Abbey Banner - Spring 2021 by Saint John's Abbey

Abbey Banner Spring 2021

The hand of the LORD has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.

Isaiah 41:20

John Geissler

This Issue Abbey Banner Magazine of Saint John’s Abbey Spring 2021

Volume 21, number 1

Published three times annually (spring, fall, winter) by the monks of Saint John’s Abbey. Editor: Robin Pierzina, O.S.B. Design: Alan Reed, O.S.B. Editorial assistants: Gloria Hardy; Patsy Jones; Aaron Raverty, O.S.B. Abbey archivist: David Klingeman, O.S.B. University archivists: Peggy Roske, Elizabeth Knuth Circulation: Ruth Athmann, Tanya Boettcher, Chantel Braegelmann, Cathy Wieme Printed by Palmer Printing Copyright © 2021 by Order of Saint Benedict ISSN: 2330-6181 (print) ISSN: 2332-2489 (online)

Saint John’s Abbey

2900 Abbey Plaza Box 2015 Collegeville, Minnesota 56321-2015

saintjohnsabbey.org/abbey-banner Change of address: Ruth Athmann P. O. Box 7222 Collegeville, Minnesota 56321-7222 rathmann@csbsju.edu Phone: 800.635.7303 Questions: abbeybanner@csbsju.edu

Resurrection Matters

This Issue of Abbey Banner celebrates the vision of Father Virgil Michel, O.S.B. (1890–1938). Following advanced studies in Europe in the 1920s—during which he encountered the inklings of a liturgical revival in monastic communities—Father Virgil returned to Saint John’s where his dreams and passion for an American liturgical renewal blossomed. Virgil’s zeal for promoting the liturgical movement found expression in Orate Fratres (later Worship magazine) that in turn grew into Liturgical Press, the publishing apostolate of Saint John’s Abbey. Brother Aaron Raverty outlines the history of the Press and how its publications continue to honor Father Virgil’s vision.

Why does the resurrection matter? Saint Paul is clear: “If there is no resurrection from the dead, then neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then empty is my preaching, and empty too is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:13-14). Oh, we could stitch together a few interesting observations about God and the human predicament. But the Christian faith would be dead. Thanks be to God, Jesus Christ has been raised!

Sixty years ago, 24 August 1961—following three years of construction and many more of planning—the abbey and university church was consecrated. Dr. Martin F. Connell greets us in the baptistry, the entrance to our church; and reflects on baptism, our gateway into the Church. He also highlights how Father Virgil’s vision helped form this building, beginning with his theology and spirituality of baptism: “the character given us in holy Baptism must grow and increase with the flow of time” (1927). Abbot John Klassen opens our Easter issue with a reflection on Easter morning and the resurrection. Ms. Margaret Nuzzolese Conway reviews and responds to Pope Francis’ encyclical Fratelli Tutti, On Fraternity and Social Friendship. We learn about Benedictine oblates, the Benedictine Volunteer Corps, the medal of Saint Benedict, and an aspiring Benedictine saint. Our spring edition also features two exceptional recipes, one for pastry cream and one for a healthier ecosystem! Brother Ælred Senna’s crème pâtissière will have you singing “Alleluia!” Mr. John Geissler’s strategy to promote oak regeneration will help assure the ecological health of the abbey arboretum—a gift for generations to come.

Along with Abbot John and the monastic community, the staff of Abbey Banner offers best wishes to our readers for a blessed Easter season. Peace! Brother Robin Pierzina, O.S.B.

Photo: Xavier Kwan Yau Wong

somber early morning walk to the tomb, at first light. The “three amigos,” Mary Magdalene; Mary, mother of James; and Salome, carry spices. Are they afraid? Certainly. Their beloved Jesus has been betrayed, arrested, tried, convicted, tortured, and crucified. His disciples have scattered. But when they get to the tomb, there is no body! An angel says to them, “Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised” (Mark 16:5-8). When the women leave the tomb, they are described as tromos kai ekstasis—trembling and astonished, standing outside oneself.

Virgil Michel, O.S.B. “The Scope of the Liturgical Movement,” Orate Fratres 10 (1936): 485–90

With this issue, Abbey Banner begins its twenty-first year of publication. Throughout the first twenty years, Sister Dolores Schuh, C.H.M., faithfully served as copy editor of the magazine. We extend our thanks and best wishes to our dear friend and former coworker (Collegeville Institute) for her decades of service. May your golden years be filled with God’s blessing of good health and happiness!

Cover: Luminary line, Lake Sagatagan, February 2021

Abbot John Klassen, O.S.B.

[W]e must apply . . . Christian concepts to all the forms of our social life, the family, the community, the state, and thus build up anew a Christian social order of life.

We have a great opportunity to be Good Samaritans who bear the pain of other people’s troubles rather than fomenting greater hatred and resentment. We need only have a pure and simple desire to be a people, a community, constant and tireless in the effort to include, integrate, and lift up the fallen.

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Resurrection means new life, a time for new beginnings, for healing, for reconciliation.

Through the dying and rising of Jesus, we have forgiveness of our sins. We are no longer chained to our past failures—though they have a long tail! If this seems like a modest outcome, try having a conversation about forgiveness with someone who does not believe in the resurrection or forgiveness! “Where would I get the authority to forgive?” For Christians, that authority is rooted in the risen Christ. We believe that we will be raised with Christ, that our ultimate fate is union with God, not the dusty slide of an unmarked grave. Death is frustrated, defeated. It is frustrated, for now it is made captive. It grabbed a body and discovered God. It took earth and encountered heaven. “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55). The resurrection of Jesus is the beginning of a new creation. Easter is the first day of God’s new week—Day One, the moment of sunrise after a long, dark night. The resurrection is a crucial sign of hope not only for individuals but for all people, all cultures, all creation. Resurrection guarantees the presence of the Spirit and the possibility of real change in ourselves, our families, in creation itself. Resurrection means new life, a time for new beginnings, for healing, for reconciliation. It is a time of commissioning, of being sent: Go and tell! Believe the Good News, feel it, act on it! Our world needs Easter!

Fratelli Tutti, §77

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Spring 2021

Fratelli Tutti: For All of Us Margaret Nuzzolese Conway

ith other Catholic feminists, I balked initially upon learning that Pope Francis’ latest encyclical would be called Fratelli Tutti, which translated from Italian means “All Brothers.” The title is derived from Saint Francis of Assisi and points to the fraternal love that Saint Francis hoped his followers would exhibit, a deep love for all, transcending geographic borders and physical space. Timely for the age of social distancing! However, I also recalled the expression my Italian dad often recites, “Tutti bella!”—which means “All things beautiful.” So I moved past the exclusion of fratelli to the inclusion of tutti to embrace what is beautiful about this document. Pope Francis wrote most of Fratelli Tutti before the COVID19 pandemic, calling the faithful to a common solidarity, to a neighborliness that would dramatically inform how we engage one another. Little did he (or anyone) know how much more relevant the encyclical would be as he made the final insertions and released it on 3 October 2020. Fratelli Tutti presents many of the pope’s previous concerns: the need for a borderless society, ecological justice, revision of politics, and avoiding being consumerists. These themes comprise what is at the heart of Francis’ papacy: a theology of encounter.

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Most profound is the encyclical’s urgency. We must reform now because of the pandemic. Francis acknowledges how the pandemic has exposed our human vulnerabilities and political fragmentation and, therefore, should drive us to a higher way of being—with greater solidarity, social charity, and faith. Once this health crisis passes, our worst response would be to plunge even more deeply into feverish consumerism and new forms of egotistic self-preservation. God willing, after all this, we will think no longer in terms of “them” and “those,” but only “us” (§35).

Pope Francis puts an egg timer on our transformation as a society! We must become now who we were meant to be, “a society worthy of the name” (§71). Francis devotes an entire chapter to the parable of the Good Samaritan. (If you read only one section, read Chapter Two.) He asks us to consider each of the characters, their actions, and their implications—all in the context of the historical Jesus. He illuminates how the Good Samaritan is the most unlikely of the passersby (including two religious leaders) and invites us to allow our expectations to be shattered, to receive care from the unexpected neighbor. Through the lens of the Good Samaritan, we are called to become better neighbors in the

Will we bend down and help another to get up?

encounter needed. Students clearly value presence over programs, so we increased individual visits, especially with those historically underserved by campus ministry. We created retreats focused on accompaniment. We offered gatherings that more closely reflect the signs of the times, notably “Mass on the Ice” of Lake Sagatagan in February and a COVID-19 prayer service. We used Catholic social teaching as a foundation for educating students about some of the evils that Francis admonishes. We strive to be better colleagues, especially to those hurting or wounded.

most unexpected ways. The Good Samaritan can serve as a litmus test to respond to any decision we have to make, be it economic, political, social, or religious. For Francis, this is the “moment of truth. Will we bend down to touch and heal the wounds of others? Will we bend down and help another to get up?” (§70). Will we? We can all celebrate the shoutout that Benedictines receive in Fratelli Tutti. As Francis makes recommendations for a more lifegiving world, he references the Rule of Saint Benedict and monastic hospitality. Hospitality was one specific way of rising to the challenge and the gift present in an encounter with those outside one’s own circle. The monks realized that the values they sought to cultivate had to be accompanied by a readiness to move beyond themselves in openness to others (§90).

Our monastic communities certainly model this readiness to the rest of us. And I can’t help but note that Francis’ use of the Benedictines here embodies his expectations: he, a Jesuit, moves beyond his own religious order, to lift up the Benedictines! Finally, and perhaps most practically, Francis condemns all kinds of violence, including the death penalty, nuclear proliferation, “just war,” and all insults. This should cause us to pause and examine our own political

The Good Samaritan (Persons in Cuba), painting by Jules Pascin, 1917

and societal values and policies in the U.S. Francis, recognizing that the least among us suffer the most from violence, insists that “violence has no basis in our fundamental religious convictions” (§282). Shortly after the release of Fratelli Tutti, the staff and students of Saint John’s University Campus Ministry reviewed the document and, admittedly subconsciously, have been inspired by it. As a result of the pandemic, we have grown in ways we never imagined. We have

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learned that programming for undergraduates during the pandemic, masked and six feet apart, in person or on Zoom can easily lack an authentic encounter. Yet, true encounter, moving toward the other in an invested way and becoming a neighbor, is what is most needed today—and it is still possible in COVID-compliant ways. We paused some signature activities, such as weekend retreats and service-immersion trips, not because we couldn’t adapt them, but because they were not the

Ironically, a document so focused on inclusion does not cite a single female author! We have a long way to go to become a society of true solidarity. But the encyclical outlines how to do this. We need to be better neighbors, especially to those who don’t expect us to be. We need to go beyond ourselves to encounter the person who is lonely, who is suffering, who is tired. We need to work actively to abolish the death penalty and promote a culture of peace. May our God, who transcended all borders and social distance to become one of us, help us to be better neighbors, especially to the wounded. Ms. Margaret Nuzzolese Conway is the director of campus ministry at Saint John’s University.

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Benedictine Volunteer Corps monks at Saint John’s Abbey (see the Winter 2020–21 issue of Abbey Banner for more details). Part of my work while at Saint John’s was to find a way to Sant’Anselmo. Part of my prayer was focused on patience, humility, and steadfastness during that search. While searching for Italian government contact information, I found an honorary consul who assured me that we could get visas. At our appointment, the consul saw we were from Saint John’s and noted the importance of work and prayer in Benedictine life and how they were especially important now. After the appointment, some paperwork, and a few weeks of waiting, Noah Becker and I were set to go! We arrived in Rome in midNovember and early December, respectively. (Now the Benedictine Volunteer Corps participants are serving monasteries in Israel, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Guatemala, and the U.S.)

Sant’Anselmo, Rome Andrew Ellingson

he two prime characteristics of the Benedictine way of life are prayer and work (ora et labora). The need for each of these in a good life has become more apparent to me as a result of my time with the Benedictine Volunteer Corps (BVC).

In June 2020, my family and friends must have thought I was in a stage of denial. Since my last college classes were moved online and our graduation exercises cancelled, surely volunteering in Italy would be cancelled too! However, after sifting through the restrictions for foreign travel on the Italian government’s website, I still thought it would be possible to begin volunteering on schedule —meaning I would depart for Rome in August 2020. In fact, I told people I would be leaving then, although I said it with some humility and skepticism. It may have seemed to others that I was pretending my BVC service was immune from the restrictions of COVID-19. But when the necessary documents arrived in the mail, I had a renewed optimism and motivation to get a visa. This optimism quickly shifted to what felt like self-deception, however. After repeatedly calling and emailing the Consulate General of Italy in Chicago for a visa appointment

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Noah Becker (left) and Andrew Ellingson

and not receiving any reply for weeks, I began to think the idea of serving at Sant’Anselmo in Rome was unlikely, if not impossible.

Simon Stubbs, O.S.B.

With the help of many others, Brother Paul Richards, O.S.B., director of the Benedictine Volunteers, arranged for the 2020– 2021 BVC participants to live, work, and pray with the

Since my arrival in Rome, I’ve learned that prayer and work at Sant’Anselmo are a bit different than at Saint John’s Abbey. Prayer, for example, is said and sung in Italian and Latin. Having studied more Italian than Latin, I prefer the former. Following along and connecting what I understand in Italian to the biblical passages I know in English creates a translational focus on the message. When we first arrived here, we took a beginner’s course for the Italian language. This has helped with our life, work, and prayer. For work, our responsibilities vary day by day. In addition to Noah and me, there are three other volunteers here: two from Germany, one from Tanzania. With our volunteer coordinator, we practice lectio divina (sacred reading) once a week and keep a weekly blog. We also rotate washing dishes daily. Other work includes helping in the sacristy, cleaning the church, assisting with office work/ running errands, working the front desk, and gardening. All of this is done so the residents at the Pontifical University of Sant’Anselmo, the international house of Benedictine studies, can continue to teach and study. Subjects studied here include Simon Stubbs, O.S.B.

liturgy, theology, philosophy, languages, and independent doctoral studies. Some students reside at the college and study at other schools in Rome. Through these interschool connections, we began participating in a homeless outreach mission. Another responsibility I have is driving Abbot Primate Gregory Polan (a monk from Missouri) to and from his various meetings and appointments. He is one of the most kind and sincere persons I know! Driving in Rome, compared to Minnesota, is more chaotic—or at least that is how it seemed initially. The reduced activity due to COVID restrictions has also reduced traffic a bit, and that has alleviated some of the stress I felt earlier while driving. Now that I know some major streets and the general flow of traffic, the driving is much smoother. Last June, serving the community at Sant’Anselmo was only an idea. Now it is the reality in which Noah and I live. Sant’Anselmo was one of the first sites to be staffed when the Benedictine Volunteer Corps was established in 2003. The BVC continues to serve this community in its everyday needs, so monks from around the world can develop their minds and draw closer to God. Mr. Andrew Ellingson and Mr. Noah Becker are 2020 graduates of Saint John’s University. Follow their adventures on their blog: https:// volontaridisantanselmo.blogspot. com/.

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Oblates of Saint Benedict Elizabeth Everitt, Obl.S.B.

everal years ago, I read The Cloister Walk by Benedictine Oblate Kathleen Norris, reading with particular interest her experiences as a Protestant finding a faith for herself among a monastic community. About twenty-one years ago, United Methodist Women of Minnesota chose the campus of Saint John’s University for the site of their School of Christian Mission. As an attendee of this event each year, I gradually experienced the feeling that somehow I had arrived home, arrived at a holy place. When I read the Rule of Saint Benedict from beginning to end, I knew that God was pulling me in a particular direction: to seek being an oblate of Saint Benedict. The Rule is a valuable guide for living in a way that respects each person and honors God. The discipline of daily prayer has always been a struggle that I have tried to overcome. When I attended personal retreats at Saint John’s, I found the liturgies for Morning Prayer, Midday Prayer, Eucharist, and Evening Prayer to be something I did not realize I was seeking. But here I am! God has revealed something new to me: a group of fellow seekers striving to live out the purpose of our baptism. I am grateful for this opportunity to deepen my prayer life.

According to the Life of Saint Benedict, as told in The Dialogues of Saint Gregory the Great, oblates have affiliated with monasteries since Saint Benedict received adults— seeking spiritual direction and guidance—into his Subiaco and Montecassino communities. Oblate William Muldoon has gathered the archival material for the oblate program of Saint John’s Abbey. The earliest oblations occurred at the Church of St. Anselm, Bronx, New York, which had been founded by monks of Saint John’s Abbey in 1891. There is a record of some 3500 past oblates dating from 1910 to 1960. Currently we have about five hundred oblates of Saint John’s Abbey, from forty-one states and nine countries. The reasons for becoming an oblate may be as diverse as the reasons for becoming a monk. Prompted by the Spirit, candidates may desire a stronger relationship with God while seeking out a path that will enable this to happen. Foremost is the desire for a prayer life connected to a faith-filled and diverse community and a desire for setting goals for lifelong spiritual growth. Oblate candidates explore living a life

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How do oblates seek God? They do this by associating with a particular monastery, from which they receive support to live according to the spirit of Saint Benedict, as revealed by his Rule. Oblates are encouraged to draw inspiration from the Liturgy of the Hours; to practice sacred reading (lectio divina); to observe times of silence in order to be open to listening to the voice of God in their lives; to attend group or private retreats; to study the Rule of Saint Benedict; and, whenever possible, to visit the abbey. In 2009, Mr. William Muldoon, after retiring from full-time work, was looking to deepen his connection to Saint John’s Abbey. Abbot John Klassen, O.S.B., suggested he consider becoming an oblate. William applied to be a candidate, and

Oblate Mission You are not meant to simply be consumers of the Benedictine tradition. You are meant to be carriers of the tradition.

tion with Saint John’s, oblate director Father Magnus Wenninger, O.S.B., asked: “Why don’t you start a Saint John’s oblate group in the Twin Cities?” Ron started the first oblate chapter of the abbey—which became the Saint Joan of Arc Chapter.

inspired by the Rule of Saint Benedict, praying the Liturgy of the Hours, attending monthly oblate meetings, participating in one or more oblate retreats, and studying Benedictine spirituality. Those who make final oblation, as their state in life permits, dedicate themselves to “stability of heart, fidelity to the Spirit of the monastic life, and obedience to the will of God.”

Joan Chittister, O.S.B.

Art: Frank Kacmarcik, Obl.S.B.

following several years of formation, he made his final oblation in 2013. He has done extensive research about the oblates of Saint John’s Abbey, from the first oblates to the present day. Like Oblate William Muldoon, Mr. Ron Joki had a yearning to integrate his prayer life and

work. He felt that becoming an oblate would be a lifelong pursuit. He chose to stay on the path to God, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead him in the right direction along with others of like heart and mind. Ron has now been an oblate for thirty years. About the same time that he was hungering for a deeper commitment and more connec-

The current director of the Saint John’s oblates is Father Michael Peterson, O.S.B. In December 2019, in order to accommodate those who could not travel to Collegeville for oblate gatherings, he introduced the first Saturday oblate videoconference (Zoom) faith-formation meetings. These remote meetings allowed oblates to spend some time together and facilitated Benedictine formation in the Rule. Guest monks share their insights into the Rule, and oblates have an opportunity to share how they live out a particular aspect of the Rule. These meetings typically have some seventy oblates present from Minnesota and across the country. With the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the monthly Zoom meetings have become a lifeline for oblates. Hearing familial voices and seeing others’ faces are amazing ways to be in community. Ms. Elizabeth Everitt, Obl.S.B., has been an oblate of Saint John’s Abbey since 2013.

Information about oblates: https://saintjohnsabbey.org/oblates

Spring 2021

Baptism’s Artworks Martin F. Connell

hen the new abbey and university church, designed by Marcel Breuer, was consecrated sixty years ago, Father Virgil Michel, O.S.B. (1890–1938), would undoubtedly have been pleased to see his vision and theology sanctioned by the setting and design of the baptismal font. Born and baptized George Michel in Saint Paul, he entered the novitiate of Saint John’s Abbey (1909) with the name change to Virgil, eventually teaching at Saint John’s University and founding Orate Fratres (1926), which, like him, had a name change, becoming Worship (1951). Though the font in the old abbey church was small and tucked out of sight as he wrote, Father Virgil anticipated the restoration of the dignity of the sacrament of baptism, now revealed in the new church’s font. In the first year of the publication of Orate Fratres, in the essay “Baptismal Consciousness” (August 7, 1927), Virgil lamented that “Only too often we view our Baptism, without further thought, as a mere past event” and incited readers to witness, instead, “Baptism as a living reality, one that continues in us ever after—in fact, one that must continue to grow in us. Just as the redemption wrought by Christ during His personal sojourn on earth was destined to receive its greater fulfilment in

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the Mystic Body in the course of time, so the character given us in holy Baptism must grow and increase with the flow of time.” Father Virgil would also have found his theology realized in the granite font and holywater basins of the new church. In “Announcing Baptisms” (October 28, 1928), he wrote that birth “will avail us nothing unless Christ takes actual possession of us, just as purchasing a block of marble is of no consequence to the marble unless the sculptor also brings it into his shop and sets to work on it. It is in Baptism that Christ takes actual possession of

us.” Like marble, like granite, like concrete, the sacrament endures. In “Art and the ChristLife” (October 3, 1937), Virgil saw baptized infants as divine artists-in-the-making when he wrote that “as an artist, the member of Christ begins with his own self, his daily conduct, all his own thoughts and words and actions.” The light of the baptized “will shine with the beauty of Christ”—penned a year before he died at age 48. Though the theology of monastic life as a fruit of baptism had been dormant for centuries, Father Virgil paved the way for what the Church would

teach in 1965 at the Second Vatican Council. In its Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life (Perfectae Caritatis), the council reminds religious that membership in a community “constitutes a special consecration, deeply rooted in that of baptism and expressing it more fully” (§5). The introduction to the Rite of Baptism (1969) similarly teaches, “Baptism incorporates us into Christ and forms us into God’s people.” For monks, the community is “God’s people.” For all the baptized, the sacrament grants entrance to the Church. Above all, “Baptism [is] the door to life and to the kingdom of God,” and Virgil, though supposedly not inclined to humor, must have been amused from heaven that the baptismal font is—literally and figuratively—the entrance of the church. This link between door and font is further sanctioned by The Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Holy baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments” (§1213). Baptism as the source of incarnate life in Christ is not reserved to religious men and women, priests and bishops, or even popes, but is the source of all Christian vocations—to marriage, family, or single life. Borrowing once more from Father Virgil: baptism makes us artists—grace-filled artists—who

reveal God’s works of art by shining “the beauty of Christ” in the world. Baptism washes away all sin—sin we inherit from our parents, families, ancestors, and Adam and Eve (original); and the sins we choose (actual). The remedy to sin after baptism is found in moving from font into the actual life in the Church. We all know from experience that the devil’s temptations and snares persist after baptism, yet the strength of incorporation into the Body and Blood of Christ is not merely a theological idea or smarmy feeling. Baptism effects a social reality of Christ incarnate in the living community, well exhibited in the sixty-year-old design of the font leading to the splay of the community just steps away.

making us fallible humans the Body of Christ. Doubt not! We become the Body of Christ because God’s grace in the sacrament makes us so. Whether you remember your own baptism or not, pause when you next dip your fingers into a holy-water basin. Suspend in your heart the memory of countless post-baptismal sins. As you trace the sign of the cross on your forehead, chest or abdomen, and across your shoulders, trust who you are at baptism. Trust Virgil Michel’s theology that God’s grace makes us artists in whom others see the artwork of God and the incarnate beauty of Christ. Dr. Martin F. Connell is professor of theology at Saint John’s University.

As Christians, we trust God’s Word in Christ in the Eucharist that the power of the Holy Spirit makes of mere bread and wine the Body and Blood of Christ. At the same time, aware of humanity’s weakness manifested in the thwarting stain of sin, we may be less trusting of God’s Word and the power of the Holy Spirit in baptism Paul Crosby

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Liturgical Press of pastoral ministry, liturgy, Scripture, monastic studies, academic books and journals, and more recently, Spanishlanguage publications.

Aaron Raverty, O.S.B.

choing the mission statement of Liturgical Press, former managing editor Mr. Mark J. Twomey predicted a trajectory for this premier Catholic publisher in SeventyFive Years of Grace: The Liturgical Press 1926–2001: “As a Benedictine, Catholic publishing company, it will endeavor to deepen the faith, knowledge, and participation of a richly diverse Church by publishing quality resources in the Catholic tradition for the pastoral and academic communities and for individuals” (60).

Faith is a gift, but one that requires nourishment. Eleventhcentury theologian Saint Anselm of Canterbury framed it as fides quaerens intellectum, “faith seeking understanding.” For nearly ninety-five years, Liturgical Press (LP) has provided the faithful with a set of resources for both investigating the faith and reinvigorating the minds and the hearts of lay, clerical, and consecrated members of the Church in the liturgical expression of that faith. In 1926 Father Virgil Michel, O.S.B., a monk of Saint John’s Abbey, founded the community’s publishing house—the only press of its kind at the time—in order to issue liturgical titles. In addition to Orate Fratres (“Pray, Brethren”; later, Worship magazine [1951]), Liturgical Press also published and distributed

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Dom Virgil Michel

booklets promoting Father Virgil’s burgeoning Liturgical Movement. Not long afterwards Sponsa Regis —“A Monthly Review Dedicated to Catholic Sisterhoods”—made its debut in 1929 (becoming Sisters Today in 1965; last issue, 2000). In 1937 the Press began publishing religion texts for oblates, primary and secondary schools, and colleges, explaining the role of the Mass and Christian life. Other publications included a liturgical guide for Mass and chant participation, a Holy Hour devotion, and Stations of the Cross. From these humble beginnings, Liturgical Press has responded to the needs of the faithful by issuing titles in various formats in the general subject areas

A major achievement of the Press was the translation of Das Jahr des Heiles (The Church’s Year of Grace by Pius Parsch; two thousand pages in five volumes, 1957), characterized by Mr. Twomey as “a publishing milestone and a bestseller for a generation of readers, combining a wealth of historical, doctrinal, and meditative materiAbbey archives al on all aspects of the Church year as contained in the missal, breviary, ritual, and martyrology.” Another liturgical landmark was the publication (first edition) in 1958 of Our Parish Prays and Sings, a hymnal that sold 4.7 million paperback copies and more than six hundred thousand clothbound. Adopted by parishes throughout the U.S., it also became a mainstay for the abbey’s liturgies. In 1990 The Collegeville Hymnal was introduced, still in common use. Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy promulgated by Pope Paul VI and the Second Vatican Council (1963), states that

“Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that fully conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy” (§14)—the dream of Father Virgil! Supporting the council’s call to renewed worship, LP deepened its commitment to promoting liturgical aids when it published the initial volume of the seasonal Mass guide, Celebrating the Eucharist (1967)—for decades the most important publication of LP, with circulation approaching

one million at its peak. Other productions included official ritual books (lectionaries and sacramentaries); the Loose-Leaf Lectionary; five volumes of Handbook of Liturgical Studies; four volumes of Lectionary for Masses with Children; and the popular “Ministry Series”—a total of twenty-two titles (four published in Spanish) focused on lay ministry. Biblical scholar Father William Heidt, O.S.B., director of Liturgical Press, 1950–78, recognized the importance of Scripture for

Robin Pierzina, O.S.B.

The Four Evangelists by Placid Stuckenschneider, O.S.B., on the façade of the Liturgical Press world headquarters

understanding the liturgy. He seized the publishing opportunity after Vatican II to replace Latin with English in the revised liturgical texts, in addition to translating and publishing some notable German-language works on Old Testament themes. Even before the council began its work, however, he was planning commentaries on Scripture for a Catholic audience. The periodical The Bible Today debuted in 1962. Beginning in 1960, the Press published forty-six volumes of the Old Testament Reading Guide and New Testament Reading Guide. Reflecting advances in scriptural scholarship, the Guides were updated and replaced in the 1980s by the Collegeville Bible Commentary, twenty-five booklets focused on the Old Testament; and eleven, New Testament. In 1974 the Diocese of Little Rock initiated local Bible studies that eventually grew into a national program. Partnering with Liturgical Press (1985) expanded its production, marketing, and distribution; in 2019 Liturgical Press purchased Little Rock Scripture Study, continuing to refine Bible study resources for both individuals and groups. Other biblical series published by LP include Berit Olam: Studies in Hebrew Narrative and Poetry (thirteen volumes, 1996– 2003); Sacra Pagina (eighteen volumes of New Testament commentaries, 1991–2009); and Wisdom Commentary (feminist interpretation of the Bible,

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ule of Benedict fifty-eight volumes, 2015– ). The Press has also published a number of leaflets addressing topics such as Selecting a Bible Translation, How to Interpret the Bible, How and Why Catholic and Protestant Bibles Differ, How the Bible Came to Be, and Fundamentalism: A Pastoral Concern. The Saint John’s Bible imprint was established in 2006.

bilingual. The Press also initiated translations of classics in German, French, and Italian, extending contracts to publishing houses around the world. An international cast of authors and editors produced The International Bible Commentary: A Catholic and Ecumenical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century (1998).

Books and pamphlets have been the primary means by which Liturgical Press spreads the Good News. Other technologies have also been used, however. An audiocassette series on the Bible (John’s Good News Journal, Mark’s Message, and Marching Through Exodus) provided new media outlets for biblical study, supplemented by audiocassettes covering lectures on Gregorian chant, liturgy, and spirituality. Today, many LP titles are available as compact discs or ebooks.

In 2011, following years of study, surveys, and prayerful discernment, Give Us This Day was launched. Including Morning Prayer, profiles of saintly witnesses to the faith, the Order of Mass, reflections, and Evening Prayer, this daily prayer guide is a twenty-first-century response to Father Virgil Michel’s dream.

The “Popular Liturgical Library” includes many inexpensive booklets—on baptism, confirmation, anointing, marriage, and funerals —to inform and guide the worship of the faithful. Even liturgical clip art, profusely exemplified in the work of Brother Placid Stuckenschneider, O.S.B., was called into production as books, disks, and CD-ROMs. Throughout its history, Liturgical Press has featured monastic studies among its publications. Highlights include St. Benedict’s Rule for Monasteries (1948),

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From Mass Symbols (1947) by Joachim Watrin, O.S.B.

translated from the Latin by Mr. Leonard J. Doyle; and the more recent, widely acclaimed RB 1980: The Rule of St. Benedict in Latin and English with Notes, both substantial supports for Benedictine scholarship. Since 1968, Cistercian Publications has published books of monastic history and spirituality—reaching back to the early Church and forward to the lives and thought of today’s laypeople, monastics, and clerics. The Press established the Cistercian Publications imprint in 2008 to assure that works by early Cistercian writers and other Fathers and Mothers of the Church would be available to a new generation. In response to the needs of a more diverse Church, Spanishlanguage publications have multiplied. Initially LP offered translations of its English texts, such as Celebrating the Eucharist/Misal del Pueblo. More recent publications have originated in Spanish or are

A humble, thirty-two-page pamphlet, Orate Fratres—“A Review Devoted to the Liturgical Apostolate”—was published on November 28, 1926, the First Sunday of Advent. So began Liturgical Press, publishing apostolate of Saint John’s Abbey. Since then, tens of thousands of publications—great and small, scholarly and popular—have been produced to deepen the faith and knowledge of the People of God.

Brother Aaron Raverty, O.S.B., a member of the Abbey Banner editorial staff, is the author of Refuge in Crestone: A Sanctuary for Interreligious Dialogue (Lexington Books, 2014).

Compliments: Not to Us, Lord! Eric Hollas, O.S.B. “I love the part in the Rule that says monks should compete with one another in showing deference. There’s nothing about compliments.”

o wrote a friend recently, and it set my mind to wondering. Is that true? Does Saint Benedict discourage compliments?

can also be a problem. That’s why everyone gets a trophy or ribbon in sporting events today! Being overlooked can easily disrupt the peace and give rise to envy. I recall, for instance, the end of an Easter Vigil when the abbot read from an exhaustive list that thanked and complimented virtually everyone in the

I cannot find a passage in which Benedict explicitly forbids compliments, but his discomfort with them is clear. In the matter of crafts, for example, he warns the artisans of the monastery not to become puffed up about their talent (RB 57). Excessive praise fans the flames of ego, and a monk might conclude that he has become indispensable to the community. Heaven forbid that such a thing might happen, because someday the community will have to live without him and his great talents. As for flattery, the elder sibling of compliments, Benedict cautions against flattery because it can easily inflate the ego. Some might conclude—incorrectly—that deference and compliments are theirs by right. The hurt feelings of those who get no compliments

church — except for the ushers. As an usher I pretended to take umbrage and later confided to the abbot my hurt feelings at being left out of the avalanche of compliments. “Without the

ushers everybody would still be standing at the back of church! Nothing could have happened without us!” The abbot is now more cautious in complimenting both the named and unnamed. Benedict recognized the power of a compliment to cause either harm or good, and he offers a solution: “Paul attributed nothing of the success of his preaching to himself, but said, ‘By the grace of God, I am what I am’ [1 Corinthians 15:10].” So it ought to be for us: “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give the glory [Psalm 15:1]” (Prol.29-32). The next time someone goes fishing for compliments or gets in line to massage with flattery those who may or may not have earned it, recall the advice of Saint Benedict. Praise may be justified, but we ought to praise the Lord who has worked such wonders in us and in our neighbors. “To God be the glory!” What higher and betterAidan Putnam deserved compliment could there possibly be? Father Eric Hollas, O.S.B., is deputy to the president for advancement at Saint John’s University.

Spring 2021

Recipe for Ecological Success John Geissler

n the fall of 2020, we virtually hosted researcher Douglas W. Tallamy who spoke about his New York Times best-selling book, Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard. Dr. Tallamy identified ten conservation steps to reverse trends of declining plant and wildlife biodiversity. His central message of hope for healthy ecosystems is the simple act of planting and restoring as many native plants as possible (particularly converting portions of our yards, however small or large). His presentation was inspiring! His research data affirm the abbey arboretum’s ongoing efforts to add and maintain native plant diversity. All native plants contribute to the ecological health of our world. Some species, however, have larger and broader ecological impacts. Dr. Tallamy described “keystone genera that form the backbone of local ecosystems” and further noted that “throughout most of the United States, native oaks, cherries, willows, birches, cottonwoods, and elms are the top woody producers; while goldenrods, asters, and sunflowers lead the herbaceous pack.” The Saint John’s Abbey Arboretum is fortunate to have several species from each “powerhouse” genera growing here. I am particularly fond of the Saint John’s oaks that sit at the top of this wildlife supporting list. Oak leaves can host over four hundred species of caterpillars; and over one hundred native vertebrate species rely on acorns as a food source! Acorns are an especially significant part of the ecosystem because they provide both an immediate food source to build wildlife energy reserves and can also be stored for future use. So how do we ensure that oaks and the associated diversity of wildlife are here for future generations? Oak regeneration in the abbey arboretum with its nutrient rich soils, moderate moisture, and high deer population boils down to the following recipe:

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Acorns + mineral soil contact + sunlight + moisture + 7 years of deer protection + 4 years of understory competition control + invasive species control = Oak forest for future generations

pieces of 5’ rebar. We leave the cages around the trees for seven years—until the young oak saplings are at least eight feet high. At that point, they have grown above typical deer-browse height. While the initial cost is high for this form of deer protection, the ongoing expense is reduced substantially as we reuse the cages multiple times.

This recipe is challenging. But the labor-intensive and long-term investment of time, effort, and resources is rewarded with high ecological returns that can continue for centuries.

Understory competition control. Understory competition control is a critical component of success on these nutrient-rich sites. As soon as sunlight reaches the forest floor, everything wants to grow. Competition from maple, ironwood, basswood, prickly ash, blackberry, and raspberry can quickly shade the sun-loving oak seedlings. At least twice during the growing season for the initial two years, we weed out or cut back the competition crowding our oak seedlings. In years 3 and 4, we cut back the competition once a year. At that point, the seedlings are established and able to compete.

One of the abbey’s ambitious conservation goals is to establish new oak forests on five acres annually to promote oak-forest age diversity—a key component of forest resiliency that we are currently lacking. However, thanks to the generous efforts of the Abbey Conservation Corps (ACC) volunteers, we have advanced the above recipe of oak regeneration on over 27 acres in the last three years. That might not seem like a lot until we start thinking about watering, weeding, and clearing brush two times a year around 200 individual oak seedlings/acre—at this point, 5400 oak seedlings! The time and energy required for a project of this scale far exceeds the ability of the arboretum staff. Please join me in celebrating the spirit of the Abbey Conservation Corps! The ACC volunteers are a special blend of monks; neighbors; Saint John’s University, College of Saint Benedict, and Saint John’s Preparatory School staff, students, and alums; Benedictine Volunteer Corps members; and the greater community. Together they have advanced this and other conservation efforts throughout the abbey arboretum. If you see our volunteers wearing a green Abbey Conservation Corps t-shirt (particularly if it’s dirty from field work!), please say thanks for their generous contribution to the ecological health of this special place. Acorns. Natural oak regeneration begins with a plentiful acorn crop in the fall. Abundant acorn crops or “mast years” occur irregularly and are largely dependent on the weather. Late spring frosts

Kyle Rauch

or droughts can limit fall acorn production. We prefer to use natural regeneration seedlings, but if we do not have good acorn production, we can purchase and plant oak seedlings grown by the Minnesota State Forest Nursery. These seedlings are grown from acorns collected by ACC volunteers in our woods from previous years. Mineral soil contact + sunlight. After the acorns drop from the trees in the fall, we increase the odds of a successful germination by pushing them into contact with the mineral soil with our log skidder as we harvest or push down all the trees in 100’wide regeneration strips. These strips are orientated north and south to provide the necessary sunlight with some shade from the sides to help the seedlings through dry periods. Deer protection. Deer-browse protection comes in many forms, such as plastic tree shelters, fenced deer exclosures, deer-deterring scents, and bud caps. We use individual tree cages on our young oak seedlings. These cages are made from six-foothigh welded wire fence. A 100’ roll of this fence makes sixteen two-foot diameter tree cages. Each cage is held in place around a seedling with two

We are continually monitoring our efforts and collecting data on the impacts, aiming to share our recipe and outcomes through scientific literature. There is nothing more gratifying for our team than the sight of a 10–12’ oak sapling that we helped get going. What a special gift to visitors to the abbey arboretum in the year 2261! Mr. John Geissler is the Saint John’s Abbey land manager and director of Saint John’s Outdoor University.

Please join us! If COVID protocols allow, we will plant, mat, cage, and water 1,000 oak seedlings to start the restoration of five acres of marginal farmland back to oak forest. Join us on 15 May to start our next batch of oak seedlings. For more information, see: https://www. csbsju.edu/outdooru/events/volunteer; or call: 320.363.3163.

Spring 2021

Oak Regeneration Areas N

Throughout the year, Abbey Conservation Corps volunteers promote oak regeneration in the Saint John’s Abbey Arboretum.

Great oaks from little acorns grow.

Photos: John Geissler

Medal of Saint Benedict the words on the obverse: Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti (the Cross of [our] Holy Father Benedict).

Robin Pierzina, O.S.B.

any Christians wear or carry a religious medal, a tangible expression of their faith and love of God or a means of remembering a favorite saint. Medals may also commemorate special occasions in the believer’s life (First Communion, for example); a significant historical event, such as a holy year; or a sacred pilgrimage shrine, such as Saint Peter’s in Rome or Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

In the Catacombs of Saint Domitilla near Rome, archaeologists discovered a bronze medallion dating to the second or third century with images thought to be that of Saints Peter and Paul. There is little evidence, however, of the Christian practice of wearing or exchanging religious medals before the twelfth century, when casting tokens in metal to celebrate religious pilgrimages became more common. One pilgrim, Giraldus Cambrensis, describes how he and his companions return to London from a trip to Canterbury c. 1180, “cum signaculis Beati Thomæ a collo suspensis” (with the tokens of Saint Thomas [Becket] round their necks). The date of the first striking of a medal honoring Saint Benedict is unclear. Supposedly Saint Vincent de Paul (d. 1660) was acquainted with one version. Pope Benedict XIV may have

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obverse

The Jubilee Medal of Saint Benedict has been reproduced in a variety of materials,

approved its use in 1741. The most recognized medal of Saint Benedict today was designed for the fourteenth centenary of his birth (1880) by the Benedictine monk Desiderius Lenz of the Archabbey of Saint Martin, Beuron, Germany. The Jubilee Medal, struck under the supervision of the monks of Montecassino, Italy, remains the most popular medal honoring the father of Western monasticism. Readers of Abbey Banner may have noticed that an image of [Jesus answered:] Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. John 14:27

the Saint Benedict Medal has appeared on the masthead (page 4) of each issue of the magazine since 2011. One of the oldest devotional medals used by Christians, the images and text tell of the life of Benedict of Nursia. Obverse. At the center of the front of the Jubilee Medal is an image of Saint Benedict. In his right hand he holds a cross, symbol of Christian salvation and a reminder of Benedictine evangelization. In his left hand is a copy of his Rule for monasteries. A cup and snake, representing the poisoned wine that had been given him by hostile monks, appears to his right. According to Pope Saint Gregory the Great (d. 604) in the second

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shapes, and sizes, ranging from finely crafted works of art to religious kitsch.

book of The Dialogues: Life of Saint Benedict, the cup shattered when Benedict made the sign of the cross over it—confirming the practical value of saying grace before meals. The cup, said Gregory, “had in it the drink of death, which could not endure the sign of life.” A raven, at Benedict’s left, recalls the assistance of his pet bird that carried away a poisoned loaf of bread that had been given to Benedict by a jealous adversary. Above the poisoned cup and the raven are the Latin words Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti (the Cross of [our] Holy Father Benedict). The inscription on the margin of the medal, Eius in obitu nostro præsentia muniamur, translates: May we be strengthened by his

presence in the hour of our death. Benedictines regard Saint Benedict as the patron saint of a happy death. The monks of Saint John’s Abbey frequently end Evening Prayer asking for the blessing of a peaceful night and a perfect end. Below the image of Benedict is the signature of the Jubilee Medal: EX S M Casino MDCCCLXXX (From Holy Monte Casino, 1880). Reverse. A cross dominates the back of the medal. On the arms of the cross are the letters C S S M L and N D S M D, initials of a prayer: Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux! Non Draco Sit Mihi Dux! (May the holy cross be my light! Let not the dragon [devil] be my guide!) In the angles of the cross are large initials C S P B, echoing

Around the margin of the medal (beginning at the upper right edge) are the letters V R S N S M V – S M Q L I V B, initial letters of the words of a prayer of exorcism in Leonine verse: Vade Retro Satana! Nunquam Suade Mihi Vana. Sunt Mala Quæ Libas. Ipse Venena Bibas! (Begone, Satan! Never tempt me with your vanities. What you offer me is evil. Drink the poison yourself!) The formula Vade retro satana appears in a manuscript at Metten Abbey in Bavaria dating to c. 1415 and is attributed to Benedict. Displayed at the top of the medal is the Benedictine motto: PAX (Peace). In the beginning of the Rule, Saint Benedict exhorts his monks to “Seek after peace and pursue it” (RB Prol.17; adapted from Psalm 34:14-15 and 1 Peter 3:11). Positioning the word PAX atop the cross of Christ may also suggest a greeting of peace to or from those who wear the medal: “May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way” (2 Thessalonians 3:16). Benedict’s peaceful response even to those who tried to poison him confirms his commitment to practicing, not merely preaching, the Word of God. Saint Benedict, pray for us.

Spring 2021

Sing a New Song Neal Henry Lawrence, O.S.B. Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing a new song to the LORD Sing to the LORD, all the earth. Who has done marvelous deeds.

Psalm 96:1

Psalm 98:1

hese inspiring words of David have challenged poets for long ages. The new song I have learned to sing in Japan is called a tanka or waka, the latter a more ancient name. Tanka English poems have 31 syllables arranged in five segments, 5-7-5-7-7, without rhyme.

Japanese poetry existed long before it could be written down, coming forth from the mists of oral tradition to be captured in early collections when the introduction of Chinese characters enabled the Japanese to have a written language. The most famous of these collections is the Man’yōshū (collection of ten thousand leaves), A.D. 670–759; many of the tanka, which were originally intended for singing, being remarkable for their perfection. Tanka even today is the central form of Japanese poetry, written by people from all walks of life, including the emperor and imperial family, farmers, artisans, teachers, and students. It is the “song of songs,” the premiere form of the Japanese court and is the only form included in the New Year’s Poetry Party at the imperial court.

Father Neal Henry Lawrence, O.S.B. (1908–2004), was a monk of Saint John’s Abbey who served at Saint Anselm’s Priory in Tokyo and Trinity Benedictine Monastery in Fujimi for nearly forty years. Writing tanka in English, he was regarded as a pioneer in this oldest form of Japanese poetry. In recognition of his contribution to the promotion of Japanese culture, the Japanese government, in the name of the emperor, awarded Father Neal the Order of the Rising Sun, Golden rays with rosette, in 1993. This article is excerpted from “Sing a New Song” by Neal Lawrence, The Scriptorium, Volume 25, Christmas 1986.

The bells are ringing On the silver jubilee Of the Abbey Church; Inside clouds of incense rise, Fragrance befitting the Lord.

The relics of saints Amid vigil lights burning And clouds of incense, Monks in procession chant prayers And pray they too become saints.

In the sky’s darkness Shafts of light streak from the north Stir awe in our hearts, Mysterious gift to faith, Part of God’s creative might.

In 1975 I started writing tanka English poems, having learned about tanka from a friend, Dr. Shingeru Nambara. After translating some of his, I tried writing my own—the first, written on a bus during the cherry blossom season. One critic says it is the best one I have written: Through crystal windows, Beauty of cherry blossoms Filled my heart with joy, Yet when my eyes looked beneath, Fallen petals saddened me.

Birds flutter around The feeder high on a pole Squirrels on the ground Cannot reach, but the birds share By scattering of seed.

Some of my tanka have been translated into Korean, Japanese, French, and Greek. The Church and Christianity are often the subject of my works. I think my faith has been deepened by living in a preponderantly non-Christian society. Having been a Protestant early in life, I have always been ecumenically minded. In Japan, coming in contact with Buddhism, Shintoism, and the newer religions has made me try to see the good in each and to find a common meeting ground. That is why I have written many religious tanka, thinking, “He put a new song on my lips” (Psalm 40:4).

The sun rose amid A delicate bluish haze An orb of orange In an American sky Like at sunset in Japan.

Tree of life and death In monastery garden Seed becomes flower, Fragrance spreads, soon disappears. Beauty in life, peace in death. [1978]

Eyes alight with life Revealed soul’s inner sparkle, Pure joy and zest for friends, Desire for sharing love of earth’s Bounty and exuberance. [1978]

Hurrying in rain, Jumping to evade puddles I sprained my ankle; Life is rushing amid tears, Dodging ills, we still suffer. [1983]

Like a flock of white Butterflies on a long stem Far above the leaves Of tropical green splendor— The orchid called “Winter Dawn.” [1983]

Robin Pierzina, O.S.B.

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Lives of the Benedictine Saints Blessed Ildefonso Schuster Richard Oliver, O.S.B.

lfredo Ildefonso Schuster, O.S.B., was a monk, abbot, archbishop, scholar, liturgist, educator, and indefatigable pastor whose zeal for souls and their holiness led to his beatification in 1996. Blessed Ildefonso was born Alfredo Ludovico Luigi Schuster, 18 January 1880, in Rome to Johann Schuster (a Bavarian tailor twice widowed) and Maria Anna Tutzer. After his father died, Alfredo, aged nine, became a student at the

Basilica of Saint Paul Outsidethe-Walls. He entered the Abbey of Saint Paul taking the name Ildefonso and professed his vows as a Benedictine monk, 13 November 1900. Dom Ildefonso earned a doctorate of philosophy in 1903 and later a doctorate in theology at the Pontificio Ateneo Sant’Anselmo in Rome. His passion for archaeology, sacred art, and monastic and liturgical history was great. Pietro Cardinal Respighi ordained Ildefonso to the priesthood on 19 March 1904. At the age of 28, he was already novice master. He became claustral prior in 1916, and the monks elected him abbot in 1918. His service was not limited to his own community. He was Procurator General of the Italian Cassinese Congregation from 1914 to 1929, president of the Pontifical Oriental Institute, 1919 to 1922, and visitator for seminaries of the Lombard region as well as those of Campania and Calabria from 1924 to 1928. While abbot he was made a consulter to the Congregation for Rites and the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. In June 1929 Pope Pius XI nominated Abbot Ildefonso archbishop of Milan. The next month,

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the pope created him Cardinal Priest of Saints Sylvester and Martin in the Mountains, a minor basilica in Rome. Thus began his ministry in the Ambrosian Church. Taking as a model his predecessor, Saint Charles Borromeo, the cardinal archbishop proved to be assiduous in making pastoral visits to the diocese, which he carried out five times in the course of his episcopate. His presence among the people was constant. Archbishop Ildefonso Schuster was a charismatic figure for a quarter of a century. His letters to the clergy and to the laity are numerous. He offered meticulous and detailed prescriptions, especially regarding the decorum to be observed during religious services. He supervised diocesan synods and two Eucharistic congresses. Above all, he believed that the goal of all Christians was holiness. Throughout his tenure the archbishop emphasized the importance of catechetics and promoted the Catholic Action movement for the laity. In the years following the signing of the 1929 Lateran Treaty, Fascist Italy and the Catholic Church each sought to influence Italian youth. Catholic Action was the Church’s response to the Fascists’ values and ideology and aimed to form a new generation of Catholic lay leaders. On behalf of Pius XI, Archbishop Schuster restructured the Milanese seminaries by inaugurating the theological and

teriorum: Testo, introduzione, commento e note (Torino: Società Editrice Internazionale, 1942); and Saint Benedict and His Times (Saint Louis: B. Herder Book Company, 1951). Saint John’s rector, Father Gregory J. Roettger, O.S.B., translated the latter, and Abbot Alcuin Deutsch, O.S.B., authored the preface. ©

high school seminary. He founded the Institute of Ambrosian Chant and Sacred Music, now the Pontifical Ambrosian Institute of Sacred Music. In 1933 he became a Bailiff Knight Grand Cross of Honor and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta. Cardinal Schuster participated in the papal conclave of 1939 that elected Pope Pius XII on the eve of World War II and was even considered a viable and worthy candidate himself, especially by those seeking a more pastoral pope. As cardinal archbishop, Ildefonso Schuster governed during a very difficult time for Milan and for Italy. At first he supported Benito Mussolini and the National Fascist Party, but after Germany’s annexation of Austria, he denounced fascists’ meddling with the youth organization, Catholic Action; refused to participate in ceremonies involving Mussolini; and condemned German racial doctrines embodied in the anti-Semitic

José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro/Wikimedia Commons

Italian racial laws. In 1945 he tried in vain to convince Mussolini to surrender, even offering him sanctuary in the archepiscopal residence as a way of saving himself. Following the end of the war, the cardinal made frequent attempts to emphasize the danger of totalitarianism that communism and fascism inspired. Ildefonso wrote several books on liturgical and Benedictine topics, among them: The Sacramentary (Liber Sacramentorum): Historical and Liturgical Notes on the Roman Missal, five volumes of his copious notes on the Roman Liturgy (New York: Benziger Bros., 1924–30); Regula Monas-

Aged and ill, Ildefonso retired to the archdiocesan seminary at Venegono Inferiore near Lake Como, which he had built in 1935, where he died at 74, 30 August 1954. His tomb in the metropolitan cathedral was opened in 1985, and his remains were found to be intact. Pope John Paul II beatified him, 12 May 1996. Blessed Ildefonso’s feast day is 30 August. Telenova produced a six-minute film with original footage of him, La vita del cardinale Schuster, https:// youtu.be/xl22STFBjvM. Brother Richard Oliver, O.S.B., president emeritus of the American Benedictine Academy, is the coordinator of Saint John’s Abbey church tours.

You want a memorial from me. I have no other memorial to give you than an invitation to holiness. People seem no longer to allow themselves to be convinced by our preaching, but in the face of holiness, they still believe, still kneel and pray. People seem to live unaware of supernatural realities, indifferent to the problems of salvation. But if an authentic saint, whether alive or dead, passes, everyone rushes to be near him or her. Do not forget that the devil is not afraid of our sports fields and our cinemas. Instead, he is afraid of our holiness. Blessed Ildefonso Schuster’s last words, addressed to his seminarians

Spring 2021

Meet a Monk: Isaiah Frederick to Saint John’s University to pursue an accounting degree. He also enrolled in Army ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps). Upon graduation, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. After four years, he was honorably discharged with the rank of captain.

Simon-Hòa Phan, O.S.B.

Timothy Backous, O.S.B.

very member of our monastic community has a unique history of relationships and experiences that shape the story of his vocation. Often enough, this includes a stint as an altar boy, the daily family rosary, a Catholic school education, and a gradual drift toward choosing religious life. The life of Father Isaiah Frederick, O.S.B., includes some of these norms, but the path he followed is anything but conventional. Born in April 1973 to Stan and Flo Frederick in Puyallup, Washington, and baptized Andrew, he was one of two children in the family, the other being Rita, his older sister. His father was a contract specialist for the U.S. government, and his mother was a teacher. In 1991 Andrew made his way

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In 1996 Andrew married a classmate from the College of Saint Benedict. Three years later they settled in Minneapolis so Andrew could begin an auditor’s job with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). It was during this time that he and his wife welcomed their son, Max, into the world. The auditor’s job took the family to Phoenix, and it was there that the ground

Chaplain Isaiah, ready to serve

monastery, he found the sense of purpose and peace that he had been seeking for so many years. His “associate” status led him to become a cloistered oblate, and from there it was an easy decision to become a novice. He took the religious name of Isaiah and professed his first vows as a Benedictine monk in 2012, followed by seminary studies. Four years later, Isaiah was ordained and began a series of assignments in local Benedictine parishes.

under Andrew’s feet began to shift. He reflects: “The movement from job to job was my way of searching for meaning and purpose. I recognized that working seventy to eighty hours a week in accounting, no matter how much money I was making, wasn’t providing the meaning and purpose I was looking for.” Burnout was what prompted Andrew to switch tracks dramatically—he became a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). “My intention when joining the FBI,” he recalls, “was to find purpose in my life, and I knew I was going to find it by helping other people.” But the FBI position did not yield the hopedfor results. “I loved talking with people as part of my job as a special agent,” he explains. “And that is a lot of the job: building contacts, getting stories, interviews, collecting information. I didn’t like carrying a gun. Thank God I never had to use it!” In the end, he concluded that the FBI “was not the place for me.”

Frederick archives

At the same time Andrew was seeking meaning and purpose professionally, he came to some honest conclusions about his marriage: “I loved my wife and my son, and

Bette, ready to be served

Frederick archives

I had a wonderful time during those ten years. However, it wasn’t my calling, and I didn’t give the marriage my full presence. I treated it more like being best friends. That doesn’t make much of a marriage. My wife realized that and ended the marriage. She and I still get along, and I consider her one of my best friends. She has supported me through so many tough times.” As for his son: “I am very proud of Max; he is an exceptional kid. He began college in 2020 on a football scholarship.” After his divorce, Andrew made his way back to Minnesota, becoming an accountant again. He also became a monastic associate of Saint John’s Abbey— participating in a program that allows laymen to discern their vocation while living in the monastery and working at Saint John’s or in the local area. In the

Perhaps it was his memories of the FBI and his love of connecting with people that led him to another step in his spiritual/ professional journey: he decided to become a hospital chaplain. Of this new chapter in his life, Father Isaiah observes: “Hospital chaplaincy provides me the chance to spend most of my time in person-to-person ministry. This wasn’t the case in parish ministry. Hospital ministry

can be very intense, with lots of traumas and dramas, especially during a pandemic. This intensity also offers amazing and aweinspiring moments of holiness. I truly am walking on sacred ground as I walk through the hospital.” Living away from the monastery has left Isaiah feeling a bit isolated—a problem solved by adopting a cat that likes him as much as he likes her! She loves to cuddle, is very vocal, and can be naughty. Isaiah considers that a perfect blend of characteristics! While he looks forward to spending more time at the abbey and visiting his parents in Arizona after the pandemic, the feline presence is a welcome gift now. Our community is grateful that Isaiah made his way to Saint John’s Abbey, and we rejoice in the happiness he’s found serving as a hospital chaplain.

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St. Cloud Hospital values spiritual care and recognizes it as part of healing. Our chaplains are allowed to spend face-to-face time with patients, including those in isolation because of the pandemic. I put on my PPE (personal protective equipment) and go right in, side by side with the medical staff, truly a part of the team. I was fortunate to receive the COVID vaccination, but I still caution all: Please wear your mask, wash your hands, and keep up the physical distancing.

Spring 2021

COVID Lessons Bradley Jenniges, O.S.B. Return, Israel, to the LORD, your God; you have stumbled because of your iniquity.

Hosea 14:2

hroughout the past year, we have been stumbling. “Normal life” collapsed around us as increasingly urgent measures were implemented across the United States and around the world in an attempt to reduce the impact of COVID. We hoped that our efforts would stave off the worst consequences. Nonetheless, since COVID-19 became part of our daily vocabulary, more than a half million Americans succumbed to the

Prayers of the Faithful

pandemic—many of them alone or separated from loved ones in their final hours.

Idolatry was the sin that brought calamity in the prophet Hosea’s time. The present calamity may have exposed our own idolatry. Some look upon the crisis as an opportunity to make money off of panic and scarcity of some goods. Some of us discovered our attachments to small idols that we could not serve while sheltered at home or living under quarantine. For most of us, the past year felt like life as we know it was being taken away from us even as we tried to be loving toward our

socially distanced neighbors. It was a bit like what Jesus went through on a Friday some twenty-one centuries ago. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, out of love for us, was not the end of his life, however. His resurrection is the sign of the Father’s love for him and for us.

Prayer of Saint Teresa of Ávila (1515–1582)

Let nothing trouble you, let nothing frighten you. All things are passing; God never changes. Patience obtains all things. The one who possesses God lacks nothing: God alone suffices.

May we discover, in the midst of the collapse of our norms and routines, the presence of God— the God who is most worthy of our love, who will accompany us and, I pray, act through us throughout the pandemic.

Prayer of Saint Francis de Sales (1567–1622)

Do not fear what may happen tomorrow. The same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you then and every day. He will either shield you from suffering, or will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace! Put aside all anxious thoughts and imagination.

Father Bradley Jenniges, O.S.B., is the prior of Saint John’s Abbey.

Prayer of Saint Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

Watch, O Lord, with those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight, and give your angels and saints charge over those who sleep.

God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth should change. The LORD of hosts is with us. “Be still and know that I am God!”

Psalm 46:1-2, 8, 11

John-Bede Pauley, 0.S.B.

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Tend your sick ones, O Lord Jesus Christ. Rest your weary ones. Bless your dying ones. Soothe your suffering ones. Pity your afflicted ones. Shield your joyous ones; And all for your love’s sake. Amen.

What Is Life? Crowfoot, Chief of the Canadian Blackfoot

(1830–1890)

It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.

Cloister Light The daily routine within the cloister is enlivened by the antics of the “characters” of the community. Here are stories from the Monastic Mischief file.

From the Oral Tradition

In the early days of Saint John’s University, tuition, room, and board were often paid through bartering. One student was brought to Saint John’s with a team of oxen which his father left at the institution to cover expenses. When students from town would ask a boy from the country what he was studying for, the reply would be: “For two pigs and a cow.” According to liturgical norms, communicants are to respond “Amen” when offered Holy Communion. Some, however, insist on saying “Thank you.” In such cases, Father Aelred would retort: “Don’t mention it.” Father Thomas Wahl is teaching a course on the prophets in the graduate school [1969]. He assigns a short report or paper each week. His students call the assignment a “Wahl paper.”

Parish Summer Bazaar

Barbeque Pork Chop & Corn-on-the-Cob Feed Adults $5.00 Children 5 thru 12 $3.00 Children under 5 Free with Hot Dog

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Abbey Chronicle

COVID-19

“I have prepared a place for you.” Just not this pew. Have you noticed, Brother, that those vinyl gloves only come for the left hand: L and XL (left and extra lefts)? Yes. But I correct that by turning them inside out.

You Don’t Say Saint Benedict admonishes monks who travel not to share their observations upon returning to the monastery (RB 67.5). Nonetheless, cosmopolitan monks of our day have shared some of their discoveries in foreign lands. Hotel Notices Is forbidden to steal hotel towels please. If you are not a person to do such a thing is please not to read this notice. Please leave your values at the lobby desk. The manager has personally passed all the water served here. Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar. You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid. You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and Soviet composers, artists, and writers are buried daily except Thursday. There will be a Moscow Exhibition of Arts by thousands of Soviet Republic painters and sculptors. These were executed over the past two years. Laundry or tailor shops Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon have a good time. The flattening of underwear with pleasure is the job of the chambermaid. Ladies may have a fit upstairs. Dresses for street walking. Order your summers suit. Because is big rush we will execute customers in strict rotation.

hiteout conditions on 23 December accompanied by a windchill of -17°F produced a white, if chilly, Christmas. The first days of the new year were marked by calm air, freezing fog, and temps in the teens and 20s that created rime ice across the campus and transformed the landscape into a winter wonderland. Collegeville recorded only two subzero readings during the month of January—wimpy -3 degrees each. If January was mild and cloudy, February was cold and sunny. Beginning on 6 February, for ten days most of Minnesota recorded only subzero temps (as low as -50 at Ely). Frigid February gave way to March madness, with migrating birds alternately delighting in temps in the 50s and 60s and disoriented by snow and slush. On 29 March, Lake Sagatagan went ice-free. The relentless coronavirus pandemic spoiled the holiday season —all manner of Advent and Christmas traditions, activities, religious services, and gatherings were modified or cancelled. Also cancelled was Saint John’s sweet season—the annual springtime production of maple syrup. More sobering was news that the COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. surpassed 500,000 in February. With the expanding supply of vaccines, we pray that our dark night of the soul will give way to the light at the end of the tomb, the healing light of the rising Son! Alleluia! Come, Lord Jesus.

Zhicheng Shen

Brother John Chrysostom Long completed his undergraduate studies, majoring in theology, at Saint John’s University and was awarded a bachelor of arts degree in December. Celebrating his accomplishments are Father Eric Hollas (left) and Brother Jacob Berns.

December 2020 • As with nearly all aspects of our daily routines and lifestyle during 2020, the coronavirus disrupted the “holiday” liturgical life of the monastic community. Facemasks may have muffled their voices, but the Saint John’s Abbey Schola sang the praises of the newborn Savior to the delight of their confreres and a physically distanced congregation. A reception following the Christmas Vigil service was not possible, but as guests exited the church, they were offered freshly baked Christmas cookies courtesy of Brother Ælred Senna. The community’s New Year’s Eve gathering was less a celebration of a new year than saying good riddance to 2020.

But the homemade pizza was delicious! • Between 14 October and 31 December, Saint John’s hosted its nineteenth controlled deer hunt since 1933. The intent of the archery hunt is to reduce the deer population to a level that allows natural regeneration of the forest ecosystem, essential to the long-term habitat of deer and other components of the ecosystem. The significant browsing of vegetation by hungry deer disrupts the ecological balance of the woods, thereby threatening the health of the forest, deer, and other wildlife. Forty deer were taken this season.

Spring 2021

January 2021 • Abbot John Klassen announced that Brother Isidore Glyer has assumed the responsibilities of guestmaster of Saint John’s Abbey Guesthouse, replacing Brother David Klingeman. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the guesthouse is currently closed. Brother Isidore and members of the community are taking counsel from the Minnesota Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine how and when guesthouse programming may resume. If health conditions allow, the guesthouse will reopen on 1 June for overnight accommodations only—meals will not be available. During the pandemic, the spiritual life program staff is offering online spiritual direction using Zoom videoconferencing. For more information see: http:// www.abbeyguesthouse.org/ spiritual-direction/. • The Hill Museum & Manuscript Library (HMML) launched a new interview series, “To Listen.” In the opening episode, Father Columba Stewart, director of HMML, interviewed Dr. Ali Khan Mahmudabad, a political scientist, historian, and poet. The HMML staff is working with Dr. Mahmudabad and his father, the raja of Mahmudabad, to digitize their Persian manuscript collection in Lucknow, India. As a member of the Muslim minority in India, Dr. Mahmudabad has a perspective on the dangers of religious nationalism in today’s world. The interview can be

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accessed at: http://youtu.be/ XjA4ujNMyfM. • Father Columba Stewart, a member of the Catholic-Oriental Orthodox Dialogue, presided and preached at the community Eucharist on Sunday, 24 January, as part of the observance of the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. His theme was “Abide in my love, and you shall bear much fruit” (John 15:5-9). February 2021 • On 1 February the Association of Catholic Publishers (ACP) announced that Mr. Peter Dwyer, director of Liturgical Press, is being honored with a 2021 Outstanding Service Award. Mr. Dwyer has served Liturgical Press for more than thirty-two

years, starting in 1989 as sales and marketing manager, and publisher since 2000. In bestowing the award, the ACP noted: Throughout his tenure, Mr. Dwyer “has not shied away from taking on volunteer leadership roles in the Catholic publishing industry including serving on the ACP board of directors and as its president until early 2020. His patient and thoughtful insights have fostered growth at both Liturgical Press and the ACP.” • Abbot John presided at the Ash Wednesday liturgy (17 February), revised in light of COVID. The members of the monastic community and congregation did not administer ashes to one another, as they have in past observances of the beginning of

Robin Pierzina, O.S.B.

Since March 2020, the Breuer wing of the monastery (south of the church) has been undergoing major renovation. Energy-efficient thermal-pane windows have been installed along with upgrades in the plumbing, heating/cooling, lighting, and fire-safety systems. The construction crew is now focused on the finer detailing: installing closets, painting walls, tiling bathrooms, and refinishing floors.

winter season by hosting a “Luminary Walk” [left] across Lake Sagatagan to the Stella Maris Chapel on the evenings of 25, 26, and 27 February. Dozens of students, staff, and monks— masked and physically distanced—trekked across the lake following a candle-lit path.

Xavier Kwan Yau Wong

Lent. Instead, a few ministers sprinkled ashes onto the heads of the faithful. Given the amount of hair in the monastic community, not too many had to worry about messing up their hairdo! There were, however, a few suspiciously darker heads in the monastic choirs that day. • The monastic community has been learning about the months of meetings and discussions among members of the College of Saint Benedict Board of Trustees, Saint John’s University Board of Trustees, sisters of Saint Benedict’s Monastery, and monks of Saint John’s Abbey— aiming to forge new governing documents, A Memorandum of Understanding, and a Joint Operating Agreement between the college and university that

would result in one president and a common board for the two schools. Since the 1970s, Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s have been partners in higher education, guided by the ongoing development of an undergraduate “coordinate relationship.” The trustees are now pursuing a model of “strong integration”: separate boards, same members, acting together.” • Members of the monastic community along with lay coworkers who serve in Saint Raphael Hall, the monastery’s healthcare and retirement center, received the second inoculation of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. • The staff of Saint John’s Outdoor University celebrated the

March 2021 • On 21 March Father Michael Kwatera led the Lenten Day of Reflection for the oblates of Saint John’s Abbey. Father Michael’s conference, “A Trio of Lenten Saints: Patrick, Joseph, and Benedict,” was presented via Zoom videoconference because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A delicious luncheon, served in the homes of each Zoom participant, followed the conference. • Father Michael Peterson, director of oblates, reports that John “Jay” Baucom of WinstonSalem, North Carolina, made his final oblation on 18 October 2020. “I am aware,” John reflects, “that my time on earth is finite. I must do what God is asking of me now for the common good of the monastery and the Church as Christ works through me.” George and Katie Smith, Rice Lake, Wisconsin, made their oblations on 21 February. Both are longtime friends of the abbey and deepening their relationship with Saint Benedict and Saint John’s “was the natural thing to do.” Keep calm and wash your hands!

Spring 2021

Fifty Years Ago Excerpted from Confrere, newsletter of Saint John’s Abbey: 4 March 1971

• Father Martin Schirber was appointed to the Council of Economic Advisors for the Governor of Minnesota. This council advises Governor Wendell R. Anderson on all economic matters, including taxation, industry, budget, etc. Also appointed was Dr. John Brandl, former Saint John’s University professor of economics and SJU graduate. Father Martin’s comment: “See, there are two Johnnies advising the governor.” • A new well is being dug at the southwest corner of the abbey garden. All indications are that a good vein has been struck and should be a healthy producer of fresh clear water to boost our present supply. 6 April 1971

• [Father Luke Steiner reports on the Continuing Education Program:] Clergy of various denominations are invited to come to Saint John’s for a period of twelve days in order to engage in independent study in an area of the ministry that will make their work, their contribution to the Church and to society more effective and meaningful. We have had 13 Lutheran pastors, 2 Methodists, 2 Catholic, 5 Baptist, and 1 pastor from the United Church of Christ. Bishop Paul Anderson (Diocese of

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Monks in the Kitchen Duluth), Bishop Kenneth Povish (Diocese of Crookston), Bishop Henderson (Lutheran), and Bishop Washburn (Methodist), are planning to participate in the Independent Study Program.

Postmaster Martin Rath

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• Last week Brother Martin Rath was appointed Postmaster of the Collegeville Post Office. He had been serving as Acting Postmaster. [Editor’s note: During Brother Martin’s tenure, the Collegeville Post Office was the only federal building in the United States to feature a crucifix and a painting of Saint Benedict in its lobby.] • [The Liturgy Committee writes about the new breviary:] Easter week should see the completion of Saint John’s Abbey Prayer, a loose-leaf breviary which has been in the planning for the past year. The onevolume edition for private use will include a four-week cycle of psalmody for Morning and Evening Prayer and a two-week cycle of psalmody for Midday

Prayer. The two volumes for choir use will eventually include musical settings for psalms and canticles, special offices for feasts and seasons of the year, and many more responses to readings for special occasions. The selection of Old Testament canticles for the psalmody of Morning Prayer is much broader than in the past. The Grail translation will continue to be used.

Crème for Your Choux

Responsories composed by twelve of our confreres will be conveniently placed after the psalmody of each Morning and Evening Prayer. Brother Francis Peters is duplicating the 500page project which Mrs. Frances Pond typed. Two publishers have already indicated interest in the possibility of future commercial publication.

Knowing how to make a basic crème pat is an essential skill for bakers. Pastry cream can be used to fill choux pastry; as the base in a pastry shell for a fruit tart; between the layers of a cake; or layered in a trifle with cake, berries, and whipped cream. If you are feeling particularly adventurous, try folding some stiffly whipped cream into finished and cooled pastry cream— Voilà! Your crème pâtissière becomes crème diplomat. Be sure to fold them together gently, keeping as much air and volume in the whipped cream as possible. Too vigorous a stir will cause the mixture to collapse and go runny, though it will still taste great (maybe just use it for a parfait or as a simple base for fresh berries).

• Brother Cyprian Weaver received a National Science Foundation grant to study archaeology and anthropology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, this summer. • The newly made two-volume hymnal is now being used at our Morning and Evening Prayer. There are 429 hymns in this set. We printed and compiled the books ourselves. The original collection was made by the Trappists of Gethsemani, and they loaned us their mats to make our copies. Father Michael Marx first discovered the collection while giving a retreat in Utah.

Ælred Senna, O.S.B.

year ago (Abbey Banner, Spring 2020), when I shared a recipe for choux pastry (shoe pastry!), I promised to follow up with a pastry cream filling. One pandemic and a few forgetful months later, I’m ready to make good on my promise for making crème pâtissière (pastry cream).

In the kitchen, there is much science, especially for baking. For this reason, I have given the measurements in both metric weights and standard volumes. I always use a scale when making this recipe, as it helps to ensure the perfect consistency in the finished product. Brother Ælred Senna, O.S.B., is associate editor of Give Us This Day and a faculty resident at Saint John’s University.

Ælred Senna, O.S.B.

Crème Pâtissière (Pastry Cream)

(Yields enough to fill 26–30 small cream puffs)

• • • • • • •

500 ml / 2 cups milk 125 g / generous ½ cup sugar 4 large egg yolks (@ 80 g) 30 g / ¼ cup flour 30 g / ¼ cup cornstarch 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 tablespoon brandy or other liqueur (optional)

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat milk with half the sugar until just beginning to simmer. Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks with remaining sugar; then add flour and cornstarch, and whisk together.

When milk is hot, gradually whisk about a third of it into the egg yolk mixture. (This tempers the eggs and prevents them from scrambling.) Return the mixture to the pan with the milk; whisk constantly as the cream thickens. (It must come to a boil—it will sort of “burp”—to thicken properly. Just keep whisking!) Off the heat, stir in vanilla and brandy (if using). Pour the pastry cream into a plastic-film lined baking dish, and cover with film to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until completely cool and set.

Spring 2021

In Memoriam

Humility

Please join the monastic community in prayerful remembrance of our deceased family members and friends: George Allen Paul Albert Ampe John Bachman Marcia Elizabeth Bailey Yolanda L. Ballou Julia Beckmann Ruth Marie Beiswenger Arlene Marie Beniek Stephen Edward “Steve” Boerner John Edwin Boone Gretchen Wenner Butler Timothy Buyansky, O.S.B. Andrew S. Campbell, O.S.B. David Phillip Campbell Mary C. Darnall Edwina Rose “Winnie” Dehler Marilyn A. DeLand Delphin C. Dommer Mary Elizabeth “Betsy” Doroff Susan Dubin Jerome A. “Jerry” Eckrich Jr. Charles Eckroth Ellen Margaret Estevez Marlin A. Faber Sharon Fitzpatrick, O.S.F. Denis Fournier, O.S.B. Richard J. Friedl Betty Jean Friesen Jeffery A. Gair Efrén Garcia José Luis Garcia Helen Cecilia Gathje Eugene Gollogly Mary Rosaria Hagel, O.S.F. Mary Clare Hall, O.S.B.

David A. “Dave” Hector Kara Hennes, O.S.B. Barbara Higgins, O.S.B. Miriam G. Hof Mildred Inez “Millie” Holm Margaret Mary Houlihan Margaret Therese Huneke Audrey S. Imholte Hugh Newell Jacobsen Herman H. Janzen Nancy K. Joda Adrian Leroy Kapsner Jacqueline Joan Kapsner David Kessinger, O.S.B. Donald F. “Don” Kieffer Thomas Theodore “Tom” Kliber Archabbot Bonaventure Knaebel, O.S.B. Elmer J. Kohorst Dawn Margaret Kokoros-Langer Quidella Kollmann, O.S.B. Barbara Jean Kort, O.S.B. Abbot Gerard Lair, O.S.B. Roger John Licari Mary Joanne Lusk, O.S.B. Evelia Martinez Abbot Benedict McDermott, O.S.B. Michael F. (Harvey) McDonagh Mary Eleanor “Ellie” McNeal José Meza Marilyn Micke, O.S.B. Patrick Morgan Paul Paproski, O.S.B. George David “Dave” Pauley Richard J. “Rich” Peters Richard Posch

Rev. Charles William “Charlie” Preble David C. Pull Jude Randall, O.S.B. Charles P. “Charlie” Reichensperger Rose Ann “Rosie” Reischl Rev. Donald Rose Noel H. Rothrauff, O.S.B. Darrell Joseph Ruhland Ardythe Swanson Ryan Marion Sanchez, O.S.B. Concepción “Tía Concha” Segura Ruiz Esparza Agnes Sitter, O.S.B. Richard Dean Smith Rev. Francis J. Steffen Elmer M. Stommes Sr. Roger O. Streich Gretchen Ann Sylvester Rita M. Toenies Ione J. Torborg Paolo Trenta Joan Utecht, O.S.B. Marieke van Parys Jane Elizabeth Vessel Arlene Mae Vogel Mary Siena Wald, O.S.F. Michael Ward Christopher John “Chris” Weber Aaron M. Welle Robert T. “Bob” White Robert A. “Bob” Wind S. Dale Wollum, O.S.B. Paul R. “Bob” Wurtz

Precious in the eyes of the LORD is the death of God’s faithful ones. Psalm 116:15 A Monk’s Chronicle Father Eric Hollas, O.S.B., offers spiritual insights and glimpses into the life of the Benedictine community at Saint John’s Abbey in a weekly blog, A Monk’s Chronicle. Visit his blog at: monkschronicle.wordpress.com. Father Don’s Daily Reflection Father Don Talafous, O.S.B., prepares daily reflections on Scripture and living the life of a Christian that are available on the abbey’s website at: saintjohnsabbey.org/reflection/.

Timothy Backous, O.S.B.

recent visit with a new doctor yielded an unexpected and thought-provoking experience. Explaining the rationale for his diagnosis and plan of action, the physician was clear, concise, and cogent. But he framed his comments with this observation: “Sometimes our health takes us in directions that demand a great degree of humility.” What? Did I hear that correctly? Did he just paraphrase the Rule of Saint Benedict? Did he say what I thought he said? Indeed, he had, and at first, I felt a little like the uppity Church elders who scolded Saint Francis of Assisi when he reminded them of the Gospel call of caring for the poor. “How dare you preach the Gospel to us,” they reportedly shouted from their thrones. But my indignation lasted just a second, until I reflected on his comment. In the Rule (chapter 7), so much of Benedict’s emphasis and reliance on humility has to do with self-awareness and the ability to forge strong bonds with one’s confreres. A monk who shows a lack of humility might spend most of his days upset, angry, or irritated. “How dare they speak to me or act that way!” The same is true in the relationship with superiors. An inability to see oneself as a servant of the community, and therefore subject to its will, is a recipe for lifelong misery—for the monk and for the community! But the monk who cultivates humility is more apt to accept things as they are. Humility points us in the direction of “You first” and away from “What about me?”

Humility points to “You first” and away from “What about me?”

Of all the interior qualities that Benedict feels are essential to the common life, humility may be the most difficult to perfect. Most of us have fragile egos and easily bruised spirits. Without humility, we invite fear into our lives—that nagging feeling that we’ve fallen short of our intended goals and that all we dreamed of doing is going to evaporate. Mastering humility is a monumental achievement, but not impossible. In the doctor’s office, I had listened intently to what he was saying and realized he was correct. It takes humility to accept another’s plan for one’s life, but that dynamic happens every day in community, in marriage, in any kind of committed relationship. Humbly, we submit to what is asked of us, needed of us, or demanded of us. When the process feels more normal each day, Benedict might say we are getting closer to the ideal spiritual life. They should anticipate one another in honor, not following what they consider useful for themselves, but rather what benefits another. Rule of Benedict, 72

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Abbey Banner Drunk with moon-water, The loon shatters night’s white glaze With manic keenings. The soft drummings of Warm rain rouses and quickens The long-dormant seeds. All night the bullfrog Bears a stiff bourdon to the Peepers’ high, thin reeds. Huddles of sparrows Shrilly argue grave issues— Call for Robert’s Rules! Robins transmute a Muddy-worm diet into Bright, clear melody. Conrad Diekmann, O.S.B. An artist, English teacher, poet, and sports enthusiast, Father Conrad Diekmann, O.S.B. (1904–1974), was a monk of Saint John’s Abbey for fifty years.

Spring 2021 Volume 21, Number 1

4 This Issue Robin Pierzina, O.S.B.

24 Sing a New Song Neal Henry Lawrence, O.S.B.

5 Resurrection Matters Abbot John Klassen, O.S.B.

26 Lives of the Benedictine Saints: Blessed Ildefonso Schuster Richard Oliver, O.S.B.

6 Fratelli Tutti: For All of Us Margaret Nuzzolese Conway 8 Benedictine Volunteer Corps Andrew Ellingson 10 Oblates of Saint Benedict Elizabeth Everitt, Obl.S.B. 12 Baptism’s Artworks Martin F. Connell 14 Liturgical Press Aaron Raverty, O.S.B. 17 Rule of Benedict: Compliments Eric Hollas, O.S.B. 18 Recipe for Ecological Success John Geissler 20 Oak Regeneration 22 Medal of Saint Benedict Robin Pierzina, O.S.B.

28 Meet a Monk: Isaiah Frederick Timothy Backous, O.S.B. 30 COVID Lessons Bradley Jenniges, O.S.B. 31 Prayers of the Faithful 32 Cloister Light 33 Abbey Chronicle Robin Pierzina, O.S.B. 36 Fifty Years Ago 37 Monks in the Kitchen: Crème for Your Choux Ælred Senna, O.S.B. 38 In Memoriam 39 Humility Timothy Backous, O.S.B. 40 Poetry Conrad Diekmann, O.S.B.