k ansas
monks
a publication for the Society of St. Benedict
The Ordination of Father Simon Baker, OSB
ALS O IN S ID E: F R . D EN IS - 6 5 Y EA RS A M ON K LO O K IN G BAC K AT T H E AB BOT ’ S TABLE T H E DAN G ER O F D IST RACT IO N , & M ORE. . . Society of St. Benedict
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Ora
Labora
6 - Hail Mary
4 - From the Abbot
18 - Danger of Distraction
8 - 65 Years a Monk
Fr. Meinrad Miller discusses the role of Mary in the lives of the monks of St. Benedict’s Abbey. We live in a fragmented society. Br. Leven Harton talks about avoiding the pitfall of distraction.
• • • • • • • • • • •
Abbot James reflects on the origins of Benedictine spirituality. Fr. Denis celebrates 65 years of monastic life.
12 - Introducing Fr. Simon Life is full of surprises. We celebrate the ordination of Fr. Simon Baker.
16 - The Abbot’s Table
A review of the 2015 Abbot’s Table honoring Archbishop James P. Keleher and Curtis Martin, founder of FOCUS.
20 - The Foundation
Abbey historian Fr. Denis Meade reveals the history of the Abbey’s Charter.
22 - I was in Prison
Thoughts on the prison oblate program from the prisoners themselves.
Announcment of New Monastic Assignments for 2015-16
Fr. Brendan Rolling will work with the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) as a part-time chaplain. Fr. Daniel McCarthy will begin teaching at the Pontificio Ateneo Sant’Anselmo, Rome, beginning with the spring semester 2016. He will continue to teach at the Liturgy Institute in London during the summer months. Br. Emmanuel Orrino will begin priesthood studies in the fall at St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pa. Fr. Jay Kythe has been appointed full-time Associate Chaplain at Benedictine College and will continue his duties as retreat master at the Abbey. Prior Jeremy Heppler will continue as Chaplain at Maur Hill-Mount Academy and teach part-time in its the Theology department. He will continue to serve as Prior at the Abbey. Br. Joseph Ryan will oversee the staging of the windows replacement project for the monastic community in addition to his duties as Porter, Assistant Guest Master and Groudskeeper. Br. Luke Turner will return to teaching at Benedictine College in the Business Department; he will continue as monastic liaison to the Abbey Advancement Office and Abbey Kitchen Master. Fr. Marion Charboneau will teach part-time in the Benedictine College History Department while working on his doctoral dissertation in American History at Kansas State University. Fr. Meinrad Miller will assume the duties of Oblate Director. He will continue as Novice Master, Assistant Choir Master, and with his teaching duties in the Benedictine College Theology Department. Br. Placidus Lee will teach part-time in the Theology department at Maur Hill-Mount Academy. Fr. Simon Baker has been appointed Chaplain at Benedictine College; he also assumes the role of Junior Master at the Abbey.
On the cover: Fr. Simon Baker offers his second blessing as a newly ordained priest to Abbot James, the first being exteneded to Archbishop Naumann (photo on page 15). Photo by Alexander Vu.
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SUSTENANCE I ’m h u n g r y. T h i s i s p r o b a b l y t h e m o s t f u n d a m e n t a l e v i d e n c e o f o u r h u m a n i t y. As soon as we enter this world, this basic need must be met. But this simple need does not define our entire person. We a l l h a v e m a n y n e e d s : t o a c c o m p l i s h s o m e t h i n g , t o b e p r a i s e d , to be wanted, to love and to be loved. T h i s d e s i r e f o r l o v e i s a t t h e c e n t e r o f o u r h u m a n i t y. We a r e n o t s a t i s f i e d s i m p l y b y b e i n g f e d a n d h a v i n g s h e l t e r, b u t w e d e s i r e s o m e t h i n g g r e a t e r, s o m e t h i n g b e y o n d o u r s e l v e s . E m o t i o n s – j o y, sadness , and ever ything in between – solidif y me in my faith. Just as hunger reminds us that there is fo o d, so the desires of o u r h e a r t s i n s t r u c t u s t h a t t h e r e i s s o m e t h i n g g r e a t e r, s o m e t h i n g beyond ourselves. One of my earliest memories is being told something rather simple: God is love. The monks , through their dedication to p r a y e r, a r e s t r i v i n g t o e n v e l o p t h e m s e l v e s i n t h i s l o v e . T h e y demonstrate how we can experience that love – right here, right n o w. I hope we can all learn from their beautiful example: that despite the many things in our lives , it is love – and more importantly G o d ’s l o v e – t h a t s u s t a i n s u s . - J . D. B e n n i n g E d i t o r, K a n s a s M o n k s , B C ’ 0 8 p.s . The Abbe y i s be autif ul in the summer time ; I encourage y ou to visit and pray with the monks.
GOD IS LOVE, AND WHOEVER REMAINS IN LOVE REMAINS IN GOD - 1 JOHN 4:16
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From the Abbot
Dominus Providebit That crusty bread dangling on a rope h e l d t h e f u t u r e o f We s t e r n c i v i l i z a t i o n . . .
What we know about St. Benedict
we have learned through his Rule, and through the writings of Pope St. Gregory the Great, who was writing decades after St. Benedict lived. We are told by St. Gregory in his second Dialogue that St. Benedict fled Rome and his studies at about the age of today’s college student, seeking the solitude of a hermit in a cave near the town of Subiaco. St. Gregory tells us that on the road to Subiaco, St. Benedict met a monk named Romanus. In the Magnificat magazine, the entry for the day before the Solemnity of the Passing of our holy father St. Benedict, March 21, my spiritual director pointed out to me a meditation by John Janaro. He ponders over the thought of this chance meeting between St. Romanus and St. Benedict, and what became of their friendship that developed. This thought of a chance meeting started me thinking on the idea of how God’s Providence might seem happenchance to us, yet God works in our lives sometimes in the most simple, mundane occurrences. In his meditation Janaro wrote: “Romanus’ monastery was from the established Byzantine Greek tradition… Thus, on the road to Subiaco, Eastern Christianity met Western, the Greek met the Latin, one man met another man, and a simple collaborative friendship began. The older monk listened to Benedict’s aspirations. Perhaps they spent some days together, but at the end Romanus clothed the young man with the… [Byzantine monastic robe] and brought him to a cave below the cliff of his own monastery. Then Romanus served the young hermit. Every day he tied some bread to a rope and lowered it down to Benedict’s cave. Thus during these years of formative solitude, from which the first monastic communities of Subiaco would be born, Benedict was not entirely alone. Romanus provisioned him the whole time, and saw to the needs of this young man whom he had vested in the habit of his community. Surely Benedict saw great love in that daily loaf [of bread]. He sought to live for God alone, and in this life he was helped by a friend’s service. Perhaps this simple gesture helped him understand monastic community: the way that monks search for God and find him in service of their brothers. Here was a basic insight that awakened and shaped Benedict’s vision. That crusty bread dangling on a rope held the future of Western civilization, and so much more.” “That crusty bread dangling on a rope held the future of Western civilization, and so much more.”
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My G od wil l f ul ly supply whate ver you ne e d , in a ccor d w i t h his g lorious riche s in C hrist Jes us. To our God and Fathe r , glory f ore ver and e ve r . A me n. -Phillipians 4:19-20
Something so simple, so ordinary, as to provide a daily loaf of bread, allowed St. Benedict to internalize Him for whom he searched, and something so simple, so ordinary, as providing a loaf of bread, changed the world. St. Romanus and St. Benedict could not have envisioned the results of that daily interchange, they could not have envisioned the fruit of their friendship. This thought of the simplicity of an encounter in Christ and the relationship that goes forth from it is intriguing to me. I would not be writing these words as an abbot of a monstery in Kansas had St. Benedict and St. Romanus not met and developed that friendship. We may recognize in our lives – whether in the monastery or outside – that our simple, day-to-day offering has the power to be born into something great. As monks, we experience the simplicity of rising at 6 a.m. every day for prayer. The simplicity of daily labor in our various assignments. The simplicity of coming together for meals and recreation. The simplicity of stopping what we are doing at the sound of the bell, and making our way to chapel for prayer throughout the day. The simplicity of serving each other through various tasks around the monastery. The simplicity of denying our own desires for the good of the community. The simplicity of silence and the gift of listening. The simplicity of dying to self each day, of keeping death daily before our eyes. The simplicity of putting on the yoke of Christ. There is nothing about any of these individual activities that makes our lives anything but simple. Make your own list of simple activities in and about your life and your vocation and consider what effect they might have on you, those around you, and even the world. The danger that we face is falling into the temptation of thinking “my life is for naught, it’s unexciting, unproductive.” We are reminded then of “that crusty bread dangling on a rope” that “held the future of Western civilization, and so much more.” Let us place ourselves before the Lord, the Eucharistic Lord, in these thoughts of simplicity and recognize the daily offering of our lives, whether that be as monks of this monastery or a lay person outside. We make our offering in the simplicity that resembles that crusty bread. It is an offering that is sufficient, and through it, God provides all the rest, making our lives in Christ, extra-ordinary. This is his providence.
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our Lady at the Abbey by Fr. Me i n ra d M i l l e r
Visitors to the Abbey are greeted by our Coat of Arms, with a cross and the moon. This simple sign reminds us daily that we trust in the Lord who will provide. The moon, which represents Our Lady of Divine Providence, reflects the light of the Cross of Christ. The moon does not compete with the sun, or replace it; rather it brings the light of the sun to dispel the darkness of night just as Mary brings the light of Jesus to dispel the darkness of sin and unbelief in our hearts. Devotion to Our Lady, and an awareness of her concern for us, has been a part of the Christian life from the earliest years. We see in the Scriptures the role Mary played in the life of Jesus and the early community all the way from the Annunciation through Pentecost. In many ways Mary has been a model for those who embrace the Benedictine life because she teaches us how to say “yes” to Jesus, and how to ponder His meaning for our lives. Within a year of the founding of our community in 1857 Our Lady appeared again in our world at Lourdes, France, in 1858 to St. Bernadette Soubirous. Like all things that have to do with God’s providence, this apparition, which supported the teaching that she was the Immaculate Conception, came at a historical moment in need of this simple teaching. Sophisticated thinkers during the enlightenment had convinced themselves that the human race had no need for God. Our Lady appeared in a world where humanity had become the measure of itself, and reminded the world that the self-made man is an illusion. Even her sanctity is a gift from God given freely at the Immaculate Conception. Through the ages Benedictines have pondered this great mystery each evening by ending Vespers with the hymn Our Lady cried out in the Gospel upon her visit to Elizabeth:
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, My spirit rejoices in God my savior
For he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. St. Bede the Venerable (672-735), a Benedictine monk, taught us that these words of Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) remind us that she alone was chosen, and she burned with spiritual love for the son she so joyously conceived. When we chant these words every evening we also are reminded to stop and, through Mary, burn with spiritual love for Jesus. St. Bede goes on to remind us of the advantages we have of singing the Canticle of Mary (Magnificat) at Vespers: “Therefore it is an excellent and fruitful custom of holy Church that we should sing Mary’s hymn at the time of Evening Prayer. By meditating upon the 6
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incarnation, our devotion is kindled, and by remembering the example of God’s Mother, we are encouraged to lead a life of virtue. Such virtues are best achieved in the evening. We are weary after the day’s work and worn out by our distractions. The time for rest is near, and our minds are ready for contemplation.” A few important things to note here: first – meditating upon the incarnation is fruitful every day. This meditation should not be about merely something that happened in ancient history 2000 years ago. What we remember is that Christ who became flesh now continues to come to us. We should desire with all our hearts to encounter Christ as a present reality. Second – St. Bede teaches us that remembering the example of God’s Mother, Mary, will encourage us to live a life of virtue. St. Benedict spoke of virtue in a few key places. First in the chapter on humility, he says that when “we arrive at humility we live no longer out of a fear of hell, but out of love for Christ, good habit, and delight in virtue” (RB 7:69). We often forget our destiny, we forget the one who creates us, saves us, forgives us, and loves us. Mary always remembers her Son and allows us to sing her song of praise. At the very end of the Rule, St. Benedict mentions virtue again. After telling us not only to read the Rule, but to read the Old and New Testaments, the holy Catholic Fathers, John Cassian and St. Basil, St. Benedict ends with this thought: “After that, you can set out for the loftier summits of the teaching and virtues we mentioned above, and under God’s protection you will reach them. Amen” (RB 73:9). Third – we are told by St. Bede that the words of Mary’s canticle lead us to rest and contemplation. We become like Martha in Luke 10, anxious and concerned about many things. Our Lady invites us to rest with her in Jesus. Our first Abbot, Innocent Wolf, was a man of deep faith and learning, having received his doctorate in theology from Rome. He also was a capable administrator, having been appointed Prior at St. Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pa. by Archabbot Boniface Wimmer. Others saw his leadership ability, and in 1875 he was about to be elected as second Abbot of St. John’s Abbey, Collegeville, Minn. However, Archabbot Boniface would not hear of losing his Prior. A year later he would have to let him go as the monks of Kansas elected Abbot Innocent as our first Abbot in 1876. He would later be elected Archabbot in Latrobe, but declined, choosing instead to stay in Kansas. Abbot Innocent’s devotion is evident in the design of his coat of arms. In addition to the cross and moon as the symbols of the Abbey, Abbot Innocent had two hearts on his coat of arms: the heart of Jesus, and the heart of Mary. Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta would often repeat that the Immaculate Heart of Mary is the cause of our joy because she brings us to Jesus, and we become the cause of her joy when we lead others to Jesus. One aspect of our devotion to Mary is that for some it can seem remote and distant. What we find instead is one who is a great mother for all of us because she knows the human heart. She knows of fears, anxieties, and needs. As Pope Benedict XVI said of her initial response at the Annunciation: Her fear comes not from lack of understanding nor from that small-hearted anxiety to which some would like to reduce it. It comes from the trepidation of that encounter with God, that immeasurable joy which can make the most hardened natures quake. We are reminded of Mary here at the abbey through our coat of arms, through visits to the Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel, through her Canticle chanted daily, and at the end of the day through chanting one of the Latin Marian Antiphons. These hymns such as the Salve Regina (Hail, Holy Queen) unite our voices that rise to heaven through our Lady of Divine Providence as her light leads us to Jesus. Pope Francis is entrusting the coming Year of Mercy to Mary: I am convinced that the whole Church will find in this Jubilee the joy needed to rediscover and make fruitful the mercy of God, with which all of us are called to give consolation to every man and woman of our time. From this moment, we entrust this Holy Year to the Mother of Mercy, that she might turn her gaze upon us and watch over our journey.
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Denis Meade
65
YEARS
A MONASTIC LIFETIME
by Joe Bollig
There is an Abbey legend – that a certain Br. Matt had the ability to predict which novices would stay and which would leave. “He took care of the gardens and the novices would work for him,” said Fr. Denis Meade. “After I made my profession, after a year, in joking I asked ‘Br. Matt, which ones of these novices are going to stay and which ones are leaving?’” said Fr. Denis. “I ain’t making predictions any more,” said Br. Matt. “Why not?” asked Fr. Denis. “When you came, I thought ‘Shucks, that fella’s gonna to leave in three weeks,’” said Br. Matt. Br. Matt certainly had a sense of humor. Maybe. “Maybe he really meant it,” said Fr. Denis. If only Br. Matt had lived long enough to see Fr. Denis break his own record.
This year, Fr. Denis celebrates his 65th anniversary of becoming a monk and 60th anniversary of his priestly ordination. He will mark the anniversaries by celebrating the 10:00 a.m. Mass on Sept. 13 in the Abbey Church with a reception afterward. The public is welcome to attend. “It’s great to be a monk because you have a great way of life, which is encouraging and challenging,” said Fr. Denis. “You join the school of the Lord’s service so you can, in the words of the Prologue to the Rule, live this way of life so you can run the way of God’s commandments with expanded hearts and the inexpressible joy of love.” “That’s a wonderful goal. It’s enough to keep you going through the years,” he continued. “And also the idea of the fraternal life of people striving to go together toward God, living in the bonds of fellowship, friendship and charity. And doing something productive for the Kingdom of God.” Fr. Denis was born in Des Moines but raised in Cumming, Iowa, the youngest of six. His baptismal name was James Thomas Meade. His Benedictine journey began while he was at Dowling
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Catholic High School in Des Moines. He wanted to go to a larger school. “I had a friend there who transferred to Maur Hill in Atchison,” said Fr. Denis. “Interestingly, by the time I transferred there the next year, he had been expelled. I understand he was a good benefactor of Maur Hill over the years, nevertheless.” Fr. Denis graduated from Maur Hill in 1947 and began studies at St. Benedict’s College. He had begun to think seriously about becoming a priest in his later high school years. At the college he lived “on the hill,” in a residence for young men considering religious life or the priesthood. One of his classmates was Fr. Anthony Licktieg, a priest of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. “I was drawn to the life of religious community,” said Fr. Denis. “I thought, hopefully, I might be a teacher. The vast majority of the faculty and administration of the college were the monks themselves. At that time it was customary for those who were interested in becoming [monks] to enter the Abbey after their sophomore year in college, so that’s’ what I did.”
He entered the Abbey and professed his first vows on July 11, 1950, months shy of turning age 20. Two years later his abbot gave him the opportunity to study at the Pontifical Atheneum of Sant Anselmo, the international Benedictine college in Rome. “I was pleased,” he said. “I didn’t go kicking and screaming.” In those days students learned Italian and Latin the way Viking children learned to swim: No preparation, just jump in and sink or swim. “It was a struggle,” he said. “Our classes were in Latin. We had taken Latin here, but we never [were instructed] in Latin.” So, how was his Latin? “Poor,” he said. “Well, mediocre. My Latin was passable. And then Italian, with self-help books, you learned on your own.” Fr. Denis studied theology at Sant’ Anselmo from 1952 to 1956, and then canon law at the Pontifical Lateran University from 1956 to 1961. In those days people didn’t buzz back and forth across the Atlantic, so Fr. Denis would explore Europe during his summers. He went to Bavaria, Austria, France and Belgium. He professed solemn vows on May 26, 1953, in a subterranean chapel of Monte Cassino, which was still being repaired after the World War II Allied bombing nearly obliterated the cradle of the Benedictine order. He was ordained a deacon on Sept. 8, 1954, at the Abbey of St. Paul of Wisques in northern France. He also spent a short time at the Abbey of Saint Andres in Bruges. A part of him will always remain in Bruges — literally. “I also had the good fortune of leaving my appendix there,” said Fr. Denis. He was ordained a priest on June 28, 1955, at St. Peter’s Abbey in Assisi, Italy, by Bishop Placido Nicolini, OSB. The bishop saved hundreds of Jews from the Nazis as mastermind of “The Assisi Underground.” Fr. Denis returned to Atchison in 1961 and for a short time, taught in St. Benedict’s Abbey’s internal seminary. When it closed he became an instructor of religious studies at St. Benedict’s College, later Benedictine College. He taught introduction to theology, moral theology, church history and sacramental theology. “I taught introductory courses to under-motivated freshmen,” laughed Fr. Denis. Maybe not so under-motivated.
“He was just so personable and so knowledgeable,” said Deacon Frank Olmsted, a teacher at De Smet High School in St. Louis., who was an undergraduate at the college from 1969 to 1972. Deacon Olmsted also taught at the college from 1975 to 1984. “We used to joke in class [Fr. Denis] had infused knowledge,” Olmsted continued. “He seemed to have everything at his beck and call. Anything he read, he had. It was a part of him. He seemed like an infinite well of knowledge and wisdom. I have three degrees in theology . . . and I taught theology for 41 years. If there is one person responsible for what I ended up doing, it would be Fr. Denis. He was a terrific model.” Another student Fr. Denis motivated and inspired was Patrick Carr, a member of the Church of the Nativity in Leawood, Kan. “Fr. Denis is clearly a special person,” said Carr, who graduated from Benedictine College in 1994, and has been working for Hallmark Cards since he graduated. “He was a really good professor . . . he was such a welcoming spirit and inspirational teacher,” Carr continued. “I connected with Fr. Denis the first time I met him. So over the years we developed a friendship. My wife Kate, who graduated in 1993, also had Fr. Denis as a professor. In fact, we appreciated him so much that we asked him to officiate at our wedding in El Paso, Tex., after we both graduated from college.” Fr. Denis was assigned to St. Joseph Priory in Mineiros, Brazil from 1987 to 1989. After he retired from teaching in 2000, he returned to Brazil at age 71 and ministered from 2001 to 2005. He worked in the marriage tribunal and did parochial work. He also worked in the formation of the Abbey’s new monks in Goiania. continued on next page
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“I found it in the main pleasant,” he said. “Brazilians are warm, affectionate and hospitable.” He kept busy after he returned to Atchison. From 2007 until now he has been postulant director. He served as junior master from 2008-2015. Much has changed in the Church and the abbey during Fr. Denis’ life and ministry. Some have been merely “stylistic,” while others have been more substantial — and welcome. “Our day is still framed by the Liturgy of the Hours, but it is now in English, and I consider that a blessing,” he said. “But one does miss the beauty of the lovely Latin chant.” “It’s a source of happiness now, that after some years of drought, we are experiencing a steady entrance of new members at the Abbey,” said Fr. Denis. “One of the nicest things I’ve experienced after coming back from Brazil is helping all these men get their start. So now our monastery is becoming young again.” One of those younger monks guided by Fr. Denis is Fr. Meinrad Miller, who has known him since he was a student at Benedictine. “He’s a faithful monk and priest,” said Fr. Meinrad. “When he came back [from Italy] with his doctorate, it was an interesting time. There was a lot of upheaval and changes. But I think he was a steadying force. He neither wanted to go back to the way things were in the old days or throw everything out the window. He’ll be remembered as reasonably looking at the signs of the times and helping us to evaluate which way to go.” Fr. Blaine Schultz, who has known Fr. Denis for at least 50 years, appreciates Fr. Denis’ ability to tell a good story and his “fantastic memory for names.” He also gave Fr. Denis high marks for being a “good community man” and keeper of the Abbey’s history and lore. He does liturgy very well. Fr. Denis is also has a way with words, a “delightful conversationalist” and homilist. “I’ve always enjoyed his homilies and other people do, too,” said Fr. Blaine. “I would rate him one of our better homilists. Not pretty good — really good, very good.” And so Fr. Denis, even in retirement, keeps doing those “better things.” In addition to his work as postulant director and director of junior professed, he celebrates daily Mass for the Benedictine Sisters at the Dooley Center at Mount St. Scholastica Monastery, and is a judge in the tribunal of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. Being a senior monk is both a responsibility and a privilege for Fr. Denis. He contributes to the stability and vitality of the community. And he is an example to the younger monks, sharing his wisdom. He even has some wisdom about wisdom, too. “Don’t be conceited about the thought that you have accumulated a lot of wisdom,” said Fr. Denis. “Look back over your years and thank God that people have forgotten the embarrassing things you’ve done, and be grateful for the presence of the Lord in your life. “Be grateful for whatever good you’ve been able to do, and the tolerance people have given you throughout the years when your performance has been mediocre,” he continued. “Or maybe under-motivated.” Fr. Denis with all of the monks for whom he has served as postulant director.
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FATHER DENIS MEADE
Born: Oct. 16, 1930 First vows: July 11, 1950 Solemn vows: May 26, 1953 Diaconate ordination: Sept. 8, 1954 Priestly ordination: June 28, 1955 You have to look at your life and remember that all of our faith life is vocation. So you have to pray about it, and look and see if inclination and opportunity meet. And of course, ask if you really believe that you can come closer to the Lord by following this inclination and opportunity to become a monk. So you need to discern, you need advice, you need to take some time, but at a given point you need to decide. You can’t spend your whole life discerning. The person who is going to become a monk and priest [should] look at what is good there and if it is good for them, and simply say “As far as I can tell God is calling me there because I am inclined toward it and the opportunity is there.” Ask the Lord to lead you and guide you, and have confidence he will if you accept his call.
Le a v e a l a s t ing le g ac y for
St. Benedict’s Abbey Have you considered leaving the monks in your will or estate plans?
- A p l a n n e d g i f t t o t h e m o n k s o f S t . B e n e d i c t ’s Ab b e y c r e a t e s a lasting legacy that will allow them to continue their mission of prayer and work for the sanctification of the world. Fo r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n c o n t a c t o u r Director of Advancement Matt Kemnitz
info@kansasmonk s.org - or - 913.360.7897
-If you have alre ady included St . Benedict’s Abbe y in your will or if you have any questions, please contact our Advancement Office. Society of St. Benedict
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THE ORDINATION OF
FATHER SIMON BAKER BY J O E B O L L I G
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R N R
Tw e lv e y e a rs a g o , i f you had as ked Ri ck and Ter r i Baker w h o i n the i r fa m i ly ha d a r eli gi ous vocati on, the answer would h ave bee n e a sy. It wa s t h e i r o ld e st s o n, Luke, who enter ed St. Benedi ct’s A b b ey in 2003. Mea nw h i l e , t h e i r yo u ngest s on Car l was begi nni ng co l l eg e l ife at Ro c k hurst Un i v e rsi ty i n Kans as Ci ty. He was goi ng to st udy p hys i cs , p l ay s o c c e r and m eet gi r ls . “ H e i s v e ry p e rs o n able, ” s ai d Ter r i . “He’s good lookin g , an d c h a rm i n g , a n d at h l et i c , and s mar t. He’s got ever y thi ng . A n d al l th i s t i m e I ’ m t hi n k i n g OK , he’s goi ng to get mar r i ed, an d t h at’s th e g i rl he’s g o i n g to m ar r y , and that’s what hi s ki ds are g o in g to lo o k l i k e .” But t he G o d of s u rp r i s es had other i deas .
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Luke found his true vocation in the married life. Carl entered St. Benedict’s Abbey, receiving the name Simon, and professed his first vows on Aug. 15, 2009, and solemn vows on Aug. 4, 2012. He was ordained Fr. Simon by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann on April 25. “[Luke] was always going to be the priest and I always was not,” says Fr. Simon. Fr. Simon — baptized Carl Simon Baker — is one of five children of Rick and Therese “Terri” Baker. He grew up in Independence, Mo., and the family belonged to St. Regis Parish in Kansas City, Mo., and then St. Mark the Evangelist Parish, Independence, Mo. Growing up, Fr. Simon was “all boy,” said Rick. “He was just a fanatic about sports,” said Rick. “If it was a ball and could be picked up, thrown or kicked — he picked it up, threw it and kicked it.” The Catholic faith is very important to Rick and Terri, so Fr. Simon went to Catholic grade school and graduated from Archbishop O’Hara High School in 2003. “We all make a journey in our faith as individuals, and I can really see my family making a journey of faith as a family,” said Fr. Simon. His thoughts about the priesthood while growing up were few and fleeting. “I had been asked by a couple of folks, maybe a teacher or coach, if I was interested in the priesthood,” said Fr. Simon. “I sang in the choir and served at Mass, so I was familiar enough with what I thought a priest was. I liked helping people, and I thought, ‘Yeah, I think I can see myself doing that.’ And then a pretty girl would walk by and I’d get distracted. If I ever thought about it for any length of time, it was not a serious notion.” When Fr. Simon studied at Rockhurst University, he faced a couple of challenges. The first was the idea that science can explain all things and denies God. “It is said about philosophy that a little philosophy makes a person an atheist, whereas a lot of philosophy makes a person a Christian,” said Fr. Simon. “So it is with the physical sciences. A little science makes one think the material world is self-sufficient and that God is superfluous. “A lot of science, however, makes one appreciate the incredible handiwork of our beautiful Creator,” he continued. “In my early college years, I only had a little science and a little philosophy. Now I see the whole picture and marvel at his artistry.” The second challenge was college life. “I was playing college sports, and while I wasn’t crazy I was caught up in some of the things college athletics can bring with it,” said Fr. Simon. “More than anything I was caught up in that.” Fr. Simon began to visit his brother Luke at St. Benedict’s Abbey, sometimes staying for a couple of days. Luke could make sense about everything. “He and I would have long conversations about God and faith, and heaven,” said Fr. Simon. “A light was shone on all of my studies and my life, and all of a sudden things began making sense.” St. Benedict’s Abbey became very special to him. “When I came up to visit Luke I found a lot of peace and prayer in the monastery,” said Fr. Simon. “Everything was so rightly ordered. Everything made sense. I felt a peace with God’s call. I came up there to the monastery, and everyone was living good and holy lives. It was kind of liberating.” His mother also gave him a book about the life of Christ. He tore through that book and then several others. “As I was reading them Jesus became not just a concept or a historical figure way in the past, but a real person — someone I could really follow, especially in the Eucharist,” said Fr. Simon.
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“In the Eucharist, Christ is no less present here today than he was 2,000 years ago,” he said. “He just doesn’t walk and talk the same. So all of a sudden it was ‘Hey, I can really follow my desire of leaving everything and following Christ.’” As Luke discerned his true vocation was outside of the monastery in married life, Fr. Simon began to discern that his vocation might be inside. Quietly, without telling hardly anyone except Luke, he came to the realization that he had a vocation to religious life and the priesthood. But there were many options: Diocesan or order priest? And which order? How would he choose? Luke gave him some good advice: If God is calling you to a particular place in life, he will do the groundwork for you to get you to that place. And that was exactly what happened. “What really attracted me was the [monastic] vow of obedience,” said Fr. Simon. “I’m interested in doing all kinds of things — being a military chaplain, hospital chaplain, chaplain to sisters, campus minister. Monks at the monastery do, or have done, all those things.” The vow of obedience, he said, is a guarantee he’s doing God’s will. Naturally, when he told his parents, they were surprised but pleased. “I didn’t see that coming,” said Terri. Abbot James — then the prior and vocations director — didn’t see it coming, either. “I called [Abbot James] and said ‘I’d like to have an application to become a monk,’” said Fr. Simon. “I never told him anything. He never expected me. I’d never been on a vocation visit. I had just come up to see Luke. It was a complete surprise to him, and he said, ‘Oh, oh, OK, why don’t you come up for a vocation visit first?’ I said ‘OK,’ but in my mind I’m thinking, nope, I’m joining and going to make solemn vows and become a priest. I was already in.” Fr. Simon entered the monastery in August 2008. Taking the first step, becoming a postulant. “The main thing that has kept me here is the beauty of the community and the life of prayer I’ve discovered here,” said Fr. Simon. “Prayer is the key to the whole thing.” So far there hasn’t been a lot of surprises. He knew about monastery life long before he began to think about a vocation. There’s a lot to like about being a monk. “[The American Benedictines] really hold tight to both the contemplative and active aspects of religious life,” said Fr. Simon. “It’s not all one or the other. So, for me, the monastery life is the best of all worlds. It’s not perfect, but done well it’s the best of all worlds.”
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF
FATHER SIMON BAKER • Parents: Rick and Therese “Terri” Baker • Born: Nov. 7, 1984 • Hometown: Independence, Mo. • First vows: Aug. 15, 2009 • Solemn Vows: Aug. 4, 2012 • Seminary: Saint Meinrad Seminary, Ind. • Diaconal ordination: June 5, 2014 • Priestly ordination: April 25, 2015 • Favorite saint: St. Teresa of Avila • Favorite devotion: Rosary • Reading now: The memoirs of Cardinal Ratzinger • Favorite food: Pizza - as many toppings as possible
• Favorite childhood toy: A boomerang • Favorite place: The roof of the monastery, the views are stunning. • Best job I ever had: Working for a moving company • Worst job I ever had: Restaurant busboy • If I couldn’t be a priest, I’d: Be a whitewater rafting guide in the summers, a snowboarding guide in the winters, and live in a tent and eat wild edibles for nourishment. • You didn’t know: I am an Eagle Scout, from Troop 865 in Independence, Mo. • Why I want to be a priest: To be an integral part of the adventure of holiness in the lives of others. • Why I want to be a monk: To do God’s will, not my own. Obedience guarantees me of that. • Qualities I admire in other monks and priests: Wisdom, the ability to embrace humility, love for the Eucharist, love for the mission and the people of God. • Best advice I’ve received: Mind the scapular when closing the car door.
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LUMEN VITAE HONOREE CURTIS MARTIN, FOUNDER & CEO OF FOCUS
ABBOT JAMES W/ CO-CHAIRS PATRICK & KATE CARR
LUMEN VITAE HONOREE ARCHBISHOP JAMES P. KELEHER
A bbot ’s
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For the third consecutive year, friends and benefactors of St. Benedict’s Abbey turned out for an evening of prayer, dinner and entertainment for the 2015 Abbot’s Table. The monks honoried two recipients with the annual Lumen Vitae award and spent time with friends and benefactors. At the end of the event, neither group was disappointed. The Abbot’s Table invites friends and benefactors to get to know the monks a little better. This year’s benefit dinner drew its largest crowd yet, about 650 persons gathered at the Sheraton Crown Center in Kansas City, Mo. Archbishop Emeritus James P. Keleher and Curtis Martin were both recognized at the event on April 18 for their leadership and important contributions of service to the Church. St. Benedict’s Abbey friends and benefactors were invited to attend Mass to start the evening – Archbishop Keleher was the principal celebrant and Abbot James Albers was homilist. A dinner and program followed the Mass. Lively videos highlighting both the fun (think plays on Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood and a humorously forgetful abbot) and more serious sides of the prayer and service of the monks were woven into the event. In addition to celebrating the service of the honorees, the event raised funds to assist with the aged members of the community and the formation and educational expenses of the younger monks. Completing work that has been underway for months, an anonymous donor’s $100,000 challenge gift was matched during the evening. Both Archbishop Keleher and Curtis Martin, founder of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, were given an opportunity to speak to the crowd gathered for the evening. While Archbishop Keleher was invited to the Abbot’s Table to be honored for his contribution to the church, he was quick to shine the spotlight on the important work others bring to the table. “The monks and abbots of this blessed Abbey have been faithful partners of our Archdiocese from its earliest days,” said Archbishop Keleher, noting the fact that the Holy See named the Abbey’s Prior, Fr. Louis Fink, as the second bishop of the fledgling archdiocese. The videos highlighted some of the contributions the monks have made in the Archdiocese and in many lives. As much of an honor as it was to be recognized himself, Archbishop Keleher said he wanted to thank the Abbey for the blessing of its prayers and the “powerful ministry” it has provided in so many parishes of the Archdiocese. Br. Luke Turner, a member of the committee that planned the Abbot’s Table, was touched to see Archbishop Keleher share the evening with friends both old and new. “He was just so engaging with everybody there,” he said. “So many people knew him already. I’m sure he made some new friends, too.” The event highlighting the contributions of Archbishop Keleher couldn’t have come at a better time than during the Easter season, said Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann. “He’s an Easter bishop,” said Archbishop Naumann, “he’s filled with joy and hope. I’m so grateful to him. He has been incredibly supportive and encouraging to me, and we’re really reaping the fruits of his great ministry in the Archdiocese today.” “Archbishop Keleher was a real breath of fresh air when he came to the archdiocese because he has such a great personality and a great
s Table way of relating to people,” said Msgr. Thomas Tank, pastor of Church of the Ascension in Overland Park. Msgr. Tank noted Archbishop Keleher’s “sense of hospitality and his sense of welcome to everyone.” Special video appearances were made by Cardinal Francis George, OMI, who died on April 17, and Father Robert Barron of the Archdiocese of Chicago, speaking about Archbishop Keleher, who is originally from Chicago. “He’s not a comic, but a man of great joy, and the joy comes through,” said Cardinal George in the video. “Pope Francis talks about the joy of the Gospel, and you can see it exemplified, I think, in Archbishop Keleher.” Archbishop Keleher ordained Abbot James — which means a lot to the abbot — but their history goes much further back than that. “I can remember the first time that I met Archbishop Keleher,” said Abbot James in the video. “I was a student at the college, and he was making his first visit. He reveals his heart to you, and that’s what the Gospel is about, revealing Christ to those you encounter.” Curtis Martin was honord for his efforts in evangelizing young people. The Fellowship of Catholic University Students has experienced significant growth in both the number of missionaries serving and the number of campuses from its start as a fledgling group at Benedictine College. Curtis illustrated the growth of the organization over the past 16 years – FOCUS has grown to serve 100 campuses throughout the US growing from two parttime missionaries to more than 500 full-time staff members evangelizing and spreading the Catholic faith. Curtis explained that, for good or for bad, young people are greatly influenced by their peers. “The truth is that the impact of young Catholic evangelizers can deliver the most profound impact in the culture in which our young people look to their peers for inspiration,” he said in his remarks. “Curtis Martin just has this vision that every college student should have an encounter with Jesus Christ,” said Stephen Minnis, president of Benedictine College. “His goal is to get those college students into heaven, and he’s created an organization for that.” Many spoke of the contributions both Archbishop Keleher and Martin have made to the church, and in montages thanked them for their work and their friendship. In conclusion, said Archbishop Keleher, “The monks of St. Benedict’s Abbey have been a great influence in our diocese. . . I consider them an integral part of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.” For a free DVD of the Abbots Table program e-mail info@kansasmonks.org
Banquet Underwriters Abb ot ’ s Ta bl e J .E . D unn Const r u c ti o n John & Te r r y Gi l l c r i s t Te r r y & Michell e S exto n
Pri or’ s G uil d The Ap o stle s of the Inte r i o r L i fe B e ne dic t ine Co l l e g e L a r r y & Tre sa B u e s s i n g B ob & Shirle y C h e n o w e th E xcha nge Nat ’ l. B a nk & Tr u s t Co . Kuckelma n, Torline , Ki rk l an d & L e w i s Ko e chne r Fami l y Micha el R . & Ma rl y s Have r ty Fa mily Found ati o n in honor of Fr. G erar d S ene c al Mitchell C apit a l M an ag e me nt MGP I ng re die nt s , In c . Kathy & Ja ck N e w man Jim & Kat ie O ’ B r i e n Si ste rs of Mo u nt St . S chol a st ic a Mo n a s te r y B ob & Ja ne t W h o l e y
Jo i n u s Apr i l 16, 2016 a s w e ho no r
t able sp on sor s li ste d on p age 23
Virgil Dechant
Dr. Dan Carey
for his service as Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus
for his service as President of Benedictine College
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the danger of distraction by Br. Leven Harton
No one should presume to relate to anyone else what he saw or heard outside the monastery, because that causes the greatest harm.
- rule of st. benedict 67: 5
So important is silence that permission to speak should seldom be granted even to mature disciples,
- rule of st. benedict 6: 3
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Taken out of the context of a lived monastic charism, some of St.
Benedict’s rules can seem unnecessarily isolating and severe. What is the “harm” that hearing news of the outside world causes for a monk? And why ought speech amongst the brothers be regulated? Are monks not adults, who have the capacity to filter their own input and derive benefit from interaction with external realities? What is the positive value that Benedict has in mind when he legislates these (and other) limitations on communication in the monastery? It must be admitted that our culture is one that is filled to the brim – full of communication and information. We live in the “information age,” a moment in history where we enjoy unprecedented access to content of all varieties. And while we receive tremendous benefits with the ready availability of information, there is a great pitfall that threatens the foundation of human dignity: distraction. By “distraction” I do not mean the meager, pesky insect that buzzes around your consciousness from time to time, causing the temporary irritation of divided attention. I mean a life of distraction, filled with distraction, focused on distraction. The era in which we attempt to live Christianity is one that offers us a veritable “charism” of secularism in this kind of living—a life of distraction. To live distracted is to be habitually disconnected from the reality that is in front of us. For the Christian, distraction is a grave danger. Separation from reality is separation from God. Distraction barricades the avenue by which Christ comes to meet us. Thus, the life of distraction can be a hidden form of rebellion, a rejection of one’s life and the workings of providence as insufficient, not worthwhile, lacking. The ‘no’ to God in this style of living remains tacit, largely unacknowledged. Instead of encountering one’s life unfiltered, face-to-face, a comfortable buffer of entertainment intervenes. And we elude a conscious responsibility for our lives, hiding behind the hundreds of little choices that maintain distraction. The depth of commitment unique to human action is cast aside in this case, and we give ourselves to nothing. A distracted life, then, is alienated not only from God, but from the execution of truly human choosing.
I keep the Lord always
My latest opportunity for distraction comes from the provocative (for some) story of Kansas City Royals baseball in the past year. The ascension of this downtrodden franchise to the World Series has delivered a jolt of enthusiasm to the Kansas City region. And while listening to a game for relaxation and entertainment is a morally neutral behavior, the risk of a distracted mode of living is very real for me. I was driving recently to an important meeting, one that I needed to pray about as I approached my destination. The temptation, however, arose to listen to a Royals game. It was not a temptation because I enjoy listening to the Royals. It was not a temptation because the Royals are a “worldly pleasure.” The temptation for me was to break the tension of the situation by avoidance, by not facing the matter at hand; I was tempted to split my person in half and hold back some of my self from this meeting. As silly as it sounds, to listen to Royals baseball in that moment was tantamount to my despairing of adequately preparing for the meeting, giving up and (at least) enjoying myself just a little bit. Thankfully, I resisted this temptation (one that I have given in to in the past) and the meeting went splendidly. St. Benedict recognized this temptation for humanity, the willingness to surrender our interiority and live distracted. And even without 21st century technology and a winning baseball team! So concerned was he for the monks’ recollected state that he exhorted his community to preserve silence and separation to a stunning degree. The first word of the Rule is emblematic of Benedictine spirituality: obsculta, “listen.” There is no listening, no perceiving with the eyes of faith, no approaching one’s situation with an expectant heart if the person is distracted, lost in imaginings or anxieties or frivolous baseball games. The work of staying present and offering oneself to reality is a work of listening and perceiving. We do believe that reality bears the weight of God’s presence to us. This experience is impossible for the distracted heart. Monks in the 21st century, for the most part, have much more access to the outside world than St. Benedict would ever have imagined. And there is probably more internal communication in most monasteries than there might have been in Benedict’s Monte Cassino. The value of being recollected in the face of reality, however, is still a good for contemporary monks. It is a timely witness to the larger world, which blindly encourages shallow engagement. But the human heart, which craves reality and is made for commitment to it, is not fooled by this era of distraction. One example, a “saint” of faithfulness to reality comes in the unlikely form of a deceased fashion mogul. The former editor of Elle magazine, Jean-Dominique Bauby, underwent a tremendous change of fortunes when he contracted “locked-in” syndrome, and suffered paralysis of his entire body except for his left eye, which he could blink. In this state of paralysis, following a lifestyle both fast and glamorous, Bauby blinked-out, letter-by-letter, to a speech therapist a book called The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. In it he begins describing his condition: “Through the frayed curtain at my window, a wan glow announces the break of day. My heels hurt, my head weighs a ton, and something like a giant invisible diving bell holds my whole body prisoner. My room emerges slowly from the gloom: photos of loved ones, my children’s drawings [ . . . ] and the IV pole hanging over my bed where I have been confined these past six months, like a hermit crab dug into his rock. Up until [now], I had never even heard of the brain stem. I’ve since learned that it is an essential component of our internal computer, the inseparable link between the brain and the spinal cord. I was brutally introduced to this vital piece of anatomy when a cerebrovascular accident took my brain stem out of action.” As he becomes acclimated to his situation, however, Bauby begins to find hope. He describes his favorite space at the Naval hospital of Berck, the terrace, and a protector who reassures him: “As we emerged from an elevator on the wrong floor, I saw it: tall, robust, and reassuring, in red and white stripes that reminded me of a rugby shirt. I placed myself at once under the protection of this brotherly symbol, guardian not just of sailors but of the sick—those castaways on the shore of loneliness. The lighthouse and I remain in constant touch, and I often call on it by having myself wheeled to [the terrace].” Made still, this man found himself positioned to receive reality in a new way. When his life of distraction was taken from him, he was forced to look, to listen. He recognized, in the lighthouse, the presence of a benign and powerful guardian, whom I would call God. This “new positioning,” this new ability to perceive reality and what reality contains is what St. Benedict has in mind when he places limitations on his community’s communication and interaction. Of course he doesn’t expect his monks to be paralyzed to achieve this. And we need not separate from others in order to experience the difference escaping distraction makes. For all of us, though, in whatever state of life the Lord has placed us, we can be sure that He wants to meet us in our reality. If we cultivate the alertness that silence and stillness give to us, we will meet Him in our circumstances. Meeting Him brings us the peace that the world cannot give.
before me; with him at my right hand, I shall never be shaken. -PSALM 16:8
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The F ou ndation
A lo o k at t h e h isto r y of the inco r p orat ion of St . Be n e dict’s Abbey an d it s ap osto l ate s by F r. D e n i s M ea de
The people who have vowed to serve God
according to the Rule of St. Benedict are the core reality of any Benedictine Community. The monks of St. Benedict’s Abbey count their foundational moment in April 1857, when Prior Augustine Wirth and Fr. Casimir Seitz arrived in Doniphan, Kansas Territory, to join Fr. Henry Lemke. The fledgling American Cassinese Congregation declared the community an autonomous priory in 1858. Wishes do not a reality make since by that time both Fr. Henry and Fr. Casimir had returned to the East. The only member of this paper priory was the Prior, Fr. Augustine Wirth. There was no civil incorporation and as the community took shape its property and other tangible assets were registered as personal belongings of Prior Wirth. Ten years later, in 1868 a change in leadership was effected and simultaneously the community sought incorporation from the state of Kansas. Oddly enough the incorporation was not of the monastery as a religious society but of St. Benedict’s College, an educational institution. No reasons are recorded for the choice of this route. The incorporators of St. Benedict’s College in 1868 were Abbot Boniface Wimmer, founder of the motherhouse of St. Vincent Abbey, Abbot Rupert Seidenbusch of St. John’s Abbey, Collegeville, Minn., Fr. Louis Mary Fink, the new superior, Fr. Augustine Wirth, the former superior and Fr. Emmanuel Hartig. This charter was expanded upon in 1878, soon after the election of the first abbot, Innocent Wolf, in 1877. Although the community conceived of itself first and foremost as a Roman Catholic Benedictine monastery, it was content to nestle within the College for its civil existence for 63 years. The superior of the community was ipso facto president of the college. Its Board of Directors varied in number but it was composed of the abbot together with the members of his council, customarily called the “Council of Seniors.” From their earliest days the college and monastery were intertwined. For a model the school looked back to Germany with its classical gymnasium; in America this translated into a curriculum for students from the third grade to the end of junior college. As time went on, specifically academic officials and administrators emerged. Still, it was so closely connected to the monastery that Fr. Peter Beckman in his history Kansas Monks entitled the chapter on the early collegiate years as “Abbot Innocent’s College.” It was not until the mid-twentieth century that significant numbers of lay persons figured in the faculty of the school. Reading the earliest minutes of the monastery chapter, it is not always easy to say whether a meeting was about internal affairs of the community or whether it was a faculty meeting. It would be safe to say that during its first 60 years the school was the community’s “cottage industry” and its students were “family.” It would be unusual to
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read in a student life handbook of today this admonition of an earlier year to “avoid pulling the ears; it disfigures that organ.” From its first small lots at Second and Division Streets (shown above, 1898) the community gradually expanded up the hill to the river bluffs and north. The College took on the structures of the standard American liberal arts college and moved the high school division to the south end of Atchison to the campus of Midland College which had moved to Fremont, Neb. The College became fully accredited with the North Central Association of Colleges and Universities. However, by 1931 it was informed that the accreditation was imperiled because of the large debt resulting from the construction of the current monastery. Therefore, on January 29, 1931, the community took the logical and long overdue step of incorporating the Abbey “to establish, support and maintain a religious institution for the promotion of divine worship; for the training of men for the Catholic priesthood and the religious life; and for the holding and conducting of parishes and missions” The debt was transferred to the monastic corporation and the land and buildings distributed between the two institutions. The rapid evolution of society after World War II and development of educational institutions called for a greater alignment of structures with peer institutions. Fr. Brendan Downey (later abbot) became the first non-abbot president of the College on May 21, 1958. In 1969 the Board of Directors was expanded to include the abbot of St. Benedict’s Abbey as a member and chair, five other monks of the Abbey chosen by its chapter and six nonmembers of the Abbey, lay or clerical. This board had full authority to manage the affairs of the corporation but certain actions required affirmative approval by the governing authority of St. Benedict’s Abbey. Thus while St. Benedict’s College held title to its campus and grounds, sale or leasing of property, merger or consolidation of the College with another institution or dissolution of the same required approval by St. Benedict’s Abbey. It was at this same time that Maur Hill Prep School was removed from the College corporation and was chartered as a separate entity.
As the 1970s began, there was a widespread fear that single sex private colleges could no longer attract viable enrollments. This and other considerations led to an agreement between Mount St. Scholastica College, St. Benedict’s College, Mount St. Scholastica Convent and Saint Benedict’s Abbey to establish a new college to which the parenting colleges would lease their educational properties and a new college, a coeducational institution with two campuses, would provide them with their educational services. There was not a merger, but a lease granted by two colleges which continue to exist to this day. The new college needed a name; a number of proposals were bandied about, among them River Bend College. Keeping it simple, Benedictine College won the day and it was so chartered on April 7, 1971. On August 23, 1971, Benedictine College, created by its two parent colleges and its two sponsoring Benedictine communities, was fully operational. The Benedictine College Board of Directors is unique inasmuch as it has three types of members: class A and class B directors consist of three members each from St. Benedict’s Abbey and Mount St. Scholastica Monastery. Class C directors are all those who are not members of the two sponsoring communities. Some actions of the board require two-thirds vote of each class of directors. Actions which involve selling or leasing of properties required consent of both of the parent colleges and also of the governing authority of the sponsoring religious communities. This structure was developed precisely to safeguard the heritage and properties developed by the religious communities. In the late 1980’s when student enrollment began to shrink and finances became strained, Benedictine College, as a cost saving measure, moved all of its use of facilities to the St. Benedict’s College Campus. About 1990, after almost 20 years, the lease agreement between the Mount and Benedictine College concerning the use of the South Campus and buildings was dissolved. The remaining agreements and contracts between the two corporations remained in effect. About the time that Mount St. Scholastica College and St. Benedict’s College were embarking on the establishment of Benedictine College, many peer Catholic Colleges were either being separately incorporated from their sponsoring religious communities or their boards of governance were being signifi-
cantly expanded. Given that Benedictine monasteries are local, not regional, entities, insuring of their legitimate interests in what has been built up around them is a primary concern. Very rarely do Benedictine monasteries get up and move to another location. The male Benedictine communities that were reorganizing their colleges approached this challenge from a variety of angles. Currently some abbeys retain the title to all property within which their respective colleges operate. In some cases a third corporation which is composed entirely of members of the sponsoring religious community holds title to all property. In some analogous sense, then, St. Benedict’s College as title holder to its real estate, is providing this guardianship of proprietary interests for St. Benedict’s Abbey. The Centennial Expansion Program, undertaken in 1944, was the first foray of St. Benedict’s College into the area of development. It was a joint effort of the Abbey and the College. Captained by Mr. Leo Nusbaum, retired businessman of Atchison, its first staff was all monks and Abbot Cuthbert McDonald assumed a leadership role. All funds for both the Abbey and the College were raised by monks under the name of St. Benedict’s College. Its first project was the funding of the construction of St. Martin’s Memorial Hall. The second was the funding of the Abbey Church, designed to serve as both the monastery church and the college chapel. A series of celebratory events inaugurating the Abbey Church in August 1957 was the centerpiece of the centennial celebration of both Abbey and College. In 1969 the Abbey turned over to the College the data of its donor base, and this, together with similar information from Mount St. Scholastica College, formed the foundation of the current donor file of Benedictine College, thus instituting separate advancement efforts by the Abbey and College. Both the Abbey and College maintain their respective development programs for their distinctive needs. Because of this arrangement, a donation to one institution does not benefit the other. The Abbey rejoices that it has just completed its drive to fund the replacement of its 90-year-old windows. And, we are equally grateful for the great support of our educational apostolates. The community is grateful to all who have helped so generously, both those who are former college or high schools students and all its other friends and benefactors.
A copy of the St. Benedict’s College Charter signed by: Archabbot Boniface Wimmer, Abbot Rupert Seidenbush, Prior Augustine Wirth, Bishop Louis M. Fink, and Fr. Emmanuel Hartig.
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I was in prison and you came to me Saint Benedict’s Abbey Prison Oblate Program by Brian O’Connell & Joshua McKenzie, (L to R) Prison Oblates
The Abbey’s prison oblate program ,
was founded by Fr. Louis Kirby, and Mr. Paul Fassler in Cañon City, Colo. while Fr. Louis was a member of Holy Cross Abbey. Mr. Fassler lived in Cañon City and together the two were instrumental in bringing the program to the Colorado Prison System. In 2004, Fr. Louis transferred to St. Benedict’s Abbey, Holy Cross was closed in 2005, and the ministry found its present home. Both men are now deceased, but the ministry lives on and is robust with over 100 oblates in several states. Currently, we are blessed as Fr. Matthew Habiger is our moderator pro tempore, and we’re confident both Fr. Louis and Paul smile down upon all of us. The appeal of the Rule of St. Benedict to a prisoner is much the same as it is to everyone who feels “the call”: structure of life, spiritual direction, comfort in having a path to follow, making one’s spiritual journey about progress and growth as opposed to aimless wandering. However, it has a special purpose – it allows the Oblate to discover meaning and value while serving their sentence. No longer just one individual doing penance, it is a collective of like-minded people embracing a common rule doing penance together. This removes the feeling of isolation and Jesus reaches out through the Rule, the Abbey, and the Oblate community, giving each person new worth and merit. The benefits of the Prison Oblate Program are numerous: community, mutual support, council, and a true sense of belonging. In becoming Oblates, the purpose of our prison term is no longer merely to suffer, but to pray, learn, and, change those things about ourselves that brought us to this current circumstance in life, which casts such a heavy shadow over so many lives. The Rule addresses many of the “thinking errors” which played a part in our downfall. There is now a moral structure, unlike any you will find in the penitentiary. Most importantly, there is the connection with the embrace by the entire Benedictine Community world-wide.
St. Benedict in the style of Fra Angelico; painted by Joshua McKenzie.
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Praying the Liturgy of the Hours together creates a special bond among Oblates – one so special that many prisoners have never experienced anything like it. As we pray together, we learn not only how to pray in community, but how to listen as well. The connection to God through the Abbey is of utmost importance. Jesus says in Matthew 25:36 “I was in prison and you came to me...” The monks, through this ministry therefore, live this Gospel. As Oblates, we belong to God and the Abbey. We are no longer alone, abandoned, or disregarded and our lives have new purpose and meaning. We are an extension of the Abbey to the men and women around us, both prisoners and guards alike, as beacons of hope and stability in an otherwise chaotic environment. Practicing our faith, we love God above all else. We honor everyone and renounce ourselves to follow Christ. We help the
A bb ot ’s Ta bl e T h a n k y o u t o o u r Ta b l e S p o n s o r s
Monte Cassino Edward Jones Investments Ro sco Hal se y
B enjamin & Vick i Biller
Subiaco Fr. Louis Kirby (1922-2013), along with Paul Fassler, founded the Abbey’s Prison Oblate Program.
troubled and console the sorrowing. Our way of acting is different from the world’s way. We no longer act in anger, or nurse any grudges. Our hearts have been swept clean by the love of Christ and our embrace of the Rule. As an Oblate community, we hold one another accountable for our actions and adhere to St. Benedict’s Rule as our model of behavior, knowing that our sharing of these same ideals will continue to better each of us and increase our chances of succeeding in life from this point forward. St. Benedict instructs: “correct through humility the wrong committed through negligence” (RB 45:2). Being incarcerated is an extremely humiliating event. It can be so traumatic that it permanently damages a person, making them worse off than they were initially. We all make mistakes, must confess our sins, and bear the temporal consequences as part of our penance. As a result of what we learn as Oblates, the trauma of incarceration does not ruin the positives acquired through this experience. The “goal” of prison is to reform and instruct. Unfortunately, in reality, this is not always the case, as some prisoners are simply warehoused. “There ought to be due proportion between the seriousness of a fault and the measure of excommunication or discipline...” (RB 24:1). Holding each other up amidst the storm, clinging to the Holy Rule by God’s grace, we grow and learn from our humbling experience. Being connected to the Abbey, the spiritual guidance we receive from the Priests, Monks, Sisters and Our Holy Mother Church are truly the saving factors in this journey. This affords us a clarified path toward redemption for our errant conduct and makes recidivism unlikely in the future. “...Until, by proper satisfaction he gains pardon...” (RB 24:7). Ora et labora.
photo by Alex Vu
S e an & Julie D oher ty
B ob & C aroly n Reintj e s
Rob er t & Di ane Har ton
D oug & Jo anna R iv ard
Hank & Su san Ke ele y Gu ad alup ana s Si ster s
Tr in ity Hou s e B ob & D onna She a
L ilek & Malone
Ann & Frank Ur y a sz
O ’Malle y B e verage, Inc .
Nursia A .L . Hub er G eneral Contrac tor B ob & B e tty Alb ers Archdio ce s e of Kansa s City in Kansa s
FO C US (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) Mark & Abby Henke Lathrop & Gage LLP Robert Rooney
Arensb erg-Pr ue tt Funeral Home
McAnany Construction Inc.
R ay & Mar y Jo B e cker
Maur Hill-Mount Academy
B ene dic t ’s Br ittle in honor of Tom & S andy Fit z maur ice
Oblates of St. Benedict’s Abbey
Mike & L i sa B o ddicker in honor of Abb ot B ar nab a s S ene c al Patr ick & Kate C ar r Charley & Janelle Carrigan Countr y C lub B ank/ By ron Thomp s on Di aconate C andid ate s of the Archdio ce s e of Kansa s City in Kansa s Eque str i an Order of the Holy S e pulchre of Jer u salem
St . Jame s Ac ademy S aint Paul’s O utre ach S aint Jude Ho spice Pat Smith & Tom Whalen Sutherl and Family Treanor Architects, AGP Inc., Kinstler & Associates, Latimer, Sommers & Associates, Hoefer Custom Stained Glass Tr in ity Travel Tr udy & Rich B oy nton Tom & Micke y Z ard a
Society of St. Benedict
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St. Benedict’s Abbey Atchison, Kansas
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1020 N. 2nd Street, Atchison, KS 66002 Kansas Monks USPS 290-760 Abbey Advancement Office 913.360.7908 KansasMonks.org
Summer 2015 | Volume 10 | Number 2
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ST. BENEDICT’S ABBEY CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
We are excited to announce the replacement of the Abbey’s 640, 85-year-old, standard windows! More information will be released soon!
Call 913.360.7908 or e-mail development@kansasmonks.org for event information. 24
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