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Abbey BannerFall 2014

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Consider the lilies:

they neither spin

nor weave,

yet I tell you,

not even Solomon

in all his splendor

was arrayed

like one of these.

Luke 12:27

R

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Abbey Banner Fall 2014 Abbey Banner Fall 2014

Abbey archives

Abbot John Klassen, O.S.B.

It seems impossible that the el ection of Pope Francis was only eigteen months ago. Even people who are not Catholic or who do care about organized religion are paying attention to him. In the

Catholic environment, we look for signs: dare we hope for significachange? The following are some of the signs I note.

Pope Francis has consistently referred to himself as the Bishop of Rthat is, first among equals. I am hoping that this shift in language tsignifies a change in understanding. That is, I hope that Pope Francmore attentive and responsive to the delegation of authority to bishconferences, while at the same time working to insure unity.

When Pope Francis celebrated his first Eucharist at the Basilica of SJohn Lateran, the episcopal see of the Bishop of Rome, he celebrate

in Italian, the language of the people, not in Latin, the language of tuniversal Church. This seemingly insignificant choice sends a messaabout the way this pope thinks about his relationship to the faithfuin his diocese: he is their bishop.

On April , one month after his election, Pope Francis appoia commission to advise him on reform of the Roman Curia. Eightcardinals, representing every continent, were asked to address thegovernment of the universal Church and to study a plan for revisingthe apostolic constitution on the Roman Curia, Pastor Bonus (GoodShepherd). Released in by Pope John Paul II, Pastor Bonusincluded the last major changes in the responsibilities of the RomanCuria, the administrative offices of the Holy See.

Last December Pope Francis issued the apostolic exhortation EvangGaudium(Joy of the Gospel). This is not a standard, staid papaldocument, but a lively, engaging reflection directed at all Christianslay women and men, religious, deacons, priests, and bishops. We rethe entire address in our monastic refectory, and my confreres wereuniversally positive in their assessment. Pope Francis wrote the origexhortation in his beloved Argentinian Spanish, and it carries the flathe richness of this language applied to pastoral situations. (The wsourpuss is not a common Latin word!) The word that best desc

this writing is accessible. One can enter the reflection at almost apoint and find something of spiritual significance.

I point to Joy of the Gospel because I believe that it expresses in sumwhat we can expect in the ministry of Pope Francis.

Pope Francis and Change

If an abbot desire to have a priest or a deacon ordained for his monastery, lethim choose one of his monks who is worthy to exercise the priestly office. Ruleof Benedict .

This issue of Abbey Bannerexplores the development of this school for theservice of the Lord (RB Prol.) and its apostolate of educating for ministry.Brother Aaron Ravertyoutlines the growth of Saint Johns teaching enterprisefrom its humble origins as a boys grammar school on the banks of the Mis-sissippi and the first ecclesiastical seminary in the Northwest to todaysSchool of TheologySeminar y. Along the way, education became more inclusivethan was typical of our society and the Church, as women were offeredgraduate degrees in theology.

Whats the difference between a priest and a monk? This question isrepeatedly asked of members of our community. Decade s ago the answercould have been: Priests save souls, and brothers repair soles. For thefirst century of Saint Johns history, the daily lifestyle of the monks and thecommunity as a whole were largely segregated, ordained and non-ordained.

Though Saint Benedict envisioned an egalitarian community serving underan abbot and cautioned against preferential treatment (Let all keep theirplaces in the monastery established by the time of their entrance [RB.]),a hierarchical system developed over the centuries. Not until the reforms ofreligious life heralded by the Second Vatican Council and inspired by the CivilRights Movement in the U.S. did the two-class system break down. In theirown words, the Brotherstell the tale of two monasteries.

Since his election in March Pope Francis has surprised and excited manywith his refreshing openness, frank comments, and charismatic style. AbbotJohn Klassenopens this issue with a reflection on what this Bishop of Romebrings to the Church. Mr. Sebastian Gomesoffers further observations and aninterpretation of The Francis Effect.

In the past weeks our community honored seven jubilarians on the occasionof their silver, golden, or diamond anniversaries of monastic profession andwitnessed the ordination of two of our members: Fathers Bradley Jennigesand Michael Leonard Hahn. This issue introduces each of these confreres,welcomes another class of Benedictine Volunteers, and bids farewell to thefounding editor of Abbey Banner,Father Daniel Durken. Prior Roman Paurhighlights our labors to plant the seeds of Christianity and monasticism inJapan, while Mr. Cody Groen outlines efforts to eradicate invasive species inour woods. We also learn how a recent Saint Johns graduate was formed in aBenedictine environment; we meet a monk f rom Canada; and more.

The editorial staff joins with Abbot John and t he monastic community inoffering prayers and best wishes to all our readers for Gods blessings in yourlives.

Brother Robin Pierzina, O.S.B.

Then are they truly monks when they liveby the labor of their hands. Rule of Benedict 48.8

This Issue

bbey Banneragazine of Saint Johns Abbey

blished three times annually (spring, fall,ter) by the monks of Saint Johns Abbey.

tor: Robin Pierzina, O.S.B.torial assistants: Aaron Raverty, O.S.B.;Dolores Schuh, C.H.M.mi bureau chief: Roman Paur, O.S.B.bey archivist: David Klingeman, O.S.B.versity archivists: Peggy Roske,Elizabeth Knuthsign: Alan Reed, O.S.B.culation: Ruth Athmann, Mary Gouge,Jan Jahnke, Danielle Schmiesing,Cathy Wiemented by Palmer Printing

pyright 2014by Order of Saint Benedict

nt Johns Abbeylegeville, Minnesota 56321-2015

[email protected]/banner/

N: 2330-6181 (print)N: 2332-2489 (online)

ange of address:h Athmann

O. Box 7222legeville, Minnesota 56321-7222

[email protected]: 800.635.7303

ver: Stella Maris Chapelon Lake Sagatagan

oto: lred Senna, O.S.B.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.saintjohnsabbey.org/banner/%20index.htmlmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.saintjohnsabbey.org/banner/%20index.htmlmailto:[email protected]

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Abbot John Klassen, O.S.B.,and the monks of SaintJohns Abbey observed

the Feast of Saint Benedict, July, with glad celebration asthey honored seven confrereson the occasion of their silver,golden, or diamond anniversaryof monastic profession. Todaywe celebrate the generosity andgrace that have been present to usin our jubilarians, stated AbbotJohn. Truly, by the grace ofGod, they have done their bestto let the Holy Spirit work inthem. Dur ing the joyous Masseach of the jubilarians renewedhis vows and then joined family,friends, and confreres for a festiveluncheon.

Diamond Jubilarians

Recognized for their faithful ser-vice as Benedictine monks forsixty years were Fathers RogerBotz, O.S.B.,Eugene McGlothlin,O.S.B.,Kieran Nolan, O.S.B.,andChrysostom Kim, O.S.B. Early in

his monastic life Father Roger Botzwasa teacher and then principalwhile working as a missionarymonk at Colegio San AntonioAbad in Puerto Rico. His li velysense of humor was shared withthousands of students, parents,and alumni while he served as anadministrator, chaplain, or facultyresident at Saint Johns University.Since Father Roger has beenthe compassionate, supportivepresence to the sick and dying andtheir families as a member of the

Chaplains, . AtSaint Johns Father Eugene wasuniversity registrar, directorof the parents council, and afaculty resident. In retirement,he continues to extend his warmhospitality as he assists in theabbey gift shop.

For sixty yearsFather KieranNolan has shared the abundantwit, occasional wisdom, andalways curious speaking patternsof the Irish/Bronx, New York,with his Minnesota confreres.Educated as a moral theologian,

he founded the first programfor permanent deacons in theU.S. and also served as the dean/rector of Saint Johns Seminary.In Collegeville he was pastor ofSaint John the Baptist Parish, andsubprior and vocation director forthe abbey. For twenty-four yearsFather Kieran spoke Irish/BronxJapanese at Saint Johns prioriesin Tokyo or Fujimi.

Father Chrysostom Kimdeveloped and taught in thehonors program at Saint JohnsUniversity from ,and also welcomed to campushis friends W. H. Auden andSaul Bellow. He assisted atMinnesota parishes includingSaint Augustine, Saint Cloud; andSaint Boniface, Cold Spring. Forseven years he served at Saint

Anselms Priory, Tokyo, as noviceand junior master or as pastor.His interests include musingsans cessein areas philosophical,historical, poetic-literary, socio-cultural, and occasionally jottingdown something that I havemused on.

Golden Jubilarians

For the past fifty years Fathers

Jerome Tupa, O.S.B.,and JuliusBeckermann, O.S.B.,have dedi-cated their lives to Benedictinemonasticism. Both were trained inthe formation program of the laybrothers and later responded tothe Spirits call to seek ordinationand extend pastoral ministry asmonk priests.

Father Jerome Tupas observanceof the vow of stability hasbeen expansive: educated atthe Sorbonne in Paris beforebecoming a member of theFrench department of the uni-versity, he spent many semestersfounding and directing studyabroad programs in Europe.His avocation as artist led toadditional pilgrimages to paintreligious shrines across Europeand the U.S. Father Jeromes

oeuvre is colorful, exuberant,and bigso big that he runs outof room and has to bend or tipbuildings to fit on the canvas. Heserved as a faculty resident andchaplain for the university and asa pastor in Collegeville and SaintJoseph, always bringing goodcheer and warmth to his flock.

Father Julius Beckermann waformed by the lifestyle and vaof the humble, holy brothers

welcomed him to Saint Johnsfifty years ago. As socius (woboss) of novices, he helped fothe current abbot of Saint JohAbbey. Aft er nine years withgrounds crew on the Collegevcampus, he served for twodecades at Saint Marys MissiRed Lake, Minnesota. Theredeepened his understanding oand love for the Ojibwe peopand culturea love that wasreadily reciprocated. Since hiordination in , Father Juhas served as a pastor or chapin several central Minnesotalocales, continuing to ministein the manner of his earliestformation.

Silver Jubilarian

Throughout his twenty-five

years of monastic life FatherAnthony Ruff has made musifor the Lord. Trained inliturgy and liturgical music,he has shared his talents andinsights with the communityas abbey organist, universitytheology teacher, founder ofthe National Catholic Youth

spiritual care department at theSt. Cloud Hospital.

Pastoral work has been the pri-mary focus of Father EugeneMcGlothlins ministry. He servedMinnesota parishes in DetroitLakes, Hastings, and Collegeville,and was a hospital chaplain atSaint Marys Medical Centerin Duluth and Borgess MedicalCenter in Kalamazoo, Michigan.He was elected president of theNational Association of Catholic

Monastic Jubilees and a TransferMonastic Jubilees

Confreres offer congratulations and blessings to Fathers Julius Beckermann (left) and Jerome Tupa.Simon-Ha Phan, O.S.B.

Fathers Jerome Tupa (left) and Julius BeckermannRobin Pier

Left to right: Fathers Kieran Nolan, Eugene McGlothlin, Chrysostom Kim, and Roger Botz

Robin Pierzina, O.S.B.

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Roman Paur, O.S.B.

Retreat Program

In May Father William Skudlarek,O.S.B., participated in a week-long Buddhist retreat (sesshin)

at Sgenji, a training monastery inOkayama, Japan. The Zen master(roshi)at Sgenji, ShdHarada,has been closely involved in theSpiritual Exchange program forthe past thirty years. The programarranges for Catholic monks andnuns from Europe to live for atime in Japanese Zen Buddhistmonasteries, and vice versa.

The daily schedule, typical ofsesshinsin Zen monasteries ofthe Rinzai School, begins at :A.M.with an hour of chantingsutras followed by two hours ofmeditation (zazen),a break forbreakfast, and outdoor work.Three more hours of zazen,dinnerfollowed by an hour-long break,a one-and-a-half hour talk by theroshi,another hour of zazen,abreak for supper (optional), andthen three more hours of zazenround out the day. There are alsotimes during the day for shortindividual meetings with the roshi.(At : P.M. a final hour of zazenunder the stars is offered, butWilliam skipped that and went tobed.)

Oblates

Our oblate program includesabout forty-five Christian womenand men, some living in Tokyoand Yokohama, about twohundred miles from Fujimi. Weoffer several day-retreats eachyear, beginning with a morningconference, followed by noon

Mass (during which there maybe final oblations), lunch, smallgroup discussions, and a finaldiscussion before concluding withVespers.

Library Project

Recently the monks of TrinityBenedictine Monastery decidedto downsize our library holdingsand shelving, retaining onlythe materials that are actuallyused, and thereby expandingthe meeting space available toaccommodate larger groups forday retreats and conferences.Many of the volumes thataccumulated over the years werenever used or are no longerneeded because of access throughInternet sources. A volunteer

worked with the monks over anumber of months, especially cul-ling out many books in Japaneseand other languages. TheTrappist Sisters in Nasu, whereFather Tony Gorman, O.S.B.,serves as a resident chaplain, werevery happy to receive the booksas well as the library shelving.

Collegeville Guest

Beginning in June, BrotherShuuta Maximilian Oka, O.S.participated in the two-monthlong conversational English asecond language program at SJohns Abbey that was organiby Brother Paul Richards, O.SOka-san very much enjoyed tprogram and his second visitto Saint Johns, improving hislanguage skills noticeably andmaking new friends among theight program participants frvarious countries.

Summer Produce

In spite of a late planting,the community enjoyed freshvegetables from our own gardagain this year, especially rhu

tomatoes, and sweet corn. Thbasil, too, is a real treat especfor making pesto that otherwpretty pricey in Japan.

Father Roman Paur, O.S.B., isthe prior of Trinity BenedictineMonastery in Fujimi, Japan.

Trinity Benedictine Monastery

Choir, and director of abbeymusic. With encouragementfrom practical, well-organizedconfreres, he attempts to bridgethe theoretical and real worlds.Father Anthony founded anddirects the Gregorian ChantSchola, which has recorded Latinand English chant. He sharespractical wisdom and adviceabout liturgy as moderator ofthe blog Pray Tell, and enlivensSaint Johns liturgical life bywriting responsorial psalms andantiphons.

Monastic Transfer

On June Abbot John Klassen and the monks of SaintJohns Abbey welcomed Father Michael Peterson, O.S.B.,as hetransferred his vow of stability from Blue Cloud Abbey (Marvin,South Dakota) to Saint Johns. (Blue Cloud closed in .)

Father Michael spent most of his early life in Minnesota. Hewas born in Marshall, grew up in Morris, and graduated fromthe University of Minnesota Morris with a degree i n choralmusic. He plays the Native American flute and has recorded aCD. He is also an avid swimmer, noting that living near a lakeis a must for me. Michael is deeply involved in interreligiousdialogue, especially with Buddhist monks and nuns. He isthe president of Monastic Interreligious Dialogue (MID)andhas begun to meet with Somali Muslims in the Saint Cloud

area. Dialogue with peop le is at the heart of my spiritua lity,observes Father Michael.

After reading Thomas Mertons The Seven Storey MountainandKathleen Norris Dakota: A Spiritual Geography, Michael wasinspired not only to try life as a monk but to do so in a ruralarea. I love the Great Plains and open spaces, he explains. Ijoined Blue Cloud in . I learned to love my communityand felt a deep call to Blue Cloud even though we struggled formany years with a lack of vocations. When Blue Cloud closed,I really had to rediscover my monastic vocation. Since stabilityis so linked with our sense of vocation as a Benedictine, howwas I going to rediscover my vocation in a new monastery?While a student in the Saint Johns School of TheologySeminary,Michael had becomeacquainted with the College-ville community. I lovedthe spirit of hospitality andfraternity at Saint Johns.Being in my s, I was alsolooking at a community inwhich I could be more activein ministries. It seems that myministries are bearing fruit.

Father Michael serves asassistant oblate director,abbey organist, and as amember of the vocation team,and is a chaplain for theCollege of Saint Benedict andSaint Benedicts Monastery.

Trinity Benedicti

Father Roman Paur with oblates of Trinity Benedictine Monastery

B

B

Father Anthony RuffRobin Pierzina, O.S.B.

Sustain me, O LORD,as you have promisedthat I may live,and disappoint me notin my hope. Psalm119:116


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BVCRetreat

Alex Forster

Ive never been to prison, but Iimagine my emotions the firstmorning of The Saint Johns

Benedictine Volunteer Corps(BVC)retreat rivaled that of themost hardened criminal! I wokeafter only a heartbeats sleep to anagging at the back of my brain.Brother Paul Richards, O.S.B.,theprogram director, had sent anemail to all the new Benedictinevolunteers the night before, and

it made me nervous. Reportto Frank House at : P.M.foryour room assignments; wear atie. What kind of trouble had Igotten myself into? I wondered. Iwasnt even a day past my collegegraduation, and I was alreadyassigned a cell and uniform.

The monastery depends on thegenerosity of donors to help sup-port its many apostolates andto keep itself in good financialcondition. My first task as a newrecruit for the BVCwas to meetwith the Saint Johns UniversityBoard of Trustees over dinner,hence the shirt and tie. For manyof us, it was an opportunity toexplain all the mistakes we hadmade in our past life to lead us tothe Benedictine Volunteer Corps!Hopefully, with the support of

these generous trusteesmanyof whom are Johnnie alumniwed be able to gather enoughsympathy and support to send usto different monasteries aroundthe world for a year of service.

Schedules are something mostcollege students consider optional.

On that first night here I tried tosneak to my room after supperto grab a quick nap, but BrotherPaul caught me. Evening Prayerstarts in ten minutes, he said. Ihope you are just leaving to usethe restroom. I hung my headobediently and turned to enter theabbey and university church.

Evening Prayer for the monksof Saint Johns is a time forreflection. All the men file intothe church in the order of theirprofession (statio). The newmonks sit in the front choir stallswhile the older monks, most ofwhom have been here throughouttheir entire adult lives, sit in back.

As a newcomer I sat i n front.

The rest of the BVCretreat fol-lowed a similar pattern. Eachmorning we woke early to apolite cacophony of choir bellsoutside our door, followed byprayer. Aft er God, or maybe therefectory coffee, opened our lips,

we were off to our daily workperiods. The lucky ones eachday worked in the kitchen withBrother lred Senna, O.S.B.,whileothers helped the housekeepingstaff clean the campus dorms.Due to my contagious optimism,I seemed always to find myselfcleaning. After work BrotherPaul granted us a quick recreationperiod during which, over manygames of volleyball, we discussedthe best tactics for survivingour monastic sentences. Mostof us realized quickly that weneeded a lot of preparation, bothin volleyball and in the Rule ofSaint Benedict. Fortunately, inthe evenings, members of the

monastic community who hadeither participated in the BVCbefore, or who had agreed tospeak with twenty-two recent

college graduates, met with us totalk about the monastic life. Welearned why these men chose tojoin the Benedictines and moreimportantly, why they stayed.

Perhaps it was the daily accessto the monastery kitchen, butby the end of the retreat andbefore being transferred to ourdestinations around the world,we had developed a special bondwith one another. I remembera conversation with a fellowvolunteer late one night whoconfessed: This has been one of

my favorite two weeks at SaintJohns. I only wish we wouldhave gotten to know everyonesooner. I could say the same forthe monks who spent time withus on retreat as well. The depthof conversation and kindness Iexperienced in such a short periodsmoothed even the most cynicaledges of my heart. The monkstruly opened their doors to us andallowed us to experience a side ofSaint Johns that all students seebut very few understand.

The BVCretreat was the begin-ning of our year of service. It wasalso our way of saying goodbye.We were able to bid farewellto a place we had called homefor four years. We were ableto say goodbye to one another.And, by the end of our time in

Collegeville, I feel we all wereready to embrace our new life asBenedictine volunteers.

Mr. Alex Forster, a 2014graduateof Saint Johns University, is servingat the Abbey of Our Lady of Exile,Mount Saint Benedict, Trinidad andTobago.

Quetzaltenango (Xela),Guatemala

J. D. Quinby

Adam Bachmeier and Iarrived in Guatemala Cityon June. As we drove

through heavy traffic, I made adefinitive decision that there wasno chance I was going to drive inGuatemala. They have no fearof death. They live life on theedge, the edge of a cliff that is.

We pray at least once a day if

not more, and it is the mostchallenging thing to do. I nowappreciate the slow pace at whichthe wonderful Saint Johns monkssay their daily prayers. Big wordsin Spanish are impossible for non-

Benedictine Volunteer Corps

bilingual men like us to say asuper speed.

My new daily workout consisof getting my butt handedto me in soccer. The altitudemakes breathing difficult, andI cant run more than yards without feeling like myheart is going to explode.

We havent contracted malarior typhoid fever, so thingsare looking up for Adam andme. We are prepared to doawesome things here with the

students and with the monksPadre Cristobal makes fun ofme every day for being terriblin Spanish, but he assures methat we will catch on. One yfrom now, I guarantee we wilchanged men.

Mr. J. D. Quinby and Mr. AdamBachmeier, 2014graduatesof Saint Johns University, areserving at San Jos Priory andSeminary in Guatemala.

We are prepared to doawesome things here.

Benedictine Volunteer Corps, 20142015BVCarchives

Benedictine Volunteers Mark Steingraeber (left) and Jacob Helmer (right) join Brlred Senna for meal preparation.

BVC

We learned why these men choseto join the Benedictinesand more importantly,

why they stayed.

B

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Aaron Raverty, O.S.B.

In a contingent of Bene-dictine missionary monksfrom Saint Vincent Archabbey

in Pennsylvania carried theseeds for both a new monasteryfoundation and for Saint Johnsfuture educational apostolate tothe shores of the Mississippi Rivernear Saint Cloud, Minnesota.This school for the Lordsservice and the earliest blossomof Saint Johns teaching enterprisewould be transplanted a fewyears later to the Indianbush,

the present Collegeville location.As Father Colman Barry, O.S.B.() remarked in SaintJohns centennial history Worshipand Work,The basic social formof the school was patterned afterthe synthesis of the monasteryitself where abbot, priests andBrothers worshipped and workedtogether ().

Receiving its official Saint JohnsSeminary and College charterin from the MinnesotaTerritorial Legislature, the semi-nary would develop from suchhumble beginnings into one of thepremier and inclusive educationalinstitutional divisions of SaintJohns. The first students weremostly local, rural GermanCatholic boys, consistent withthe vision of Bishop Cretin of

Saint Paul who had invited theBenedictines of Saint Vincent tomake a foundation in centralMinnesota and attend to thesacramental and educationalneeds of the mostly GermanCatholic settlers who decided tomake this new land their home.Abbot Rupert Seidenbusch, O.S.B.,

first abbot of St. Louis on theLakethe abbeys originalnamewas intent upon educatingmen for the priesthood, first ofall, for these German Catholicparishes. The general layout ofthe curriculum was determinedby the missionary character ofecclesiastical life on the frontier.The courses, therefore, werelimited to those essential branchesnecessary for qualifying priestsfor the missions (Scriptorium,, ).

There were no official diocesanpriesthood candidates until .In a historical sketch of SaintJohns Seminary, Father AlexiusHoffman, O.S.B.(),called this institution thefirst ecclesiastical seminary inthe Northwest. In theseminary entered into a jointrelationship with the bishopof the Diocese of Saint Cloud,incorporated under the newtitle of St. Johns Seminary ofthe Diocese of St. Cloud. Thisarrangement continued until when ownership and man-

agement of Saint Cloud Hall(now Emmaus Hall) once againreverted to Saint Johns Abbeyand University.In the Benedictine Instituteof Sacred Theology (BIST)emerged from teaching graduatecourses for the Benedictine sisters

at the College of Saint Benedict,Saint Joseph, Minnesota. Thisprogram later thrived at SaintJohns as a five-year summergraduate school under FatherPaschal Botz, O.S.B., of SaintJohns Abbey and Sister MaryAnthony Wagner, O.S.B., of SaintBenedicts Monastery as itsfounding directors.

Beginning in with theestablishment of BISTat SaintJohns, women were offeredgraduate degrees for the first timefrom a Catholic theologate in the

U.S., and probably the world. Inshaping a collaborative ministry,the seminary merged with thisgraduate program of studies in to provide the academicfoundation for seminarians,forging the union that was tobecome known as the Saint JohnsGraduate School of Theology.Responding to the Second Vati-can Councils call for the fullparticipation of all the baptized,seminarians, religious men andwomen, deacons, and laypersonswere now educated as one bodyfor work in parishes, schools, andelsewhere. The office of Dean ofthe Graduate School of Theologywas established in .Formally organized in ,with accreditation by the NorthCentral Association of Colleges

and Secondary Schools in ,the Graduate School of Theologybecame Saint Johns School ofTheologySeminary in . Thedegrees offered, along with theirdates of accreditation, include:master of arts in sacred studies(), master of arts in theology(), master o f divinity (),

master of arts in religious edu-cation (), master of arts inliturgical studies (), masterof arts in liturgical music (),master of arts in pastoral ministry(), and master of theology().

In its mission statement, theSchool of TheologySeminaryasserts: As an academic

community relying on the wis-dom of the Holy Spirit, weroot ourselves in the Christiantradition, and interpret thatlegacy in light of the Roman

Catholic and Benedictine heritagepassed on to us by Saint JohnsAbbey with its rich theological,liturgical, and ecumenical his-tory. We commit ourselves toacademic, spiritual, pastoral,and professional formation sowe might serve the Church in

Saint Johns School of TheologySeminary

lay and ordained ministry andthus use our diverse gifts for ttransformation of our world.

Doubling in this way in semintraining for ordination and asschool for advanced theologicstudies, Saint Johns offers sothing unique. Father MichaePatella, O.S.B., current seminarector, emphasizes the singularole that Saint Johns plays informing men for the sacramenof holy orders: Priestly education and formation at SaintJohns take full advantage of

monastic tradition in educatinmonastic seminarians. Infact, our seminary focuses onpreparing monks for ordinatithe monastic life necessitates course of study fundamentalldifferent from those with a votion to diocesan priesthood.

We root ourselvesin the Christian tradition,

and interpret that legacy

in light of

the Roman Catholic and

Benedictine heritage.

Participants in the Benedictine Institute of Sacred Theology, c.1958University archives

Saint Johns Seminary ordination class, 1954Abbey archives

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Samuel Hentges

Earlier this summer I madethe long-but-not-too-longtrip, as my mother calls it,

from Minneapolis back hometo Fountain City, Wisconsin . Irolled down my windows andenjoyed the sunshine and theriver valley breeze that I havecome to love. After two-and-a-half admittedly enjoyable hoursdriving down the rivers edge,reflecting on my lunch and firstweek of work, I finally made theleft turn onto Castle Rock Lane.With the house in view, I slowlypassed a maple tree that hadbegun growing in, seemingly, themost inconvenient spot in ourempty yard four years ago. I wasimmediately taken aback by howmuch it had grown, and I brieflythought back to the time when itfirst sprouted.

I was a very different personsome four years ago. As aninvincible teen at the top of thehigh school totem pole, collegewas fast approaching, but notyet looming, and I was ready tojust enjoy summer, family, andfriends. I was a good kid butyoung, extremely impressionable,and nave. Benedictine still justsounded like a kind of breakfastto me. Having been blessedwith a virtuous family and loyalfriends, the seeds of stewardship,listening, and moderation hadbeen sown. Yet as I grew intoadulthood, those values werestill in need of nurturing andcultivation.

Saint Johns University providedthe perfect environment forme to grow. The Benedictinevalues that drive Saint JohnsAbbey and University haveshaped a community like noother. Throughout my four shortyears in Collegeville, the valuesthat I grew up with were animperative way of life. Yet thesevalues of listening, stewardship,

hospitality, and moderation wnever forced upon me. Rathethey, along with the rest of thBenedictine values, were simpthere for me, ready to adopt mI adopted them.

And slowly, surely, the way Iapproached life began to takeshape. Blessed with a wondesupport group of friends, clasmates, and faculty, letting theSaint Johns way shape mypersona was steady, seamless,and inviting. The presence ofBenedictine lifestyle has been subtle necessity these past fouyears of growing up, and thanto my time at Saint Johns, I fimyself today a simple, and atsame time, deeply more compman. But like that not-so-littmaple tree on my drive homegrowth was never apparent uthe day when who Ive becomlooked back at who I once w

Mr. Samuel Hentges, a 2014graduate of Saint Johns Univerworks for Allianz Life InsuranceCompany of North America inGolden Valley, Minnesota.

Growing up Benedictine

The Benedictine valuesthat drive Saint Johnshave shaped a communitylike no other.

In addition to its degree pro-grams, Saint Johns School ofTheologySeminary further show-cases its institutional flexibilitytoday in a graduate certificateprogram, sabbatical options forfaculty and those seeking renewalor transition in their ministry,web-based courses, and a study-abroad opportunity in the HolyLand. Its support of The SaintJohns Bible,continuing educationin the form of conferences, andfaculty and alumni/ae blogs allattest to its dynamic outreach tothe Catholic Church and to the

world. Ordination day, which had seemed like a far-off possibilityfor so long, was amazing! The support of family, friends,confreres, and people from the parishes was remarkable. Imgrateful for the preparation I received at Saint Johns School ofTheologySeminary, where the teachers were knowledgeable,faith-filled, and inspiring. Im also grateful for the support ofthe people of Seven Dolors and Saint Anthony parishes, whereI engaged in ministry in religious education, pastoral care, andservice as a deacon. Ministry as a priest in parish and nursinghome settings is a big change from my past work in the abbeybusiness office and the Saint Johns Fire Department, andeven from my theological studies. But I believe that my yearsof living and study in the monastery have provided a solidfoundation for this new ministry. Bradley Jenniges, O.S.B.

Every monk will acknowledge that he has been asked countlesstimes, Whats the difference between a brother and afather? On the one hand, the simplest answer is nothing.All monks, whether brothers or priests, are united by ourbaptism and our desire to seek God by living, working, andpraying together. On the other hand, Saint Benedict in the Rule

asks that some monks be ordained priests in order to serve thecommunity in a particular way, especially in the celebration of thesacraments. As I consider my own call to monastic life and nowto the priesthood, I believe the two can be mutually supportive. Iknow that my formation as a monk will make me a more gen-erous, humble priest. I hope that my ministry as a priest will alsoallow me to be a more faithful, prayerful monk.

Michael Leonard Hahn, O.S.B.

Brother Aaron Raverty, O.S.B., amember of the Abbey Bannereditorial staff, is the author ofRefuge in Crestone: A Sanctuary forInterreligious Dialogue(LexingtonBooks, 2014).

Fathers BradleyJenniges, O.S.B., andMichael LeonardHahn, O.S.B.,grad-uates of SaintJohns School ofTheologySeminary,were ordained to thepriesthood on May. They reflecton their call to thepriesthood:

Newly Ordained

University archives

Benedictine Institute of Sacred Theology1967summer faculty (left to right):Claude Peifer, O.S.B.; Alois Stenzel, S.J.;

Horton Davies; Mary Anthony Wagner,O.S.B.; Michael Schmaus; Luke Steiner,O.S.B. (dean)

Alan Reed, O.S.B.

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Micha

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Cody J. Groen

Invasive plant speciesare present throughoutMinnesota . Saint Johns

Abbey Arboretum is no excep-tion. Large tracts of land mustbe continuously monitored toprevent invasive species fromestablishing a beachhead.Conservation and stewardshipare critical for the more than, acres of lakes, prairie,and woods at Saint Johns.

An invasive species is defined

by the National InvasiveSpecies Management Plan as aspecies that is non-native to theecosystem under considerationand whose introduction causesor is likely to cause economic orenvironmental harm or harm tohuman health. Some specieshave been invasive for so longthat people do not recognizethem as being non-native orinvasive. Many of the invasiveplant species of Minnesota, suchas Creeping Charlie, Yellow iris,or Norway maple, fall into this

obscure category. Coming tothe New World as early as thefirst settlers, some exotic (non-native) plants became invasivecenturies ago and dominated thelandscapes for decades. Manyspecies of plants have beeninvasive longer than most peoplehave been alive. People mayfind it difficult to imagine plantsharming their environment, moreso if the plants have been aroundsince their childhood.

Not all exotic species are invasive.Many non-native species, such as

lilacs or soybeans, can be bene-ficial and, most importantly, donot aggressively expand fromwhere they are established. Onthe other hand, some speciesare very good at reproducing.Such organisms with a highfecundity are able to enter intoan environment and quicklypopulate, taking advantage ofspace and nutrientsfor example,European buckthorn. This inevi-tably leaves less space for thenative species and individualorganisms.

Each species evolved to a life inan environment that remainedrelatively unchanged over thou-sands of years. Changes do occurin environments over the longterm, but rarely do sweepingchanges occur naturally in thelimited time of a hundred yearsor so. At the abbey arboretum,land manager Mr. Tom Krolluses an approach that hindersinvasive species from undergoingsuch sweeping, rapid populationexplosions. Through a combineduse of herbicides, burns, andgood old-fashioned elbow-grease

removals, invasive species areculled back to a population thatallows native species to competefor resources and space.

Each year the arboretum staffand volunteers burn someof the prairie lands, not onlyto maintain the health of thegrasslands and remove layersof detrital (dead material) butalso to control exotic species notadapted to frequent fires. Thesestewards further remove invasivespecies through the use of brush

trimmers and conservative appli-cation of herbicides.

In the Saint Johns prairie, Spottedknapweed, Absinth wormwood,and thistles are often the target ofMr. Jeff Evander, a specialist hiredto remove invasive species. Someexotic species, such as canarygrass or birds foot trefoil, are sowell established that eradicationis impossible. Therefore stew-ardship efforts are directedtoward quelling the spread ofinvasive exotics, preventing theintroduction of new invasivespecies, and evening the playing

field between native and exoticplant species. Mr. Evander andvolunteers spend much time inthe wooded areas, tasked withremoving invasive Europeanbuckthorn. This project requiresconstant vigilance. With seedsspread by the movements ofbirds, buckthorn can spring up

Though a section of woods cabe buckthorn busted in onesummer, seeds that fell to theground in previous years willgerminate intermittently, andthose plants that spring fromground years later need to beremoved as well.

Without constant care and steardship, Saint Johns nativewoodlands and prairie wouldbe overrun with invasive planlike in so many other places iMinnesota . Thankful ly, the SJohns Abbey Arboretum is wcared for by stewards who ar

tireless and dedicated in theirwork of maintaining a healthland and landscape.

Mr. Cody J. Groen, a 2014gradof Saint Johns University, is servin Bogot, Colombia, with The Johns Benedictine Volunteer C

in areas far from any existingstand of buckthorn. In the abbeyarboretum, bit by bit, land iscleared of standing buckthornthrough the hard work ofbrush clearing and some use ofherbicides on remaining stumpsto kill root systems and prevent aplant from sprouting again.

The work doesnt stop once adultand mature plants are removed,however. After the mature, seed-bearing plants are removed, thearboretum staff and volunteersmove slowly over an area, pullingup all the young plants by hand.

Such intensive work is necessarybecause allowing even one plantto remain and grow to maturitycan lead to an outbreak of buck-thorn in an area once again. Noris it a short process. As seedsare long-term storage devicesfor plant reproduction, yearlyvigilance must be maintained.

Invasive Plants

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Before (left) and after removing buckthornCody J. Groen

Prescribed burn of the prairie

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Prairie Splendor All the earth is filledwith Gods glory!

Isaiah 6:3

In the 1990s, under the guidance of Father Paul

Schwietz, O.S.B. (19522000), some fifty acres of

abandoned farm fields near the main entry road

to Saint Johns were restored to prairie land,

planted with approximately one hundred species of

native grasses and wildflowers. To the delight of

thousands of visitors annually, Pauls Prairie has

attracted all manner of animals, birds, reptiles, and

insects. The changing hues and texture of the native

grasses, darting dragonflies, and colorful butterflies

fluttering by, all manifest the mission of the Saint

Johns Abbey Arboretum: to make accessible a

natural environment that invites spiritual renewal.

Inset photos:Lindsey EnvallArboretum archivesJudy Johannes

Inset photos:Judy JohannesJaime MoquinAnn McGee

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In Brothers Simon-HaPhan, O.S.B., and Peter Sullivan,O.S.B., with assistance fromNovices Richard Crawford,David Allen, and Lucian Lpez,interviewed and videotapedmonks of Saint Johns Abbeywho entered the communityprior to and were formedas lay brothers, before solemnprofession was possible for thenon-ordained members. Editedexcerpts of the transcribedinterviews follow, detailing whatmonastic life meant for thebrothers. Editor

Life was so different in thosedays. There were reallytwo communities in one

house. We had two monasteries,two religious observances, twohorariums. Brothers and priestsand clerics didnt talk to eachother. There was this total segre-gation. I was told that if I wantedto be a brother, that was fine,but I would have to drop outof school. Brothers didnt go toschool. Brothers did manual labor.(Andrew Goltz)

Otto Thole

Brother Otto Thole, O.S.B., was the

youngest of three blood brothers to

join Saint Johns Abbey.

My brother Simeon and I were inthe same class but not the samenovitiate. He was in the clerical

novitiate, and I was in the brothersnovitiate. We were not allowedto have a fraternal relationshipuntil he was ordained. If I talkedto any one of my brothers beforethey were ordained, they got in hotwater, and I was told to stay in myplace.

Walter Kieffer

The brother candidates had aseparate novitiate until the yearbefore I entered. Father DanielDurken became novice master,and he insisted that the brothersbe part of the program. Butuntil then, there was segregationbetween clerical novices andbrother novices. Brothers werein the basement, and we didntdare go up to first floor or up tothird floor, because that was forthe clerics, and the first floor wasfor the fathers. As we walked intothe refectory, the brothers sat on

the right; all the clerics and priestssat on the left. It was totally seg-regated. We had the same food.We all helped serve each other. Weall sat together as brothers, and wegot served last. The servers wouldtake care of the ordained and theclerics first.

We prayed downstairs until .Jerome Tupa and I were the cantorsthe week before we moved upstairs.Then we moved to the lower choirstalls. The upper choir stalls werefull so it took another year beforewe were integrated into the choirstalls according to statio[in orderof seniority],and there was a lotof discontent among some clericalmembers. They refused to come

back to prayers because they weresitting next to the guy who cleanedtheir room.

Julius Beckermann

The brother novices did not live inthe novitiate when I was a brother.We went into the novitiate forclasses, and immediately after class

we left. We didnt associate withthe clerical novices. We workedmost of the day. After Vatican IIthe brothers were very unhappywith the division between theordained members of the commu-nity and the non-ordained.

Jerome Tupa and I were thelast class that did not live in thenovitiate with the clerical novices.The following year that changed.Some years later I became thesocius [work boss] and lived inthe novitiate. The present abbotwas in one of the classes when I

was socius. When Abbot BaldwinDworschak asked me to accept thatjob, it was a huge change that Iwould live in the novitiate. I didntlive there as a novice!

Novices got up about : in themorning, and we started prayerabout :. It was ordinarily thenovices who would ring the cowbell in the monastery to wake theclerical novices. As brother novicesmost of our day was devoted to

manual labor, other than attendingnovitiate class for about one hourat :. We also had our assignedtimes for prayers.

Jerome Tupa

Work days were long. After Morn-ing Prayer we had the brothersMass in the lower level of thechurch. Then we either had ameditation period or we servedanother Mass. After serving ourMass or going to the one upstairs,we would go to breakfast where wealways sat in our assigned places.Breakfast consisted of Johnnie

Bread and either some cheese,salami, or occasionally, eggs. Itwas pretty simple. Then wewould go upstairs to change intowork clothes and make our bedsbefore we gathered in our studyhall, where we prayed the rosaryfollowed by some time to read orstudy. At : A.M.we went towork until :.

After Noon Prayer (we had ourOffice downstairs), Brothers

Hubert Schneider and Paul Crwould lead the monks out ofchapel in statio,and we wouldwait in the corridor for the clemonks from upstairs. Then thbrothers followed the clerical

novices. It was really a drecognition of the place othe brothers in the house.That sense of humiliationwas something that thebrothers just s wallowed.Going into the refectory, the monks from the clericside were standing at theiplaces, and then the broth

would traipse in and taketheir places. The service ofood went from the abboto the priests, down to thclerics, and then the brothOccasionally the clerics athe brothers just didnt haenough time to eat. The obrothers went to speak to

The Brothers

There have been so many wonder-

ful things that have happened

over the years. I would encourageanyone who wants to come to the

monastery, even after all weve

been through, to come and join

us: I would certainly encourage it.

After [fifty-four years of monastic

life], Im still a very happy man.

Brother Luke Dowal, O.S.B.

In the dining hall, we were the

last monks to get served. We h

to hurry up and eat because th

abbot would ring the bell. Im

very fast eater, and people wou

ask why I ate so fast. I t old th

that you had to get your food

down before they rang the bell

After I got out of novitiate, I w

put in charge of the grounds.

[Fifty-four] years later I am sti

in charge of the grounds. That

the only job I ever did. My fir

job was to landscape the churc

I would do it again. It is very

satisfactory that I can be a reli

gious and at the same time do

great work.

Brother Mark Kelly, O

The brothers with Father Paschal Botz, brother master, c. 1956Abbey archives

Above left: Brother Edward Zwak (19031991), left; and Brother Victor McMahon (18991985)Above right: Brother Charles Kirchner (19041985)

Abbey archives Robin Pierzina, O.S.B.

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solemn vows came out into thesanctuary, around the altar, and theabbot presided. We pronouncedour vows and became solemnlyprofessed monks, and the statiolines were integrated. Before theintegration the order of statio,frombottom to top, was brother novices,junior brothers, senior brothers,choir novices, clerics, priests, abbot.So you had this situation wherea choir novice, whos been here acouple of months, was senior toBrother Hubert, whod been heresince !

Raphael Olson ()With Vatican II, I think mostof the brothers were in favorof the changes coming to theChurch. We were pushing for fullmembership in the community.I was told by one person whois now gone: the only reason Iam against the brothers comingto chapter is that some brothermight get up, poor soul, andmake a fool of himself. Well,after attending the first chaptermeeting, I walked out and said Iwondered what he was worriedabout. I couldnt get over theway some of those people carriedon.

Andrew Goltz

I dont want to go back to any ofthose rigorous rules of what youcould eat or where you can stand

or where you could talk or whatbathroom to go to. But I wouldhope that the intimate familyrelationship that we experiencedamongst the brothers wouldcontinue and deepen. I miss thecomradeship we had then.

abbot and said this really needs tostop; we didnt have enough timeto finish our meal. It did beginchanging some of the patterns ofhow we were living.

The humility of some of the olderbrothers was very, very deep, quitesincere, and inspiring. Some were

the janitors in the house, and sothey cleaned the priests roomsand made their beds. This meantthey were simply domestics andwere treated as such. [In the mids] ordained members of thecommunity were going out forthese marches for equality of blackpeople in the South. Some were

quite active inseeking equalityamong the races,and yet in theirown house theycould not seeanything wrongwith other peoplewaiting on them.That came to ascreeching haltin when the brothersbegan to takesolemn vows andtherefore, for the

first time, wereallowed to go tochapter meetingsand vote on com-munity concerns.But clericalismran very, verydeep within theChurch and herein the monastery.

I liked prayingin the brotherschapel. But

I fought to move upstairs tobe integrated into the clericalcommunity. Some priests arguedfor integration because they neededa group of people there who spokeonly Englishafter the SecondVatican Council the vernacularcould be used at Office if therewere members who could not

understand Latin. The presenceof the brothers allowed the com-munity to recite the Office inEnglish!

Andrew Goltz

Im one of the original signers ofthe petition that was sent to thegeneral chapter concerning the

request to make solemn vows (untilthen we made perpetual simplevows). Changing to solemn vowsmade us chapter members. Asbrothers we did not have the rightto vote; we had no legal voice,either passive or active. Chapterwas something that the priests did.Brothers who had been here forfifty years had no voice!

When we were granted the rightto make solemn vows, we didso. At Vespers one day all of thebrothers who were going to make

B

Years ago, vocations, the priesthood, the nunnery, or whatever, were ver

important to parents. We were sort of geared that somebody in [our

family of twelve kids] should do this. Since I was the last one, I didnt

have much choice, if they wanted one to be religious.

I wanted to be a teaching brother, not a priest. It never entered my min

to be a priest. My dad said why dont you try it out, and my mother to

my brother not to tell anybody that he is going to the monastery; he wi

be home next week. Well, sixty years later, Im still here! I came to Sai

Johns to try it out, and I liked it.

I worked on t he White Earth Reservation, repairing and keeping up

the machinery. I loved it there. Tears come to my eyes when I think

of how well things worked. I also served about thirty years in the

abbey woodworking shop. I enjoyed it all; I really, really did. It was a

good experience. I had the opportunity to work with Brother Hubert

Schneider, who knew his stuff backwards and forwards.

We had a real camaraderie between the brothers, especially before

Vatican II. It was a very close-knit group of people. I see God in most

this stuff. I would say it has been a very good life.

Brother Gregory Eibensteiner,O.S.B.(19342013

One of the early lessons I

learned from Father Daniel

Durken was: Have an attitude

of gratitude. Some of the

jobs I have had over the years,

I would never have chosen.

They have helped me grow and

through that growth I have

become a fuller person. It has

been a good life. Its the work

of the Holy Spirit.

Brother Walter Kieffer, O.S.B.

When I came to Saint Johns

as a brother in , the

brothers got along beautifully

together. They were a very,

very supportive group of

people, extremely kind to us

and welcoming. The re were

a lot of elderly brothers who

were spiritual giants in our

monastery: Brothers Hubert

Schneider, Edward Zwak,

Victor McMahon, and Stephen

Thell. I was happy as a brother,

and I liked what I was doing.

Father Julius Beckermann, O.S.B.

Brother Hubert Schneider (19021995)Abbey archives

Brother George Primus (19232013)Michael Crouser

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Sebastian Gomes

The substance of the ancient doctrineof the deposit of faith is one thing,but the way in which it is pres ented isanother. Saint John XXIII

On March , follow-ing the historic electionand first appearance of

Pope Francis, I spoke with FatherGuillermo Ortiz, S.J., for whom theformer Father Bergoglio had beenformation director. I mentionedthat I had been struck by the newpopes profound gesture of humility

in asking the people to pray overhim before giving them his blessing,and I asked Father Ortiz if this wascharacteristic of Father Bergoglio.Smiling, he said, You havent seenanything yet.

A year and a half later weve seena great deal! Pope Francis wastedno time moving into the office,implementing the structural andinstitutional reforms that he saysare the fruits of the meetingsbefore the conclave. Giventhe hierarchical structure of theCatholic Church and the popesglobal celebrity status, it is easy topresume that Francis efforts areentirely his own. In fact, it wasthe unique context of the conclavethe unprecedentedresignation of a presumed con-servative pope and the absence

of a papal funeralthat allowedthe cardinals the freedom tospeak openly about what, andmore importantly whom, theChurch needed at this moment.If some of the reforms appearjarringand there are surelymore to comethen we can onlysay that they are the results of a

team effort between Francis andthe College of Cardinals.

Equally impressive has been thedegree to which Pope Francis isreaching out beyond the walls ofthe Church to the entire humanfamily. He calls it going to theperipheries, all those placeswhere human beings are alone,excluded, isolated, or ignored,where there is corruption, abuse,and dishonesty, where there isignorance, violence, and hatred.The joy of the Gospel is for allpeople, Francis says, no one can

be excluded (Evangelii Gaudium).

Many, who previously wouldhave ignored the popes and dis-missed the Catholic Church forbeing archaic, closed-minded,and authoritarian, are nowtaking a second look. TheFrancis effecta term firstcoined by the secular mediaissomething everyone can feel. Weat Salt and Light Television inCanada adopted this title for ourdocumentary because it is a termthat many non-Catholics use todescribe what is happening in theChurch!

While making this documentary, Ilearned much about Pope Francis;I offer three observations abouthim and the powerful effect he is

having on so many people. Thefirst is authenticity. The manis for real! He continuouslypreaches about being a Churchthat is poor and for the poor, andat the same time he rejects beingdriven in the papal Mercedesor being treated like a king. Hespends countless hours with

the disabled who visit him enmasse in the Vatican. Manyhave said that they felt like themost important person in theworld to him at the momenthe made eye contact. He pro-motes and encourages the sacra-ment of confession, and thenspontaneously goes to confessionhimself at a public reconciliationservice. He walks the talk.

The second is Francis ability tochallenge and to affirm simul-taneously. He has said somethings that are not easy to hear:

a globalization of indifferencehas developed. . . . we endup being incapable of feelingcompassion at the outcry of thepoor, weeping for other peoplespain, and feeling a need to helpthem, as though all this weresomeone elses responsibilityand not our own (EvangeliiGaudium). He has denouncedChristians whose lives seemto be a perpetual funeral. . . .They move about better in theshadows, not in the light of joy.Like bats! (Homily, April). He said he wants bishopswho are pastors, animated byinner poverty and who donthave the psychology of Princes(Address to nuncios, June). And hes been very criticalof laziness in Christian life: It isone thing to recite the Creed from

the heart and quite another torecite it like a parrot! (Homily, January ).

But at the same time, Francisrepeats the mantra of mercy thathe believes comes straight fromthe heart of the Gospel: Let mesay this once more: God never

tires of forgiving us!(Evangelii Gaudium ).He stands in solidar-ity with everyoneelse, admitting that heis, above all else, asinner whom the Lordhas looked upon withmercy (Jesuit interview).One of the most frequentstatements I hear aboutFrancis is simply: hemakes me want to be abetter Christian.

Third and finally, Pope

Francis is a free man.True freedom, as the livesof the saints have taughtus, is found in dying toself and putting Godat the center of oneslife. If we really want tounderstand Pope Francisand how he is able to dowhat he does, we needlook no further thanthe simple yet profoundfaith of a man who hasput himself entirely intothe hands of God, wherethere is unconditionalacceptance, abundantmercy, and everlastingjoy.

Mr. Sebastian Gomes, analumnus of Saint JohnsUniversity and School ofTheology, was a faculty

resident before joiningthe staff of Salt andLight Catholic MediaFoundation, Toronto.He is the writer, director,and producer of TheFrancis Effect,availableat: saltandlighttv.org; orphone: 1.888.302.7181.

Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation

The Francis Effect

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J. P. Earls, O.S.B.

If youve ever had occasion tovisit the basement of the SaintJohns quadrangle, you might

well have taken the staircase nextto the Great Hall. As you reachthe bottom of the stairs, youwould encounter a gray doorwaywith a brightly illuminated signnext to it announcing:

Ken Kroeker OSB

Office in Charge

While you now know who occu-pies the office in charge, youmight be in some doubt as towhat exalted responsibilities of

the Order of Saint Benedict thatofficer might be in charge of.Should you then knock on thedoor and be given permission toenter, you might be surprised atthe modest appointments and atthe even more unassuming officerbehind the desk. A soft voicewould ask, May I help you?

The unassuming manner andsoft voice of Brother KennethKroeker, O.S.B.,betray some basicfacts of his personal history.Canadian by birth and much ofhis education, Brother Ken isa personification of the gentleCanadian. Born in Vancouver,British Colombia, his elementaryand secondary education werein public schools of variousVancouver-area municipalities,finishing in Centennial HighSchool, Coquitlam, B.C.

The office sign, simply in

charge, has been there forseveral years, confirming thatKen has been in a number ofoffices throughout the Order ofSaint Benedict, and, as a man ofmany talents, he might occupya number of others before hismonastic workdays are finished.He prepared for such a variedcareer after graduating from highschool. He worked in the pulpmill in Port Alice (avg. " ofrainfall annually) for one and

a half years. He then enteredSimon Fraser University in Bur-naby, B.C., graduating with abachelors degree in math, havingfulfilled the arts requirement withcourses in Latin and Greek.

Ken later moved to Edmonton,Alberta, and spent two yearsworking in construction. Duringthis time a friend, who oncegot him a summer job workingin a construction camp in theNorthwest Territories, interestedhim in the Catholic Church. Hewas ready to find a spiritual

home. His father was raised in aMennonite community, and hismother came from the UnitedChurch of Canada. Kens earlyreligious experience was in aBaptist church. In his teens hemoved on to the United Churchof Canada. When his friend inEdmonton asked Ken to attendMass with him, Kens faithjourney to the Catholic Churchbegan in earnest. He entered theChurch in .

Retreats at St. Joseph Seminary inEdmonton led him to consider thediocesan priesthood. However, aseminarian urged him to consideralternatives. One of these wasthe Trappists at the Abbey ofOur Lady of the Prairies in Hol-land, Manitoba. In Kenentered that community, makinghis first vows in . Thiswas a farming community, andKens work there was set in therhythms of agriculture. (Forthose who may have read thebook, All We Know of Heaven: ANovelby Rmy Rougeau, which

deals fictionally with life in thisparticular community, be assuredthat the cows still have Frenchnames. Ken remembers the deathof the prime milker, Mirabelle,at Christmas!) The liturgiesat Our Lady of the Prairieswere in Canadas two officiallanguages, and Ken made steadyprogress in French, but he oftenconsidered this daily challengea punishment for not payingattention during the eight yearsof French classes he had whilegrowing up.

In he was happy to beassigned to study at Saint JohnsSchool of TheologySeminary.He made solemn vows with theTrappist community in ,but by he was beginningthe process of transferring toSaint Johns. While his transferwas being adjudicated, he wasgiven an assignment as a nursingassistant in Saint Raphael Hall,the abbeys senior healthcare andretirement center. Ken began totake courses aimed at a nursingdegree at the same time thathe was finishing his masters in

theology. He earned a bachelorsdegree in nursing in fromSaint Johns University.

Ken worked as a registered nursein the Saint Johns UniversityHealth Center for twelve years,serving the needs of the monasticcommunity and the faculty, staff,and students of Saint Johns,Saint Benedict, and Saint JohnsPreparatory School. When theuniversity health center closed,Ken continued to work as anR.N.at the student health centernow operated by HealthPartnersof Central Minnesota. At theend of , he left that positionand took a sabbatical leave forsix months, staying with theTrappists at the Abbey of NewClairvaux in Vina, California. Hewas still attracted to the steadyrhythm of prayer and physicallabor in the Trappist life, butthis experience convinced himhe had made the right choice bytransferring to Saint Johns.

Meet a Monk: Kenneth Kroeker

Abbey archives

Monastic life has had its upsand downs during my thirty yas a monk, reflects Brother KHowever, I have to say that am grateful, even if at times Idont feel that I am, for the gof peace and well-being that tlife has embedded in me. Thedaily rhythm of common praand work which first attracteme to the monastic life continto be the great blessing that whopefully always strengthen mbond with the community.

For the past three years BrothKen has been a member of thabbey business office, workinwith abbey medical accountsMedicare, and assisting with accounting practices of the Oof Saint Benedict. The office charge is still in charge!

Father J. P. Earls, O.S.B., is profeemeritus of English at Saint JohUniversity and a member of thechaplain team for Saint BenediMonastery.

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Brother Ken, R.N.

Brother Ken at the Abbey of Our Lady of the PrairiesKroeker archives

Abbey

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Father Daniel Durken, O.S.B.(baptized Donald Herman),

was the older of twin boysborn to Herman and AngelineElizabeth (Kahnke) Durken inPemberton, Minnesota, on January . Before entering thenovitiate of Saint Johns Abbey in and receiving the religiousname of Daniel, he attended SaintJohns Preparatory School andbegan his undergraduate studiesat Saint Johns University, laterreceiving a bachelors degree inphilosophy and classics.

Following his profession as aBenedictine monk in , Danielbegan seminary training leadingto his ordination to the priesthoodin . He also completedtwo masters degrees: in speecheducation (with a concentrationon rhyme and alliteration) fromSaint Louis University, and in

religious education from TheCatholic University of America.His masterful command of theEnglish language and his love ofScripture would give form andsubstance to a lifetime of teaching,preaching, speaking, editing, andpublishing.

Father Daniel was a worker beeof the Collegeville community(workin rhymes with Durken!).His teaching career began in as an associate professorof theology at Saint Johns Uni-versity. Over the next forty-sixyears he would educate andentertain undergraduates in theclassroom and adults in parishBible study classes. He was vari-ously an instructor of speech anddebate coach, assistant studentchaplain, dormitory prefect,and dean of men. He served themonastic community as novice

master () and assistedthe abbot as personnel director().

On weekdays Father Danieledited and authored all manner ofpublications. He was the editorof TheOblate(),Sisters Today(),Confrere(, ), The Bahama Benedictine(), and Abbey Banner(from its first issue in untilhis retirement in ). Onweekends he provided pastoralassistance, always with props

and puns, to Minnesota parishes,most notably at Saint Michaels,Farmington ();Saint Bartholomew, Wayzata(); and Saint Clement,Minneapolis ().

During the Durken decade(), Daniel dutifully

Word, wit, and warmth servewell to outline the essentialcharacter of this faithful monk.

Peter Dwyer Director, Liturgical Press

directed Liturgical Press, creating amanagement team and overseeingthe introduction of computerprogramming. He once suggestedthat ads promoting commentarieson the Book of Revelation in TheBible Todayinclude a guaranteethat if the world ended beforethe subscription expired, Welldouble your money back! Onmore than one occasion, whenasked his opinion of a manuscriptbeing considered for publication,Daniels verdict was: You willsell two copies of this book. Oneto the author and one to his

mother. He also produced fifteenaudiocassettes on various books ofthe Bible and other topics for thePress, wrote commentaries forBible and Sunday Liturgy Bulletins,and Homily Hints for the Loose-leaf Lectionary.

Due to his declining health, themonastic community gatheredfor an anointing service on March . The next day DanielDonald Durken died during dinner.Interment in the abbey cemeteryfollowed the Mass of ChristianBurial on April.

Daniel Durken

Marcellus Hall

B

featuring the creative musicalcomposition of Father JeromeColler, followed by a reception forguests, who enjoyed homemadebreads and jams. Many friends,neighbors, students, parents,and nearby parishioners joinedthe community for the servicesof Palm Sunday, Holy Week,or the Easter Vigil. On EasterMonday, April, at middaythe community hosted about employees for Eucharist, followedby lunch in the Great Hall.Alleluia!

How sweet it is! BrotherWalter Kieffer and Dr. SteveSaupe reported that gallons

of maple syrup were producedfrom , gallons of sapcollected during the seasonin the Saint Johns woods. Tobegin the season, nearly twohundred visitors helped put out taps on March. Twoweeks later Abbot John Klassen,along with the abbey arboretum

staff and other friends, joinedabout forty members of theLarry Schwietz extended famfor a blessing of the maple saevaporators. Last year thearboretum staff installed twoevaporators. A large workhoevaporator (Big Burnie) can tutwo hundred gallons of maplinto approximately five gallonof syrup per hour. Throughthe generosity of the Schwietzfamily, a small evaporator (LiLarry) is now available fordaily teaching purposes. Mothan people attended

the first maple syrup festivalon March, with moretaking part the following weecollecting sap, learning aboutthe history of the enterprise, aenjoying maple syrup sundaes

Heavy precipitation, solidor liquid, marked thetransition from winter to

spring. Ten inches of snow fell onWednesday of Holy Week, onlyto be melted away by bright sunand -degree temperatures onEaster Sunday. Easter alleluiaswere joined by the haunting callof a loon, patiently waiting on theGemini lakes until Lake Sagataganopened on April. On Low Sun-day five inches of rain fell, doublethe monthlyaverage for April;wet, cool weather continued intoMay. The lilacs and flowering

crabs went from a few tiny leavesto full fragrance and blossoms inforty-eight hours. Nearly threeinches of rain fell on Fathers Dayweekend. For much of Minnesota,the precipitation through June wasthe most on record; many cropsdrowned or were never planted.On July the high of degreeswith a dew point of broughtall the comforts of Nassau toCollegeville. Overall, however,summer time in central Minnesotawas delightfully temperate.

March 2014

On 29 March the Vatican Infor-mation Service announced thatPope Francis appointed FatherWilliam Skudlarek as a consultorof the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue. Father William

serves as secretary general ofMonastic Interreligious Dialoguein Rome.

April 2014

The monastic community cele-brated the Vigil of Palm Sundaywith a special prayer service

Abbey Chronicle

Abbey archives

May 2014

The triathlon team of Mr. DMcAvey and Brothers LewisGrobe and Nickolas Kleespie

successfully defended their firplace title in the Fruit at theFinish Triathlon on May. D(director of university residenlife) swam .K in . minLew biked K in . minuand Nick ran K in .minutes, for a winning total o::.

Alan Reed, O.S.B.

Robin Pier

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During the annual recognitionluncheon of the Saint JohnsAdministrative Assembly on May, Father J. P. Earls and BrotherKelly Ryan were honored forfifty-five and fifty years of service,

respectively.

June 2014

During the monastic commu-nitys annual retreat, ably anddelightfully directed by SisterMargaret Michaud, O.S.B., ofSaint Benedicts Monastery,

Fathers Hilary Thimmesh, WilliamSkudlarek, and Bernardine Nesswere honored for their diamond(Hilary) and golden jubileesof ordination.

With thirty choristersfrom twelve states, theNational Catholic YouthChoir (NCYC) celebratedits fifteenth season ofSpreading the CatholicFaith through GreatMusic. Father AnthonyRuff founded the group in

response to the Second VaticanCouncils directive that the trea-sury of sacred music be preservedand fostered in the modern liturgy.The NCYC was led by choralconductor Dr. Axel Theimer withFather Michael Leonard Hahnserving as choir chaplain. Thegroups repertoire ranges frommedieval Gregorian chant totwenty-first-century music.

July 2014

Addressing the topic Prayerin the Life of an Oblate, Abbot

John served as retreat directorfor nearly ninety oblates of SaintJohns Abbey during their annualretreat on the weekend of July. Along with Fathers DonTauscher and Michael Peterson,he received the final oblation ofsix oblates: Mr. James Secord(Edina) has worked with LiturgicalPress and The Saint Johns Bible;Mr. Richard Marsolek (Bemidji)has a deep love for the Rule ofBenedict and has compiled a studybooklet for his personal use; Ms.Sheila Hughes-Tembrock (SaintCloud) recently married OblateJim Tembrockboth are active inthe pro-life movement; Mr. RobertEmery (Sparta, Wisconsin) hasbeen active in lay ministry with

the United Church of Christ; Mr.Pat Couteaux (Maple Grove)has researched the relationshipof Mary within the context ofBenedictine spirituality; and Mr.John Biggs (Dawson) works inministry with the EvangelicalLutheran Church in America andis interested in the writings ofSaint John Cassian and EvagriusPonticus. Though unable to bepresent in Collegeville, two othersalso made their final oblation:Ms. Rachel Wheeler (Berkeley,California) is currently studyingat the Graduate TheologicalUnion, Berkeley; and Ms. DianeSchmerler (Hopkins), a travel andantique enthusiast, was a teacherin the Saint Paul public schoolsfor twenty-five years.

Abbot John, Father John

Meoska, and Brothers JohnHanson and lred Sennaparticipated in the thirteenthannual Bridgefolk Conferenceof Mennonites and Catholics,focused on Service: An Overflowof Christs Love, held at SaintJohns, July.

On May, in the presence of Abbot John and their monasticconfreres gathered in the abbey and university church, BrothersBradley Jenniges and Michael Leonard Hahn were ordained tothe priesthood by Bishop Donald Kettler. As of July FatherBradley is the associate pastor of the Church of Seven Dolorsand Church of Saint Anthony of Padua, and chaplain at Motherof Mercy Nursing Home, Albany, Minnesota. Father MichaelLeonard is pursuing graduate studies at the School of Theologyand Ministry of Boston College.

Following a three-month candidacyprogram, BradfordRothrock (left) andAidan NathanialPutnam were investedas novices duringMorning Prayer on July. With guidancefrom novice masterFather John Meoska,each is discerning acall to monastic life atSaint Johns Abbey.

August 2014

With more pomp than circum-stance, the monastic communityhonored the first graduates, allsumma cum laude, of the abbeysEnglish as a Second LanguageInstitute on August. For eightweeks eight Benedictine or Cis-tercian monks from Austria, India,Japan, Mexico, the Philippines,and Vietnam took part in anindividualized learning program

Wayne Torborg

An 18"snapper, summer guest at Saint Johns

to improve their English skillsand also joined the monks ofSaint Johns Abbey for Euchaprayer services, meals, and caconversation. In his augustaddress, commencement speaFather Meinrad Dindorf salutthe graduates (as you go for. . . blah, blah, blah) andexpressed as well the gratitudthe participants and communfor the work of Institute founBrother Paul Richards, andinstructor extraordinaire,MsSarah Pruett.

On 21 August the staff of tHill Museum &ManuscriptLibrary moved into their newtransformed world headquar-ters. Beginning on Maythe Marcel Breuer-designedspace was renovated under thguidance of Mr. Gregory Frieof CSNAArchitects in orderto accommodate a larger staffnumerous guests and scholarsand the changing technologicneeds of this repository of anlearning. B

Left to right: Abbot John, Fathers Michael Leonard and Bradley, andBishop Kettler

Alan Reed, O.S.B.


The remains of the Saint Johns Paint Shop (destroyed by fire) were razed in AugMonic

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Thanksgiving in July

lred Senna, O.S.B.

Our traditional Thanks-giving meal has long beenone of my favorites to

prepareand to eat!so whengiven the opportunity to celebrateThanksgiving in July, I wasthrilled! This summer the abbeyinaugurated the first annualSaint Johns English as a SecondLanguage Institute (ESLI). Eightmonks from five countries joinedus for two months to participate

in a program designed to improvetheir English language skills. Theparticipants lived, prayed, and atewith us according to our monastichorarium and also had classroomtime with a Saint Johns professor,conversation time with membersof the monastic community, andthe opportunity for a varietyof other cultural experiences toround out their education. Onesuch event was Thanksgivingin July. What better way tointroduce ESLIparticipants to thelocal culture than through food!And what American meal is morequintessential than Thanksgiving!

While Thanksgiving in July maysound like the perfect event forthe ESLIparticipants, the HolySpirit must be given credit for itssuccess. It just happened that we

were given two whole turkeys atthe end of June, and suddenly, wehad the makings of our language-meets-culture event! We hadturkey and dressing, gravy, greenbean casserole (hot dish, to yall),sweet potatoes, fresh-bakedbread, cranberry sauce, and, of

course, pecan pie for dessert! No,not pumpkin . . .pecan. Im from

Texas, remember!

From start to finish, the meal wasgreat fun. The visiting monksenjoyed the feast, and the gather-ing provided an opportunity togive thanks to their professor andto Saint Johns monks who hadbeen serving as their conversation

Monks in the Kitchen

Excerpted from The Record,officialnewspaper of Saint Johns University:

22 May 1964

The Honorable EugeneMcCarthy, United States Senator,will deliver the Saint JohnsUniversity commencementaddress and will be one oftwo recipients of the annualPax Christi Award. The otherrecipient is Father FredericMcManus, American liturgicalleader and associate professorof canon law at The Catholic

University of America.

29 June 1964

Saint Johns Abbey willhost the fifth annual ScriptureInstitute for clergy of all faiths.The Institute is designed to aidclergy who have been awayfrom seminary studies for someyears to make a more fruitfulinvestigation of the chief concernsof modern scriptural research.

Construction will beginimmediately on a new$,, library, the fourthbuilding designed by architectMarcel Breuer for Saint Johns,and the first building planned in a$ million expansion program.Other buildings scheduled forconstruction in this, the secondphase of Saint Johns -year

building program, are a sciencehall, student union, dormitory,and field house. Also duringthis phase the new Saint JohnsPreparatory School complex willbe completed with the additionof an administrationlibrarybuilding and gymnasium.

Saint Johns library, with acapacity of , volumes, willinclude four unique features. Itwill: house the Kritzeck Collec-tion of manuscripts which con-tains holograph documents of

historical importance; containthe first microfilm collectionof manuscripts from Europeanmonastic libraries; include theVirgil Michel Liturgical Institute,which is intended to promoteresearch aided by Saint Johnsoutstanding liturgical collection;and, as an Ecumenical StudyCenter, it will include a collectionof basic ecumenical referenceworks, journals, and publications.

The Hamm Foundation willfinance the Workshops onPastoral Care and Psychotherapyto be held in July and August.Open to clergy of all faiths, theInstitute for Mental Health bringstogether the professional viewsof psychiatry and psychologyto provide an opportunity tocome to grips with the problemsthat daily present themselves topastors.

28 August1964

Saint Johns Abbey has beenselected by the Post ConciliarCommission on the Liturgyas one of seven places in theworld [and the only U.S.site]

to experiment in a limited waywith concelebration of the Mass,in which several priests join tooffer the Mass. This methodof procedure, observed FatherGodfrey Diekmann, illustrates

that before an important liturgicalreform will be promulgated forthe whole Church, a period ofexperiment will precede to insurea more satisfactory final result.

Brother Mark Kelly wasrescued August after beingtrapped for nearly two hoursin an excavation cave-in of a-foot trench dug to reach atunnel between two prep schoolbuildings. An air pocket allowedhim to breathe until rescuerscleared earth away from his head.

Workers have been busy reno-vating the newest campus studentresidence, Saint Francis [Frank]House, formerly the convent forthe sisters who worked in thekitchen. The hall will house upperclassmen.

Excerpted from Confrere,newsletter

of Saint Johns Abbey:

(Volume II, No. [September]). With the special permis-sion of Saint Cloud Bishop PeterBartholome, Sunday Vespers thisSunday and succeeding Sundaysare sung in English.

Fifty Years Ago

Brother lreds Pecan Pie(serves 8)

1 stick butter ( cup)

cup brown sugar

cup granulated white sugar

cup Karo syrup

cup maple syrup

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup chopped pecans

1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a saucepan, melt the butterdont let it brown. Mix in thesugars and the syrups. Cook, stirring over medium heat until thesugar dissolves. Allow to cool slightly before stirring in the eggs(to avoid a scrambled egg pie). Mix well. Stir in the pecans.Pour into the pie shell, and bake for 1 hour or until mostly firmwhen shaken.

partners. Once more we expenced the blessings of food

made and shared with love angratitudewhat wondrous grour God showers on us every For this we are truly thankfueven in July!

Brother lred Senna, O.S.B.,is tassociate editor of Give Us ThisDay.

B

B

Alcuin LibraryUniversity archives

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Abbey Banner Fall 2014

The Word of Light and HopeRene McGraw, O.S.B.

Some eight years ago, on October , in a one-room school-house in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a lone gunman killedfive Amish children and injured another five before he took his

own life. No words could take away the pain that the parents andsiblings of those five children felt. No words could bring the childrenback to life. No words could make everything better, as the words ofa parent could make our own l ittle scrapes and pains of childhood feelbetter and dry our tears.

But the words of the Amish were a start, as some thirty of them traveledto the funeral of the man who had killed their children. No wordscould bring light out of the darkness of murder, but the words of the

Amish families opened a road of hope and light and forgiveness. Nowords could make a place of despair into a place of hope, but togetherthe Amish built a new schoolhouse and called it New Hope.

In the midst of darkness, a word of creation came from God that madeall things new: God said, Let there be light, and there was light(Genesis :). In the Word made flesh, a light entered into darkness:The light shines on in darkness, a darkness that did not overcome it(John :). All was fresh and new. In the midst of hatred, a word camefrom Jesus on the cross, Father, forgive them, for they know not whatthey do (Luke :).

The Amish spoke such a word. Jesus created a new world leading tonew hope through love and forgiveness. Then the world will not just berenewed at the end of time. Then the year , and , and beyondwill indeed be years in which the Word of God makes all things new.Yes, Lord, may it be so!

Father Rene McGraw, O.S.B.,is a member of the philosophy department anda faculty resident at Saint Johns University.

Forgiving seems almost unnatural. Our sense of fairnesstells us people should pay for the wrong they do. Butforgiving is loves power to break natures rule.

Lewis B. Smedes, Forgive and Forget:Healing the Hurts We Dont Deserve

The

Word of Go

makes

all things

new.

B

Lucille Marie Adelman, O.S.B.

John Babicz, O.S.B.

Leroy A. Lee Blaske

Gary Bohr

Mary Carol Braun, O.S.B.

Michael J. Mike Brice

Virginia Ginny Brooks

James R. Carlson Jr.

Thomas Carpenter

Margaret Clarke, O.S.B.Nathan Cochran, O.S.B.

Ervin J. Erv Deering, Obl.S.B.

Judy Dellenbach

Travis J. Doering

Francis dos Remedios, O.S.B.

Janice Drout, Obl.S.B.

Orville P. Evens

Henry Fritz, O.S.B.

Gerald R. Jerry Gallagher

Irene M. Graham

Larry P. Gross

Elizabeth Gruenes, O.S.B.

James David Hahn

Jay Hardy

Robert Harris

Jeanette Heinen

Estelle Panger, O.S.B.

Thomas Paur

Abbot Claude Peifer, O.S.B.

Kory S. Poissant

Paul L. Pruett

Jeanne Frances Pyzdrowski

Giles Reller,O.S.B.

Douglas A. Ringkob

Mary Sarto Sadler, O.S.B.

John Jack SchneiderMary Schneider, O.S.B.

Gerie Schulte

Joseph Michael Scoblic

Edith Selzler, O.S.B.

Edward Anders Svik

Nicholas Spaeth

Marjorie Spartz

Dennis J. Mike Sullivan

LeRoy M. Roy Thelen

Monique Valville, O.S.B.

Patricia Wallis, O.S.B.

Mary Rose Rosie Weiland

Richard M. Wey

Hildegard M. Wiechmann

Isabelle M. Isy Zimmer

Joshua Nickolas Zimmerman, O.S.B.

Marion Zimmerman, O.S.B.

In Memoriam

Camille Hilgers, O.S.B.

Ronald Howard

Mary Jane Hunkler, O.S.B.

Zoe Imholte, O.S.B.

Michael Johnson

John P. Kinney

George Knippen

Jerome Bernard Jerry Knuesel

Karlee Koller

Rita KrychCecile LaForest, O.S.B.

Cynthia Cindy Landwehr

Rose Taus Linden

Celestine Sally Maiers

Bill Maupin

Jannel McDonnell

Thomas Francis McHenry, O.S.B.

Lynda Meirick

Colleen Moorse

Marilyn E. Murray

Jack Naughton

Matthew K. Nolan

William T. Billy OBrien

Hugo J. Otto

Leo A. Otto

Gerald Joseph Jerry Overman

Please join the monastic community in prayerful remembrance of our deceased family members and friends:

A Monks Chronicle

Father Eric Hollas, O.S.B., offers spiritual insights and glimpses into the life of the Benedictine community atSaint Johns Abbey in a weekly blog, A Monks Chronicle. Visit his blog at: monkschronicle.wordpress.com.

Father Dons Daily Reflection

Father Don Talafous, O.S.B., prepares daily reflections on Scripture and living the life of a Christian that areavailable on the abbeys website at: saintjohnsabbey.org/reflection/.

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Abbey Banner MagazineSaint Johns Abbey

P.O. Box 2015Collegeville, MN 56321-2015 U.S.A.

www.saintjohnsabbey.org

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

NonprofitOrganizationU. S. Postage

PAIDSaint Johns Abbey

Abbey Banner Fall 2014 Volume 14, Number 2

4 This IssueRobin Pierzina, O.S.B.

5 Pope Francis and ChangeAbbot John Klassen, O.S.B.

6 Monastic Jubilees

9 Trinity Benedictine MonasteryRoman Paur, O.S.B.

10 Benedictine Volunteer CorpsAlex ForsterJ. D. Quinby

12 Saint JohnsSchool of TheologySeminary

Aaron Raverty, O.S.B.

15 Growing up BenedictineSamuel Hentges

16 Invasive PlantsCody J. Groen

18 Prairie Splendor

20 The Brothers

24 The Francis Effect Sebastian Gomes

26 Meet a Monk:Kenneth Kroeker

J. P. Earls, O.S.B.

Benedictine Days of Prayer

September : Where is God? How do I find and experience God in this world? October : In the world but not of the world. Is this possible? November : The afterlife: if it exists, what is it like? January : What is asceticism for? Do I need it?

The day begins at : A.M.with Morning Prayer and concludes about : P.M.Rooms are available in the abbey guesthouse for the preceding overnight.

Advent Retreat

December : Praying the O Antiphons in AdventPresenter: Father Michael Kwatera, O.S.B.

l bb h ll

28 Obituary: Daniel Durken

29 Abbey ChronicleRobin Pierzina, O.S.B.

32 Fifty Years Ago

33 Monks in the Kitchen: Thanksgiving in July

lred Senna, O.S.B.

34 In Memoriam

35 The Word of Light and HopeRene McGraw, O.S.B.

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