FALL 2011
THE MINISTRY OF THE MONKS
FALL 2011 • vol. 6 / No. 1
ABBOT
The Rt. Rev. Austin G. Murphy, O.S.B. Edi tor/Director, Abbey Advancement S t . Pro co pi us Abbey
5601 College Road Lisle, Illinois 60532-4463 (630) 969-6410 W W W. PROCO PIUS. ORG
Fr. T. Becket A. Franks, O.S.B. (630) 829-9253 bfranks@procopius.org Design
Wolf Design /Mary Kay Wolf wolf6259@comcast.net
The Editorial Board
Br. Columban Trojan, O.S.B. Fr. David Turner, O.S.B. Fr. Philip Timko, O.S.B Br. Guy Jelinek, O.S.B. Fr. James Flint, O.S.B. ADVANCEMENT ASSISTANT
Mrs. Joyce Schultz (630) 969-6410, ext. 252 Advancement@procopius.org
P h o t o g r ap h e rs
Abbot Austin G. Murphy, O.S.B.; Diocese of Joliet; Sister Lorraine Dyba-Militano; Fr. Becket Franks, O.S.B.; Peter Hoffman; Br. Guy Jelinek, O.S.B.; Miller and Miller Photography; Patti Peterson and Mary Kay Wolf. cover: Brian Gadbery
from the e d itor Continuing our Daily Work and Prayer! We are in the season of autumn, already! How time flies! And how quickly we publish the next magazine to keep in touch with you, our good friends. This fall issue continues the topic of “The Ministry of the Monks,” snippets of our work and what we do all day besides pray. This issue also contains obituaries of two dear monks: Br. George Popovics and Fr. Robert Sum. Besides the onset of Alzheimer’s, Br. George had a history of heart problems. In early August, he slipped away. A few weeks after Br. George’s funeral, Fr. Robert’s condition worsened as he fought colon cancer. One week before his death, the community gathered in his room for the Anointing of the Sick. It was a poignant and profound time of prayer. Many of us stood around him shocked that one of us so young could go so fast. Within days after the celebration of the sacrament, Fr. Robert entered eternal life. Please join us in prayer for both of our monks. Also, keep in prayer the community, and Fr. Robert’s mother, father and brothers who survive him. Even though we still grieve and mourn our loss, we continue with our daily work and prayer. Autumn finds us back at the university, the high school and the daily chores of the abbey. The leaves will change soon and before you know it a new year will arrive! As usual, we thank you for your generous support this past year. We pray daily for all our benefactors, living and deceased. We consider your financial help a sacred deed since, according to our Holy Father St. Benedict, we are “to regard all the utensils of the monastery, including property, as if they were the sacred vessels of the altar” (Rule of Benedict, chapter 31) God bless you all!
Fr. T. Becket A. Franks, O.S.B. Director, Abbey Advancement
Find Us On Facebook The Clerestory Magazine of the Monks of St. Procopius Abbey
You can assist the monks in their great venture of Christian discipleship! If you are interested in giving to the monastic community there are many options! They include: • Cash gifts — You can make out a check to St. Procopius Abbey. • Stock gifts — In making a gift of stock you may be eligible for a tax benefit. • Tribute or memorial gifts — These honor loved ones, living or deceased; their names will be submitted to the abbey prayer ministry.
• Matching gifts — Many companies match or even double your charity.
St. Procopius Abbey 5601 College Road, Lisle, IL., 60532-4463
• Planned gifts — You can make a bequest in your will or trust.
Our (Federal ID#) F.E.I.N. is 36-2169184. We are a tax-exempt institution and listed in the Official Catholic Directory under the diocese of Joliet, Illinois. Bequests, etc., are deductible for federal estate and gift tax purposes.
• IRA Rollover — A charitable rollover from your IRA may be a convenient way to make a gift to the Abbey. Please call to receive more information about the potential benefits of this type of giving.
Call the office of Abbey Advancement for assistance with a donation or for more information at (630) 829-9253.
Online Giving is now available on the Abbey website—www.procopius.org/giving/WaysToGive
T h e R ight R e v e r e n d a u sti n g . m u rph y , O . S . B . , A bbot
In the monastery there are sayings that circulate
moreover, there is something tragic to Fr. Bob leaving
among the monks. One of the first ones I
us at a relatively young age. But still, we know that
encountered when I joined the monastery was said to
death will come and what is tragic is when we do not
me by one of our employees, who got it from a monk
live now so as to be prepared for it. Br. George and Fr.
who died before I joined. He said, “Monks don’t steal
Bob persevered unto death in the monastic life, which
things, but if they think they have a better use…”
is a preparation for the life to come. There is nothing
This corresponds to a practice in the monastery that
tragic about that.
when leaving something in an open place you put a note on it that reads, “Not for sale!”
Monks come and go. A couple have recently gone. We
Another saying was recounted to me some time ago.
calling men to enter the monastic life and the question
A monk with some decades in the monastery under
is, “Will they answer the call to enter the monastery,
his belt (or cincture) said, “Abbots come and go.”
so as to do now what will profit them for eternity?”
It is true. And it is also true of monks: they come
It is good to pray for these men. We know from our
and go. This is to be expected, for we do not join
own experiences how easily we can neglect God’s
the monastery with the idea that we can live forever
beckoning. We pray that these men may not ignore or
in this world, but with the aim of making it to the
refuse God’s call, but that they may instead say yes to
kingdom of heaven. St. Benedict, who is one of the
His summons to eternal life (cf. RB prol.14-17).
patrons of a happy death, writes that monks should daily bring before their eyes the fact that they will die (Rule of Benedict 4.47) and he exhorts us to do now
await those who will come. God is, I am sure, now
Many over the years have answered the divine summons by becoming monks of St. Procopius
what will profit us for eternity (RB prol.44).
Abbey. In this issue of The Clerestory, we look at
Accordingly, the death of a confrere is sad, but it is
previous issue considered monks doing work inside
not tragic. That is, in keeping with St. Paul’s teaching,
the monastery, but in this issue we consider the work
we do not grieve as those who have no hope (1Thes
being done beyond the monastery’s walls. We hope
4:13). Recently, two monks of St. Procopius Abbey
you enjoy the issue.
died: Br. George Popovics at the age of 91 and Fr. Robert Sum at the age of 50. We may be inclined
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Phil 1:2)
Dear Friends
some of the current work of these monks. The
Peace in Christ,
to see this as a tragedy. And to be sure, the fact that death has come into the world with sin is tragic and, Abbot Austin G. Murphy, O.S.B.
Find Us On Facebook Abbot Austin G. Murphy, O.S.B.
The Clerestory • Fall 2011 ONE
I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phil 1:6)
the ministry of the monks
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two
Ora et labora
the ministry of the monks Committed to the Community and to the Church
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Part Two— by Fr. Becket
While working on a doctor of ministry degree, I crafted a project about the relationship between monks and the local church at large. In one chapter of my dissertation project I began a chapter by saying: Since Benedictine monks take a vow of stability according to the Rule of Benedict, any type of ministry or work may be performed within the community or in the proximity of the monastery. In the early centuries, the monks established schools within their monasteries, welcomed guests, and created manuscripts both for their own use and to supply churches with copies of the sacred scriptures and other writings. The people surrounding the monastery often sought out the monks for spiritual guidance, and many took solace living in the shadow of a monastery. Paul Wilkes, a layman and a frequent visitor to Mepkin Abbey in South Carolina, says that a monastery, historically, was a place of “God’s goodness and grace,” almost a symbol of a “commitment of certainty” to the local populace.1 Making this type of commitment to people for the rest of one’s life meant that a monk, a nun, or a religious sister had a sense of place and recognition of the depths of people’s souls. People depended on that “sense of being there” for spiritual support. A type of symbiotic relationship existed between the monk and the layperson.
Besides obedience and conversion to the monastic way of life, Benedictine monks take a vow of stability. However, we still remain committed to serve the Church. When there was a need we responded either in the local area or around the world. In the next couple of stories you will read about monks who served in the missions, the military and one who served the community as a driver and “mailmonk.”
If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy...(Phil 2:1)
Fr. Timothy Marceau, O.S.B. Fr. Timothy Marceau, O.S.B. is retired and living at St. Patrick’s Residence in Naperville, Illinois. Born in Detroit, on May 16, 1923, Fr. Timothy professed monastic vows on September 2, 1945 and was ordained a priest on May 22, 1952. Among his many ministries, the more outstanding were as prior in our priory in Taiwan; completing his residence as chaplain of the Central Louisiana State Hospital in Pineville, Louisiana, in 1992; and, as pastor first of St. Martin of Tours Parish in Hessmer and then, from 2001, as pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Moreauville, Louisiana.
The Covers Front: August, 1993— World Youth Day, Denver, Fr. Edward Kucera as official confessor for the conference. Back: Br. Kevin, Instructor of Visual Arts at Benet Academy, in his art classroom. 1 Beyond These Walls (New York: Doubleday, 1999), 69. See also William Roche, A Conversion of Manners (Devon, Penn.: Trefoil Publications, 1998), 113-121. These laymen stress that the Benedictine vows are much needed virtues in today’s world Wilkes calls the vow of stability “a sense of where you are.”
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Complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. (Phil 2:2)
the ministry of the monks
A Life Lived in Ministry Fr. Edward Kucera, O.S.B. Fr. Edward was born in Chicago on April 28, 1927. He professed monastic vows on June 16, 1947 and was ordained a priest on May 30, 1953. His brother, Archbishop Daniel lives in Dubuque, Iowa, and was featured in the Summer, 2010, issue. Fr. Edward will never retire. Called “Colonel” by some of the monks, in 2008 Fr. Edward returned to the abbey after twenty years in the United States Air Force as a military chaplain, and, as a priest serving in many capacities around the world. Having reached the rank of colonel, his many assignments included: Chennault Air Force Base (AFB), Louisiana; Goose Bay, Labrador, Canada; Dyess AFB, Texas; Johnson Family Housing Annex, Japan; Goodfellow AFB, Texas; Shu Lin Kou Air Station, Taiwan; Kelly AFB, Texas; Clark AB, Republic of the Philippines; U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado; ending as vice commandant of the Air Force Chaplain School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. Upon retiring from the Air Force in 1982, Fr. Ed ministered as a member of the Marriage Tribunal and became a chaplain with two monks from Holy Cross Abbey, Canon City, Colorado, at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Denver. He served there off and on until 2000 when Buckley Air Force Base was opened as part of Space Command. In the early 1990’s, Abbot Hugh assigned Fr. Edward to Taipei to study Mandarin Chinese in preparation to join the mission in Chaiyi, Taiwan. The abbey decided to phase out the mission and he returned to Fitzsimons. Until 2008 when Fitzsimons was phased out, Fr. Edward served weekends at St. Pius X parish located across the street from the hospital and at St. Lawrence Korean Catholic Church. Fr. Edward often says that retirement age is the best time to be a priest “because everyone wants you...,” especially with confessions and daily Masses. In an interview with the Denver Catholic Register in 2003, he said that “the beauty of chaplaincy is that it is a one-on-one ministry.” Being a priest is important to Fr. Ed. When he joined other priests in the archdiocese to help at different parishes, it was said that he always was willing to assist. One priest called him a “‘salt of the earth’ guy; he is very open and caring and relates well to people. When people talk with him, they feel that they have been listened to.” Today Fr. Edward lives at the abbey. He ministers sacramentally at Benet Academy, celebrating Mass in the morning and throughout the day in the chapel. He is a popular and cheerful Benedictine presence in the school where he once taught history and coached
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1982 Retirement picture. Official title upon retirement: CH. Col. USAF, Ret. 1984 with Blessed Pope John Paul II, in Rome for Archbishop Daniel’s reception of the pallium. 1996 Calcutta, India, after mass for the sisters and Blessed Mother Teresa, six months before her death.
Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; Rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, (Phil 2:3)
Ora Et Labora
sports from 1953-1962. On the weekends, he celebrates Sunday Mass for the IBVM Sisters of Loretto Convent in Wheaton, Illinois, and in Naperville at St. Patrick’s Residence. Earlier this year, the Abbot appointed Fr. Ed a trustee of Benedictine University and the community elected him as a member of the Board of Seniors, an abbey committee that acts as advisors to the Abbot. In the evenings after dinner, Fr. Ed loves to play a few games of pinochle.
Fr. Odilo Crkva, O.S.B. Born in Czechoslovakia on February 23, 1926, Fr. Odilo professed monastic vows at Emmaus Abbey, Prague, on July 11, 1947. While in Rome for theological studies, he was ordained a priest on July 26, 1953. Fr. Odilo transferred his vow of stability to St. Procopius Abbey at the urging of Abbot Ambrose Ondrak because of the Soviet Occupation and the dissolution of his home abbey. At the abbey he acted as an important and dependable driver for the abbey, Benedictine University and Benet Academy for many years. Whether it was the transfer of mail, packages, bank rolls and bank deposits, newspapers or people to the trains in downtown Lisle, Fr. Odilo drove the abbey van until health problems cut short his needed ministry. Today he is the assistant organist and the Abbot’s translator for Czech correspondence. He is an ordinary confessor for the sisters at Sacred Heart Monastery across the street, celebrates a monthly Czech Mass in the Marian Chapel and does spiritual ministry for the residents of Tabor Hills Nursing Home in Naperville, Illinois. Fr. Odilo says, “There’s no better way to recreate with the confreres than a good game of pinochle after dinner in the community room.”
The Clerestory • FALL 2011 five
Each looking out not for his own interests, but [also] everyone for those of others. (Phil 2:4)
Built Up in Asia Passing on a place for a good cause
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During the first week of May, Abbot Hugh and I had the privilege of visiting the beautiful country of Taiwan. If you are wondering why we made the trip, here is some history in order to explain. In 1931, St. Procopius Abbey began a relationship with Asia by agreeing to help promote The Catholic University of Peking (also called Fu Jen University), which was then run by St. Vincent’s Archabbey, Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The Archabbey turned the university over to the Society of the Divine Word in 1934, but three of its monks remained in China to begin a new Benedictine community, which in 1936 became a priory under the auspices of St. Procopius Abbey. The monks were not immune to China’s turmoil during the next decade. They would be detained by the Japanese occupation during the Second World War and, as the war concluded and the Communists came to power, they would be forced to leave the mainland. By 1949 there were no monks of St. Procopius Abbey in China. But the abbey’s relationship with the Far East would be reestablished after some twists and turns. The abbey would start a priory in Chaiyi City, Taiwan. Newly constructed buildings for the priory were dedicated on May 17, 1967. S t . P rocopi u s A bb e y
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by Abbot Austin The priory in Chaiyi City effectively closed in 2009, when the prior, Fr. Alban Hrebic, O.S.B., died. But the other monk residing at the priory, Br. Pius Chen, O.S.B., remained in his native Taiwan. This brings us to the primary reason for my trip to Taiwan: to make a pastoral visit to Br. Pius and to discuss, among other things, his future ministry. Further, over the years the Abbey established a friendship with the Sisters of Our Lady of China, whose motherhouse is in Chaiyi City and who run a hospital on land given to them by the priory monks. The trip was also a chance to continue the friendship between our communities. Abbot Hugh had made the trip to Taiwan a few times before, but for me, it was my first time across the Pacific Ocean. We flew into Taipei and took the train to Chaiyi City, where Br. Pius, Sister Lucy Chen, O.L.C., and Sister Mary Paul Watts, O.L.C., greeted us. Sr. Lucy is the president of the hospital mentioned above, namely, St. Martin de Porres hospital, which is an award-winning facility that brings quality health care to the region.
Sr. Mary Paul, an American, first came to Taiwan as a medical missionary in the 1950’s and later joined the Sisters of Our Lady of China. She has contributed much to her community’s ministries. The Sisters were our hosts during our trip — and they were wonderful ones! The Sisters made sure we saw and experienced much of their beautiful country. We visited Alishan, a stunning mountain region where aboriginal culture survives and tea is famously grown. We also saw the resort area of Sun Moon Lake where, among other things, a large, picturesque Buddhist temple overlooks the lake. A very nice trip was also made to a fishing village along the western coast of Taiwan that is known for its fresh seafood, especially its oysters. Towards the end of our trip, we were also able to see the National Palace Museum which houses an impressive collection of artwork and artifacts from the mainland, some of great antiquity.
In all these trips, the Sisters made sure that we were well fed! And the food was very good. Different kinds of shrimp, cuts of pork, noodles, and vegetables were typical. Perhaps the best meal was at the previously mentioned fishing village, where we enjoyed fresh oysters and other seafood. At practically every meal, different dishes would be placed on a large Lazy Susan and they would keep coming. You would know you were at the end of the meal when the watermelon was served. The Sisters fed us so much that it became a running joke to look for the watermelon!
Although the priory in Chaiyi City did not continue, its remaining land has been donated to the Sisters so that they can expand their hospital. The Abbey in the 1930’s could not have foreseen this outcome of its missionary work in China, but it is good to observe now that what the monks built up in Asia could be passed on to this good cause.
Photos (clockwise) • View of Sun Moon Lake from Buddhist Temple. • Interior pond in a Chaiyi City restaurant. • International Nurses day at St. Martin de Porres Hospital. Among the pictured: Abbot Hugh, Abbot Austin, with nurses and some Sisters of Our Lady of China. • Celebrating mass on the feast of Our Lady of China, Abbot Hugh, Abbot Austin and Brother Pius join the sisters at the motherhouse of the Sisters of Our Lady of China. • Pinning Ceremony for nursing students at ChungJen College run by Sisters of Our Lady of China. • Abbot Austin with Sister Mary Paul Watts at a restaurant in Chaiyi City. • Fishing village on western coast of Taiwan. • Abbot Hugh and Abbot Austin in the mountain village of Alishan, with two young women in traditional dress of the Tso Tribe. • Abbots with native people in the tea fields of Alishan. • Tomb of Father Alban Hrebic, O.S.B., Chaiyi, Taiwan.
Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, (Phil 2:5)
But the greatest highlight of our trip was the day spent at the Sisters’ motherhouse on May 7, the Feast of Our Lady of China. Four young women professed their simple vows that day and afterwards we enjoyed a festive meal, where not only more good food was enjoyed, but singing and camaraderie, too. It was a blessed day.
The Clerestory • FALL 2011 seven
Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. (Phil 2:6)
br. george popovics, obl. s.b. born: april 30, 1920 invested: october 1, 1957 died: august 4, 2011 Our confrere, Br. George Popovics, died at Edward Hospital on August 4, 2011. Although born in Holden, West Virginia, on April 30, 1920, Brother George spent most of his youth in his parents’ native region of Subcarpathian Ruthenia, then a part of Czechoslovakia. At the age of nineteen, he returned to the United States and found work at a steel foundry in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. Drafted into the U.S. Army at the start of World War II, Br. George served in the paratroops, mostly at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. His unit was sent to Europe in the final months of the conflict, but the rapid advance of Allied ground forces meant that he never saw combat. After the war, Br. George worked in trucking and restaurant enterprises. After two years at Holy Trinity Priory in Pennsylvania, he came to St. Procopius Abbey in 1958 and spent the remainder of his days as a Benedictine oblate, living within the community without formally taking vows.
Deeply devoted to the Byzantine Rite, over the years Brother George worked with Frs. Claude Viktora, Chrysostom Tarasevitch, and Demetrius Kowalchik in various aspects of the Abbey’s efforts for church unity, especially the reunion of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
in memoriam monachorum a lighted candle burned brightly in front of a standing crucifix at his place at table in the refectory. May he rest in peace!
A hard worker throughout his life, Br. George served for several decades as the Abbey’s chauffeur, barber, beekeeper, winemaker and general jack of all trades. He always seemed to be busy with some useful activity, and all efforts to make him slow down as he grew older were unavailing. Br. George’s various construction projects around the Abbey and its outlying workshops guarantee that his labors for the monastic community will long be remembered. He is survived by his monastic community, his two brothers who live in Hungary, John and Peter, his sister-in-law, Mary Popovics, Somerset, New Jersey, and many nieces and nephews among them being Alice and Thomas Popovics. In memoriam, we light a candle for one month in front of a standing crucifix at Br. George’s place at table in the refectory. Please remember Br. George in your prayers and Masses.
Abbey Prayer & Worship The monks invite you to join them for morning and evening prayer, especially solemn vespers at 5:00 p.m. on Sundays. These are the usual Mass times, please call the Abbey switchboard at (630) 969-6410 to confirm Saturday Solemnity times or any other schedules.
Thanksgiving Services Monday, November 21 The Twenty-First DuPage 7:30 p.m. Interfaith Thanksgiving Service Thursday, November 24 Thanksgiving Mass
11:00 a.m.
Worship will be in the abbey church, unless noted (LC) indicating the Lady Chapel.
Monday – Friday
Sunday
Lauds 6:00 a.m. Noon Prayer (LC) 12:00 noon The Conventual Mass 4:50 p.m. Vespers 7:00 p.m.
Lauds 6:25 a.m. The Conventual Mass 11:00 a.m. Solemn Vespers 5:00 p.m. Compline (LC) 7:00 p.m.
The Solemnity of the Birth of the Lord The Christmas Season Saturday, December 24 First Vespers of Christmas 5:00 p.m. The Vigil Mass of Christmas 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 25 Christmas Morning Mass
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11:00 a.m.
Fr. Bob was something of the eternal optimist when it came to his cancer. Even the night before he died, he spoke of perhaps recovering enough strength to go to the planetarium! But at times the reality of Fr. Bob’s illness came into clear view for him. He was something like the first reading today. Half of the reading is a lamentation, the other half a declaration of hope. Fr. Bob experienced both lamentation and hope. But notice that in the first reading, it is hope that has the last word.
thought that the Spirit was sometimes neglected in our prayers and in our theology. For example, he did not prefer Eucharistic Prayer I because it never explicitly mentions the Holy Spirit. (For your information, today we will use Eucharistic Prayer III, which does explicitly mention the Spirit!) As for myself, this didn’t bother me so much. Yes, the Spirit was not always in the forefront in traditional theology, including the theology of the Church Fathers and even that of the New Testament. But still the Spirit was understood and often implied. Moreover, there is something fitting about the Spirit not being in the forefront, for the Spirit points us to Christ, who points us to the Father.
About three or four weeks ago, Fr. Bob experienced lamentation. I know this from talking then to Fr. Bob’s oncologist, Dr. Hantel. Dr. Hantel was updating me on Fr. Bob’s condition when he shared something that Fr. Bob had said. When speaking about his illness, Fr. Bob recalled to Dr. Hantel that even Christ experienced the feeling of being forsaken. We heard this in today’s gospel. When Christ was dying on the Cross, He took the words of Psalm 22 and made them His own; He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?!” Fr. Bob recalled the suffering of Christ— why? Because in his own lamentation, he was identifying with Christ. Hold that thought: Fr. Bob identified with Christ in His suffering.
But in the second reading, the Holy Spirit is mentioned explicitly. The reading says: “The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom 8). We are God’s children now! The reading goes on; it says: “and if [we are] children, then [we are] heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him” (Rom 8). If we are the children of God the Father, then we are the brothers and sisters of Christ the Son. Indeed, we have become the joint heirs of Christ. We wait to inherit the glory of heaven along with Christ.
I want now to turn to the second reading. I chose it for today’s Funeral Mass because it mentions the Holy Spirit. In Fr. Bob’s worship of God the Most Holy Trinity, he liked to think especially of the third person of the Trinity, that is, the Holy Spirit. He had been involved in charismatic forms of prayer where the Spirit’s actions are emphasized and even witnessed. In fact, when it came to the Holy Spirit, Fr. Bob and I had something of a disagreement. It wasn’t a disagreement in substance: we believed the same things about who the Holy Spirit is and what He does. However, Fr. Bob
Notice the last line in that quotation: it says we are “joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him” (Rom 8). Did Fr. Bob suffer with Christ? Yes—remember what he told Dr. Hantel. Fr. Bob spoke of Christ feeling forsaken and he identified with that. Fr. Bob suffered with Christ and, so, he could have the hope, and we should have the hope, that he will also be glorified with Christ. Yet we can look at this more deeply. Jesus said to His disciples, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you” (Jn 15). Fr. Bob chose Christ and identified with Him, yet the deeper reality is that Christ chose Fr. Bob. In fact, Christ chose to identify with Fr. Bob’s suffering. The
Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, (Phil 2:7)
fr. robert sum, o.s.b. born: june 3, 1961 professed: november 14, 1998 ordained: july 2, 2005 died: august 16, 2011
Abbot Austin’s Homily from the Mass of Christian Burial
Lord knows our sufferings and our lamentations, and He chose to identify with them. In order to identify with us, Jesus chose to experience forsakenness. That’s how great Christ’s love is! He chose to identify with us in our suffering, so that we might identify with Him when we suffered. But the point was not to stop there: Christ wanted us to identify with Him in His suffering, so that in the end we might identify with Him in His everlasting glory. Fr. Bob identified with Christ when he suffered from his cancer. And now that the suffering is over, we give hope the last word. In faith it is our hope that the most merciful Father will make Fr. Bob one with Christ in everlasting glory.
For more information on Fr. Robert’s biography, visit www.procopius.org/ community/deathnotice_sum.html.
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The Procopian
Oblate By Fr. David
Aspects of Oblate Formation
I
n the Fall 2010 issue of The Clerestory, we focused on the spiritual work of Saint John Climacus—his Ladder of Divine Ascent. Our Benedictine Oblates spent a few of their monthly meetings examining this work, doing so as a result of the February 11, 2009, public audience of Pope Benedict XVI, where he pointed out the importance of this spiritual work.
He humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. (Phil 2:8)
The Rule of Saint Benedict also makes use of the image of a ladder, or steps, in Chapter 7, “On Humility,” where he describes 12 steps or “degrees” of humility. Some centuries later, Saint Bernard with his Cistercian movement, following The Rule of Saint Benedict, describes the “Steps of Pride.” Saint Benedict made the image quite clear before he started to identify the individual steps that “the ladder thus set up is our life in the world, which the Lord raises up to heaven, if our heart is humbled.” Building on the image of the ladder that is described in which Jacob saw in a dream angels ascending and descending, St. Benedict makes the image quite clear: “we must surely understand nothing else than this, that we descend by self-exaltation and ascend by humility.” As we reflected in the last issue, “Can one apply the points made in this ancient monastic world to our contemporary world situation?” Again we said, “the pope insisted that the ladder is a prophetic symbol that reveals what is the life of the baptized in communion with Christ, with his death and resurrection.’” I find it interesting that some of the great insights into making The Rule of St. Benedict applicable to the life of the laity come from Protestant writers! Some years ago, in a national meeting, the Directors of Oblates voted to allow non-Catholic Christians to become
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Oblates of St. Benedict. The commentators on the Rule are, for the most part, Episcopalians or Presbyterians. John McQuiston II, a busy lawyer in Memphis, Tennessee, produced a marvelous little work that will fit into pocket or purse: Always to Begin Again. It is quite interesting how he takes the steps and makes sound applications to lay life. He interprets Benedict’s first stage, for example, by suggesting that we “keep the sacred nature of consciousness and the world in which it exists always alive within us.” He continues, “Everything we think, everything we do, everything we feel, is cast in time forever. Every moment that we live is irreplaceable, therefore each moment is hallowed.” We are including with this article a sketch of the “Steps of Humility” as well as the “Steps of Pride.” Again while we see St. Benedict and St. Bernard providing descriptions for monks, the applications for the laity come to help us in our journeys as we make applications to the lay life by considering the different ways which our contemporary authors use to explain with some detail. Another Episcopalian author, Jane Tomaine, in her St. Benedict’s Toolbox, retranslates the classical text as formed by St. Benedict: Here is the way she explains the individual steps: 1. To accept that God is present in my life and to live from that awareness. 2. To make doing God’s will my primary directive. 3. To recognize that I cannot always be in control, and to listen and respond to those who are—to be obedient. 4. To be patient and steadfast when our obedience places us in a difficult or unfair situation. 5. To practice self-disclosure with someone I trust.
6. To be willing to do the most menial tasks and be at peace with them. 7. To truly believe in my heart that others are better than I am. 8. To take no action except those endorsed by people who show wisdom and understanding. 9. To listen more than to talk. 10. To not laugh excessively. 11. To speak quietly and briefly with humility and restraint. 12. To know myself and my sinfulness and therefore to be humble inwardly and outwardly. As pointed out above, the steps of humility are given to us as an image to help us understand a way of action. They do not exist as ends in themselves, but serve to move us into the direction of holiness and integrity of life. St. Benedict was a wonderful man who understood human nature. From his days as a hermit, to the days when he tried to be a superior of men, to his days at Monte Cassino when he wrote the Rule, Benedict was always aware of how his views on life would help people gain the kingdom of heaven. For he makes it clear at the end of Chapter 72 of his Rule: “that we are to prefer nothing whatever to Christ, and May he bring us all together to everlasting life.”
Oblate Meetings Second Sunday of the month 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Contact Fr. David Turner, O.S.B. for more information. (630) 829-9266 dturner@procopius.org www.procopius.org/oblate
The Twelve Steps of Humility from St. Benedict
show humility externally gaze on the ground
11.
humble, grave, short speaking
10.
not quick to laughter
restraint of tongue—silence
9.
The Twelve Steps of Pride from Bernard of Clairvaux
Descending the Steps of Pride
1.
curiosity
2.
frivolity
consider and call oneself low
3.
foolish mirth
6.
being content with the meanest and poorest of goods
4.
boastfulness
5.
singularity
manifest one’s sins to Abbot
6.
conceit
4.
silence, patient & obedient even in harsh things
7.
audacity
8.
excusing sins
3.
submission to superior for the love of God
9.
hypocritical confessions
2.
renouncing of own will
10.
defiance (exclusion from monastery)
1.
fear of God and avoiding forgetfulness
11.
freedom to sin
12.
habitual sinning
8.
doing nothing but what The Rule commands
7.
5.
Ascending the Steps of Humility
Fr. James — vocations director The Clerestory speaks of our Benedictine work as a “great venture in Christian discipleship,” and in various ways, as you know, the publication seeks to invite friends of the community to share in that mission. One way certainly, to which I would particularly invite readers of The Clerestory, is to pray for vocations to the monastic life. This summer Abbot Austin appointed me to coordinate the Abbey’s vocation work. Seeking to build upon the work of my predecessor, Br. Guy Jelinek, we’ve expanded our efforts into the world of Facebook. A vocation page has been placed there under my name (“Fr. James Flint, O.S.B.”), with the intent of providing insights into the life of the Abbey and also articles of vocational or more general Catholic interest. Even those who are not members of Facebook can access this page through the Abbey website (www.procopius.org): simply go down the column on the right side of the home page and click where it says “Abbey Vocations on Facebook.” Again, please keep the monastery’s vocation efforts in your prayers, for we need, of course, God’s assistance to continue and enhance our “great venture in Christian discipleship.” The Abbey’s vocation office can be contacted at (630) 829-9279 or at jflint@ben.edu. Find Us On Facebook Fr. James Flint, O.S.B.
benedictine university and st. procopius abbey invite you to
Advent at the Abbey December 10, 2011 st. procopius abbey, lisle
Devoting Ourselves Frequently to Prayer: the Benedictine Tradition Presenters: Fr. Becket Franks, O.S.B., St. Procopius Abbey Chris Fletcher, Ph.D., Benedictine University
Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name. (Phil 2:9)
12.
St. Benedict instructs us “to pray always.” In the Benedictine community there are set times and places for prayer. But how do people outside the monastery pray so that they participate in the “Tools of Good Works?” 9:00 a.m. arrival and coffee 9:30 a.m. lauds 10:00 a.m. lectio divina 11:00 a.m. sacrament of reconciliation 12:00 p.m. eucharist 12:30 p.m. lunch 1:30 p.m. talk 2:30 p.m. closing prayer and blessing To secure a place for the day and to help us plan the catering arrangements, please call Fr. Becket at (630) 829-9253. There is no fee for this day, but a free will offering will be accepted. The Clerestory • FALL 2011 eleven
B
ishop R. Daniel Conlon is the fifth Bishop for the Diocese of Joliet, which includes more than 655,000 Catholics throughout seven counties in the northeast part of Illinois. He was installed on July 14, 2011 at the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus in Joliet.
Bishop Conlon succeeds Bishop J. Peter Sartain, the previous bishop of the diocese, who was installed as Archbishop of Seattle in December 2010. Since then, the day-to-day operation of the Diocese of Joliet has been handled by its Diocesan Administrator, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Siegel.
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth. (Phil 2:10)
Commenting about the new appointment, Auxiliary Bishop Siegel said, “I was overjoyed to receive the news. I know Bishop Conlon will be a blessing to the people of the Diocese of Joliet, building on the strong foundation laid by his predecessors. I look forward to working with him and acquainting him with our Diocese.” Bishop Robert Daniel Conlon was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on December 4, 1948. His parents, both still living, are Robert and Carla (Holzman) Conlon. He is the oldest of six children. He completed a Master of Divinity degree in 1975 at the Athenaeum of Ohio/ Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary of the West in Cincinnati and was ordained a priest on January 15, 1977 at St. Agnes Church by Archbishop Joseph L. Bernardin.
The Monks Welcome Bishop Conlon to the Joliet Diocese!
He served as associate pastor at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Anderson Township, Cincinnati from February 1977 until July 1982. Beginning in August 1981 until August 1983 he served as Director of the Office of Planning and Research and Assistant Chancellor in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. For the next three and a half years, he studied Canon Law at St. Paul University in Ottawa, Ontario, earning the degrees of Doctor of Canon Law and Doctor of Philosophy in January 1987. He returned to Cincinnati to become the archdiocesan Chancellor and Director of the Department of Executive Services, serving in those capacities until July 1996 when he was named pastor of Holy Redeemer Parish, New Bremen, Ohio. He served there until he was ordained and installed as Bishop of Steubenville on August 6, 2002. As Bishop of Steubenville, he has taken a number of steps to promote and safeguard the faith, including the development of quality catechesis. Promoting the ongoing formation of priests and new priestly vocations have also been priorities for him. He has worked closely with Franciscan University of Steubenville. Bishop Conlon has personally visited all the parishes and schools of the diocese numerous times. He has served as the Episcopal Advisor for the Catholic Committee of Appalachia since January 2005. In December 2006, he was appointed to a three-year term on the Bishops’ Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People; in November 2010 he was elected as Chair-elect of the same committee. He served as a member of the Marriage and Family Life Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and helped to draft the pastoral letter, Marriage and Life in the Divine Plan. In his spare time, Bishop Conlon enjoys hiking, reading, and socializing with friends. Source: http://www.dioceseofjoliet.org/documents/Bishop%20R.%20Daniel%20Conlon%20Announcement.pdf
In Memoriam
of all of our confreres, relatives, friends and benefactors
+ Georgina Pechacek, oblate + Bela Lobo, mother of Dr. Isobel Lobo, Benedictine University faculty member
S t . P rocopi u s A bb e y TWELVE
+ Sheila Jacklich, friend of the abbey and Benet faculty member
+ William Turner, brother of Fr. David
+ Brother George Popovics, Obl. S.B.
+ Sister Bernadette Havlik, O.S.B., sister of Abbot Thomas
+ Father Robert Sum, O.S.B.
+ Joseph Kozel, brother of Br. Raphael
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Abbey AdVentures o u r
g r e a t
n After the death of Fr. Kevin in March 2009, Prioress Judith Ann Heble, O.S.B., and the sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery planted a pear tree and memorialized Fr. Kevin as a friend of their community and as a board member for their senior retirement center, Villa St. Benedict. n Fr. Philip published a review of Anticimenon. On the Unity of the Faith and the Controversies with the Greeks by Anselm of Havelberg, translated by Ambrose Criste, O.Prem. and Carol Neel. Cistercian Studies Series 232, Premonstratensian Texts and Studies 1 in The American Benedictine Review 62(2011), 219-222, and, a review of David N. Bell, Orthodoxy: Evolving Tradition in The American Benedictine Review 61(2010), 111-112. n And while he was in residence at the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois, Fr. Philip delivered the Paluch Lectures to the academic community at Mundelein Seminary. The lectures were entitled, “Orthodox Ecclesiology and Ecumenical Practice,” “Medieval Ecclesiology: From Body of Christ to Hierarchical Institution,” “The Background and Rationale for the Liturgy of the Hours,” published in Chicago Studies 49(2010), 191-222.
v e n t u r e
o f
C h r i s t i a n
n Fr. James preached a retreat at St. Bernard Abbey in Alabama from May 29 to June 3. Then he preached the community retreat at Belmont Abbey in North Carolina from June 13 to June 17. n The president of the Congregation, Abbot Hugh, plans many travels in the latter part of 2011. In August he attended the Conference of Major Superiors of Men in Orlando, Florida. From September 25 to October 2, he joins the Abbot Primate at the Synod of Presidents’ Meeting at Sevento Benedikto Vienuolynas Palendrai, Lithuania. Then, he flies to France for a meeting with the Alliance of International Monasticism (AIM) (http://www.aim-usa.org) in the city of Liguge. n Abbot Austin and community welcomed Fr. Douglas Martis, priest of the Joliet diocese, to be our retreat director from June 6-9. After the monks intoned the hymn, Veni, Creator Spiritus, Fr. Martis set as his theme an idea based on the use of the revised Roman Missal. He posed a rhetorical question: “Does the Liturgy have something to say to us where we find ourselves now?” Fr. Martis is the director of the Liturgical Institute at the University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein, Illinois.
d i s c i p l e s h i p .
n Abbey Advancement updated the website for online giving! Please go to: 1. www.procoopius.org 2. Click on “Giving” 3. Drop down to “Ways to Give.” 4. Click on the button, “Donate Now.” Notice that we are certified by TRUSTWAVE. n Find Us On Facebook We invite you to be our friend. The Abbey is keeping up with current social media trends with Facebook pages for the Abbot, vocations, and this magazine. The Abbot posts weekly quotes from St. Benedict’s Rule, homilies, information about Saints and Feast Days, as well as beautiful images on his wall. Check out all our pages, become our friends, give us a thumbs up and add your comments. Spread the word and “recommend” our pages to all your friends. The Abbot’s page: Abbot Austin G. Murphy, O.S.B. The Clerestory’s page: The Clerestory Magazine of the Monks of St. Procopius Abbey. Abbey Vocations: Fr. James Flint, O.S.B.
And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil 2:11)
C h r o n i c l i n g
The Clerestory • FALL 2011 THIRTEEN
St. Procopius Abbey
5601 College Road Lisle, Illinois 60532-4463
2 The Ministry of the Monks
6 A Visit to Asia 8 In Memoriam Prayer and Worship Schedule 10 The Procopian Oblate 11 New Vocations Director Advent at the Abbey 12 Welcome Bishop Conlon 14 Abbey Adventures
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