Humboldthospital.

Two presses, originally from MarianPress in Battleford, were resold.

December 30 — Archbishop AlbertLeGatt of St. Boniface, Manitoba visitedthe abbey.

January 2013 — onwardJanuary 23-25 — Abbot Peter

Novecosky, OSB attended a meeting inMontreal of the Council of the CanadianReligious Conference.

January 25-27 — The annual NewmanRetreat of St. Thomas More College,Saskatoon was held at St. Peter’s Abbey.

February 1-5 — Abbot PeterNovecosky, OSB attended a workshopfor North American abbots at Prince ofPeace Abbey near San Diego.

February 10 — Br. Anthony Nguyen,OSB celebrated New Years with theVietnamese community in Saskatoon.

February 11 — Several monksreceived the Anointing of the Sick onWorld Day of Prayer for the Sick.

February 12 — Students and guestsenjoyed feasting medieval food frombread plates at the annual Medieval

Feast, sponsored by St. Peter’s CollegeCampus Ministry. The event was in theJerome Assembly Room.

February 22 — Blake Sittler of theDiocese of Saskatoon, co-director of pas-toral services of the Diocese of Saskatoon,spoke about theCovenant of Caremodel, adopted by theDiocese of Saskatoon.The Covenant of Carepromotes a healthywork environment inthe diocese.

February 26-March 1 — AbbotPeter attended theannual meeting of theAssembly of WesternCatholic Bishops, ofwhich he is secretary.The meeting washeld in Edmonton.

March 11 — Rev.Colin Clay of Saska -toon spoke at a Lunchwith Benedict on thetheme of Cults to staffand students of St.Peter’s College. The

noon hour luncheon was sponsored by St.Peter’s College Cam pus Ministry.

March 14 — Abbot Peter was inter-viewed on CBC radio about the electionof Pope Francis.

March 19 — Abbot Peter attended theinstallation of Murray Chatlain as arch-bishop of The Pas Manitoba.

March 21 — Five men were investedas novices at St. Peter’s Abbey. Theyincluded: Andreas Hofer of New Zealand;Damian (Christopher) Weber of Hanover,Ontario; Stephen (Linden) Predy ofSaskatoon; Dominic Leo of Vancouver,B.C.; and Benedict (Peter) van Ginkel, ofWinnipeg.

March 23 — Fr. Paul Paproski, OSBspoke to the Oblates on Oblate Day onthe topic of The Observance of Lent.

March 25 — Several monks attendedChrism Mass at Holy Family Cathedralin Saskatoon.

March 25 — Fr. Rudolph Novecosky,OSB received an artificial heart pace-maker at Royal University Hospital inSaskatoon.

April 27 to May 24 — Fr. PaulPaproski, OSB attended a monasticenrichment program in Rome whichincluded classes and tours of churchesand historic sites.

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People and events around the abbey

COVENANT OF CARE — Blake Sittler, co-director of pastoral services of the Dioceseof Saskatoon, addresses the Covenant ofCare at St. Peter’s Abbey. The covenant,adopted by the Diocese of Saskatoon, pro-motes a healthy environment for employeesand volunteers in the church.

NURSIA – St. Benedict attended this church in Nursia, Italyas a young man before leaving for school in Rome. Thechurch bears his name.

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April 28 to May 1 — Fr. MichelProulx, O Praem, president of theCanadian Religious Conference, visit-ed St. Peter’s Abbey and met withsome monks involved with formationpeople.

May 1-3 — Abbot Peter Novecosky,OSB attended a meeting in Saskatoon ofthe Council of the CRC.

May 3-5 — Fr. Alain Rodrigue,CMM, Quebec councillor of the CRC,visited the abbey.

May 3 to 5 — Fr. Alain Rodrigue,CMM, of Sherbrooke, Que., a member

of CRC council, visited the abbey after ameeting in Saskatoon.

May 6 — Fr. Lawrence DeMong,OSB attended a CRC meeting of JPIC inSaskatoon.

May 12-16 — The annual monasticretreat of St. Peter’s Abbey was preachedby Sr. Lorraine Caza, CND of Montreal.

Several sisters and dio -c esan priests attended.

May 20-24 —Abbot PeterNovecosky, OSBgave a retreat to thepriests of the Dio ceseof Cal gary.

May 27-31 — Fr.Paul Paproski, OSBgave a retreat to thepriests of the Dioceseof Calgary.

May 29 —Saskatoon CTV fea-tured Muenster on itsnewscast and didsome interviews at theabbey and college.

June 2 — Br.Anthony Nguyen,OSB graduated fromthe Saskatoon LayFormation Program

with a Mass at the cathedral.June 8-13 — Abbot Peter Novecosky,

OSB preached a retreat to the Sisters ofMartha in Antigonish, NS.

June 16 - 21 — Abbot Peter Novecosky,OSB and Fr. Paul Paproski, OSB attendeda general chapter meeting of the AmericanCassinese Congregation at St. Vincent

Archabbey, Latrobe, Penn -syl vania. A general chaptermeeting is held once everythree years.

June 26 — Br. CosmasEpifano, OSB returned for afour month break from histheology studies in Rome.

July 2 — ArchbishopAlbert LeGatt of St.Boniface, Manitoba visitedSt. Peter’s Abbey.

July 10 — Renovationsbegan on the inside ofScholastica residence. It isbeing upgraded and convert-ed into a guest residence.

July 12-23 — MichaelMiller, OSB of St. VincentArchabbey, Latrobe, Penn -sylvania visited St. Peter’s

Abbey for a holiday. This is the thirdtime Br. Michael has spent his holidaysat St. Peter’s Abbey.

July 16-26 — Fr. Rudolph Novecosky,OSB  visited friends, Walter and MarlaNiekamp, in Nova Scotia. Walter andMarla live in Middle West Pubnico,along the Pubnico harbor which is anAcadian settlement.  Fr. Rudolph joinedthe Niekamps for coffee at the Red Caprestaurant each day at 2 p.m. Most of thepatrons there were lobster fishermen whousually spoke about lobster fishing andthe lobster industry.  The lobster seasonwas closed during the summer. Fr.Rudolph was given a tour of the industryby one of the fisherman who owned alobster boat. The opening day of the lob-ster season is called “Dumping Day”. Allthe lobster boats are lined up at the mouthof the harbor and the minute the seasonopens, they travel to their special fishingspots. Walter took Fr. Rudolph to the Bayof Fundy on a whale watching trip. Theysaw six humpbacks, two fine backs andtwo minke whales, plus porpoises, sheerwater birds and seals. It was interesting towatch the tide come in, Fr. Rudolph said,and go out twice a day. The tide atPubnico Harbor is about 12 feet while inthe Bay of Fundy it was about 19 feet. Itwas a great holiday, Fr. Rudolphremarked. Marla and Walter were gra-cious hosts and it was good to see them.

Continued on page 10

VISITS ABBEY — Fr. Michel Proulx of Quebec, Order ofPremonstratensians (O Praem), president of the CanadianReligious Conference, visits with some formation people. Fr.Michel visited the abbey April 28 - May. 1.

WELCOMES VISITOR – Abbot Peter Novecosky, OSB,left, welcomes Fr. Alain Rodrigue of the Congregationof Marionhill Missionaries (CMM), of Sherbrooke,Quebec, a member of Canadian Religious Council, whovisited the abbey in May after a meeting in Saskatoon.

RETREAT — Sr. Lorraine Caza, CND, ofMontreal preached the communityretreat this year, May 12 - 16. Severalother religious and clergy also attended.

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Continued from page 9

July 20 — Fr. Paul Paproski, OSB,guest speaker at Oblate Day, spoke onthe theme of Spirituality.

July 22-23 — Thirty-five priests took

part in the annual Sports Day at theabbey. It was sponsored by theSaskatchewan Knights of Columbus.

July 22-23 — Br. Kurt Van Kuren,OSB attended the SaskatchewanAgricultural Producers’ Associationmid-term meeting in Regina. He present-ed a proposal for a weed control mobileApp, which was received favorably byseveral weed control specialists from theUniversity of Guelph. 

July 25 — Abbot Peter Novecosky,OSB gave a tour of some parishes of theformer St. Peter’s Abbacy and shrines inPrince Albert to the five novices, Br.Cosmas Epifano, OSB, junior; and twomen considering monastic life.

August 6-8 — Abbot PeterNovecosky, OSB attended the annualSupreme KC Convention in SanAntonio, Texas.

August 14 — Br. Basil Schaan, OSBwent on a two-week holiday to B.C.

August 18 — Fr. Paul Paproski, OSBattended the centennial celebration of hisformer parish, St. Dominic RomanCatholic Church in Hudson Bay, Sask.Prince Albert Diocese Bishop Albert

Thevenot was the celebrant. Con -celebrating were Bishop Emeritus BlaiseMorand, Fr. Mariusz Zajac, former pastorFr. Phinh Dinh Do of Edam and Fr. PaulPaproski. The parish church, built in1983, was the first new church approved

by Bishop Blaisewhen he began serv-ing as bishop of thePrince Albert Diocesein 1983. BishopBlaise retired in 2008.

August 19 —Several monks attend-ed the annual clergyBBQ at the bishop’shouse in Saskatoon.

September 1 —Some Benedictinesattended a come andgo tea for Ursulinesat St. Augustine Hallin Humboldt in cele-bration of the 100thanniversary of theUrsulines in the dis-trict.

September 2 — Atri-community cele-

bration honoring the Ursulines was heldat St. Augustine’s Roman Catholic

Church in Humboldt. The event beganwith a Mass and was followed by dinner.

October 8 — Br. Cosmas Epifano,OSB returned to his theology studies inRome.

People and events around the abbey

APPRECIATION – Marilyn Tebbe of Muenster, second from left, was presented aquilt by Saskatchewan Stitches members during their July workshop at St. Peter’sAbbey. The quilt is in recognition of Marilyn’s dedication to Saskatchewan Stitchesas executive housekeeper of St. Peter’s Abbey Guest Wing. Presenting the quilt are:from left, Wendy Toye of Humboldt, owner of Haus of Stitches and founder ofSaskatchewan Stitches, (Marilyn Tebbe); Pat Hamaluk of Clyde, Alberta, assistant,Saskatchewan Stitches; and Fr. Demetrius Wasylyniuk, OSB, guest master of St.Peter’s Abbey Guest Wing.

BR. COSMAS – Br. Cosmas Epifano,OSB, a theology student of St. Peter’sAbbey, stands in front of the Sts. Cosmasand Damian Basilica in the centre ofRome. Br. Cosmas has completed twoyears of theology.

OLD FAITHFUL — Fr. Joe Ackerman, OSB, 88, stands infront of his 1982 Volvo. The car has been faithful in helpingFr. Joe travel many thousands of kilometers for pastoralwork. The Volvo has more than 705,000 kilometers on itsodometer and is still working fine, he says. Fr. Joe is pastorof Bruno and Peterson.

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By Paul Paproski, OSB

Visitors to St. Peter’s Abbey whoattend the office of Vigils will be findingit easier to pray with the monks. Theoffice of Vigils has been simplified andreformatted so that Vigils may be prayedfrom one book during evening prayer,and not from two to four books that areused interchangeably. The 150 prayers ofthe psalms are recited in the office ofVigils over a four-week period. Amongstthe psalms are special introductoryprayers (antiphonals) and canticles (sungprayers from scripture). The office ofVigils is prayed from antiphonals (books)that reflect the seasons of the year. It wasoften difficult for visitors to understandthe four-week system and follow alongwhen they were not used to the format,according to Oblate Pat Whittaker ofEdmonton. The office has been updatedby Whittaker with the approval and helpof Abbot Peter Novecosky, OSB.

“Many times in my 26 years as anOblate of St. Peter’s Abbey, I had seenhow frustrated guests would becomewhile trying to follow the office ofVigils, and how distracting it was formonks to be constantly walking over tothe guests to make sure they were on thecorrect page,” she commented.

“About a year and a half ago, I wentto the abbot to ask permission to compilethe office of Vigils into an easy-to-usebooklet, similar to Lauds (morningprayer) and Vespers (evening prayer).My goal was to simplify the ferial (ordi-nary) office of Vigils to make it easier forguests and candidates to follow. Vigils isthe final office of the day and it is myfavourite. It was also the most compli-cated to follow and I basically wanted tosimplify it.”

Fr. Andrew Britz, OSB had alreadybeen working on a new simplified formatfor Vigils. Fr. Andrew enjoyed liturgy andkeeping busy, Whittaker commented. Hewas working on his second book duringthe time he was improving the final officeof the day. Fr. Andrew typed all the 150psalms prayed in office and gave them toWhittaker in an electronic copy. (USB)That kind gesture saved a lot of work, sheremarked. Abbot Peter has a backgroundin liturgy and used his knowledge of thepsalms to ensure they corresponded to the

Grail Translation fromthe Hebrew that isused at the abbey. Thenumbering of thepsalms in the oldantiphonals did notalways correspond tothe numbering used inthe Grail translation.The number waschanged for the sim-plified office.

Using Fr. Andrew’sfile, Whittaker pre-pared the first draft ofpsalms for Vigils anddouble-checked theirnumbering in thepsalter (Grail transla-tion) to ensure thatthey matched. Thework was time consuming, but necessaryas some of the inclusive language usedby Fr. Andrew was not the same as thelanguage of the original psalter, sheadded.

The work of Whittaker went so well

that she continued simplifying the officeof Vigils for other liturgical seasonsother than Ordinary Time. She simplifiedVigils for Lent, Advent, Christmas andEaster, and later for feast days, solemni-ties, commons and other celebrations.

Office of Vigils is simplified by Oblate

UPDATES ANTIPHONALS – Oblate Pat Whittaker of Edmontonworks on the new antiphonals (books) for St. Peter’s Abbey officeof Vigils. The updated books will combine the prayers of Vigils,covering four weeks, into two books. The new books will make iteasier to follow the office of Vigils. Pat has simplified Vigils aswell, for liturgical seasons throughout the year.

By Paul Paproski, OSB

“The annual clergy sports day hasbecome something that many of us reallylook forward to.  It’s a great opportunity tomeet up with the priests of the other dio-ceses in the province, in a context of recre-ation and friendship,” Saskatoon BishopDonald Bolen said. “I’m immensely grate-ful to the Knights of Columbus for organ-izing the day and to St. Peter’s Abbey forhosting us,” he remarked when comment-ing on the Priests Sports Day, July 22 and23, sponsored by the SaskatchewanKnights of Columbus. “Next year I willmake an effort to get in shape before theclergy Sports Day, instead of being incred-ibly stiff for several days afterwards,” hejoked.

Among the participants at this year’sevent were 35 priests, four KCs from thestate board and two from other councils,one seminarian and one monk, accordingto State Church Activities Director ChrisBencharski of Meadow Lake. The eventbegan Monday evening with visiting and

socializing around cards, darts,  and pingpong. The following day was more struc-tured where there was the choice of eithermore rigorous physical activities such assoccer, volleyball and basketball and less-physically demanding competitions ofladder golf, horseshoes, ping pong andcards. The Priests Sports Day is designedto provide a relaxing day for the priestsand to enhance fraternity between theKnights and the priests, Bencharski said.

“The idea for the event was sparkedthree years ago when the State Board,through State Chaplain Bishop BryanBayda, CSsR of the Eparchy ofSaskatoon, asked the bishops ofSaskatchewan how the Knights ofColumbus State Board could assist thepriests. The bishops requested that theKnights of Columbus sponsor an annualsports day for the priests,” Bencharskicommented.

“We will probably leave the format thesame for next year but may include a cul-tural component on the first evening nextyear for part of the time.”

Priests compete in Sports Day

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By Paul Paproski, OSB

Rome has been described as an inter-national city, a spiritual centre, a place ofscholarship, culture and history. Rome istruly all these things and, may I add, acity that is crowded with visitors from allover the world. I had the privilege of vis-iting Rome on a four-week monasticenrichment program, April 27 to May 24,attended by 10 Benedictines from monas-teries in the United States, India andCanada. My first impression of Romewas the enormity of the crowds in theeternal city. Visitors often crowded nar-row streets that were lined by small shopsand restaurants. The streets led everyoneto many historical sites, churches, muse-ums, and public squares (piazzas), someof which had beautiful fountains and dis-plays of wares and food.

The monastic enrichment programwas centred at Sant’ Anselmo, a pontifi-cal university and the official residencefor Benedictines in Rome. Sant’ Anselmohas its own faculty and offers classes insacred studies. Some of the faculty mem-bers provided the enrichment programwith classes in scripture, spirituality andliturgy. Program co-ordinator, Fr. PatrickRegan of St. Joseph Abbey in Louisiana,led us on tours of churches, monasteriesand historical sites. We travelled outsideof Rome to Nursia, the birthplace of St.Benedict; Subiaco, the place of solitudewhere St. Benedict began his monasticjourney; and Monte Cassino, themonastery he founded and lived in afterleaving Subiaco.

I was the lone Canadian monk in theprogram, accompanied by seven monksfrom abbeys in the United States and twofrom India. I had the pleasure of visitingwith two Canadian Benedictines fromWestminster Abbey in Mission, B.C whoare residing at Sant’ Anselmo, and takingclasses at various pontifical institutes inRome. Br. Cosmas Epifano, OSB of St.

Peter’s Abbey is presently studying the-ology in Rome and I was able to enjoysome good Italian coffee with him on afew occasions.

The monastic enrichment programbegan with the celebration of Sunday Massat St. Peter’s Square with Pope Francis. Wesat with some 200,000 other parishionersin temperatures that seemed to go into thehigh 20s C. The heat did not dampen theenthusiasm of the crowd which clappedwith excitement when Pope Francis cameto the front of St. Peter’s Basilica. I did notunderstand the words of the Mass, cele-brated in Italian, though it was obvious thecrowd appre ciated what Pope Francis hadto say in his homily. Sometimes theycheered or brokeout in applause.The Mass endedwith the popet r a v e l l i n gthrough the nar-row lanes of St.Peter’s Square toshake hands andbless people.Many mothersand fathers liftedup their childrenfor the pontiff tobless. I wore mySt. Peter’sAbbey Oblatehat at the Mass

which has the name of our abbey on theback. Two people behind me asked if I wasfrom Saskatchewan. I told them I was andthey said they were from Alberta.

I saw the pope on another occasionwhen the enrichment program membersattended a special service known as an“audience with the pope.”

The service began with the pope trav-elling on his pope-mobile throughout St.Peter’s Square, blessing people and shak-ing hands. The pope spent some 40 min-utes with the people in the square whowere exuberant over his warmth andcloseness. The pope offered everyone aspecial blessing and said the blessingextended to their families.

Visitors leave Rome with eternal memories

Published and printed by theBenedictine community of St. Peter’sAbbey, Muenster, Sask.

Editor: Fr. Paul Paproski, OSB

Logo by Kurt Van Kuren, OSB

ST. PETER’S PRESS, MUENSTER, SK

MASS AT ST. PETER’S — A crowd of approximately 200,000 awaits Pope Francisbefore Mass in St. Peter’s Square.

GREETS CROWD — Pope Francis waves to an enthusiasticcrowd following Mass in St. Peter’s Square.