Abbot Ralph Koehler sixth abbot of st. benedict’s abbey
1929-2020
What unites us? During this time of division – social distancing and lack of Masses – this question has been at the forefront of our minds. But we need only look back to the Church in her infancy to know that this time of separation is indeed a small challenge in the history of our Catholic faith. Those first followers of Jesus sought ways to unify themselves through a bond of prayer – for centuries the Jewish people had stopped throughout the day to pray, to unite themselves to one another and to God. We see this continued in the Acts of the Apostles and onward, and those earliest followers of Jesus began to form a new manner of prayer; thus, the Divine Office, today known as the Liturgy of the Hours, was born. This prayer is constant. As you read this, somewhere in the world, a Liturgy is happening. Right now. This is a reminder both of the immensity of the world, and of the closeness that God desires for each of us. Whenever you pray, you are united to the w hole Body of Christ – together we can pray with and for one another, sanctifying our own lives and the world as a whole. Whether you are praying the Psalms with your spouse, your whole family, a roommate, or by yourself, St. Benedict wants you to know that you are not alone. There is no such thing as a private recitation of the Office. When we pray, we pray as the whole Church – we, the Church Suffering, together with the angels and saints, with Jesus Christ as our head, are praising the divine presence of God who is always before us. The Liturgy of the Hours has changed throughout the centuries to suit the needs of the day. This guide offers a broad overview of what the Liturgy of the Hours is, but, really, the best way to learn it is to start praying. If you’ve never prayed this way before, we recommend starting with a recording of Vespers on our Youtube channel: youtube.com/kansasmonks Further, there are great resources online like Divineoffice.org or the iBreviary app for iPhone or Android th at are great resources.
6
Kansas Monks
THE HOURS OF PRAYER The Liturgy of the Hours is broken into 5 principle parts; each of these sprinkled throughout the day is an invitation to return to God and rest in him. St. Benedict offered a special phrase for this: Opus Dei – the Work of God. It is in this work that we seek to unite ourselves to the whole Church to offer thanks and praise to him who gives us life. While St. Benedict called his own Rule a “little rule for beginners” we hope that this guide will serve as an even smaller set of suggestions to send you on your way.
Vigils
of f ice of r ea din gs In his Rule, St. Benedict encourages us to sleep clothed with a lamp burning, that we might be ever-prepared to rise and praise God. We begin our day with Vigils with the invitatory “Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall declare your praise.” In the monastery this is to be our first utterance – keeping ever silent until we can gather together to pray. We enter into this, the longest hour of prayer, with a spirit of hope. We associate this hour with Christ on Holy Thursday, keeping vigil in the garden, meditating on what is to come.
Lauds
mor ning pr a y er With Lauds we enter into a spirit of praise, offering this new day to our Father in Heaven. St. Benedict dedicated two chapters of his Rule on the praying of Lauds, exhorting us to pray Psalm 67, “May the peoples praise you, O God!” and Psalm 51 “Have mercy on me, God... and from my sin cleanse me.” In these prayers we are prepared for the day as we have praised God and begged for his mercy. Unique to this hour is the Benedictus, the prayer of Zechariah after the birth of John the Baptist – that we may act as John did and “go before the Lord to prepare his ways.” (Luke 1:76)
Midday Prayer
t erc e, s ext , none
Midday prayer once occupied three seperate hours, interspersed throughout the day. Today, they are combined into a single Hour, the shortest of the day consisting of three Psalms, a hymn, and a short reading. It is in this prayer that we bring ourselves back to God to combat our acedia. Though it is short, it is a critical reset, to bend our minds, hearts, and wills back to the Father, that we may continue to serve him as we return to our work; for just as St. Benedict writes in the Rule, “We believe the divine presence is everywhere.” (RB 19:1)
Vespers
evening pr a y e r It starts with a spark, and rises – we begin Vespers singing, “Let my prayer rise like incense before you, O Lord!” In the hymn we meditate on this day of creation and offer our first prayers for protection during the coming night. At the apex of our prayer, the Magnificat is recited that we may echo the fiat of Mary in our lives, “My spirit rejoices in God, my savior... for [he] has done great things for me!” (Luke 1:47,49) Just as Christ instructed “this is how you are to pray” we conclude with the Our Father, a reminder to forgive and ask for forgiveness (RB 13:13).
Compline
nig h t pr ayer
Our day comes to a close, and just as our first utterance was a prayer, so, too, do we return to our silence with another hour of prayer: Compline. It is here that we add the Confiteor to our prayer – though we seek to follow our Lord in all that we do, we recognize that we are prone to sin and must ask for his mercy. We conclude with the Canticle of Simeon, “Lord, now let your servant go in peace,” that we may go to our rest in peace, though ever watchful that we will be prepared to rise in the morning and continue to offer him praise.
Summer 2020
7
THE PARTS OF PRAYER Each Hour of prayer has a unique form, some repeating Psalms or prayers each day, and others changing, but you can always expect to find Psalms, a hymn, and a reading. A great resource for this are chapters 8-20 of the Rule of St. Benedict (this is only about 10 pages of text, a quick read). While it is easy to “go with the motions” we encourage you to consider each portion of your prayer as you go through it.
Call to Prayer The greeting can be the most important part of any conversation – as we engage the Lord we make the Sign of the Cross – it is easy to gloss over this, rendering it the prayer equivalent of tying one’s shoes – but it is a reminder that all we do is in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. “God, come to my assistance. Lord, make haste to help me.” This call to prayer is itself a call to humility, that we need our God.
Doxology The word doxology come from the Greek doxa, meaning glory, and logos, meaning the word. Punctuating and sprinkled throughout each of the Hours, we are again reminded to offer praise to the Lord, “Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.” During this portion of prayer we rise to our feet and bow in reverence to the Triune God.
Hymn It has been said that when you sing you pray twice. Each of the Hours of prayer contains a hymn – these songs are an intersection between the human and the divine: hymns composed and performed by us to render praise and thanksgiving to God. Often, when praying with a breviary, you may not know the melody, in which case, replace the hymn with one you know, or simply recite it.
Psalmody The psalmody is the heart of the Liturgy of the Hours – the tradition of praying the Psalms goes back millennia. Jesus himself prayed the Psalms and it is clear how much they formed his character – at the peak of his mission on the Cross the Psalms remained on his lips. These ancient prayers contain every emotion and while the words remain the same they can offer us new insights each time we pray them.
Canticle While some of the Psalms rotate in and out from day to day, the Gospel Canticle remains constant. In the Benedictus and Magnificat, St. Luke’s Gospel perfectly encapsulates Christian prayer, and we echo the words of Mary and Zechariah each day. These prayers of thanksgiving remind us that as we go forth from our prayer, we should remain ever grateful and keep our mind’s gaze on the Lord.
Closing Prayer At the conclusion of the Office the closing prayer galvinizes us, that we may enter into the next portion of our day with the Lord as our shield and the Gospel as our guide, ever humble that the gift of life flows from our Father in Heaven. The word Amen, just as with the Sign of the Cross, can be easy to speak without thought, but it is our final word as we leave to turn back to God and say, “I believe!”
Marian Hymn At the heart of every family is the mother; so, too, with the Holy Family, and indeed our whole Church, our mother is the heart: Mary. At the close of Compline we sing the Marian Hymn proper to the ligurgical season; and at St. Benedict’s Abbey we sing these hymns after Vespers as well, asking for our Blessed Mother to intercede for our vocational efforts. 8
Kansas Monks
THE PRACTICE OF PRAYER Nothing is easy at the outset, and prayer is no different. While entire books are dedicated to this topic, we hope that these seven P’s for prayer will help you dip your toe into the waters of the Liturgy of the Hours.
Preparation How you prepare to encounter the Lord in prayer depends on the time of day; each Hour requires a different thought. In the morning, while it’s tempting to roll out of bed and begin, try and take a few moments to gather your thoughts and intentions for the day ahead, and seek to prepare for the other Hours of the day in a similar fashion, just sitting in silence preparing to speak to God. For Compline, try and do a true examination of conscience – remembering to recognize both where you have succeeded during the day, and where you can pray for the Lord to help you imrpove and grow.
Pacing It can be easy to blaze through prayers, especially when we have them memorized. Often you’ll hear the Our Father recited at a rate on par with that of an auctioneer. As you pray, try and remember that this is the Word of God – what does it mean for you? When you return to a Psalm you may have prayed dozens, hundreds, or eventually thousands of times, try and find a word or phrase that strikes at the moment, or highlights your own, current experience. As you practice this meditation, you’ll hear the Lord speaking to you in new and profound ways in your prayer.
Posture Our posture says a lot about our intentions and feelings. “Let us stand to sing the psalms in such a way that our minds are in harmony with our voices” (RB 19:7). How you address God is important – as you prepare for prayer consider how you’re sitting (or consider kneeling for a moment). Be sure to stand at the Doxology and bow as you recite, “Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.” And stand for other portions of the Hours. (For more on posture, watch Br. Leven’s Talk on the Liturgy of the Hours from the Holy Week Retreat).
Place & Pauses Praying can be difficult when you are not in a specifically religious setting. If you can, try and dedicate a space in your home to prayer. At left is a photo submitted by a Holy Week retreatant. As we mentioned before, the Liturgy of the Hours is broken up into several parts. In between each part, we are given an opportunity to look back, to take a moment to pause and reflect on what we have just prayed – what is God saying to you? It is in silence we can open ourselves up to God, and silence doesn’t just mean not speaking, but listening as well.
Patience & Perseverance Let’s be realistic, very little in this world comes easily, and the Liturgy of the Hours is no different. If you feel distracted, that you are having a hard time getting started, or you’re just not in the mood, we have good news: you are normal! The best way to begin to add the Liturgy of the Hours to your life is a little at a time – if you try and do everything at once, you’re more likely to experience burnout. Try beginning by adding Compline each night and part or all of Morning Prayer. As you become comfortable, try adding more. Always remember, when you’re praying, you’re never alone! We remain, ever united, in Christ. Summer 2020
9
Eternal rest grant unto him A b b o t R a l p h K o e h l e r, O S B
Born • January 20, 1929 Professed • July 11, 1956 Ordained • May 31, 1962 Elected A bbo t • N ov e mbe r 2 8 , 1 9 8 0 Died • March 21, 2020 The Right Reverend Ralph Koehler, sixth Abbot of Saint Benedict’s Abbey, died peacefully early Saturday morning, March 21, 2020, the Solemnity of the Passing of our Holy Father Saint Benedict. He had been fortified by the Sacraments of the Church, the Apostolic Pardon, and was surrounded by many of his brother monks at the time of his death. Abbot Ralph (Wilfred) Koehler was born on January 20, 1929, in Seneca, Kansas, to John Koehler and Helen (Heideman) Koehler. For grade school and high school he attended Sts. Peter and Paul in Seneca, graduating from high school in May 1945. He enrolled at St. Benedict’s College in the fall that same year. He went on to enter formation for the monastic life at St. Benedict’s Abbey, but did not stay at that time. In 1947 he enlisted in the newly created United States Air Force. He served as an airborne radar technician in the Eighth Air Force based in Roswell, New Mexico. In 1950 he was honorably discharged, having earned the rank of sergeant. In 1954 he returned to St. Benedict’s College and in July 1955 he entered the novitiate at St. Benedict’s Abbey, receiving the name Ralph. He professed first vows on July 11, 1956. In 1958 he earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from St. Benedict’s College.
Having learned Portuguese, Abbot Ralph served the sacramental needs of the people of Brazil for 13 years.
After studying at the Abbey School of Theology, Abbot Ralph was ordained to the priesthood on May 31, 1962. In September of that year he went to the Abbey’s new mission of St. Joseph’s Priory, Mineiros, Goiás, Brazil, along with Father Herbert Hermes, who later would become a Bishop in Brazil. While in Brazil for the next 13 years, Abbot Ralph learned the language of the people, and served as a pastor and Prior. He also helped welcome the Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica Monastery from Atchison, Kansas, when they founded their monastery to serve the people of Mineiros. In 1975 Abbot Ralph returned to the Abbey. He taught mathematics at Maur Hill Prep School, and served as Director of Camp St. Maur. In 1976 Abbot Brendan Downey asked him to serve as Prior of the Abbey. Upon the death of Abbot Brendan in 1980, Abbot Ralph was elected sixth Abbot of St. Benedict’s Abbey on November 28, 1980, assuming the role of spiritual father to the community. He was blessed as Abbot on January 4, 1981, by Archbishop Ignatius Strecker of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. During his years as Abbot he guided the community in revising its Liturgy of the Hours. He also oversaw the renovation of portions the monastery, creating a new infirmary area to care for the monks with healthcare needs. Upon resigning as Abbot on December 3, 1989, Abbot Ralph began a fruitful career as a pastor, first serving as Administrator of his childhood parish, Sts. Peter and Paul in Seneca. Between 1990 and 2000, he served as Pastor of St. Ann, Effingham, Kansas; St. Louis, Good Intent, Kansas. From 1998 to 2000, he served as Pastor of St. Mary’s, St. Benedict, Kansas; St. Bede, Kelly, Kansas; and St. Patrick’s, Corning, Kansas. From 2000 to 2008 he served as Pastor of St. Ann, Hiawatha, Kansas. Following the passing of Abbot Brendan Downey, Abbot Ralph Koehler was elected as our sixth Father in Christ on November 28, 1980, and was blessed on January 4, 1981.
10
Kansas Monks
“When you went to confession to him, and experienced the fatherly mercy that came out of him, you could see why he was elected abbot.” After returning to the Abbey in 2008, Abbot Ralph kept busy with projects around the monastery. He still enjoyed lifelong hobbies of golfing and fishing, and rarely missed a home Benedictine College Ravens’ football game. He enjoyed visiting with family and friends and reminding them, rather hilariously and loudly, that he was “suffering in silence.” Abbot Ralph was preceded in death by his parents, John and Helen, and by two brothers, James and Ronald, and his sisters Rita Broderick and Mary Lear. He is survived by two sisters, Esther Profitt, and Barbara Buckley, and many nieces and nephews and dear friends. With the COVID-19 outbreak, the monks celebrated Vespers for the Dead and the Mass of Christian Burial with interment in the Abbey Cemetery with his two surviving sisters present as well as a few nieces and nephews. At a later date the Abbey will celebrate a Memorial Mass for Abbot Ralph open to the public. Memorials in honor of Abbot Ralph may be sent to St. Benedict’s Abbey using the enclosed envelope. We commend our brother, Abbot Ralph, to your prayers.
Ab b ot Ral p h’ s C o at of A r ms
e xpl a in ed
The left side of Abbot Ralph Koehler’s coat of arms is that of St. Benedict’s Abbey – a feature of all Abbots’ Coats of Arms. The crescent moon on a field of blue represents Our Lady of Divine Providence, patroness of St. Benedict’s Abbey. The lower half features a Cross Moline, a cross widely used by St. Benedict and Benedictine monks since the foundation of our order – the eight points on the cross represent the Beatitudes.
Remembering Abbot Ralph excerpts from abbot james’ funeral homily Abbot Ralph suffers in silence no longer. Rather he shouts the Good News of the Resurrection. In truth, Abbot Ralph knew the gift of silence, and he knew the importance of human affection and interaction. His fatherhood to our community came out in that. I was taking a closer look at Abbot Ralph’s pectoral cross, which depicts episodes of Jesus’ life. As I prayed with these scenes I noticed that most, if not all, of them relate a call into relationship and a call into active discipleship. As we reflect on the life of Abbot Ralph, I believe the true gift he offered to our community, and all those he ministered to, was the gift of helping us see what God was calling out of us. Being called into relationship with God, and having something called out of us to share that relationship, we begin to promote the Kingdom of God in which we strive to live. We must allow ourselves to be led – to trust. We offer our gratitude to God for the work that Abbot Ralph offered in providing for us in the current Divine Office we pray each day. It was under his guidance that this work came to fruition, a father who had great concern for his sons. “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and put it into practice.” Abbot Ralph was a provider: providing our method of prayer, providing for us in a period of transition in the community, providing for our apostolic work, and being one who led by example in rolling up his sleeves and diving into the work himself – a strong farm boy from Nemaha County. St. Benedict reminds us that the abbot is to teach more by his example than by his words. Abbot Ralph, we pray for you that you are enjoying the eternal banquet, the eternal and everlasting Eucharist, that you have been called into that eternal relationship with the Father who loves you, and that you are quietly, in joy-filled silence, offering intercession for us.
The right side of the coat of arms is unique to each abbot. The lower half is the Koehler family crest, featuring two six-pointed stars, an eight-pointed star, and a sprawling cross set in a field of blue; the eight-pointed star represents a strong spirituality from birth to death. The upper half is representative of Abbot Ralph, set on a field of red with a plow in remembrance of his patron, Blessed Ralph Milner, a convert to Catholicism and farmer, who was martyred for the Faith on July 7, 1591. The field also features a yellow quill for Abbot Ralph’s service as a teacher. The coat of arms is surrounded by a black galero and six tassles, indicative of the office of abbot. Atop the coat of arms are a mitre and crozier; together with the pectoral cross and ring (at right) they comprise the articles of the office of abbot.
Summer 2020
11
Holy Week Retreat-in-Pl ace 2020
Entering the Silence that Changes Me by Br. Leven Harton A little while back, a book showed up in my monastery mailbox without a note or any kind of explanation. The book was a kind of self-help book, identifying a character defect and offering a program for addressing this defect. Seeing the title, I immediately took offense. I resorted to blaming and accusing a particular person, someone whom I had no good reason (really) to identify as the culprit, and of whose motive (were he the perpetrator) I had no inkling. Fortunately, I discovered the book just before morning prayers and so was forced to enter into the silence and stillness of Vigils and Lauds. And it wasn’t too long, maybe three minutes, after the offices began that I had a moment of grace and asked myself, “Why would someone put this book in your box? Do you have this character defect?” And, all of the sudden, because I was willing to investigate the matter, I was open to it, a memory came back to me from just a few months before: me going to this very brother I had in mind, having to apologize to him and ask his forgiveness because of the very defect addressed in the book. This was a wonderful moment for me. Independent of the origins of the book or reasons for its advent, I felt my entrenched anger just begin to collapse in the cold light of the truth about my person—I DO need to work on this negative quality! And the resistance in my heart to simply admitting that I needed to work on a part of myself, perceived
The silence in the Church is palpable – not an appalling silence, yet a silence that pierces...God is revealing to us his plan of salvation, and making present to us the very life he desires to offer us – your situation in this moment is where God is choosing to reveal his love to you.
- Abbot James Albers Holy Thursday Homily
22
Kansas Monks
by another person, it, too, began to melt— very gently, very peacefully. The desire to accuse and blame diminished too and, even though I still had a little bit of a hurt ego, I was able to allow the judgment against me in. I was able to receive it and I felt freer in being able to receive it. But free from what? Probably fear. My anger, I think, had more to do with feeling uncomfortable with being seen as deficient, fear that this weighing of my person was true. To be free from that fear in acceptance was wonderful.
Speaking and teaching are the master’s task; the disciple is to be silent and listen.
This event has brought me back to a key distinction that one of my confreres, Br. Karel, has made. He notes that St. Benedict’s chapter on silence is titled De Taciturnitate, which is often translated as “On Silence.” But that is not a very precise translation. The - Rule of St. word for silence in Latin is Benedict 6:6 silentium. Taciturnitate is better rendered, “restraint of speech,” like someone who is (in English) taciturn. And in that chapter of the Rule you can read, “Speaking and teaching are the master’s task; the disciple is to be silent and listen.” Br. Karel explained that St. Benedict sees silence not as an experience of going out to Walden Pond and fleeing the distractions and noise of others, achieving a “zero” on the decibel scale. Rather, silence in the monastery has to do with me being silent—me not putting myself, my ideas, my noise out there. Silence, as a Benedictine virtue, is not avoiding being bothered—it’s not running from what is bothering me. It’s being still, even if we are being bothered, because we are being bothered. I was lucky to be forced into this kind of silence at prayers after finding the book in my box. Unable to turn my attention away from prayers and concentrate on all the ways I’d been wronged, I was positioned to sit with what was bothering me. In the early monastic tradition, Abba Moses has a pithy saying that expresses the optimism that I can learn from even painful and bothersome situations: ‘Go, sit in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything.’ Staying in place, in silence, with one’s troubles is not consigning oneself to doom or destruction. At least it does not have to be a defeat. Fr. Julian Carron, the leader of the movement Communion
Hope deferred makes the heart sick. - Proverbs 13:12
and Liberation, contributed to a conference in Florence last year. The conference was titled Solitude, the Enemy. He offered these words: Depending on the way we live, solitude can be either a condemnation or a victory. It is a fork in the road... [A] person chooses to either “be alone,” in other words to temporarily separate from people and things in order to discover the meaning of himself, or to “isolate oneself,” closing in on oneself because there is nothing outside of oneself to discover. The posture of silence is embracing our being alone as an assistance to us, a pathway to receiving. In taking up this tool, we find a way forward, out of our own feelings of defeat. Receiving the questioning that our lives inevitably mete out to us is not to assume a posture of good “Catholic guilt.” Let me recall my experience after I realized that I had deserved to receive that little book in my box from whomever: I was relieved. My anger dissipated, my fear receded, and the only thing left was a little bit of a sting to my pride, knowing that I was not so holy as I thought. As it turned out, the patient confrontation with this awful realization about myself was less devastating than I had originally anticipated. The discomfort that came to me, through what I had perceived at first to be a judgment against me, was just a phase of engaging reality—it was just part of the total experience. And it passed in about three minutes. My fear, fortified by my instinctual recoiling from looking at myself in a negative light, was worse than the actual reality. I was not even really angry in that moment, I was more fearful. The rest of that experience, in fact, was a growing acceptance of myself—an acquiescence to being taught by the book that was given to me. So, inhabiting a posture of silence is not a neurotic or scrupulous self-examination that leads us deeper and deeper into our problems, all the while alienating us from God and
from our true self. The practice of a personal silence in the face of reality is a first step toward authentic understanding and wisdom. It leads us to what Fr. Michael Casey has called, “Living in the Truth”—that is, humility. He described it like this: “The fruit of humility is naturalness. Being at home with ourselves. Being ourselves. It begins subtly in the depths of our spirits, but in the course of a lifetime evangelizes all levels of our being until it becomes outward, visible, communicable, (Living in the Truth, 25).” We get to be ourselves in the kind of growth I am talking about. All of this presumes a real trust in reality, a real trust in God’s nearness to us. Abba Moses did not have this when he first entered the monastic way. An earlier tale from his life goes like this: “It happened that Abba Moses was struggling with the temptation of fornication. Unable to stay any longer in the cell, he went and told Abba Isidore. The old man exhorted him to return to his cell. But he refused, saying, ‘Abba, I cannot.’ Then Abba Isidore took Moses out onto the terrace and said to him, ‘Look towards the west.’ He looked and saw hordes of demons flying about and making a noise before launching an attack. Then Abba Isidore said to him, ‘Look towards the east.’ He turned and saw an innumerable multitude of holy angels shining with glory. Abba Isidore said, ‘See, these are sent by the Lord to the saints to bring them help, while those in the west fight against them. Those who are with us are more in number than they are.’ Then Abba Moses gave thanks to God, plucked up courage, and returned to his cell.” What gives Abba Moses the courage to live in his cell and to embrace the silence is a recognition of God’s power and nearness. This memory of God’s work in our lives is the foundation for us to accept the silence that can change us.
Retreatant Question: If you experience anxiety, fear, or discouragement in solitude and silence how do you get out of it? Do you have any advice or a specific prayer? Br. Leven: Take your struggles before God first, but also share your struggles with another person. Each time I recount my own struggles they become more real – I start to gain wisdom just in trying to relate my challenges. If I am overmatched by reality and challenges I find that I need to be like Abba Moses and seek counsel (even if it means I’m just going to return to my room.) For me, I found relief when I became willing; and there was relief in encountering my own weakness and coming to the truth. Watch Br. Leven’s talk with Q&A or read the unabridged version at Kansasmonks.org/leventalk Have questions? Email us at info@kasnsasmonks.org Summer 2020
23
St. Benedict’s Abbey Atchison, Kansas 1020 N. 2nd Street, Atchison, KS 66002 Kansas Monks USPS 290-760 Abbey Advancement Office 913.367.7853 kan sa sm o n k s . or g
the
Summer 2020 | Volume 14 | Number 1
Return to Nazareth prayer garden
Additional info, photos, and groundbreaking video at kansasmonks.org/nazareth
“For the last 60 years, the monks have been a part of my life, not just from a religious perspective, but more importantly as friends. For a number of years my wife, Mary Alice (at left, second from right), has been saying “we should put up a roadside chapel somewhere.” During a retreat at the Abbey, I was taking a walk at the east overlook and thought, “this would be a great place for something!” The Gospel of Jesus in the temple struck me at that time and I had an image in my mind of the Holy Family walking down the path on the east lawn. Abbot James brought in architecture students from Benedictine College and they transformed my vision into something beyond my imagination – it was incredible! I look forward to the completion of the project and the dedication in the fall of 2020.” -Mike Easterday (at left, center)