kansas monks
may 2025
Dear Friends in Christ,
Eastertide blessings to you and your loved ones! As spring unfolds across the hills of northeast Kansas, the Abbey grounds come alive once again with signs of renewal—both in nature and in the life of our community. In this month’s Kansas Monks newsletter, we wanted to offer a glimpse into the ways our monastic life finds itself at the crossroads of the ancient and the modern, the universal and the local.
Our feature article explores some of the surprising and beautiful ways monastic communities have shaped the world around us. From innovations in timekeeping and brewing to developments in education, science, and music, monks have long been quiet contributors to the common good. Many of these inventions emerged simply from seek-ing God in daily work, prayer, study, and service. These same rhythms continue to guide our life here at St. Benedict’s Abbey and connect us to generations of monks who came before.
In another article, we turn to the Church’s rich devotional tradition of venerating images of Christ’s Holy Face and the Shroud of Turin. What is striking is how this universal devotion takes on a uniquely local character through the lives of Atchison-area faithful who remain deeply connected to the Abbey. Their witness is a moving example of how the mysteries of Christ continue to shape hearts in every corner of the world, including right here in our own backyard.
experience participating in a theatrical production that explores the transformative power of grace in the soul. The play, translated from Spanish by Christopher Rziha—a Benedictine College alumnus and Atchison native—brought together classical themes, monastic insight, and the creative energy of a new generation rooted in faith.
As you’ll see, the intersections of monastic life, the ancient world and the modern world, and the global and local Church are all part of the story of salvation we’re privileged to live here at the Abbey.
May Our Lady, the Queen of Heaven, enfold you in her mantle this spring, and may the joy of the Risen Christ remain with you throughout this blessed Easter season.
In Christ,
Abbot James R. Albers, O.S.B
Up Next | Neither Less nor More
Reflection on José de Valdivielso’s “The Phoenix of Love”
Neither Less Nor More
Performing José de Valdivielso’s“The Phoenix of Love”
Br. Maximilian Mary Anderson, O.S.B., and Br. Jean-Marie Hogan, O.S.B.
On Saturday, March 22, we had the opportunity to perform in a play, “The Phoenix of Love”, during a session of Benedictine College’s Symposium on Transforming Culture in America. The play is an allegory in which Christ and Lucifer are rival suitors to Soul and was written by José de Valdivielso some four centuries ago as an auto sacramental (sacramental act). These were meant to be performed on a cart in Eucharistic processions, usually encouraging people to attend the mass at the end and to receive the Eucharist as frequent communion was not common at the time. It was translated into English only recently by our friend, Mr. Christopher Rziha, and performed in English for the first time at the Symposium (sadly, not on a moving cart, nor, sadder still, with Mass immediately following). Br. Jean-Marie was cast in the role of Christ our Lord; Br. Maximilian played a demon. Notwithstanding our
disparate roles, for both of us, it was a gift to be in the play at all for it afforded us familiarity with the play’s rich text. Here, we’d like to share a moving excerpt and recommend reading the play when Mr. Rziha publishes his translation.
The first time Jesus appears in the play he is accompanied by two angels who have an exchange that is sparked by Christ asking them how much his love for Soul has cost Him. The angels begin with the following:
Did younotdescend into the wombofyourmother?/ Were you not born into such a state, / that you barelyresembled / a son of your Father? / Did we not see you shivering in the cold; / with rivulets of stars / running from the heavens to the sea/downyourangeliccheeks?
Later they say:
Did we not see you, sweet Lord / imprisoned, spit on, bound / blindfolded as an enamored one / simply for being the God of Love?
Did they not tear away the clothing / that had fused onto your wounds, / and in order to give death to Life living / did they not scourge you?
At the end of the angel’s exchange Christ himself responds to their account by saying:
Iamatruelover;/andalthoughmarkedwithwounds,/ all this seems to me but a little / for how deeply I desire her. / If I sweated, it was from the flaming heat / that her beauty ignited within me; / hers was the fever / that made me perspire. / If my clothing I shed, / it was because I was burning, / and it was in order to keep going on / after the sheep that had strayed. / That I thirsted I do not deny, / but it was due to the great warmth / that is given by a love / that is on fire. / And as for the rest that you have said, / you have shown my good intentions, / for I knew neither how to give less / nor how to love Soul more.
Phoenix from the Aberdeen Bestiary. 12th century.
In describing Christ’s Passion, the angels connect his being blindfolded (cf. Luke 22:64) with a classical image of the god of love. In Greek mythology, this particular deity was usually depicted with his eyes covered, suggesting that he caused people to fall in love without regard for external appearances. As used by the angels, this image implies that Christ willingly underwent the torments of the Passion because of his love for Soul.
Christ depicts his Passion in terms of the fire of love that burned within him. Relating how he “sweated” in the Garden, “shed” his clothing, and “thirsted” on the Cross, he says that he was urged on by the “flaming heat” enkindled by Soul’s beauty. Though comparing Soul to the wandering sheep (cf. Matthew 18:12), he speaks of her with such fervor that one angel responds, “From here on I rest assured / that the one on this occasion / who gives glory to his passion / is indeed so passionate.” Christ has this same fervor for each and every one of us. In the midst of the Easter season this year, let us allow ourselves to be moved by all he endured for the sake of our salvation and eternal bliss.
Christ has this same fervor for each and every one of us. In the midst of the Easter season this year, let us allow ourselves to be moved by all he endured for the sake of our salvation and eternal bliss.
As the play vividly reminds us, each mass is a marriage feast at which our souls are meant to be united with Christ who suffered on the Cross and rose victorious from the tomb out of love for us. As Eucharist comes from the Greek for “thanksgiving”, let us be grateful to him that he “knew neither how to give less / nor how to love [us] more.”
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Next Month: Reid Bissen’s series on The Art of Living continues with Part VII.
Many of the conveniences we enjoy today have their roots in innovations developed by monastic communities.
Devotion to the face and image of Our Lord, universal among the Catholic faithful, is expressed in particular ways here in Atchison.
Reflect on the readings for this month’s Sunday and Holy Day Masses. In May, we focus on Mary’s Queenship over creation in light of the Easter Season.
The mission of St. Benedict’s Abbey is to glorify God by seeking him through joyful self-sacrifice, by embracing fully the monastic and apostolic ideals, and by leading others to encounter Jesus Christ, who brings us all together to eternal life.
The Kansas Monks newsletter is a monthly publication of the monastic community of St. Benedict’s Abbey to help fulfill this mission.
Read our archives at www�kansasmonks �org/newsletter
The
Queen of heaven and earth serves God, and if we serve her well, we shall rule over the world and our enemies; for to serve Mary is to reign.
saint raphael kalinowski
Invented by Monks
How the Cloister Shaped the Modern World
Monasteries have always also been centers of innovation, where monks not only preserved knowledge but also created it—crafting tools, systems, and ideas that helped shape the modern world. Read on to learn how your daily life has been shaped by monks.
By Seth Galemore
In popular imagination, monasteries are often pictured as quiet places of prayer, tucked away from the clamor of daily life. While that image holds true in many ways, it tells only part of the story. In addition to a robust spiritual life and the grace of God, monastic communities have had three good things going for them for centuries: unusually high levels of education, a strong work ethic, and—it must be admitted—cheap labor. (Donations are accepted, naturally.)
Here are just few things we owe to the industrious, prayerful life of monks.
Time Itself
In the rhythm of monastic life, prayer is central— and timing those prayers required innovation. To keep the daily Liturgy of the Hours on track, monks devised increasingly precise ways to mark time. The first mechanical clocks in Europe were often found in monasteries, and Pope Sylvester II, a Benedictine monk and scholar, is credited with developing an early version of the mechanical clock around the year 1000. These devices not only regulated monastic schedules but laid the foundation for the modern concept of timekeeping.
A Vote of Confidence (or Not)
In an age when power was typically inherited or seized, monastic communities practiced a different model: electing their leaders by secret ballot. In Benedictine monasteries, monks would cast their votes using marbles— white for yes, black for no. This is the origin of the term “blackballed,” and an early example of the democratic process within a structured community.
Brewing, Distilling, and the Art of Nourishment
Monastic communities became renowned for their skill in brewing and distilling—not just for enjoyment, but out of necessity and charity. Clean water was not always available, and beer and wine were safer alternatives. Liturgical wine had to be of high quality, and monks took that responsibility seriously. Over time, their experimentation led to the development of refined brewing techniques and the creation of iconic beverages like champagne (celebrated for its bubbles), chartreuse (a potent herbal liqueur famed for its green hue), and even uisce beatha—the “water of life”—now best known as whiskey.
And to go with these drinks? Monks also became masters of other ferments such as cheese-making, which preserves milk and enriches the average diet with products rich in protein and low in lactose that are still loved today. Just imagine a world without parmesan!
Reading & Writing - Better & Smarter
Monks have long been associated with the patient work of copying manuscripts, and their contributions to literacy go far beyond beautiful calligraphy. To aid their reading, monks invented punctuation, introduced spaces between words, and helped develop the original eyeglasses— transforming the written word into something more accessible and comprehensible. These innovations may seem small, but they dramatically improved communication, scholarship, and learning across generations.
Singing Melodies Harmoniusly
In the same spirit of systematization, monks also invented musical notation—a way to write down melodies so they could be sung consistently during communal prayer. The simple lines and squares that evolved into our modern music staff began as a tool to ensure unity in worship, so the monks could literally be “on the same page” of music. From Gregorian chant (named after a Benedictine Pope, St. Gregory the Great) to the Hallow app (where you can hear our own Br. Florian Rumpza singing for Source & Summit), monks have embraced innovations of music for centuries.
Balancing the Books
In the 15th century, a Franciscan friar named Luca Pacioli became the first to document the system of double-entry accounting—a method still used in finance today. At the time, it was a secret closely guarded by merchant guilds, but Pacioli’s writings opened the system to wider use, making commerce more accessible and more, well, accountable. He may not have been a Benedictine, but we’ll give him the credit he’s owed. (And the debits, too.)
Institutions of Higher Learning
All that reading, ’riting, and ’rithmetic weren’t just things that monks kept to themselves. The first modern universities emerged from monastic and cathedral schools, as monks took on the task of educating not just future monks, but also clergy, nobles, and, eventually, common laypeople. The structure of degrees, disciplines, and academic gowns all trace back to these early religious institutions.
The First Geneticist
In the 19th century, an Augustinian monk named Gregor Mendel conducted meticulous experiments in the monastery garden. By crossbreeding pea plants, Mendel discovered patterns of heredity that laid the groundwork for the modern science of genetics. His work went largely unnoticed in his lifetime, but today he is rightly remembered as the “Father of Genetics.”
The Holy Face of Jesus in Atchison
Devotion to the face and image of Our Lord, universal among the Catholic faithful, is expressed in particular ways here in Atchison.
By Derya Rix
There are many false faces in this world of ours. We see faces that have been distorted by a life of debauchery and gluttony. We see faces that have been “corrected” by surgery. We see faces whose imperfections have been removed by filters or apps. On one hand, we seek perfection and beauty as we have fashioned them in our minds. On the other hand, we extinguish the things that give light to our eyes and bring transcendental beauty to our faces.
In this beauty-obsessed, false world of ours, the words of St. Thérèse come across as jarring:
“These words of Isaiah, ‘Who has believed our report? … There is no beauty in Him, no comeliness …’ have been the whole foundation of my devotion to the Holy Face, or, to express it better, the foundation
of my whole piety. I also have desired to be without beauty, to tread the wine press alone, unknown to every creature.”
These words do not necessarily inspire our modern hearts as we chase after the next reel, the next delicious recipe, or the next brand-new car. Our desire to be known and to be beautiful has become utterly worldly and separates from the Beauty who yearns for us and after whom our hearts chase.
One particular devotion has resurfaced during these times, as the Lord knows what we need in the holes we dig for ourselves. The Holy Face Devotion reorients us toward the Holy Face of Christ, who has suffered for us.
In our small town of Atchison, two people have been working to draw our eyes back to the Holy Face of Christ instead of examining our own faces in the mirror or the faces of our neighbors at home, at work, or on our phones. The first is Mary Jane Zuzolo, the author of a book titled Unveiling the Sixth Station of the Cross: Reparation to the Holy Face, Mother of All Devotion. Zuzolo is a great-great-niece of Sr. Marie de St. Pierre, the French Carmelite nun who received approved revelations from Christ to initiate the Holy Face Devotion.
Her book uncovers the history of this ancient devotion through the life of Sr. Marie. In the aftermath of the French Revolution, a blasphemous and irreversible spirit swept through Europe. Sr. Marie was born into a world thus poisoned in 1816. Even though as a child she was not particularly pious, her life was altered dramatically after her first confession, eventually leading to her entry into Carmel. It was there that Our Lord asked her to spread the need for reparation and adoration through devotion to His Holy Face. Zuzolo aims to help her readers understand the extent of the pain blasphemy causes Christ. Sr. Marie mentioned that Our Holy Face of Jesus from Shroud of Turin. 1909.
Lord made her visualize the act of blasphemy as a poisoned arrow continually wounding His Divine Heart.
Within the pages of this well-sourced book, we meet lesser-known names like Venerable Leo Dupont of Tours, whose miracles through his veneration of the Holy Face prompted Pope Leo XIII to establish a similar oratory in Rome and spread the devotion across Europe. We also encounter the Little Flower, whose full religious name is St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, and we see how the spiritualities of these two holy women complemented each other. After taking us through the intertwining journeys of spirituality and history, Zuzolo leaves her readers with a simple guide on how to pray the Holy Face Chaplet so that we can join with the saints in tending to His wounds: “I seek Veronicas to wipe and venerate my Divine Face, which has but few adorers.”
“I seek Veronicas to wipe and venerate my Divine Face, which has but few adorers.”
Another person who continuously pulls our gaze towards the Holy Face of Jesus is Dr. Mark Zia, a professor of theology at Benedictine College. If you have wandered around Main Street in Atchison, you may have stepped into the cozy bookstore Pace e Bene, where not only can you enjoy an excellent variety of Catholic books and art pieces, but also some delicious gelato (try the pistachio) and baked goods (I recommend the almond cookies). The Zia family provides this beautiful bridge between the spiritual and the physical to the residents of Atchison. They also bring the Holy Face of Jesus to the forefront of our minds with regular (soon to be permanent) exhibitions about the Shroud of Turin.
As Zia recently told National Catholic Register:
“Our world tends to be too focused on ‘digital this’ and ‘virtual that,’ so we seek to preserve the meaning of true encounters with others, focusing on them and their stories, and not on mere business transactions.”
He is true to his word. The bookstore will soon dedicate a continuous exhibit to the Shroud, where visitors can view a full-size, professionally rendered, licensed replica.
The Shroud is one of the world’s most scientifically studied objects. This mysterious linen wrapping, according to tradition, held the body of Our Lord after His crucifixion. Despite all the studies and tests conducted, how the image of the body was impressed upon the cloth remains inexplicable. Science has proven that the image was not man-made. What has been found on the cloth is blood and sweat—along with the Holy Face of Jesus—because the image on the cloth is a negative. Needless to say, there is both much and little to say about the Shroud. What remains central is that the Shroud captures the imagination and stirs the consciences of many because it reveals the face of the Man who suffered great injustice and then rose victorious.
For more on this subject, refer to “The Blood Evidence: Science, Faith, and the Shroud of Turin” from the November 2024 edition of the Kansas Monks newsletter. www.kansasmonks.org/shroud
In a world obsessed with appearances and fleeting beauty, the Holy Face Devotion serves as a powerful reminder of where true beauty lies—in sacrifice, love, and the divine presence of Christ. Through the loving work of those like Mary Jane Zuzolo and Dr. Mark Zia, this devotion continues to draw hearts away from superficial distractions and toward the face of our suffering yet victorious Savior. In turning our gaze to the Holy Face, we rediscover the beauty that transcends time join St. Therese in her canticle: “Jesus, Your ineffable image is the star which guides my steps. Ah, You know, Your sweet Face is for me Heaven on earth. My love discovers the charms of Your Face adorned with tears. I smile through my own tears when I contemplate Your sorrows.”
Living the Liturgy Commentary on the Liturgical Year
O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today! Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May.
By Tom Hoopes
It makes a lot of sense that May is Mary’s month, dedicated in Catholic tradition to Our Lady.
For one thing, May is unique among the months, never beginning or ending on the same day of the week as any other month in a given year — and Mary is unique among the saints, beginning by being preserved from sin and ending by being assumed into heaven.
But May is also uniquely beautiful. My wife and I have noticed that in every place we have lived, people say “Every season has its strengths here, but you should be here in May. It’s amazing here in May.” That’s how it was in Arizona, when the cactuses bloomed once a year — in May. That’s the way it was Connecticut, where the foliage was beautiful and weather hit a sweet spot that was close to perfect each May. And that is how it is in Kansas, where May strikes the perfect balance between the cold that lingers into spring and the heat of summer.
This is how it is with Mary, as well. Every saint has his or her strengths, but Mary is amazing. Like Arizona in May, dry spells occur with every saint; but Mary, whose heart was pierced with a sword, makes her dry spells bloom. Like Connecticut in May, Mary is beautiful and her temperament hits the sweet spot between the firmness of the “Virgin most faithful” and the comfort of our “Refuge of sinners.” And like Kansas in May, Mary knew both the cool and calm of Jesus in the manger and the passion and heat of Jesus on the cross.
The Church does a lot to celebrate Mary in May.
We start out by crowning her image in May Crowning ceremonies, and celebrating, appropriately, not the humble woman herself, but the man who she served most, and who best served her — St. Joseph. Then, halfway through the month we celebrate the feast of our Lady of Fatima, recognizing how, long after the events of the New Testament, she has come to us over and over again through the centuries. Then, on the last day of the month, we celebrate her Visitation, ending the month as we began it, focusing on a family member who was on the receiving end of her charity, in this case her cousin Elizabeth.
May is so very much Mary’s that even the secular world seems to acknowledge her. The Madonna is the perfect icon of Mothers Day (May 11 this year) and the Pietà sums up Memorial Day (May 20 this year).
Holy Mary, pray for us!
St. Joseph, Global Technological Leader May 1 | Optional Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker
St. Peter this Sunday in the Gospel gets several chances to “redo” his mistakes with Jesus: He gets a second chance to come across the water to Jesus, haul in fish at his command, and to reverse his three betrayals.
Imagine being in Peter’s position when you hear the other readings in this Mass. When we pray the Psalm, imagine the way Peter felt it: “I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me!”
Imagine the devotion with which Peter would have heard the words of the First Reading, from Revelation: “I heard every creature in heaven and on earth …. Everything in the universe, cry out: ‘To
the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and ever.’”
Now consider that every one of us is in the position of Peter. Every one of us has betrayed Jesus, and he has forgiven us for what we did.
So every one of us should imitate Peter in the second reading when he defies the authorities: “We must obey God rather than men,” he says, and refuses to stop speaking of Jesus. Lord, give us the strength you gave Peter.
Before and After the Good Shepherd
May 11 | Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year C
The very short Gospel today is transformed once you know what came just before it and right after it.
When Jesus says “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me,” he is answering the angry Jewish leaders who gathered around him and said, “If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly!” And when he says “The Father and I are one,” the very next line tells us that they pick up rocks to stone him to death, but Jesus escapes.
The rest of the readings show what they were upset about. In the First Reading, from Acts, we hear Paul and
Barnabas tell the Jewish leaders that “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first, but since you reject it and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.”
And the Second Reading describes heaven, where John sees a multitude gathered by God and we learn, “The Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them.”
We are Gentiles, but the Lord himself is our Good Shepherd, and that should amaze us. We should pray Sunday’s Psalm refrain with gusto: “We are his people, the sheep of his flock.”
What Love Looks Like May 18 | Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year C
Each week in the Easter Season, the Church is sharing aspects of what life after the Resurrection should look like. This Sunday, it’s: “I give you a new commandment: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples: if you have love for one another.”
This one’s hard. God is infinite and all-holy. We are limited and weak. How is it possible for us to love one another as he has loved us?
Thomas Cole. The Good Shepherd. 1848. Oil on canvas.
It is only made possible through the sacraments. We are baptized into his death and resurrection, and reaffirm that with each confession. In baptism, we become sharers in his life, every Eucharist incorporates us into his mystical body.
What does that love look like for us? The First Reading describes it: “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” And what does that kingdom look like? The Second Reading describes it as the place where God will “wipe every tear from [our[eyes, and there shall be no death or mourning, wailing or pain.”
He Means This Literally May 25 | Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year C
Jesus says in today’s Gospel, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.”
To understand what that means, don’t think of Jesus’s words as a metaphor. Take them literally. Think of the world as a home that you share with God, who has invited you into his family. This changes nothing about the world while changing everything about the world.
In a stranger’s home, you’re never fully at peace;
you’re always out of place. In your own home, you may act exactly the same, but you can relax. As Jesus puts it, “My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”
This will only become more fully realized when the world is transformed as the Second Reading describes, when there is “no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God almighty and the Lamb.”
The Greatness of Mary
May 31 | Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The month ends with the story of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth, her pregnant cousin, and in the Gospel, eight verses in a row drive home the greatness of Mary.
First, in Luke 1:41, Mary’s greeting brings the Holy Spirit. In the next verse, Elizabeth proclaims Mary “Blessed among women.” In the next, Elizabeth declares herself unworthy of Mary, “the mother of my Lord.” One verse follows another: Mary’s voice causes John the Baptist to leap in the womb, Mary is praised as “Blessed is she who believed,” Mary says, “My soul magnifies the Lord,” and that she is favored by the Lord, and that “all generations will call me blessed.”
We can have great trust in Our Lady.
Antependium. c. 1410. Museum für Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt, Germany. Tapestry.
Caring for the Body as Well as the Soul
Monasteries were often the only places where the sick and poor could receive care, regardless of their ability to pay. These houses of hospitality were the precursors to modern hospitals, offering shelter, food, and medical treatment to those in need. The Benedictine commitment to hospitality lives on in the very word “hotel,” which shares the same root.
And for Dessert? A Pretzel.
Even humble snacks have monastic roots. The pretzel is believed to have been created by monks in the early Middle Ages as a reward for children who learned their prayers. Its distinctive shape—arms folded in prayer—symbolized devotion, and its three holes were seen as a reminder of the Holy Trinity.
Who Even Knows What Else?
The list could go on. I could probably write more, but I’d have to ask someone who knows more than I do. (Probably a monk.)
And I should note that “monk” in this article is a gender-neutral term. Women monastics—such as St. Hildegard, a Benedictine abbess and a Doctor of the Church—have pioneered the arts and sciences in much the same way as men have.
From the time on our clocks to the music we sing, from the medicines we take to the universities we attend, monastic communities have quietly shaped much of what we consider essential to modern life. It’s a legacy built not through conquest or wealth, but through prayerful discipline, thoughtful stewardship, and a commitment to the common good.
As we look at these contributions, we are reminded that the search for God and the love of neighbor— hallmarks of the monastic tradition—are not separate from human flourishing, but deeply intertwined with it.
Wanttosharehowmonkshavebeenresponsible forsomeofourfavorite,mostuseful,andtastiest technological advances? View our Abbot’s Table XII video “Stuff Invented by Monks” and share it with friends.
View the video on YouTube at https://www.kansasmonks.org/invented-by-monks-video
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editorial team
Editor-in-Chief - Abbot James Albers, O.S.B.
Managing Editor - Seth Galemore
Art Director - Olivia Wieger
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Br. Timothy McMillan, O.S.B.
Josh Harden
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Want to share how monks have been responsible for some of our favorite, most useful, and tastiest technological advances? View our Abbot’s Table XII video “Stuff Invented by Monks” and share it with friends. https://youtu.be/nyUMFKcs-V4