Benedictine Pastors Serving Their Monastery, Their Parish, Their Church by Audrey Edwards - BC ‘12 The routine of a parish priest and Benedictine monk may seem like a split lifestyle, but for Fathers Roderic Giller, Gabriel Landis, and Gerard Senecal, the two vocations are inseparable. The lives these men lead are simple yet multifaceted, challenging yet fulfilling, resolute and yet a daily choice.
Father Gabriel Landis Before he became a Catholic, Father Gabriel Landis was a Baptist, a Lutheran, a man undecided in his faith. Now the parish priest of St. Joseph’s in Atchison, Father Gabriel had been searching with a head that was as restless as his heart for a true faith to follow. “God calls us to be active, to build up his kingdom,” Father Gabriel said. “We are not just meant to be contemplative. We are called to greatness.”
Father Gabriel explains how he tries to emphasize Benedictine prayer in his parish. “Prior to daily Mass, I start with the Christ-centered experience of adoration. I also place texts in the church pews for the parishioners to read and practice lectio divina, holy reading, on their own.” Before Mass, Father Gabriel completes a holy hour in prayer, practices lectio, and goes over other preparations for Mass. Every now and then, Father Gabriel tries to join fellow monks at the monastery for lunch. “I never thought I’d be a parish priest, my first calling is to my monastery, then as shepherd to my congregation,” he noted. “However, monks were originally called to build and start parishes in Kansas to establish a community. I do my best to serve both.” The angel Gabriel’s messages of “be not afraid” and “everything will be possible with God” are very close to Father Gabriel’s heart. As part of his Benedictine spirituality, he tries to say individual prayers through phrases such as these over and over each day. In this way he manifests a balance between prayer and work, allowing each action to become a constant stream of prayer itself. Father Gabirel also combines prayer and work by including aspects of the Rule in his homilies. “I try to preach on the importance of developing a friendship with Christ and how the Benedictine religious life strengthens your interior life.”
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Kansas Monks
