Abbey Banner - Winter 2021-22

Abbey Banner Winter 2021-22

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High above the Sagatagan, Towering o’er the oak and pine, . . .

Hail, all hail Saint John’s our mother.

Eldred Cleare

Eric Pohlman, O.S.B.

This Issue Abbey Banner Magazine of Saint John’s Abbey Winter 2021-22

Volume 21, number 3

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, Obl.S.B.; 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 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

Christmas Lessons

Saint John’s land manager Mr. John Geissler identifies the extraordinary forces of our geologic history—mountain building, lava flows, continental drift, and flooding—that resulted in today’s remarkable biodiversity: a place of land and lakes, prairies, woods and wetlands; birds, mammals, insects, and more.

Brother Aaron Raverty introduces us to the Indigenous peoples who called this place home and made it sacred by their lives and livelihood. Fathers Cloud Meinberg and Vincent Tegeder share the stories of the first Benedictines to settle in this place and marvel at its natural beauty.

Responsible stewardship of the earth was never more important and urgent than today. Patriarch Bartholomew, Pope Francis, and Archbishop Justin assert that biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, and climate change— and their catastrophic impact on the inhabitants of the earth—are not only a future challenge “but an immediate and urgent matter of survival.” Together these Church leaders call us “to listen to the cry of the earth and of the poor.”

Along with Abbot John Klassen and the monastic community, the staff of Abbey Banner extends prayers and best wishes for God’s blessings throughout the Christmas season and the new year. Peace!

Brother Robin Pierzina, O.S.B.

Indigenous peoples and individuals are free and equal to all other peoples and individuals, and have the right to be free from any kind of discrimination, in the exercise of their rights, in particular that based on their indigenous origin or identity.

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n mid to late December, with clear skies in the early evening, one can observe the planets Jupiter and Saturn appear so closely aligned that they look like a double planet. In reality, they are separated by 456 million miles of space! Jupiter, the larger of the two, is about 550 million miles from Earth. Saturn is roughly one billion miles away. We live on a tiny planet in a vast universe.

This issue celebrates this special place, high above the Sagatagan. A few years after settling on the banks of the Mississippi River in what is now Saint Cloud, Minnesota, Benedictine monks moved twelve miles west to establish a monastery and continue their ministry to European immigrants and Native peoples. A former abbot of Saint John’s pointed out frequently that long before these monks arrived, long before any Christian houses of worship were established, this place was sacred—created by a loving God, hallowed and honored by Indigenous peoples. Only centuries later was this special place to become the home of Benedictine monks.

Father Lew Grobe asks us to listen up as he introduces synodality. We also explore Mexico with Benedictine Volunteers, learn about the Emmaus Institute, highlight new books from Liturgical Press, and more.

Cover: Stella Maris Chapel Photo: Michael Peterson, O.S.B.

Abbot John Klassen, O.S.B.

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth . . .

God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:1,9–12

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 2007, Article 2

In the Christmas season we do many things that amplify our awareness and belief in a creating, redeeming God. We believe that in our time, Jesus Christ, the unique Son of God, was born of Mary. We believe he is the very face of God on earth. Why? In his ministry, Jesus is always inclusive. He consistently chooses mercy over judgment. He embodies compassion over harsh law. Inclusive, merciful, and compassionate: these three are our God.

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We believe that this Word was sent to embody God’s love for us. He lived his life out of love for us, and he died because of love for us and all creation. He died so that we might live with a new heart, with a new mind, with a new strength.

What does this newness look like? Over the past twenty months we have learned some lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic: Stop! Receive this day, a day that we will never get to live again. We live it one time, receiving its graces and its heartaches—once. To live as new people, we must be intentional. We decide to live each day as a new day.

Inclusive, merciful, and compassionate: these three are our God.

Start! Recognize all human beings we encounter as persons. I used to resent the people who worked in airport security. But one day I realized that we are asking them to do the impossible, for very low wages. I must be kind and treat them—and all others—with respect and care.

Start! Recognize the unsurpassable value of childhood, a value that does not come from their lives in the future. Rather, their value is intrinsic; it is now. In his ministry, Jesus places a child on his lap (Matthew 18:1–5), not as an object for analysis or adoration but as a fundamental clue to understanding the reign of God. The infant stands at the center of attention in the Gospels. This new king, the one who makes mighty Herod anxious and fearful (Matthew 2:3, 16–18), is a vulnerable newborn.

The Christmas season reminds us that to be made in God’s image is to be made vulnerable.

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The Great Mystery of Christmas

Christmas is where and when we are: here and now.

Martin F. Connell

The Missal of Pope Pius V—published in Antwerp in 1616—has a full-page engraving opposite the Vigil Mass of the Nativity of the Lord. In it we see a Flemish “Bethlehem” and its witnesses to God’s incarnate birth. The artwork—by Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) —reveals how fully Flemish is the rural life embracing the Holy Family. The etching’s upper right corner shows three winged cherubs hovering over Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Their presence magnifies the evangelist Luke’s angels, who announce the coming birth of John the Baptist to his parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth (Luke 1:8–23) and the coming birth of Jesus to Mary (Luke 1:26–38). They also direct shepherds tending their flocks to find Mary, Joseph, and their newborn (2:8–20).

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ost Christians know by heart: “Angels we have heard on high / Sweetly singing o’er the plains / And the mountains in reply / Echoing their joyous strains,” followed by its buoyant, trilling, breath-arresting Glo-oo-oria in excelsis Deo! Angels above and mountains below unite to mark the advent of Christ to all creation, then and now, there and here—the marriage of heaven and earth.

An ever vigilant, wide-eyed angel on the south side of the apse of Saint John’s Great Hall splays the banner O•MAGNV• MYSTERIVM, an abbreviation of a Christmas anthem celebrating the wedding of heaven and earth: O mágnum mystérium, et admirábile sacraméntum, ut animália vidérunt Dóminum nátum, iacéntum in praesépio (O great mystery, And wonderful sacrament, As the animals saw their newborn Lord, Lying in a manger).

“Manger” for the cooing, Palestinian newborn Jesus is so familiar to Christmas caroling that the poetry of Saint Luke’s original Greek φάτνη (phátnē) loses its significance. The Gospel of Luke depicts Jesus’ crib as the animals’ feed-trough, bringing still lower the union of heaven and earth, resounding today when the Church sings another familiar carol: “Away in a manger, no crib for a bed / The Nativity of Christ, engraving by Peter Paul Rubens, . From the Arca Artium collection, . Used with permission.

The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.” Luke’s Gospel proclaims Good News to us, blocks how Matthew and Luke each tailored his story the down and out; so no august, regal crib for his to reveal how God is born differently to odd, unique, infant Christ, just an open box from which farm incarnate communities of faith. Rather than mix animals lap up food and drink.

Luke’s lowlifes and Matthew’s wise men, O mágnum mystérium supplies God incarnate where he’s found.

Many Christmas paintings and nativity sets bundle In appreciating Luke’s literary craft, we are helped by together the Magi (Matthew 2:1–12) and the an etching [above] in a Roman missal held in the Hill smelly shepherds (Luke 2:8–20), but bundling them Museum & Manuscript Library (HMML).

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The upper left corner includes spiderwebs— not part of the evangelist’s portrait but added

by Rubens—to show that when all creation sings of God’s glory at the birth of Jesus, even spiders join the earthly, celebrating horde in the barn! In the loft between the angels and spiders are a few handwoven wicker baskets, used to gather the fruits of the fields, and another basket—just below, balanced on the curly locks of a woman’s head—to carry dirty clothes to streams where she would launder them. Like shepherds called from their labors by an angel of the Lord (2:9), so the washer is called in the middle of her daily grind to celebrate with the newborn Jesus and his family, going in such haste that she forgets the clothesbasket still on her head! She’s surrounded by three shepherds, one behind her with a staff in hand, one in front with his fingers interlaced in adoration, and a third doffing his cloth hat at the divine sight. Closer to Mary are two women—an older woman above and the younger below, reaching toward Jesus to comfort him.

Closest to Jesus, and locking eyes with him, is a donkey—ears perked up and snout poised at the baby’s feet. Below the donkey is a bull

Alan Reed, O.S.B.

with eyes fixed on a dead bird—foreshadowing, perhaps, the turtledoves and pigeons to be sacrificed in the Temple, where Joseph and Mary go for the rites of postpartum purification (2:22–39). Mary’s bright eyes on a radiant face and Joseph’s gesture—seemingly saying, “Hey, check out our newborn Son!”—are beguiling above their luminescent baby playfully extending his feet to toy with the donkey.

Even with the angel’s banner and the Missal’s art, God’s gift at Christmas would not be fulfilled if we drew back in awe only at Luke’s first-century tale, at Rubens’ seventeenth-century etching, or at the Great Hall’s O mágnum mystérium. Beautiful as they are, Christmas is where and when we are: here and now.

Since the early Middle Ages, the liturgical prayers for Christmas employ the Latin hodie, “today.” In the Missal of Pius V, where Rubens’ etching is found, the day’s text proclaims, Hodiè sciêtis quia véniet Dóminus, & salvâbit nos: & manè vidébit glóriam ejus (retained in our Missal: “Today you will know that the Lord will come and save us. In the morning you will see his glory.”). We are called, like the Great Hall’s angel, to be ever vigilant for the revelation of God’s gift in our life together: yours, mine, and the Church’s.

In spite of our sins, weakness, and faithlessness, God’s gift is born to us today. As we behold O mágnum mystérium et admirábile sacraméntum, “the great mystery and wonderful sacrament” of Christ’s birth, may we—in the company of spiders, donkeys, bulls, pigeons, shepherds, launderers, Mary, Joseph, and angels in Bethlehem—discover the revelation of Christ incarnate today.

Dr. Martin F. Connell is professor of theology at Saint John’s University.

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Benedictine Volunteer Corps Cuernavaca, Mexico Simeon J. Farquharson

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n September, after weeks of uncertainty about our departure date, Blake Hoeschen, Nathan Kobb, and I found ourselves on an early morning flight to Mexico to begin our year of service with the Benedictine Volunteer Corps (BVC)!

Stepping off the plane, we wore faces that exhibited blissful, tourist-like enthusiasm. This persona quickly changed, however, when we encountered our new reality: everything was now in Spanish! I was reminded of our first lesson as Benedictine Volunteers: if we go into new adventures with unreasonable expectations, we will inevitably be disappointed. Unreasonable expectations limit us from enjoying new experiences because we fail to allow ourselves to be present and value each experience for what it is.

In Mexico City, we met four fellow graduates from the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University. They were taking a break from their volunteer service of teaching in San Miguel de Allende to visit Mexico City. Together we explored Mexico City’s Metropolitan Cathedral, the Frida Kahlo Museum, Xochimilco Canals, Palace of Fine Arts, Latin American Tower, and the Teotihuacan Pyramids. At the conclusion of our brief rendezvous with another service group,

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Nathan, Blake, and I boarded a bus to Cuernavaca in the state of Morelos.

As we entered the gates of Monasterio Benedictino de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles (Benedictine Monastery of Our Lady of the Angels), the ringing bells served as our North Star, assuring us that we were in the right place. As we moved toward the living quarters at the top of the hill, we passed wild horses; clusters of avocado, coffee, and lime trees; bushels of corn, and other native flora.

Following a brief orientation from our site supervisor, Brother Francisco, our year of Benedictine immersion—consisting of community living, prayer, and work—officially began!

Because of all the work we do together, it was a rather seamless process of befriending the thirty resident monks and integrating into their community. The monks are youthful, determined, very personable, and love a good joke! They enjoy talking about their town’s unique culture and teaching us local colloquialisms like Qué padre! (meaning “How cool!”). They are especially eager to learn about our lives or to play volleyball on a sunny

For all these blessings, I join my fellow Benedictine Volunteers in saying Gracias a Dios!

afternoon. (They only play volleyball on Wednesday afternoons!) Above all, they lead by example, showing the importance of approaching our tasks with a positive attitude.

A typical day for us starts at 7:00 A.M. with Mass—in Spanish with splashes of Latin melodies—followed by breakfast with the monks in their dining room, before we disperse to our individual job assignments for the day. These include teaching English in one-on-one sessions or online, beekeeping, helping in the kitchen, working in the fields, cleaning, organizing, or making candles. The agrarian work changes seasonally: from using ganchos (a bamboo stick with a pocket and hook) to pick avocadoes in the fall, to collecting honey and picking coffee beans in the winter. Our work is convivial, frequently challenging, and always makes an impact on the community.

After our work periods, we join the monks for more prayer, lunch, and dinner. Every Friday the whole community works together to complete a particular project. In the fall, we constructed garden beds by axing a grassy knoll, then sifting the soil with a homemade sieve and enriching it with fertilizer. We layered the soil by texture in rectangular beds bordered by porcelain blocks.

Another aspect of daily life in Cuernavaca is the constant booming of fireworks! One day,

Simeon Farquharson: laboring in the fields of Cuernavaca

after hearing about twenty-five rounds of rockets, I asked one of the brothers about this. He explained that each firecracker represents the life of someone who has passed away. From this enlightening conversation, I learned the importance of thanking God for life daily.

A special moment in our BVC service was 15 September. Sharing the Mexican Independence Day with the monks was a delightful combination of patriotism and brotherhood. We all participated in a brief ceremony paying tribute to the Mexican, Nicaraguan, and El Salvadorian

independence, as there are monks from each of those countries living in the monastery. We delighted in numerous variations of tacos, chips, and guacamole, tres leches cake, and other native dishes. With decorations and cultural costumes creating a festive ambiance, we transitioned to the final stage of our night: karaoke. I would never have imagined that I would be in Mexico celebrating their independence with monks and singing Gloria Gaynor’s, “I Will Survive”!

Our Benedictine Volunteer experience has been awesome,

BVC

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second to none! I am living in Mexico, strengthening my relationship with God, teaching English to monks, laboring in the fields, harvesting different agricultural produce, engaging with hundreds of different individuals who attend Mass (in a COVID-friendly manner, of course), and immersing into the Benedictine way of life. For all these blessings, I join my fellow Benedictine Volunteers in saying Gracias a Dios (Thanks be to God)!

An accounting and finance major, Mr. Simeon J. Farquharson is a 2021 graduate of Saint John’s University.

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Synod on Synodality Lewis Grobe, O.S.B.

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ynodality? Understanding the meaning of “synodality” is crucial for understanding the Church’s next synod—which has been dubbed the Synod on Synodality.

Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis has emphasized several themes for his vision of the Church that have really stuck with people: encounter, joy, mercy, and even his metaphor of the Church as a field hospital.

It has been difficult, however, for his vision of synodality to take hold. Yet, synodality is a big deal because it refers to the process for how decisions are to be made in the Church.

With synodality, Pope Francis is looking to create a process that reaches out to the entire Church—not just the bishops or clergy, but all the baptized—a process of listening, encountering people where they are, in the hope of discerning where the Spirit is calling the Church to be.

Pope Francis has compared synodality to an open town square where people from all walks of life encounter one another, talk, listen, and become involved in topics of real import to the Church’s future.

Synodality is a collaborative process that looks to engage the faithful at all levels—laity, religious, bishops, and even the pope—to dream about the Church we are called to be.

Over the next two years, each

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Synodality is a collaborative process that looks to engage the faithful at all levels.

parish and community is being asked to engage, not through surveys or questionnaires, but through conversation, listening, walking with one another, reaching out to those who may not have had a voice in the past. This represents a big shift toward a more consultative, decentralized Church.

What does synodality look like in practice? Consider Luke’s account of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13–35). They have left Jerusalem shell-shocked and saddened at the death of Jesus, their hopes dashed. Jesus draws near and simply walks with them, takes time for a real encounter, even though they are going the wrong way! Jesus doesn’t start with a solution, telling them to turn around, but instead walks with them in their doubt and pain. This is what Pope Francis calls the art of encounter, a hallmark of synodality: not staying at a distance but drawing near, even to those who are moving away from the community.

Habitat Sanctuary: Abbey Arboretum What does Jesus do in this encounter? Not much. He listens—as Benedictines would say, “with the ear of his heart” (Rule Prol.1). He doesn’t offer a solution to their problems or dismiss what they are feeling.

He lets them speak freely about their concerns and hopes, no matter how long it takes. Think about it! Jesus has just risen from the dead, and what does he do? He listens to two people who are going the wrong way!

He encounters, and he listens.

But synodality isn’t simply about encountering and listening.

It is about advancing on the journey, charting a way forward, being the Church we are called to be. The two disciples in dialogue with Jesus discern a path forward. They make the decision to turn around, not because Jesus commanded them, but because they have discerned it through their encounter with Jesus—through the synodal process of listening. They feel their hearts burning within them—the work of the Holy Spirit.

Coming to consensus is not and will not be easy. A shift toward a synodal Church will be messy.

It will take time, patience, and trust that the Spirit is with us.

But in the end, it is how Pope Francis looks to lead the Church into the third millennium.

Father Lew Grobe, O.S.B., is the abbey’s formation director.

John Geissler

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innesota is a place that has been influenced by extraordinary forces.

Incredible processes, including mountain building, lava flows, continental drift and flooding, and the movements of mile-thick ice have shaped our landscape.

Evidence of these events is scattered across the state. For example, the granites of the Saint Cloud area were formed deep underground as the base of ancient mountains 1.7 billion years ago. The lava flows of the North Shore formed as continental plates separated in a volcanic rifting event in the Lake Superior Basin 1.1 billion years ago. The limestones of the southeast part of the state formed as Minnesota was totally submerged under subtropical seas 439 million years ago. Imagine! At this point in our geologic history, our continental plate was partially south of the equator!

In time Minnesota drifts north, rises above sea level, and cools down. The rolling topography featured in the Saint John’s Abbey Arboretum and the nearby Avon Hills is the handiwork of moving and melting ice about 12,000 years ago.

Imagine the force required to scrape, transport, and deposit the sculpted sediment, 100–400 feet thick, above the bedrock that is found here. Saint John’s is located where the Superior Ice Lobe reached its limit and melted at the same rate as it

Saint John’s Abbey Arboretum: deciduous forest

was advancing—like a conveyor belt scraping up material from the North and melting and depositing it here. Many of the thousands of depressions left behind became the treasured lakes and wetlands we enjoy today. Each of these significant events, and many more, contributed to shaping the bedrock,

Xavier Kwan Yau Wong

topography, and soils forming the foundation for this special place we now call Minnesota.

Minnesota is also unique ecologically—home to the headwaters of three huge continental watersheds. Our waters flow north to Hudson Bay, east through the Great Lakes to the Atlantic, and

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The word Minnesota comes from the Dakota name for the Minnesota River, derived from one of two words in the Dakota language: Mni-so¿-ta, meaning “clear water”; or Mnißo¿-ta meaning “cloudy water.”

south through the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. We are also the meeting place of weather patterns—dry air from the West, ridded of its moisture by the Rockies, meets warm moist air from the South and cold air from the North. This convergence causes Minnesota to be warmer and drier to the southwest, and cooler and wetter to the northeast. These climatic conditions make Minnesota the meeting place of three continental biomes. In no other place do the drought-tolerant prairies of the mid-continent meet the moisture-

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dependent eastern deciduous forest that stretches all the way to the East Coast while also meeting the cold-adapted coniferous forest of the North. This convergence of plant and animal communities yields the unbelievable biodiversity we celebrate here.

At the center of all this convergence is Saint John’s Abbey Arboretum. This special combination of prairie, oak savanna, northern hardwoods, conifers, lakes, wetlands, and bogs was dedicated a natural

arboretum in 1997.

Rather than having labeled trees in neat rows, however, the abbey arboretum features the incredibly biodiverse and increasingly rare native plant communities unique to this part of North America. The area has been identified as “ecologically significant” by The Nature Conservancy’s Eco-Regional Plan and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) County Biological Survey.

John Geissler Rooted in the Benedictine values of stability, hospitality, and stewardship, the abbey arboretum mission centers on conservation, education, research, and spiritual renewal in this ecological sanctuary.

Prairie and Oak Savanna Adapted to fire, grazing, and drought, the deep-rooted plants of the prairie and oak savanna thrive in drier and warmer conditions. More than 98% of prairies and oak savannas have been converted to agricultural fields and other human uses.

Recently many have come to

Dakota Dictionary Online, University of Minnesota Department of American Indian Studies

recognize the value of preserving and restoring these rare and beautifully biodiverse habitats.

Our 123 acres of restored prairie and oak savanna are best viewed by hiking our Boardwalk loop.

Student research has documented hundreds of plants, insects, birds, mammals, and more that have returned to utilize these special habitats.

Deciduous Forest The deciduous forests are composed of broad-leaved trees that lose all of their leaves annually.

In Minnesota’s Natural Heritage: An Ecological Perspective (first edition, 1995), Mr. John R. Tester notes: “Today in Minnesota we find seven types of deciduous forest: maple-basswood, aspen, aspen birch, paper birch, oak, northern hardwood, and lowland hardwood. Each type has its own characteristics with respect to soil moisture, the frequency and type of disturbance, and its successional status.” Red and white oak dominated stands—hallmarks of Saint John’s—cover about 700 acres of the abbey arboretum

along with over 500 acres of maple-basswood, aspen, paper birch, northern hardwood, and lowland hardwood stands that provide rich habitat for a wide range of species. The Lake Hilary trail, Chapel trail, and maple Sugarbush are great spots to enjoy the deciduous forest.

Coniferous Forest “Although some deciduous trees, such as aspen and paper birch, thrive in the northern coniferous forest, the evergreen conifers are the most visible difference between the coniferous forests and deciduous forests. The ground layer is more acidic, the soil is not as rich in nutrients as in

the deciduous forest, and light on the coniferous forest floor is low to moderate throughout the year” (John Tester). Most of the conifers at Saint John’s today were planted by the early Benedictines.

We are about twenty miles south of Minnesota’s native coniferous forest. The first plantation at Saint John’s, also the first in the state, was planted in 1894. It is located between Lake Sagatagan and Saint John’s Prep School.

Lakes and Wetlands There are more than 800 acres of precious surface water within the abbey arboretum, 200 of which are wetlands. Our beloved Lake Sagatagan is the largest natural lake. Our land management policies and practices—creating shoreline buffers, stormwater rain gardens, prohibition of motors— protect this pristine lake from degradation. The North Fork of the Watab River flows through other humanmade water bodies including Stumpf Lake, the Gemini Lakes, and the restored wetlands.

The Chapel trail and Boardwalk loop are the best ways to enjoy the scenic beauty of Minnesota’s precious water within Saint John’s Abbey Arboretum.

Mr. John Geissler is the Saint John’s Abbey land manager and director of Saint John’s Outdoor University.

Purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea)

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Indigenous Peoples originally those used by the Native peoples in their own languages to designate themselves (the names without parentheses). Out of respect for these Indigenous groups, we are using the terms they themselves wish to use.

Saint John’s Abbey Arboretum: prairie and wetlands

Aaron Raverty, O.S.B.

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hile the word “Indianbush” may be familiar to readers of Father Colman Barry’s centennial history of Saint John’s, Worship and Work, this term for the land originally claimed by pioneer monks and predating the establishment of Saint John’s apparently was not in wide circulation.

Benedictine Abbot Boniface Wimmer and Fathers Bruno Riss and Alexius Hoffmann—

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active agents in the nascent unfolding of the Saint John’s community—seem to have been the only other writers to have used it. Nevertheless, it nicely segues into an introduction to the early Native Americans who populated what is now central Minnesota.

In the 1600s, the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago), Dakota (Sioux), and Ojibwe (Chippewa), were the Native Americans living in the land that is now the state of

Aidan Putnam

Minnesota. During the 1760s, these Indigenous peoples were pushed west by white settlers and other uprooted Native nations, moves that had significant consequences for the Native lifeways and tribal history.

The names of Native nations need clarification. Some names attributed to these groups by European fur traders, hostile tribes, or just common usage by white settlers (the names in parentheses, above) were not

Ho-Chunk. The ancestral lands of the Ho-Chunk comprised what is today central Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Besides intertribal wars fought with other Native nations (especially the Ojibwe and Illinois) in the 1600s that pushed the HoChunk farther west, out of their native homeland, subsequent outbreaks of smallpox and measles severely decimated their population. Today, many tribal members reside in Nebraska.

Linguistically members of the Siouan language group, their subsistence economy included corn cultivation along with hunting, fishing, and gathering wild plants. They even tapped sugar maples for their sap.

Sacred bundles were included in their ceremonial treasures, and boys became men through the rite of passage of a vision quest and the acquisition of a guardian spirit animal or bird ally and mentor as they moved into adulthood. In central Minnesota, the Ho-Chunk lived on a reservation near Long Prairie in Todd County about 1850 on land that they insisted had not been chosen by them but forced on them—land that was a poor match for their farming needs.

An 1855 treaty dissolved the

Long Prairie reservation, and the Ho-Chuck moved to southern Minnesota (before being moved again by the U.S. government to South Dakota and finally Nebraska).

Dakota. In precontact times, the Dakota in Minnesota were semi-nomadic and, like the HoChunk, hunted animal prey, fished, cultivated corn and other edible plants, and tapped maple trees as part of their subsistence economy. They settled in bark longhouses in autonomous villages along the wooded banks of rivers and lakes, seasonally harvesting wild rice. Beginning in the mid-sixteenth century, the lifeways of the Dakota (and those transplanted to the central plains) were gradually transformed by the horse. Subsistence resources now shifted to the buffalo herds of the Great Plains as some of the Dakota became more nomadic than in precontact times. The tipi would become their standard dwelling as necessity forced their adaptation to more mobile lifeways. In

post-contact times, the Dakota lived primarily in mobile, independent bands, and the nuclear and extended family became the basic unit of social organization.

Ojibwe. The Ojibwe belong to the Algonquian language family.

They are part of the larger, geographically dispersed Anishinaabe grouping. Archaeological and linguistic evidence point to their origins near the Atlantic Ocean, perhaps near Maine or Maritime Canada. Their continued expansion brought them along the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Straits of Mackinac about 1400, and a few hundred years later, they happened upon the first French fur traders in what would now be the eastern reach of the Upper Michigan Peninsula.

The Ojibwe’s earliest settlements reflected band organization subdivided by internal clans. They originally lived a more settled life, relied on the harvesting of wild rice along with hunting, collecting plants and berries, and making maple sugar. They made

Saint John’s Abbey Arboretum: wetlands and deciduous forest

Eric Pohlman, O.S.B.

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Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans)

extensive use of birchbark in constructing canoes and other items, such as scrolls. The Ojibwe became invested in the French fur trade, a relationship that changed their Aboriginal ways. They honored their dead in burial mounds.

The Ojibwe arrived in the Minnesota region before the HoChunk, and the two groups may have engaged in intertribal warfare. The Native Americans didn’t believe in private property but did have territorial homelands, the boundaries of which

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were becoming more confused and indeterminate as the groups were pushed west. The first treaty with Native Americans in central Minnesota was the Treaty of Prairie du Chien in 1825. This treaty put the Ojibwe in the northern Minnesota territory and the Dakota in the south. The line of demarcation went right through central Minnesota, a few miles from Saint John’s. Between 1848 and 1855, the Ho-Chunk were stuck in the middle; about 1854 the land west of the Mississippi River (including Saint John’s) became Arboretum archives Ho-Chunk land. On the Watab Prairie, the Ho-Chunk built settlements and received payments, but in 1855 they were moved south to the Blue Earth area of Minne-

sota. In this same year, the U.S. government forced the Ojibwe to surrender land in north-central Minnesota, and they ceded even more of their land in treaties enacted in 1863, 1864, and 1867.

The Ojibwe had dispersed settlements in what was to become Stearns County when the monks arrived here. In fact, Father Alexius Hoffman and Abbot Peter Engel believed that Lake Sagatagan was named for an Ojibwe chief. In his Natural History of Collegeville (1934), Father Alexius writes: “When the Benedictines came to Minnesota (1856), some Winnebagoes [HoChunk] were still in the State, and Chippewas [Ojibwe] lived scattered in several bands in the north . . . . After the transfer of the Winnebagoes to a new reservation near Mankato between 1854 and 1857, and the establishment of White Earth Reservation [in] 1867, we saw very few Indians around here.”

Ojibwe scholar Anton Treuer, in The Assassination of Hole in

Bounties On July 4, 1863, in response to raids by Dakota in southern Minnesota, the state’s Adjutant-General, Oscar Malmros, issued a general order for the establishment of a mounted corps of “volunteer scouts” to patrol from Sauk Centre to the northern edge of Sibley County. The scouts were offered $25 for Dakota scalps. A reward of $75 a scalp was offered to people not in military service; that amount was raised to $200 on September 22. Period newspapers described the taking of many scalps.

Minnesota Historical Society website, 2021 David L. Beaulieu, The Fate of Little Crow, 1863–70

the Day (2011), notes that in the mid-1800s, in response to the dwindling fur trade, the Ojibwe of central Minnesota sold timber, minerals, and produce to white settlers. But with the settlers pressing to acquire more land— not just the timber, mineral, and food resources—the Ojibwe began to sell it off in treaties.

“Doing so forced them to depend more on treaty annuities for their livelihood. It was a vicious cycle, as land moved to nonnative control and the Ojibwe had fewer resources with which to sustain themselves. This created more pressure to sell more land.”

Because of the encroachment of white settlers into the territory of Minnesota, the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux in 1851 forced the Dakota to cede a large portion of their land to the government, but they received very little of the money they were promised in return. This treaty had many consequences.

For the Native tribes, it meant either annihilation or taking on “civilization.” This was the choice! In 1857, many of the Dakota moved to reservations where they met with very poor living conditions and nearly starved. This in turn resulted in the Dakota War of 1862 that left a sad and violent blotch on the historical record. In 1863 Minnesota enacted scalp bounties to expel the Dakota. Nonetheless, some remained during the bounties; others returned afterwards.

Today the Dakota have four federally recognized native

Treaty of Traverse des Sioux The Treaty of Traverse des Sioux (1851) between the Sisseton and Wahpeton bands of Dakota and the U.S. government transferred ownership of much of southeastern Minnesota Territory to the United States. Along with the Treaty of Mendota signed that same year, it opened twenty-four million acres of land to settler-colonists.

For the Dakota, these treaties marked another step in a process that increasingly marginalized them and dismissed them from the land that had been—and remains—their home.

By 1850, the Dakota were in a dire situation. Overhunting had depleted the animals—particularly bison—that they relied on for food and trade. Some saw selling their land as a way to gain resources they needed to survive. A land cession treaty, with guaranteed annuity payments, could help them through these tough times and offered a way to rebuild their communities.

After the Dakota leaders had signed two copies of the treaty, they were directed to a third piece of paper held by Joseph R. Brown, a prominent fur trader. All but two of them also signed this agreement. The document, known as the traders’ paper, directed the government to pay off various debts claimed by white and métis fur traders using the money owed to the bands from the treaty.

This repayment method was common at the time, and the Dakota, given the chance, would perhaps have agreed to it. However, the deceptive methods that Brown and other traders used to get the leaders to sign angered the Dakota. No one read the paper aloud or translated it for the Dakota, many of whom believed it to be another copy of the treaty.

“Treaty of Traverse des Sioux, 1851” by Eric Weber MNopedia, Minnesota Historical Society (2012, revised 2021)

nations in their homelands of what is now called Minnesota.

The Ojibwe had been pushed north, and many of the Dakota and the Ho-Chunk left the area.

About this same time Father Boniface Wimmer sought to establish a monastic community here.

North American Indigenes populated the region in and around Saint John’s long before the

monks or even other settlers arrived on the scene. We must always be mindful and respectful of the Native claim on this special place, for they were the first residents of this land.

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).

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High above the Sagatagan ours. I might easily have sacrificed the two quarter sections of Section 31 [of Saint Wendel Township] because most of the woods had been badly scorched, but in that case the section would have been broken; we would have lost an approach to the meadows, and probably some undesirable neighbor might have been wedged between our possessions. I was unwilling to lose hold of Section 6 [of Saint Joseph Township] on account of the timber on it. This put me in a quandary. We had no money on hand, debts enough on account of our provisions, and could expect nothing of the grasshopper-stricken congregations.

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Lake Sagatagan, c. 1883

Sagatagan Saga Cloud Meinberg, O.S.B.

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n 1857, as the fledgling monastic community was losing its claim to its settlement along the banks of the Mississippi, Father Bruno Riss, O.S.B. (1829–1900), one of the founding monks, set out from Saint Joseph to find new land for the monastery. The Territory of Minnesota was only eight years old. Supposedly there were no European settlers in what is now Collegeville Township. The only government survey made up to this time was marked by notches cut in trees every six miles (every township corner)! A number of people had taken timber claims, however, so there were marked

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trees everywhere—some indicated one thing, others another.

But somehow Father Bruno found the township line marker and the section pole.

Father Bruno’s account “Measurements were made with rather primitive instruments. I went ahead with my compass and sighted some distant tree that stood in the direction pointed out by the compass.

Then I made for that tree, reckless of shrubs, thorns, and marshes. I could not find my feet for fear of losing sight of the tree. In this way I sacrificed several pair of trousers. I had to mark off quarter sections. With my short legs, I could make only 1,000 steps to each quarter mile.

[He means every half mile—for

he is pacing off quarter sections which are one-half mile on a side.] To avoid losing track of my count, I picked up ten chips and threw away one of them after every one hundred steps.

When the chips were exhausted, I had arrived at the end of the quarter section. The brother, who followed with an axe, marked the trees along the line.

“In the course of this survey, we arrived on the shores of the beautiful lake. I was bound to acquire this sheet of water for the monastery. But how could I claim it? There were not enough of us to establish a legal claim besides those we held already.

Eight men were required, and we were but six. All, however, insisted that the lake must be

“In later years I was frequently reproached for not claiming more land west of the lake.

Nowadays the eggs are always smarter than the hen. A solution to this puzzle occurred to me.

I had a personal friend in Washington, whom I requested to submit to Congress a petition for land for a monastery and college for the foundation of which High above the Sagatagan, Towering o’er the oak and pine, Proudly stands our alma mater, Ever let her beacon shine.

Alma mater we’ll be loyal Ever love and praise thy name.

Hail, all hail Saint John’s our mother, We thy honor will proclaim.

Eldred Cleare

Father Demetrius [di Marogna] had already acquired a charter.

At the same time, I put up about twenty signs in different parts of the land with the inscription: ‘Application for this land is made to Congress for St John’s College.’ These signs effectively kept off intruders. My application to Congress was unsuccessful, but we were no longer disturbed by land-sharks.”

Landscape Paradise Vincent Tegeder, O.S.B. One of the major features of the community’s new location was a picturesque body of water which covered about three-hundredsixty acres. It was first known as Saint Louis Lake, in honor of King Louis (Ludwig) I of Bavaria, an early patron of the German Benedictines in America.

It was likewise referred to as Saint John’s Lake, especially by the pioneer students. In 1896 the name Sagatagan, an Ojibwe word, was popularized by Father Alexius Hoffmann, O.S.B. (1863– 1940), a noted archivist and interpreter of the early history of Saint John’s. He was of the opinion that the term means “spunk” or “punk,” a shelf-like hard fungus used for tinder and obtained by the Native Americans from trees near the lake before the appearance of European settlers.

Another story comes from the diary of Abbot Peter Engel, O.S.B. We read under 16 July 1920:

“Today ‘John Smith’ the oldest Chippewa Indian living (they say he is 130 years, and his wrinkled face indicates it) was here on a short visit. He used to be around here before Saint John’s was thought of. He said that our lake was called ‘Sagatagan,’ not because there was a greater amount of punk-Sagatagan found around it, but because an Indian by the name of Sagatagan was buried on its south shore.”

Father Bruno always considered Lake Sagatagan the prize of the claims that he filed. The lake has been outstanding in the development of Saint John’s. The great complex of buildings—beginning with the Old Stone House and the quadrangle, and culminating with the completion of the abbey and university church—were placed near the north shore of the lake. From the adjacent hills came the red clay which would be kilned into bricks for future buildings. Countless numbers of students, guests, and monks would experience joy and relaxation on its placid waters. On its western slope, the monks would find their final resting place on earth. Saint John’s truly grew up “High above the Sagatagan,” as the university alma mater gloriously proclaims.

This article is an edited excerpt from “How the Benedictines Laid Claim to this Land” by Cloud Meinberg, O.S.B.; and “High above the Sagatagan: A Landscape Paradise” by Vincent Tegeder, O.S.B., which appeared in Scriptorium 25 (Christmas 1986), 93–97.

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Flynntown Bridge On 2 October 2021 a large pedestrian bridge was lowered into place over the Stumpf Lake on the Saint John’s campus. Spanning more than 264 feet and including more than sixty yards of reinforced concrete, the steel structure connects the main campus to the Flynntown student residences. The six sections of the bridge were fabricated offsite, then set in place with one of the largest cranes in the U.S. The bridge, which will allow pedestrians to avoid competing with vehicular traffic on the nearby causeway, will be opened after the construction of a new apartment complex at the north end of the bridge is complete next summer.

20 Photo: Paul Beniek and Drone, O.S.B. Photo: Paul Beniek and Drone, O.S.B.

The Protection of Creation Patriarch Bartholomew Pope Francis Archbishop Justin

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s leaders of our Churches, we call on everyone to listen to the cry of the earth and of the poor, examining one’s behavior and pledging meaningful sacrifices for the sake of the earth which God has given us.

The concept of stewardship— of individual and collective responsibility for our Godgiven endowment—presents a vital starting-point for social, economic, and environmental sustainability. We are invited to recognize our place in the extended story of humanity.

But we have taken the opposite direction. We have maximized our own interest at the expense of future generations. By concentrating on our wealth, we find that long-term assets, including the bounty of nature, are depleted for short-term advantage. Many of us behave in ways which demonstrate little concern for other people or the limits of the planet. Nature is resilient, yet delicate. Now, we have an opportunity to repent, to turn around in resolve, to head in the opposite direction.

We must pursue generosity and fairness in the ways that we live, work, and use money—instead of selfish gain.

The current climate crisis speaks volumes about who we are and how we view and treat God’s

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creation. We stand before a harsh justice: biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, and climate change are the inevitable consequences of our actions, since we have greedily consumed more of the earth’s resources than the planet can endure. But we also face a profound injustice: the people bearing the most catastrophic consequences of these abuses are the poorest on the planet and have been the least responsible for causing them. We serve a God of justice, who delights in creation and creates every person in God’s image but also hears the cry of the poor. Accordingly, there is an innate call within us to respond with anguish when we see such devastating injustice.

Today we are paying the price.

The extreme weather and natural disasters of recent months reveal afresh to us with great force and at great human cost that climate change is not only a future challenge but an immediate and urgent matter of survival.

Widespread floods, fires, and droughts threaten entire continents. Sea levels rise, forcing whole communities to relocate; cyclones devastate entire regions, ruining lives and livelihoods.

Vie in paying obedience one to another—no one following what one considers useful for oneself, but rather what benefits another.

Rule of Benedict 72.6–7

Water has become scarce and food supplies insecure, causing conflict and displacement for millions of people. We have already seen this in places where people rely on small-scale agricultural holdings. Today we see it in more industrialized countries where even sophisticated infrastructure cannot completely prevent extraordinary destruction.

Tomorrow could be worse.

Today’s children will face catastrophic consequences unless we take responsibility now to sustain our world. We frequently hear from young people who understand that their futures are under threat. For their sake, we must choose to eat, travel, spend, invest, and live differently—thinking not only of immediate interest and gains but also of future benefits.

We repent of our generation’s sins.

We stand alongside our younger sisters and brothers throughout the world in committed prayer and dedicated action for a future which corresponds ever more to the promises of God. Over the course of the pandemic, we have learned how vulnerable we are. Our social systems frayed, and we found that we cannot control everything. We must acknowledge that the ways we use money and organize our societies have not benefited everyone.

We find ourselves weak and anxious, submersed in a series of crises: health, environmental, food, economic, and social—all deeply interconnected. These crises present us with a choice.

funds—we say: choose peoplecentered profits; make short-term sacrifices to safeguard all our futures; become leaders in the transition to just and sustainable economies.

This is the first time that the three of us feel compelled to address together the urgency of environmental sustainability, its impact on persistent poverty, and the importance of global cooperation. Together, on behalf of our communities, we appeal to the heart and mind of every Christian, every believer, and every person of good will. We recall Scripture: “Choose life, so that you and your children may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).

Choosing life means making sacrifices and exercising selfrestraint.

To The Ends of the Earth, Donald Jackson with contributions from Andrew Jamieson. ©2002 The Saint John’s Bible, Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota, USA. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

We are in a unique position either to address them with shortsightedness and profiteering, or to seize this opportunity for conversion and transformation. If we think of humanity as a family and work together toward a future based on the common good, we could find ourselves living in a very different world. Together we can share a vision for life where everyone flourishes. Together we can choose to act with love, justice, and mercy. Together we can walk toward a fairer and fulfilling society with those who are most vulnerable at the center.

But this involves making changes.

Each of us, individually, must take responsibility for the ways we use our resources. This path requires an ever-closer collaboration among all Churches in their commitment to care for creation. Together, as communities, Churches, cities, and nations, we must change route and discover new ways of working together to break down the traditional barriers between peoples, to stop competing for resources and to start collaborating.

To those with more far-reaching responsibilities—heading administrations, running companies, employing people, or investing

All of us can play a part in changing our collective response to the unprecedented threat of climate change and environmental degradation. Caring for God’s creation is a spiritual commission requiring a response of commitment. This is a critical moment. Our children’s future and the future of our common home depend on it.

This article is an edited excerpt from “Joint Message for the Protection of Creation” issued on 1 September 2021

by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Pope Francis, and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.

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Emmaus Institute Efraín Rosado, O.S.B.

also pursue additional courses that will allow them to be ordained as permanent deacons of the Diocese of Saint Cloud.

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four-year intellectual and ministerial formation program, the Emmaus Institute was established in the fall of 2019 for the benefit of Church lay leaders and Spanish-speaking diaconal candidates. It is cosponsored by the Diocese of Saint Cloud and Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary. The purpose of this educational program is to provide a solid theological and ministerial formation to Catholic adults in Minnesota, to prepare them so they can work as competent lay ecclesial ministers.

The courses of the Emmaus Institute are offered in both Spanish and English; classes are held at Saint John’s University in Collegeville. Our program includes a series of theology courses that provide appropriate human, spiritual, pastoral, and intellectual formation for lay leaders and Spanish-speaking diaconal candidates. The lay ministry formation program includes twelve theology courses focused on such topics as Old and New Testament, catechesis and evangelization, Christology, ecclesiology, pastoral liturgy, moral formation, parish social ministry training, and ministry to and with families. The students of this program are also required to complete thirty-six designated ministerial formation sessions, attend a yearly retreat, participate in a spiritual companioning group, and complete a pastoral project in year four. All courses are offered on one weekend each month over the course of four years. The Spanish-speaking diaconal candidates participate in a fifth year of homiletics and liturgical training, including an evangelization project.

In our parishes there are many who want to expand their knowledge of their Catholic faith and deepen their spiritual-life experiences. Some are already serving as lay ecclesial ministers—catechists, readers, ministers of the Eucharist, or liturgical musicians. But they have not had the opportunity to receive an academic formation in their particular ministry. The Emmaus Institute offers an affordable and appropriate means to obtain a solid, academic, Christian formation so these dedicated ministers can better serve those who need their help and support.

Many lay ministers who are today active in their faith communities did not have the opportunity to complete a college degree, and therefore they cannot easily access a degree in theology in the educational centers that typically offer only master’s-level programs. The Emmaus Institute was created to address the teaching and training needs of these ministers. Anyone who has finished junior high school can enroll in the Emmaus Institute and take the required courses.

Those who complete the program receive a Diocesan Certification for Lay Ecclesial Ministers (practitioner level) that will allow them to work as a trained lay minister in any parish or educational institution of the diocese. Male Spanish-speaking students may

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Road to Emmaus, Donald Jackson, © 2002 The Saint John’s Bible, Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota, USA. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Each intellectual formation course is thirty hours long and is taken over three weekends. Each ministerial formation course is three hours long and offered on Sunday mornings. Spiritual

Well-formed lay ministers will help create vibrant faith communities that will bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world and will be Christ to the world that needs him desperately.

companioning groups meet on Saturday evenings. Due to the COVID pandemic restrictions and challenges, the Emmaus Institute provided online access to all the courses for students who believe it appropriate and necessary.

The testimony and comments that our Emmaus Institute students share confirm the benefits and advantages of this educational program. Rocío and Julio, from Elk River, Minnesota, attest: “What we learn in the Emmaus Institute classes serves us very well, not only to improve our ministry as catechists in the parish but also to enrich our spiritual life in the family.”

And Yanet from Minneapolis expresses similar sentiments: “The new ways of prayer and reflection that we have seen in class, I now practice in my parish prayer group and also at home.

I am very grateful to the teachers and the organizers of this program for all the good things they teach us.”

The activities of the Emmaus Institute fit well with the ministry outreach of Saint John’s Abbey. Saint Benedict urges his

followers to offer hospitality and to welcome pilgrims and other guests (Rule chapter 53).

Hospitality, in fact, is one of the key elements of Benedictine life.

Monasteries are like magnets that attract people who seek spiritual formation or who want to get a solid religious education.

The monks of Saint John’s are here to provide for the needs of others, to offer hospitality, and to receive all guests as if they were Christ himself (RB 53.1).

The formation program of the Emmaus Institute expresses well our Benedictine charism and mission. With the support of the Diocese of Saint Cloud and Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary, the monks of Saint John’s Abbey continue to labor at building up the Church, the Body of Christ, in central Minnesota.

Father Efraín Rosado, O.S.B., the director of Casa San Benito, the Latinx ministries office of Saint John’s Abbey, teaches courses for the formation of lay ministers and permanent deacons of the Emmaus Institute.

For more information about the Emmaus Institute for Ministry Formation or to request an application form, contact: Kristi Bivens at 320.258.7642; kbivens@gw.stcdio.org (English); or Mayuli Bales at 320.529.4614; mbales@gw.stcdio.org (Spanish).

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Benedictine Options Tara Durheim

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he Rule of Saint Benedict has endured for more than 1500 years and continues to be as relevant as ever. While some, such as Mr. Rod Dreher, the author of The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation (2017), may suggest that the Rule offers us “a retreat from society,” Dr. Patrick Henry, the executive director of the Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research from 1984 to 2004, offers us a very different take in his new book.

In Benedictine Options: Learning to Live from the Sons and Daughters of Saints Benedict and Scholastica, Dr. Henry argues that Benedictine options don’t call us to escape the world but instead “are both a clue to what sort of place the world is and a prescription for reason and virtue and living faith in that world.” He goes on to describe this call to embrace the world and those around us by looking to the lived experience of Benedictines today. Referencing his four decades of work “in the company of monastics,” Dr. Henry shows us that monks and sisters living today demonstrate a whole range of options, accessible to anyone. This is very much a book for anyone troubled by Mr. Dreher’s take on Benedictine monasticism.

Also stemming from a desire to make the Rule truly accessible to all people, Sister Judith Sutera, O.S.B., of Mount St. Scholastica in

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Atchison, Kansas, has given us a gift of a new inclusive-language translation of the Rule of Benedict. St. Benedict’s Rule: An Inclusive Translation—available in a Rule-only edition or in an edition with commentary—is true to the original text but provides an alternative for individuals, communities, or groups preferring a version without the masculine language written for monks. The commentary provided by Sister Judith includes background context as well as probing questions that both challenge and inform the reader, making this edition ideal for those who are encountering the Rule for the first time, as well as those who have been reading it daily for years.

Readers will delight in The Hermits of Big Sur by National Endowment of the Arts Fellow and oblate of the Camaldolese Benedictines, Ms. Paula Huston.

This new book tells the story of how this ancient monastic order found a home on the rugged coast of California. Based on notes kept for over sixty years by an early American novice at New Camaldoli Hermitage, The Hermits of Big Sur tells the compelling story of what unfolds within this small and idealistic community when medievalism must finally come to terms with modernism. It traces the call toward fuga mundi (flight from the world) in the young seekers who arrive to test their vocations, only to discover that the monastic life requires much more of

Michael has given us a real treasure in Coenobium.

For those looking for some quieter, contemplative reading for the Advent and Christmas seasons (and throughout the year), the wise ruminations from Sister Genevieve Glen, O.S.B., in

By Lamplight: A Book of Biblical Reflections, would be an excellent choice. From Nazareth to Emmaus, psalms to beatitudes, Advent to Pentecost, through characters, stories, and prayers, Sister Genevieve, who is a lifelong student of Scripture, breaks open the Word in new ways helping us to understand Jesus of Nazareth, the Word made flesh, more deeply.

Frank Kacmarcik, Obl.S.B.

them than a bare desire for solitude. This book has been called a “page-turner” for good reason.

Another monastic heavyweight, Father Michael Casey, O.C.S.O., brings us Coenobium: Reflections on Monastic Community.

In this new book, volume 64 of the Monastic Wisdom series published by Cistercian Publications, Father Michael describes the joys and challenges of living in community in the way only he can. This book invites all of us, and especially monks and nuns, to reflect on our own experiences of community as a means of seeing what cenobitic life may look like in the future. Considering theory and practice that has occurred in his lifetime, Father

Ms. Tara Durheim is marketing director at Liturgical Press.

Liturgical Press Books, 2021 Benedictine Options: Learning to Live from the Sons and Daughters of Saints Benedict and Scholastica by Patrick Henry. Pages, 176.

St. Benedict’s Rule: An Inclusive Translation and Daily Commentary by Judith Sutera, O.S.B. Pages, 312.

St. Benedict’s Rule: An Inclusive Translation by Judith Sutera, O.S.B. Pages, 120.

Hermits of Big Sur by Paula Huston. Pages, 248.

Coenobium: Reflections on Monastic Community by Michael Casey, O.C.S.O. Pages, 224.

By Lamplight: A Book of Biblical Reflections by Genevieve Glen, O.S.B. Pages, 168.

To learn more or to order any of these books, visit litpress.org.; or call 1.800.858.5450.

The brethren should be occupied at certain times in manual labor and again at fixed hours in sacred reading.

Rule 48.1

Synod of Abbots President From 6–11 September 2021 Abbot John Klassen, O.S.B., president of the American Cassinese Congregation, joined Abbot Primate Gregory J. Polan, O.S.B., and the abbots president of the congregations that constitute the Benedictine Confederation at Sant’Anselmo in Rome for the confederation’s annual synod. During the meetings, the assembly examined issues impacting the Church and the Benedictine Confederation. The synod heard status reports of the various congregations including a statistical report on the confederation itself, reviewed a proposal to renew the Benedictine Proper Calendar of Saints, discussed an initiative to request from Pope Francis the possibility of electing brothers as abbots and conventual priors, and reflected on the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The abbots interrupted their business sessions for a tour of the nearby Basilica of Santa Sabina where they visited the cell in which Saint Dominic lived during his time in Rome. They also celebrated Abbot Primate Gregory’s fiftieth anniversary of monastic profession.

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Meet a Monk: Lew Grobe who are transitioning from an “I-centered” Western society to that of a community in which, says Benedict, the needs of others must come before one’s own (RB 72.7). The monk who leads this effort for Saint John’s Abbey believes in an “other-centered” attitude for monks because that was what he experienced during his first encounters with monks and monasteries. In fact, it was the generosity and selflessness that attracted him to monastic life.

Abbey archives

hen Saint Benedict wrote his Rule some 1500 years ago, monasteries were a refuge for those seeking escape from a world rampant with violence, poverty, and debauchery. The spiritual visionary had to make sure that those who showed up at the monastery’s door were not just seeking a warm bed and regular meals, however.

Accordingly, his guidelines for admitting newcomers could be interpreted as harsh—and after admission, the regime was not any easier. The formation program was a relentless life of discipline intended to shape new members into monks who accepted being tested and tried in the fire of monastic regularity.

Father Lewis Grobe, O.S.B., was born on 14 August 1983, the fourth child of Joan and John Grobe of Robbinsdale, Minnesota. He grew up in the Twin Cities and managed to avoid all Catholic schools until arriving at Saint John’s University in 2002 as a freshman. That too almost didn’t happen because he was set to go to a large public university until his father, a Johnnie alumnus, and his mother, a College of Saint Benedict alumna, gently urged him to give their alma mater a look. For Lew, it was the proverbial “love at first sight.” There was a genuine feel of community here, and the school’s small size—originally what he was hoping to avoid— appealed to his instinct for belonging. He recalls, “It seemed like the right place.”

Today not many monasteries adhere to such strictness, yet the process of formation is still something of a gauntlet for those

Lew majored in what he calls “glorified undecided,” which translates as humanities and German, the latter being

Timothy Backous, O.S.B.

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something he chose because the first monk he met, Father Mark Thamert, convinced him to consider it. Eventually, Lew took every class offered by Father Mark and considers him a key motivation for becoming a monk. One of the first books Lew was assigned was Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse.

His eyes were opened to the nature of the liberal arts and the depth of Saint John’s by reading a book on the Buddha assigned by a Catholic monk. “That was cool,” he observed.

After graduating in 2006, Lew accepted a Fulbright teaching assistantship in Tangermünde, Germany. The next year he joined the abbey’s Benedictine Volunteer Corps and was sent to Tanzania, East Africa, where he taught math and English.

Near the end of that year, he set out on a bike ride with fellow Benedictine Volunteer Paul Conroy, aiming to raise money

Grobe archives

Saint John’s University track

with monks and friends who encouraged him to consider monastic life—which he did.

After completing the yearlong novitiate formation, he professed simple vows as a Benedictine monk in 2010. Five years later, after completing his theological studies, he was ordained to the priesthood. “I knew I was happy in Tanzania, and this happiness came from living aspects of a monastic life: a structured prayer life, communal living, good relationships, and meaningful work,” Father Lew recalls. Now, as a young monk, he was moving headlong into a commitment that brought him similar joy.

Tanzanian bike safari

for the children of Tanzania who could not afford school fees. Besides the satisfaction of helping needy children, Lew discovered a Catholic world that he had no idea existed. On their one-thousand-kilometer bike safari across rural Tanzania, the two encountered monasteries, convents, parishes, and rectories that would provide them with food, shelter, and advice. On one leg of their journey, Lew recalls hearing of a lion attack in the vicinity. In addition, elephant herds were migrating through the national game preserve in which they were located. For protection, Lew bought a machete and strapped it to the back of his bike. A group of sisters laughed uproariously at the sight of his weapon. “Do you think that little machete will really protect

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you from a lion or an elephant,” asked one sister convulsed with laughter. Lew assumed not.

The major lesson of the bike excursion was not the ridicule but the deep sense of being cared for by the stream of communities from village to village. This made a lasting impression on Lew and provided a basis for his future vocation. The hospitality, trust, and generosity that had helped make their trip a success were a foretaste of what is possible in community.

Father Lew returned to Saint John’s in 2008 to take a job in the university admission office.

He was still unsure of his future but felt that Saint John’s was where he wanted to be. While working that year, he shared more serious conversations

Father Lew is the director of both the abbey woodworking shop and the abbey formation program. In the first, he takes comfort in the creative manual labor. “There is something satisfying about leaving the shop at the end of the day and being able to see what has been accomplished that day: the good and the not good,” he shared. Having a hand in the formation of those who are new to monastic life is a “great privilege and honor,” he explains.

“To help someone become his best self is truly humbling and gratifying.”

The balance Father Lew strikes each day between manual labor and monastic superior works well for him and is, in the community’s estimation, a real blessing.

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ule of Benedict Those Who Come Early to the Work of God Eric Hollas, O.S.B.

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aint Benedict insists that the monks “prefer nothing to the Work of God” (RB 43.3; 72.11). The seven daily prayer times serve as the backbone of the horarium—around them is woven everything else. This includes meals, work, reading, study, and adequate time for sleep.

Even in Benedict’s monastery this could be a grueling regimen, and not a few monks could and did fall behind each day. Whether they had good or no excuses, monks were sometimes tardy for the work of God. Still, it was important that each make a serious effort to show up on time, because the horarium introduces the monk to the stirrings of God in the community.

Why does Benedict care so much about tardiness? Punctuality offers its own reward, but the tardy reap a very different harvest. Being late for the Work of God shows disrespect for God, and those who are regularly late put other activities before Christ.

They have deliberately disrupted the balance of their own day and inhibited their opportunity to see God at work in the community.

Benedict understands that tardiness does not impact its practitioners alone. There is a communal price to pay: tardy monks

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Title of ArticleGoltz Andrew

are a distraction to others. They draw attention to themselves, and in so doing, run the risk of the sin of pride and an inflated ego. Supporting this notion is Benedict’s gentle command that monks leave the oratory when prayer is ended (RB 52). Individuals are not holy just because they outlast everyone else in the oratory!

professed his first vows as a Benedictine monk on 13 November 1958, and in 1961 he became the first brother to profess perpetual vows in the new abbey and university church.

I credit Benedict for his ability to ferret out the things that can go wrong, but in the case of tardiness, he may have overlooked its logical antidote. Arriving early for the Work of God is a practice and value I discovered during the COVID-19 pandemic. After a few days of arriving at choir several minutes early, I began to recognize its therapeutic value.

The rush to church became a stroll. I had time to clear my mind of the clutter that I had brought with me. I became calm and relaxed. I could concentrate on the words I prayed. I even began to wonder why I had not done this years earlier.

It’s too bad that Saint Benedict never wrote a chapter on monks who come early for the Work of God. Perhaps he never saw it as a problem. But he clearly missed the benefits. Arriving early for anything is a practice that even non-monks should consider.

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rother Andrew Leo Goltz, O.S.B., the younger of two children born to John Ernest Goltz and Venus (Ritter) Goltz in Milaca, Minnesota, on 20 April 1933, died on 7 October 2021.

Prefer nothing to the work of God.

Rule 43.3

Father Eric Hollas, O.S.B., is deputy to the president for advancement at Saint John’s University.

Aidan Putnam

Brother Andrew’s elementary education was in a rural, oneroom school. After graduating from Milaca High School, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy where he was trained as a hospital corpsman, receiving his diploma from the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps School in Portsmouth, Virginia, in 1952. His naval career took him to Japan and while stationed there, Andrew became a Catholic and was confirmed by the bishop of Kyoto in 1955. Wishing to explore his faith life more deeply, he entered the formation program of Saint John’s Abbey following his discharge from the navy. He

Brother Andrew’s earliest assignment was in the abbey woodworking shop. He also served as a laboratory assistant in the Saint John’s University observatory, 1970–1975, and during this same period enrolled in the nursing program at the Saint Cloud School of Nursing, earning an R.N. degree. From 1975 until 1980 he cared for infirm and elderly confreres and assisted in the planning of the community’s senior healthcare facility, Saint Raphael Hall, that opened in 1976.

Andrew’s next assignment brought him back to Japan, this time to Saint Anselm’s Priory in Tokyo, a foundation of the abbey. Between 1992 and 2014, he was a book preservation and repair specialist for the university’s Alcuin Library and the Clemens Library at the College of Saint Benedict. He offered the same services to confreres or sisters whose missals or prayerbooks were in need of repair, later commenting that one of his most satisfying projects “was the restoration of the handwritten leather-bound register of Saint Benedict’s Monastery as a gift for the community’s sesquicentennial celebration.” Throughout his monastic life, Brother Andrew shared his design sense

and artistic talents with the community. He was the last living member of the team, led by artist Mr. Bronislaw Bak from 1959 until 1962, that created the stained-glass windows of the north façade of the church. For decades colorful banners that he designed and fabricated hung in the Great Hall after that space ceased to be the abbey church.

He created the huge ornaments that adorn the Christmas tree in the Great Hall. Visitors to Saint John’s for commencement and other special occasions are welcomed by his flags (banners) that surround the abbey plaza.

In declining health in his last months, Andrew enjoyed sudoku, jigsaw puzzles, and crossword puzzles. Throughout his life, he had been a voracious reader, studying history, physics, evolution, anthropology, and comparative religion. His selfstudy confirmed that the “best thing I ever decided was to become a monk.” It also led him to struggle with the incarnation and Christianity itself. A monk and believer in God, Andrew trusted that (in the words of Abbot John Klassen) “God would make up whatever was lacking in his faith.”

Following the Mass of Christian Burial, Brother Andrew was buried in the abbey cemetery on 12 October 2021.

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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.

Abbey Chronicle Fraternal support

Brother, I want you to know that I stood up for you today.

Someone said that you weren’t fit to eat with pigs. But I said, “Oh, yes he is!”

Before I left for Rome I lent my little electronic desk speler to a confrere. Would whoever has it, let me have it back?

Kilian, osb

Wherever two monks are gathered, there are three opinions.

Monk-Michelin Guide to dining

My favorite restaurant is in a truck stop in Wisconsin. The food’s not very good, but there’s a lot of it!

Brother Jim More fun

Kilian and I share a birthday [16 September] but 18 years apart or 6570 days apart. So, Kilian registered for the draft, and I registered for baptism.

Father Don Car trouble

Long before the advent of cell phones, two confreres, returning to the monastery late at night, experienced car trouble. Unable to drive any farther, they decided that one would stay with the car; the other would hitchhike to the monastery and then drive back to the stranded car to rescue his confrere. Father Joel returned to the monastery while Brother waited in the car. Slowly the hours passed. No Joel. No rescue. Finally, Brother hitched a ride to Saint John’s, arriving at the monastery at daybreak, just as Morning Prayer was ending.

The first person he encountered was Father Joel! “Joel, what happened? You were supposed to drive back to the car and pick me up.” “Oh, Brother, I was so tired, I just went to bed.”

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More Homily Hints While drafting their homilies, pastors should remember: the congregation’s friend is cut, not paste.

A daily homily should have at most one point—if that.

Your homily was surprisingly short, Father. Are you feeling alright?

Following a lengthy homily by their pastor, the members of the congregation offered a critique: Your third and fourth homilies were o.k., but the first two were really good.

Father, everyone liked at least one of your homilies today.

Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions. She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Father Smith’s sermons.

During the absence of our pastor, we enjoyed the rare privilege of hearing a good sermon when Deacon Jones supplied our pulpit.

The sermon this morning: “Jesus Walks on the Water.” The sermon tonight: “Searching for Jesus.”

Government in action Your food stamps will be stopped effective January 1, 2020, because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances.

Department of Social Services If somebody has a bad heart, they can plug this jack in at night as they go to bed, and it will monitor their heart throughout the night. And the next morning, when they wake up dead, there’ll be a record.

“That lowdown scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass, and I’m just the one to do it.”

A congressional candidate in Texas

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early five inches of soaking rain tempered Minnesota’s drought conditions during the last days of August.

Sunshine, temperatures in the 70s, and low humidity made for a delightful Labor Day, celebrated by the monastic community with a cookout in the backyard.

Frequent showers and unseasonably mild weather continued through October. A Thanksgiving morning temp of 9°F and windchill of -4 helped to ice over much of Lake Sagatagan.

Despite alarming transmission rates—likened to a “COVID blizzard” by state health officials —many Minnesotans refuse masking and vaccinations, choosing instead to respond to the pandemic with misinformation, anger, and denial. The monks of Saint John’s Abbey received an early Christmas present: COVID boosters on 12 November. The community longs for the Son’s brightening, enlightening rays. Come, Lord Jesus!

September 2021 • Dr. Jacqueline A. Bussie, an award-winning author, theologian, and religion professor at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, became the executive director of the Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research on 1 September. The fifth director in the 54-year history of the institute, Dr. Bussie succeeds Dr. Don Ottenhoff. She is the author of Love Without Limits: Jesus’ Radical Vision for Love with No Exceptions

Paul Jasmer, O.S.B.

(Fortress Press, 2018) and the founding director of Concordia College’s Forum on Faith & Life, an interfaith peace-building center.

• During Evening Prayer on 18 September, Abbot John Klassen presided at a blessing ceremony for the expanded Holtkamp-Pasi organ in the abbey and university church. Fathers Robert Koopmann and Anthony Ruff, Brothers David Klingeman and Jacob Berns, and Dr. Kim Kasling each served as organist during the service. Also making music to the Lord were the Saint John’s Abbey Schola, and College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University choirs.

The congregation sang “Never Silent in Your Praises,” a newly commissioned hymn text by Sister Delores Dufner, set to the newly commissioned hymn tune SAINT JOHN’S ABBEY by Sally Ann

Morris. Following the liturgy, Father Bob presented the world premiere of “Three Intermezzi for Organ” by William Bolcom, a commissioned piece made possible through the generosity of Jamie and Jeff Barnett. Dr. Kasling concluded the evening with “Tu Es Petra” by Henri Mulet.

The following afternoon the festivities continued as master organ builder Martin Pasi, American Public Media Pipedreams creator and host Michael Barone, and Father Bob introduced the expanded organ, explaining and demonstrating the range, depth, and beauty of thousands of old and new organ pipes that produce the unique sound of the Holtkamp-Pasi organ. During the hour-long, lighthearted program the audience was simultaneously educated and entertained. This pipe dream come

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Title of Article

Title of Article

true concluded with a recital featuring former organ students of Dr. Kasling: Jonathan Gregoire, Anne Phillips, Lee Treml, and Brother Jacob.

da de día Muertos (Altar de Muertos/Altar of Remembrance) near the abbot’s office to honor deceased family and friends.

During November the monks were asked to commemorate thousands of beloved family and friends and even King Richard III of England.

October 2021 • Saint John’s Preparatory School was recognized by Niche as the best Catholic high school in Minnesota in the 2022 best school rankings! Prep was also cited among the top twenty-five Catholic schools in the United States (a list that included 1,139 schools), in the top five percent of best college prep private high schools in America, and in the top ten percent of best schools for STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics], a list that included more than eight thousand public and private schools in the country. Niche annually ranks thousands of secondary schools in the U.S. using a combination of survey data it collects and data collected by the U.S. Department of Education.

• Kura: Prophetic Messenger, the inaugural sculpture of the Jon Hassler Sculpture Garden, was blessed and dedicated by Abbot John Klassen on 22 October.

Created by Saint John’s University artist-in-residence Richard

Robin Pierzina, O.S.B.

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Blessing of Kura: Prophetic Messenger

Bresnahan in partnership with numerous collaborators and made possible through the support of John and Lois Rogers and others, this sculpture connects art, architecture, and the natural world to the history and values of the Collegeville community.

• The generally unfavorable growing weather earlier this spring and summer reduced the tonnage total from the abbey gardens: some 5,265 pounds of produce made their way to the monastery table or abbey cellar in 2021. Squash (acorn/butternut and Pattypan) tipped the scales at 2,074 pounds, while daily portions of the 1,157 pounds of tomatoes harvested were a noontime staple of the monks’ diet. Zucchini/yellow summer squash (321 pounds)

Tommy O’Laughlin

was also a regular feature of monastery mealtime. Other produce totals included: potatoes, 342 lbs; green beans/dry beans, 190 lbs; okra, 138 lbs; kale/ chard and lettuce, 111 lbs; tomatillos, 97 lbs; asparagus, 63 lbs; rhubarb, 41 lbs; cucumbers, 52 lbs; radishes, 37 lbs; and garlic, 15 lbs. The abbey apiary was closed this year; squirrels harvested all the walnuts.

November 2021 • On the feast of All Souls, 2 November, Midday Prayer was held in the abbey cemetery during which the dozens of friends, parishioners, and confreres recalled by name departed loved ones and those who have been laid to rest in that sacred place during the past year. Earlier in the day, confreres gathered for a brief prayer service at the Ofren-

• On 8 November the chairs of the Boards of Trustees of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University announced that the Higher Learning Commission, the accrediting agency for colleges in the Midwest, has approved the proposed change of governance structure (Stronger Integration) for the two schools.

Saint Benedict and Saint John’s are moving forward with hiring a single president for the two institutions that will have boards of trustees with common members.

• Oblate director Father Michael Peterson reports that four individuals made their final oblation on 21 November. Ivan Maldonado (Stratford, Wisconsin) became an oblate to be “a better follower of Christ.” He is especially drawn to the “dailyness of Benedictine spirituality.” Lanny Law (Annandale, Minnesota), who has served in pastoral roles in various Churches, was attracted to the “highly ecumenical” oblate spirituality. Gail Johnson (Fergus Falls, Minnesota) was drawn by the “thoughtful spirituality” of Benedict: the Rule is not “over our heads” but practical. Michael Keep calm, wash your hands, and get vaccinated!

Tommy O’Laughlin/Grobe archives

Bach’s Toccata in D minor set the evening’s tone for several hundred students, monks, and Collegeville neighbors—along with a few ghouls and goblins—attending The Great Pumpkin Concert on 29 October in the abbey and university church. The newly expanded Holtkamp-Pasi organ anchored an alternately heart-warming and spine-chilling Halloween concert, featuring Mr. Matt Haider (organ and piano), Mr. George Maurer and friends (instrumental and vocal jazz ensemble), and Father Robert Koopmann (organ and piano). The program, sponsored by the Steve Noack Program in Pop and Jazz, included Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” a Beatles fanfare, “The Great Pumpkin Waltz,” and Suite Gothique. A phantom-monk (or was it the Wicked Witch of the West?) appeared in the organ loft while the theme from the Phantom of the Opera was presented. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any scarier, Brother David Klingeman made a cameo appearance, playing “The Haunted Organ” from the 1960s film The Ghost and Mr. Chicken.

Hensley (Saint Paul), who devotes himself to the Liturgy of the Hours, became on oblate through his friendships with the monks.

• The annual controlled archery deer hunt in the abbey arboretum opened on 13 October and will end on 31 December. The intent of the hunt is to reduce the deer

population to a level that allows natural regeneration of the forest ecosystem, essential to the longterm habitat of deer and other components of the ecosystem.

Harvesting primarily antlerless deer is the best method for controlling the deer population. As of 15 November, twenty deer have been taken.

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Fifty Years Ago Excerpted from Confrere, newsletter of Saint John’s Abbey: 22 October 1971 Father Alfred Deutsch has published a collection of character sketches called Bruised Reeds and Other Stories (Collegeville: St. John’s University Press, $4.50). These are monastic characters with only the names changed to protect the guilty. In this era of nostalgia, the lesson of how the Lord has managed to mellow hearts as well as bones comes through loud and clear.

22 November 1971

Father Oliver Kapsner returned recently from Europe where he has been director of the Monastic Manuscript Microfilm Project [Hill Museum & Manuscript Library] for the past seven years.

Father Oliver and his team have photographed the medieval manuscript collections in 41 Austrian libraries (monastic, diocesan, university, and public). The 27,000 bound codices photographed consist of 11 million pages which are now preserved on 120 miles of microfilm. The bulk of these manuscripts, dating from 500 to 1200 years ago, was written by Benedictine monks. While Father Oliver is retiring from this assignment, the microfilm project in Europe is being continued under the direction of Father Urban Steiner.

[After filming in Austria is completed], Father Urban will proceed to Spain and begin photographing at Montserrat.

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Monks in the Kitchen [Plans are underway to establish] an office in Addis Ababa for the Ethiopian Monastic Microfilm Library; the training of workers for the operations crew; and the inception of actual microfilming activities. Word has already been received from the National Endowment for the Humanities that it will help to underwrite the project. Active in the preparations for the operation is the Patriarch of the Ethiopian Church, His Holiness Abuna Tewflos.

The new cross erected in our abbey cemetery, like the granite monuments on the graves of the abbots and monks, was designed

by Frank Kacmarcik. Made by Brother Hubert Schneider, the cross is meant to express simplicity, dignity, and repose. The corpus was purposely omitted to give free reign to the imagination of those meditating on the cross on which Christ said he “would be lifted up.” At a later date the area around the cross will be set off by benches to invite those visiting the cemetery to make this a place of prayer, contemplation, and communion with the deceased buried in the cemetery.

The Senior Council voted to extend the state game refuge at Saint John’s into a private wilderness sanctuary for wildlife.

Motorized vehicles are to be discouraged over most of the land, to preserve what Saint John’s already has—probably the single greatest piece of

My “Go-To” Cookies Ælred Senna, O.S.B.

A Robin Pierzina, O.S.B.

wooded land in Stearns County.

Backpacking, snowshoeing, crosscountry skiing, camping out, or simply hiking will always be encouraged.

20 December 1971 From Vietnam, Chaplain and Lieutenant Colonel Stanley Roche [writes]: “Christmas is the birthday of the Prince of Peace, but this country has not known peace for many years, and the prospects of peace in the future are remote.

The war was going on before we came to help the South Vietnamese, and it will go on long after we have left. What remains to be done for South Vietnam can be done only by the South Vietnamese themselves. My most interesting experience to date was giving a retreat at the new Vietnam retreat center. The retreat brought me into contact with some wonderful men who are really interested in their faith. The fact that Typhoon Hester, which did considerable damage, began to blow at the same moment I started to preach was a pure coincidence.”

s we approach the end of the year, there are always numerous requests for cookies for one thing or another: holiday parties, cookie swaps, visiting family and friends . . . or just because. Over the more than a dozen years that I have contributed this column to Abbey Banner, I have not shared my favorite, most reliable, standby cookie recipe.

This is the one I go to when I’m in a bind, or I need lots of cookies fast. (I once had a fullon cheesecake disaster on the afternoon of a fundraiser dinner, where the cheesecake was to have been one of three dessert samples. In a hurry I made twelve dozen of these babies, and they were the hit of the dessert plate!) It’s also the recipe that people ask for frequently, that yields beautiful, buttery, delicious results every time. It’s one that readers definitely want to try—i.e., don’t just read this recipe, bake it! These cookies freeze beautifully too, so make some just to have on hand for surprise guests. This recipe is fail-safe—I promise!—so go set out some butter to soften right now, and make these for one of those parties you have coming up . . . or just because!

Brother Ælred Senna, O.S.B., is associate editor of Give Us This Day and abbey refectorian.

Ælred Senna, O.S.B.

Shortbread Cookies

(Yields 2–3 dozen cookies, depending on size)

• 12 oz. butter, at room temperature • ½ cup granulated sugar • ½ cup brown sugar • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract • 3½ cups all-purpose flour • ¼ teaspoon salt Preheat oven to 350°F. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar until they are well combined and fluffy. Add the vanilla, and mix to incorporate.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter/sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Transfer to a surface dusted with flour and shape into a log. (I make a square log—see photo.) Wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes or more.

After the dough has chilled well, let it rest outside the fridge for 10 minutes; then slice and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

(Sprinkle with sparkling sugar, if desired.) Bake 20–25 minutes, until edges just begin to brown. Cool to room temperature.

Variations: Sift ½ cup of cocoa with the flour for chocolate shortbread.

Add some chopped pistachios for a nutty version.

Dip the shortbreads in chocolate for an elegant touch. Place the cookies on parchment after dipping until the chocolate sets.

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In Memoriam

The Art of Listening

Please join the monastic community in prayerful remembrance of our deceased family members and friends:

Timothy Backous, O.S.B.

Joseph Ackerman, O.S.B. Janie Hayden Amundson Dennis Becker David Paul “Dave” Bennetts Steven Conrad “Steve” Birky Irene Podraza Blair Aaron Ryan Boatz Allan “Al” Broberg Mary C. Campbell Richard Joseph “Rich” Chalmers Michael S. Chisarik Leon “Lee” Cook Colleen Anne Couteaux Vanesa Iris DeLeón Helen E. Durken Archabbot Justin DuVall, O.S.B. Héctor Echerarría William J. “Bill” Elfering Augustine Flood, O.S.B. Henry J. Fox Ken Freeman Richard “Rich” Froehle Esmeralda Celeste Fuentes Theresa H. Glatzel Andrew Leo Goltz, O.S.B.

Minh Griffiths James Hamilton, Obl.S.B. Irene A. Harren Julie Irene Jansen Preston Jones Deacon Michael “Mike” Keable, Obl.S.B. Katie Jo Keenan Hilda Keller, O.S.B. Steven L. “Steve” Koopmann Stefano Lari Rosemary Lenneman, O.S.B. Florence Lewandowski, Obl.S.B. Andy L. Loso Sarah Elizabeth Luft John O. Lundin Doris McDermott David P. Mockenhaupt Armando C. Mojica Sr. Steffano Montano Joel Montpetit Joan Mormul, O.S.B. Patrick Leland Murphy Anna Tuyet Nguyen Rev. Thomas F. A. O’Brien

Peggy O’Leary, C.S.J. Becky Pierzina Irene Tupy Pierzina Michael H. “Mike” Pittelko Phyllis (Dunstan) Plantenberg, O.S.B. Marilyn R. Reichert Cleone Josephine Renner, O.S.F. Flora Sanchez, O.S.B. Edmund W. “Ed” Schnettler Norman C. Skalicky Andrew J. Smorynski Dieterich Spahn Jason I. “Jay” Spillum John August Swanson Terry T. Timko Ana Maria Torres Nancy May Tykwinski Rudy van Parys Oswaldo Venavides Ellen Rosemarie Wethington Vincent Williams Sharon Lee Witt Dee Yoon

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/.

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recommend that everyone read (or reread) The Art of Listening by Erich Fromme (1900–1980). In this little book, published posthumously, Dr. Fromme says that genuine listening is an “art like reading poetry.” This implies, of course, that learning this art takes time and practice just like painting a picture, writing an essay, or playing a Beethoven sonata. How much effort we are willing to put into it is a whole other question. But the practice of listening, nevertheless, is more essential than ever these days and needs to be taught, learned, and most of all, practiced.

Dr. Fromme identifies six “guidelines” for those willing to advance their own artistic expression of listening. They are summarized here by Maria Popova (inclusive language and emphasis are my additions).

1. The basic rule for practicing this art is the complete concentration of the listener.

2. Nothing of importance must be on our mind; we must be optimally free from anxiety as well as from greed.

3. We must possess a freely-working imagination that is sufficiently concrete to be expressed in words.

4. We must be endowed with a capacity for empathy with another person and strong enough to feel the experience of the other as if it were our own.

5. The condition for such empathy is a crucial facet of the capacity for love.

To understand others means to love them—not in the erotic sense but in the sense of reaching out to them and of overcoming the fear of losing oneself.

6. Understanding and loving are inseparable. If they are separate, it is a cerebral process, and the door to essential understanding remains closed.

Listen with the ear of your heart.

This “art” will take a lifetime to perfect, and it demands of its seekers a deep commitment and endless patience with falling short. For example, it is not easy to develop and sustain a “freely working imagination.” With all the distractions and frustrations of daily life, this guideline is sure to be one of the most difficult to achieve. But that is not a reason to give up the pursuit of this noble effort.

The world needs empathic, imaginative, and understanding listeners to soften the harsh, damaging rhetoric of our time.

We need less screaming past each other and more receptive and loving understanding of one another. As Dr. Fromme asserts, this doesn’t just happen by an accidental meeting of two opposing viewpoints. Rather, it is the result of a careful honing of our listening skills that are actually ready to embrace the person(s) with whom we so adamantly disagree. What is being promoted is akin to Saint Benedict’s notion of listening with “the ear of your heart” (Rule Prol.1). This is especially worth a try today. What we have now doesn’t seem to be accomplishing much besides division and strife.

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Abbey Banner Magazine Saint John’s Abbey P.O. Box 2015 do not reduce in size (size or place between and greater) Collegeville, MN100%56321-2015 U.S.A. use alternative logo for smaller size www.saintjohnsabbey.org

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Abbey Banner 4 This Issue Robin Pierzina, O.S.B. 5 Christmas Lessons Abbot John Klassen, O.S.B. 6 The Great Mystery of Christmas Martin F. Connell 8 Benedictine Volunteer Corps Simeon J. Farquharson 10 Synod on Synodality Lewis Grobe, O.S.B. 11 Habitat Sanctuary: Abbey Arboretum John Geissler 14 Indigenous Peoples Aaron Raverty, O.S.B.

Winter 2021-22 Volume 21, Number 3

18 High above the Sagatagan Cloud Meinberg, O.S.B. Vincent Tegeder, O.S.B.

30 Rule of Benedict: Those Who Come Early Eric Hollas, O.S.B.

20 Flynntown Bridge

31 Obituary: Andrew Goltz

22 The Protection of Creation Patriarch Bartholomew Pope Francis Archbishop Justin

32 Cloister Light

24 Emmaus Institute Efraín Rosado, O.S.B.

36 Fifty Years Ago

33 Abbey Chronicle Robin Pierzina, O.S.B.

26 Benedictine Options Tara Durheim

37 Monks in the Kitchen: My “Go-To” Cookies Ælred Senna, O.S.B.

27 Synod of Abbots President

38 In Memoriam

28 Meet a Monk: Lew Grobe Timothy Backous, O.S.B.

39 The Art of Listening Timothy Backous, O.S.B.

Abbey Lenten Retreat: Profiles of Metanoia 25–27 March 2022 Presented by Father Michael Patella, O.S.B. The retreat begins with supper at 5:30 P.M. on Friday and concludes Sunday after lunch.

Cost: Single room, $195; double room, $340; suite, $380; meals included.

Abbey Triduum Retreat: Water, Wood, and Fire: A Triduum retreat inspired by the natural world 14–17 April 2022 Presented by Jessie Bazan The retreat begins with a conference at 4:00 P.M. on Holy Thursday and concludes Easter Sunday after lunch.

Cost: Single room, $290; double room, $520; suite, $580; meals included.

Register online at abbeyguesthouse.org; contact the Spiritual Life Office at 320.363.3929; or email us at: spirlife@osb.org.