Abbey Banner - Fall 2008

Volume 8 • Issue 2 • Fall 2008

A B B EY

BANNER Magazine of Saint John’s Abbey

Saint John’s on the move, 4 A pilgrimage with Saint Paul, 7 50th anniversary of new abbey church, 8 Virgil Michel, OSB: educator extraordinaire, 10 Expanded abbey cemetery blessed and dedicated, 12 The Arnold Weber, OSB, Scholarship, 14 New abbey business office, 15 Profession and ordination jubilarians, 16 Recent books by monks, 19 Mark Thamert, OSB, Teacher of the Year, 20 Abbey vocation website, 22 Benedictine Volunteers, 23 Assignments, retirements, recognitions, 29 . . . and more

Saint John’s on the move

Contents Stubbs Building Movers of Long Lake, Minnesota, relocated Saint Joseph Hall in June 1992. The move was featured in the January-February 1993 issue of The House and Building Mover.

Pages 4, 5, 6

Cover Story Saint John’s on the move University Archives

by David Klingeman, OSB, and Daniel Durken, OSB

Features 7 A pilgrimage in the footsteps of Saint Paul

by Jean Lown

8 50th anniversary of abbey church

by Victoria Young

10 Virgil Michel, OSB, educator extraordinaire

by David Kieft

Jubilees 16 Profession and ordination jubilarians

Banner Bits 15 New abbey business office opens for business 19 Recent books by monks 29 Assignments, retirements, recognitions 30 Sunday at the Abbey lectures

Articles Editorials 3 From editor and abbot Strengthening Foundations 12 Abbey cemetery blessed and dedicated 18 Abbey Friends’ Day Awards 14 The Arnold Weber, OSB, Scholarship for Ministerial Excellence 20 Mark Thamert, OSB, Teacher of the Year

Vocations 22 Abbey vocation website Benedictine Volunteers 23 New volunteers and sites 24 Two volunteers receive the Caritas Award 25 What I learned in Tanzania

Spiritual Life 31 Offerings for 2008 – 2009 Back Cover Celebrate the Year of Saint Paul

The Abbey Chronicle 26 Highlights of April, May, June and July 2008

NOTE: Please send your change of address to: Ruth Athmann at rathmann@csbsju.edu or P.O. Box 7222, Collegeville, Minnesota 56321-7222 or call 800-635-7303.

Editor: Daniel Durken, OSB ddurken@csbsju.edu Copy Editor and Proofreader: Dolores Schuh, CHM Designer: Pam Rolfes

Abbey Banner Magazine of Saint John’s Abbey Volume 8, Issue 2 Fall 2008

Circulation: Ruth Athmann, Cathy Wieme, Mary Gouge Printer: Palmer Printing, Waite Park, Minnesota Member Catholic Press Association

Abbey Banner is published three times annually (spring, fall, winter) by the Benedictine monks of Saint John’s Abbey for our relatives, friends and Oblates.

Abbey Banner is online at www.sja.osb.org/AbbeyBanner Saint John’s Abbey, Box 2015, Collegeville, Minnesota 56321-2015

FROM EDITOR AND ABBOT

Paul is for all

by Daniel Durken, OSB

W

hen you receive this issue of ABBEY BANNER, the “Year of Paul” (June 2008 – June 2009) that celebrates the 2000th birthday of this amazing apostle, will be off and running. But we still have some nine months to accept Pope Benedict XVI’s invitation to know Paul and his creative contributions to our Christian/Catholic faith.

Thanks to the Second Vatican Council’s arrangement of scripture readings at Sunday Mass, we now have a larger assortment of Paul’s letters than we did forty years ago. Yet these ancient but ever-new letters often get lost between the first reading, the responsorial psalm and the gospel. Even though our response to the second reading is “Thanks be to God,” it might be more honest to reply, “What was that all about?”

The “Year of Paul” is prime time to answer that question. We probably will not get much help from preachers who usually focus on the gospel for the heart of their homily. So if we take seriously the invitation to study Paul’s letters we have to take the initiative.

Where do we start? I suggest we begin with Luke’s account of Paul’s life in chapters 13 through 28 of Acts of the Apostles. These chapters constitute the “Acts of Paul” and his quantum leap to bring the Good News of Jesus to Gentiles. They show he is indeed the “Paul for all.”

Moving from Paul, traveler and preacher, to Paul, letterwriter, let’s open his First Letter to the Thessalonians, the very first writing of the New Testament. Paul’s character emerges when he tells his readers, “We were gentle among you as a nursing mother cares for her children. With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our very selves as well, so dearly beloved had you become to us” (2:7-8).

Welcome to the love letters of Paul. See the back cover for a sampling of books available to help understand them.

For a commentary on a specific letter, call the 800 number and ask for the New Collegeville Bible Commentary by the letter’s name. Say, “Daniel sent me,” and you’ll get a 20% discount. This applies only to phone orders. +

Toward nonviolent resistance

by Abbot John Klassen, OSB

I

n March 2001, six Catholics and Mennonites met at Saint John’s to follow up on a gathering of twenty-five Mennonites and Catholics at Laurelville, Pennsylvania, in August 1999. I knew two of them, both Mennonites—pastor Weldon Nisly, a scholar at the Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research that semester, and Dr. Gerald Schlabach, a Saint John’s Oblate and faculty member at the University of Saint Thomas.

When I welcomed the group I was told they were exploring possible ways to continue the dialogue between Catholics and Mennonites in a grassroots, informal manner. I said simply, “If there is anything that Saint John’s Abbey can do to help in this ecumenical effort, let me know.” Little did I realize how this graced encounter would flower into a movement called Bridgefolk, comprising sacramentally-minded Mennonites and peace-minded Catholics.

Since the summer of 2002 groups of Catholics and Mennonites have gathered annually for two-and-a-half days for conversations on spiritual practices that sustain Christian discipleship, the meaning of baptism and eucharist in our respective traditions, and this year, holiness.

The first saints in the Catholic Church were all martyrs.

Only after the Constantinian Era (307-364) were additional criteria developed for saints. During the Reformation of the 16th century thousands of Mennonites were martyred because they refused to do military service. They passionately believe that the gospel requires a commitment to the non-violent resolution of conflict (see Matthew 5:38-48).

Our work partially coincides with the completion of a five-year international dialogue between Mennonites and Catholics that produced the report “Called Together to Be Peacemakers.” On October 23-25, 2007, participants from the international dialogue and from Bridgefolks gathered in Rome to offer suggestions to the World Council of Church’s Decade to Overcome Violence.

As Catholics we are slowly realizing how complicated the Just War Theory is and how slippery its application to situations such as the possession of nuclear weapons or the war in Iraq. I believe we are being called to become a “peace” Church, and that is one exciting movement. + Abbey Banner Fall 2008 page 3

FEATURE

Saint John’s on the move

by David Klingeman, OSB, and Daniel Durken, OSB The Old Frame House and Chapel, 1863 - 1886

“In God we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

O

nce upon a time a monk of Saint John’s Abbey suggested, “Let’s put our buildings on wheels so we can move them wherever we want.” As early as 1867, hardly more than a decade after arriving in Minnesota, the Collegeville community began moving some of its major buildings to different places.

The Frame House contained the carpenter and tailor shops, and provided rooms for monks and lay workers. The Chapel was used by monks and students and after 1876 by the Collegeville parish. With the construction of the Quadrangle, the Frame House was razed in 1886.

The original 120’ x 90’ building was divided into two halls with a 9’ elevated track running around the entire hall. A variety of sports was played here. There were two bowling alleys in the basement and a billiards room on second floor.

Old Gymnasium Old Frame House and Chapel The first moving experience was the relocation of the Old Frame House and Chapel from near the Collegeville railroad station a mile north of the current campus. This 1863 two-story structure served as both monastery and school. Three years later the site proved to be inadequate for institutional life and the building was moved to a cleared area above Lake Sagatagan and set 40’ southwest of the Stone House, the monastery’s first permanent building made of abundant field stone.

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The old gymnasium came to be called “Rat Hall” in honor of the “Rat Section,” infamous for its cheeringjeering support of the basketball team.

It is now “Guild Hall” named after the Saint John’s Workers Guild, organized in 1943 for the benefit of lay employees. The gym was constructed in 1901 in a variant on the medieval revival style of architectural design by Charles Aldrich who designed the armory building at the University of Minnesota.

The rope of the flagpole atop the turret of the Old Gym is repaired.

FEATURE With approval to build the new student center, Sexton Commons, on the site of Joe Hall, a decision had to be made to move or remove this building also listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The university regents approved moving and preserving the structure for student housing at a cost of $538,000.

In June 1992, began the phenomenal feat of moving this 700-ton edifice, measuring 50’ x 100’ with a 14’ x 24’ wing on one side, some 1000’ to the south.

The old gymnasium was moved across the road in 1937.

The largest of these relocated buildings, the old gymnasium was moved in 1937 from its original location close to the Quadrangle to 150’ west and across the road running through the campus. The building was also widened by 25’. In 1949, 32’ more were added to the north side of the building to provide two basketball courts and seating for 1500 spectators. When the Warner Palaestra was built in 1972, the old gym became available for intramural sports, dances, receptions, programs, offices and the Collegeville Post Office.

The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

rooms and relaxed Bohemian atmosphere. The basement was used for storage until 1979 when it became the shop for potter-in-residence, Richard Bresnahan.

The Stubbs Building Movers of Long Lake, Minnesota, accomplished this monumental move. After elaborate preparation of the building, the slow crawl to the new location began.

About 250’ from its foundation the building had to be rotated to avoid

Joe Hall moves across campus to its new location.

Saint Joseph Hall In its earliest days Saint Joseph Hall, commonly called “Joe Hall,” served as a buggy shed and horse stable. The present configuration of Joe Hall was constructed in 1923 as a two-story brick building for thirty lay employees and known as the “Bunk House.” The building’s uniqueness is its segmentally arched windows and a hipped roof accentuated by nineteen dormers.

In 1941 Joe Hall became a favorite dormitory choice for twenty-six students who appreciated the private

Joe Hall on wheels

Abbey Banner Fall 2008 page 5

FEATURE power lines and enter the new site facing the right direction. Except for 150’ of roadway, most of the path was lawn and several sidewalks covered with planks. After two months of inching along by use of one winch with a thousand feet of ¾” cable and four trucks and a road grader to serve as anchors, Joe Hall was put in place.

The basement houses the Bresnahan pottery workshop. A celebration was held August 5, 1992, with former residents sharing memories of dormitory life.

Seidenbusch Apartments Named after Rupert Seidenbusch, OSB, first abbot of Saint John’s (1866-1875) and bishop of Northern Minnesota (1875-1888), the Seidenbusch Apartments was a twostory, wooden structure built in 1972 in the area now occupied by Joe Hall.

In order to provide space for Joe Hall, this building was moved four blocks south to the Flynntown area across from the Seton Apartments, a student residence complex. In 2006 Siedenbusch, having outlived its usefulness, was torched to provide a training experience for the Saint John’s Fire Department and replaced by a new apartment-style residence.

Edelbrock House Edelbrock House carries the name of Alexius Edelbrock, OSB, second abbot of Saint John’s (18751889), who oversaw the construction of the Quadrangle.

The house was built in 1940 in the Flynntown area for the George and Isabelle Durenberger family. George coached football and was athletic director and Isabelle was executive assistant to university faculty members. The house became a residence for university seniors in 1980 and was moved 200 yards west into a wooded location off Fruit Farm Road where it offers students a semisecluded, quiet habitat.

The Seidenbusch Apartments are moved.

Upon these rocks we built Joe Hall at its current location.

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The Edelbrock House built for the George and Isabelle Durenberger family, now a student residence

Whether future campus buildings will be built on wheels remains to be seen. +

David Klingeman, OSB, is abbey archivist and guesthouse director. Daniel Durken, OSB, is the founding editor of ABBEY BANNER. Except for the photo of the Old Frame House from Abbey Archives, all photos are from University Archives through the courtesy of Peggy Roske, archivist.

FEATURE Paul’s pilgrims celebrate the eucharist near the river at Philippi. Here Lydia and her husband were the first Europeans to be baptized.

A pilgrimage in the footsteps of Saint Paul

by Jean Lown

Retracing one of Saint Paul’s missionary journeys . . .

I

n preparation for the Year of Saint Paul (June 28, 2008 – June 29, 2009) I was blessed to be a member of a pilgrimage that followed his footsteps in Greece and Turkey.

Led by Geoffrey Fecht, OSB, our spiritual director, the pilgrimage was meant to deepen our faith by learning about Paul and his mission churches.

Before the trip I read Paul: His Story

by Jerome Murphy-O’Connor and all Paul’s letters.

We began our journey in Greece, going to Thessalonica, Beroea, Philippi and Neapolis, all of which Paul visited. A favorite spot was near the ruins of Philippi where we celebrated Mass at the river where Paul met Lydia and other women praying on the sabbath. The setting was lovely with red poppies growing in a nearby field. After Mass we visited a small church dedicated to Paul and Lydia.

Crossing into Turkey, we headed to Istanbul. We visited the Blue Mosque, whose interior is covered with lovely blue quartz tiles, and the magnificent Hagia Sophia, the Church of Holy Wisdom, over 1400 years old and originally constructed as a Byzantine church. Many of its beautiful mosaics were covered with plaster when it

served as an Islamic mosque. Now a museum, some of the original mosaics are again visible.

A cruise ship took us to Ephesus and its impressive ruins. Sitting in its ancient amphitheatre, we read about the riot caused by Paul when he preached that the gods made of silver were not real gods. We celebrated Mass next to the reconstructed house where the Blessed Virgin Mary may have lived.

Among the Greek islands we visited, the most significant one was Patmos where the apostle John was imprisoned. We entered the cave where he supposedly wrote the Book of Revelation. We also visited Saint John’s Monastery where we saw ancient church treasures such as icons, vestments and bibles handwritten on parchment.

Back in Athens we stopped at the Areopagus where Paul referred to the altar dedicated to an Unknown God and then

proclaimed the true God and the risen Jesus. We also visited Corinth. Before Mass we read the passage in Acts where Paul met Aquila and Priscilla as well as Jewish opposition. After the Jews refused to listen, he turned to the Gentiles.

We owe Saint Paul our deepest gratitude for spreading the gospel of Jesus to the Gentiles. He played an instrumental role in establishing a universal church rather than a small sect of the Jewish faith. + Jean Lown is a 1974 graduate of the College of Saint Benedict and works as a patent attorney for 3M in St. Paul.

The pilgrims gather at the library at Ephesus, Turkey.

Completed in 135 A.D., the library housed between 12-15,000 scrolls.

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FEATURE

50th anniversary of abbey church

by Victoria Young from Saint John’s at 150; photos by Hugh Witzmann, OSB

June 1958

Construction of the abbey church began on May 19, 1958.

B

uilding the abbey church was not an easy feat. Creation of the concrete shell alone required more than 250 pages of shop drawings and more than 60 carloads and 416,000 feet of lumber from the western United States for the formwork. Twenty-seven different trades worked on the project; most dominant in numbers and importance were the carpenters who laid up the formwork for the large-scale concrete pours. Architect Marcel Breuer pointed out that the massive concrete abbey church is a tribute to carpentry, not to buckets of concrete.

From the onset of construction there were some Benedictines on the job, including Brothers Julius Terfehr and Stephen Thell, who put in over 6,500 hours of work on the church, inserting the steel reinforcing rods and

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bush-hammering the concrete. The clerics also joined in, working over 3,200 hours, mostly during the first summer of digging the foundations of the church and unloading the railroad carloads of lumber needed for the formwork.

The construction crew of McGough and Associates of Saint Paul spent the summer of 1958 pouring the foundations of the church, enclosing the basement or crypt of the church by November 1 of that same year. The final designs for the basement included, from north to south, a mechanical room under the baptistery; a reliquary chapel with the remains of the sixthcentury boy-saint Peregrin; a parish chapel; thirty-four private chapels; a sacristy; and a brothers’ chapel dedicated to Saint Benedict.

With the crypt in place, construction could move forward on the banner and upper church. Abbot Baldwin Dworschak, OSB, laid the cornerstone on November 19, 1958. During the cold winter months of 1958 and 1959, McGough Construction fabricated the wooden framework for the 112-foothigh banner. Its cantilevered slab of reinforced concrete rests on parabolic supports that are only 4 feet square at the base but extend 15 feet below ground for strength. It weighs 2,500 tons and was poured in place from April to December 1959.

In January 1960 McGough poured the concrete for the cantilevered balcony, the foundation posts for the pews and choir stalls, the walls surrounding the choir, and the hexagons of the north window wall. The completion of the north wall in the fall of

FEATURE 1960 signified the end of the exterior construction of the abbey church. Finishing touches could then be added.

On the exterior this included the hanging of the bells and cross in the banner and the placement of granite veneer from local quarries on the walls of the baptistery and church.

On the interior the concrete was left unadorned. Breuer’s original plan to cover the concrete with gold leaf on the ceiling and white paint on the walls was scrapped when he saw the wonderful shades of gray in the concrete and the formwork marks.

Furthermore, the simplicity of con-

crete roughed up only by the wooden framework highlights not only the engineered character of this building but also its wonderful materiality.

In August 1961 the bishop of Saint Cloud, Peter Bartholome, consecrated the abbey church. With Marcel Breuer’s assistance, Saint John’s had created an architectural monument to the Lord by boldly casting Catholic ideals in concrete forms that would be valid and functional for centuries to come. + Victoria Young is assistant professor of modern architectural history at the University of Saint Thomas, Saint Paul.

August 1958

May 1959

December 1959

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FEATURE

Virgil Michel, OSB, educator extraordinaire

by David Kieft

Commemorating the 70th anniversary of Virgil’s death on November 26, 1938

F

ather Virgil (1890 – 1938) was the greatest educator in American Benedictine history.

The scope of his accomplishments is astonishing. In 1926 he founded the Liturgical Press and the journal Orate Fratres (today Worship) and launched the American liturgical reform movement. At the same time he was a professor, a dean and a coach.

Between 1926 and 1938 when he died of a streptococcic infection, Virgil wrote seven books, co-authored ten more and published three hundred articles. He switched his attention from one thing to another so quickly that he left his colleagues breathless.

He did not suffer small talk. “To know Virgil,” said his confrere and successor Godfrey Diekmann, “was to work.”

Virgil’s work pertained mostly to liturgical reform, social justice, and higher education. Cultivated together, these three could breathe new life into the Catholic Church and narrow the gap between religion and secularpage 10 Abbey Banner Fall 2008

ism that had been growing since the Renaissance. An optimist, Virgil’s mentality was reminiscent of the ancient Greek Church fathers. They celebrated free will as the essence of human dignity, community and the power of the gospel to educate and save souls. This mentality suffuses the writing of French theologians like Henri de Lubac, whose ideas prefigured Vatican II during the 1940s and 1950s.

Virgil was a prophetic figure and a born teacher. His books are readable but mostly unread for several reasons.

When Virgil’s life was cut short at the age of forty-eight, basically the result of exhaustion, the Liturgical Press was still in its infancy. Benedictine culture does not celebrate individualism. It is not always a joy to be in the presence of a genius. Virgil knew that some of his confreres thought him heavy company. But there may be an underlying reason which reflects the history of the Catholic Church in Minnesota.

With his fourteen siblings Virgil grew up in St. Paul in the shadow of Assumption

Church—also known as the “German Cathedral”—and attended its grade school. Until 1912 Assumption was served by priests from Saint John’s Abbey. There young George Michel (his pre-monastic name) met the future abbot of Saint John’s, Father Alcuin Deutsch, who was thirteen years Virgil’s senior and himself a parishioner of Assumption. Alcuin persuaded the energetic young man to attend Saint John’s Preparatory School. This happened to be a decisive time in the development of both the archdiocese and the abbey.

Archbishop John Ireland viewed the very conservative Germanspeaking Benedictines as an obstacle to the integration of Catholics into

Virgil and his father visit relatives in Augsburg, Germany, in 1924.

FEATURE The Great War had shattered European liberalism and confidence.

The success of Oswald Spengler’s gloomy book, Decline of the West, was emblematic of a spiritual malaise in a weary Europe where the future of the Catholic Church was problematic.

The most fundamental philosophical and religious questions about life and death and the meaning of history had become urgent. Virgil’s monastic tutors in Germany had rediscovered the ancient conception of the Catholic Church as the Mystical Body of Christ and as the real presence of Christ as the guarantor of humanity’s corporate destiny.

Virgil with his father in Egypt in 1925

with the religious dimension of social questions and the education offered in Catholic colleges. His hope was that worship, work and education would show humanity the direction toward the “full stature of Christ.”

the mainstream of American life.

The Benedictines lost control of Assumption Church in 1912. American involvement in the Great War in 1917 did not enhance the attraction of German philosophical abstractions. Could anything good come from Germany?

In 1926 when Virgil began his leadership of the American liturgical reform movement, almost all his collaborators were German Americans and their inspiration came from German monasteries and universities.

The upshot was that in the beginning there would be only a small audience in the United States for Virgil’s ideas.

By the time Alcuin became abbot in 1921, Virgil had obtained a doctorate in English at Catholic University of America. Abbot Alcuin decided to make Saint John’s cosmopolitan by sending his most promising monks overseas for education. Alcuin presented Virgil with Romano Guardini’s small classic, The Spirit of the Liturgy, and sent him to Europe on a voyage of discovery that had tremendous consequences for Virgil’s personal development and the future of American Catholicism.

“I will make you fishers...” R. to l., Virgil, Wendelin Leutner, OSB, Edwin Sieben, OSB

Virgil (l.) and Florian Locnikar, OSB, with the skeleton of a birchbark tepee at Red Lake, Minnesota, in 1932

Virgil became convinced that the daily presence of the laity in communal worship would educate them in the practical meaning of the faith and thus elevate their sense of social responsibility. Engaging the laity in their own languages and through their full participation in the liturgy of the church would be conducive to the resolution of social and economic problems.

The coming of the Depression of 1929 dramatized these ideas for Americans just as the Great War had done for Europeans. Virgil’s writing after 1933 is mostly concerned

As professor and dean Virgil believed that the traditional liberal arts curriculum, the foundation of Christian education since late antiquity, should be preserved. Its preservation was essential for students who “wanted to get to the bottom of things,” as he put it, meaning things that really mattered.

He died two months before introducing a “Great Books” program. Sadly it was soon forgotten.

We should reflect upon how Virgil today would have resisted the abandonment of the traditional liberal arts throughout the Western world. They represent the best of the human spirit. + Dr. David Kieft is an Oblate of Saint John’s Abbey. He was visiting associate professor of history at Saint John’s in 1974 and 1975.

He is associate professor emeritus of history at the University of Minnesota.

All photos are from Abbey Archives.

Abbey Banner Fall 2008 page 11

Geoffrey Fecht, OSB

STRENGTHENING FOUNDATIONS

Monks and guests process from the upper cemetery for the blessing of the expanded area.

Expanded abbey cemetery blessed and dedicated “Grant that this cemetery may be a place of rest and hope.”

A

brief rain shower on the morning of June 6 anticipated the later sprinkling with holy water by Abbot John Klassen, OSB, as he blessed and dedicated the expanded abbey cemetery in the presence of 170 alumni/ae, Oblates, employees, friends and monks. By the time the ceremony began a forest of umbrellas disappeared and the sky cleared.

Abbot John welcomed those gathered: Brothers and sisters, a common Christian concern has brought us together to bless this cemetery where our bodies will lie at rest, awaiting the Lord’s coming in

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glory. After preparing this resting place for the dead, we should raise our hearts and look to Christ, who suffered and rose again for our salvation. He has commanded that we watch for his coming and has promised to meet us when we rise again.

The ceremony continued with Psalm 21, praying, “The Lord will guard your going and coming both now and forever.” Accompanied by a trumpet solo by Cletus Connors, OSB, the crowd processed to the new cemetery area. Psalm 23 (“My shepherd is the Lord”) was sung, a gospel reading (John 14:1-6) was proclaimed and Abbot John gave a brief homily.

Beginning with a stanza from Emmy Lou Harris’ All My Tears—“It don’t matter where you bury me / I’ll be home and I’ll be free. / It don’t matter where I lay / All my tears be washed away”— the abbot continued: Because we search for God in community, our Benedictine understanding is somewhat different from the songwriter’s— it does matter where you bury me. I want to be up on the hill with those guys who made bricks here, milked cows, fixed pipes, taught and preached and lived in this community, coming together on good days and bad to praise the Lord. I want to

STRENGTHENING FOUNDATIONS be with those who baked bread, made the sausage and apple pies, who taught countless students, and baptized, married, and buried, who made music and a community of faith in Jesus Christ.

The abbot then said the Prayer of Blessing: God of all consolation, by your just decree our bodies return to the dust from which they were shaped, yet in your way of mercy you have turned this condition of darkness and death into a proof of your loving care. . . . Grant that this cemetery, placed under the sign of the cross, may, by the power of your blessing, be a place of rest and hope. . . . May prayers be offered here continually in supplication for those who sleep in Christ and in constant praise of your mercy.

Daniel Durken, OSB

We have created this cemetery for our friends and alums because there are those who share this sense of relationship and place.

In our death we wait together for the coming of the Lord who has prepared an eternal place for us.

A view of the expanded cemetery looking toward the abbey/parish cemetery

The blessing liturgy was prepared by Michael Kwatera, OSB, director of abbey liturgy, Dunstan Moorse, OSB, Liturgical Press editor, and Josie Stang, cemetery director.

Daniel Durken, OSB

The new cemetery area was sprinkled by the abbot and several assistants while the hymn “Let all on earth rejoice and sing” was sung.

Prayers of intercession were followed by the singing of the Lord’s Prayer, the final blessing and the Latin refrain by which all monastic funerals are concluded: “Ultima in mortis hora, Filium pro nobis ora, Bonam mortem impetra, Virgo Mater Domina.” After the ceremony, lunch was served in the student dining room. +

One of the engraved markers in the new cemetery

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AWARDS L. to r.: Dietrich Reinhart, OSB, university president, William Cahoy, dean of the School of Theology, Arnold Weber, OSB

The Arnold Weber, OSB, Scholarship for Ministerial Excellence To honor your service as a living example of Christ’s presence amongst us

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t its annual Honors and Speakers’ Dinner on May 14, Saint John’s School of Theology•Seminary announced a new scholarship for students of SOT•Seminary, named the Father Arnold Weber, OSB, Scholarship for Ministerial Excellence.

Excerpts from the citation read by Dietrich Reinhart, OSB, university president, follow: Father Arnold, you have selflessly devoted your life to the service of the Church as a priest, inspiring the faithful to live fully as children of God. Your journey began on the family farm in St. Martin, Minnesota. You grew up in a home rich with love and laughter and steeped in the traditions of the Catholic Church. Your parents instilled in you and your eleven brothers and sisters a deep love of God and a strong sense of stewardship toward the Church, your community and the

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land the Weber family has farmed for three generations.

In 1940 you left St. Martin to begin your education at Saint John’s Prep School where you excelled in sports and began to demonstrate the inherent abilities of those destined to lead.

Following your graduation in 1944, you earned a degree in philosophy from Saint John’s University in 1948 and a Master of Divinity from Saint John’s Seminary in 1952. You were ordained to the priesthood on June 7, 1952.

Your love of education is well known. You served as prefect, teacher, coach and administrator at BenildeSt. Margaret High School in St. Louis Park and at Saint John’s Prep in Collegeville.

In parish ministry at Holy Rosary Parish in Detroit Lakes and Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Medina, your infectious enthusiasm for the work of

the Church led your parishioners to a deeper love of Jesus. “Arnie’s Door,” always open to the needy, became an incentive for parishioners to realize their potential for generosity, and a source of support for people facing hardship.

Your commitment to and love for the entire Saint John’s community have been evident to us all. Your ability to extend that Benedictine community to the parishes you have served is a blessing and a model we seek to pass on to all our students.

Father Arnold, to honor your service as a living example of Christ’s presence amongst us, and to prepare future generations of men and women who will continue your legacy of faithful and dynamic ministry, Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary has established the REV. ARNOLD WEBER, OSB, SCHOLARSHIP FOR MINISTERIAL EXCELLENCE +

BANNER BITS

Daniel Durken, OSB

New Abbey Business Office opens for business The abbey needed a less complex business operation to provide greater clarity for managing the financial affairs of its members.

With the separation, the Abbey Business Office now serves the financial needs of the monastery, its corporate services (physical plant and power house), Saint John’s Preparatory School and Liturgical Press. The University Business Office serves the financial needs of Saint John’s University, School of Theology•Seminary, Hill Museum & Manuscript Library, Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical

Benedict Leuthner, OSB, abbey treasurer, put the problem simply when he said, “To do its financial business the university needs a semitruck whereas the abbey can get by with a pick-up.” The previous single business office arrangement had become much too complex, driven primarily by changes in higher education and the evolution of the coordinate relationship between the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University.

Since the separation required new space for the Abbey Business Office, a major make-over took place in the area along the first-floor, southeast corridor of the Quadrangle. Staff members now enjoy individual offices and there is ample space for the financial transactions of customers. +

Daniel Durken, OSB

When considering separately incorporating Saint John’s Abbey and Saint John’s University (currently one corporation) the complex issues facing these two entities made it imperative that two separate business offices be established as soon as possible. This does not affect the possible separate incorporation still under consideration.

and Cultural Research and the Artistin-Residence program.

L. to R.: Laura Czech, accounts payable, cashier; Jan Janke, human resources manager; Dan DeMars, controller; Bradley Jenniges, OSB, assistant treasurer; Dianne Gideon, accountant, Prep School manager; Benedict Leuthner, OSB, treasurer; Lois Harren, staff accountant

Jerry Furst, finance/operations director and Sandra Eiynck, financial and operation manager of Liturgical Press

Daniel Durken, OSB

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or the past two years a multitude of reports, recommendations and resolutions concluded that the one Business Office of the corporation should be separated into an Abbey Business Office (serving the monastery, Prep School and Liturgical Press) and a University Business Office. This proposal was realized with the opening of the new Abbey Business Office on July 1, 2008.

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JUBILARIANS 2008

Seventeen monastic profession and ordination jubilarians celebrate 790 years of service to abbey and church

by Richard Oliver, OSB, and Brennan Maiers, OSB

MONASTIC PROFESSION 70 YEARS George Wolf, OSB, served sixty-two years in the Benedictine missions of the Bahamas as building supervisor for the Vicariate, business and plant manager of St. Augustine’s College and Monastery and pastor of parishes on the islands of New Providence, Bimini, Exuma, North Eleuthra, Habour and Grand Bahama. He received the pontifical medal Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice in recognition of his service.

60 YEARS Hilary Thimmesh, OSB, taught English for fifty-four years with classes in Chaucer, Shakespeare and the American Civil War. He served as academic dean and president of the university, administrator of St. Martin’s Abbey, Olympia, Washington, abbey’s prior and faculty resident in campus housing. He edited the sesquicentennial edition of Saint John’s at 150: A Portrait of This Place Called Collegeville.

George Primus, OSB, served five years as farm worker at St. Maur’s Priory, South Union, Kentucky, and then a half-century patching clothes, sewing page 16 Abbey Banner Fall 2008

on name tags and waiting on customers of the abbey tailor shop. He also worked part-time in the abbey orchard and gardens. His hobbies include braiding rag rugs, making cone Christmas wreaths and fashioning willow canes.

50 YEARS Thomas Gillespie, OSB, is currently director of campus computer graphics and signage, assistant manager of the abbey’s website and work coordinator for novices and candidates. Previously he served as missionary and teacher at the Priory of San Antonio Abad, Humacao, Puerto Rico, and as pastor of parishes in Stillwater and St. Joseph, Minnesota. He is also a licensed pilot.

Henry Bryan Hays, OSB, was instructor of French, music and first-year symposium. As composer-in-residence he produced more than 200 musical works including forty hymns published in the Swayed Pines Hymnal, an oratorio on the first seven Stations of the Cross, five operas, musical settings for forty poems by Thomas Merton, and popular hymns in The Collegeville Hymnal.

Andrew Goltz, OSB, featured in “Meet a Monk” in the spring 2008 issue of Abbey Banner, helped fabricate the massive stained glass window of the abbey church. He later served as registered nurse in the abbey’s retirement center and member of the mission communities in the Bahamas and Japan. Presently he is book preservation specialist of Alcuin and Clemens libraries.

PRIESTHOOD ORDINATIONS 50 YEARS Thomas Thole, OSB, taught in and chaired the sociology department of the university and served as advisor of foreign students. He has also been faculty resident of campus housing, university archivist and founder of the world wide Benedictine computer list and bulletin board. For the past decade he has been chaplain of Mother of Mercy Campus of Care, Albany, Minnesota.

Mathias Spier, OSB, served forty-seven years in pastoral ministry as associate pastor and pastor of parishes in Albany, St. Paul, Medina, Richmond,

JUBILARIANS 2008 St. Joseph, Minneapolis and Jacobs Prairie. He also served as chaplain of nursing homes in New Hope and Cold Spring. He retired to the abbey in 2005.

Julian Schmiesing, OSB, taught German and Spanish at the Prep School and founded its Study Abroad Program in Austria. He was principal and prior of San Antonio Abad school and monastery in Puerto Rico. He held abbey positions of vocation director, director of candidates, subprior and prior. He served parishes in Detroit Lakes, Cold Spring, St. Martin and Farming.

Meinrad Dindorf, OSB, taught Russian and theology at Saint John’s and was managing editor of Worship. He did pastoral work in parishes in New York City, St. Cloud, St. Joseph, Jacobs Prairie, Red Lake, Nebish, and Shakopee. He was chaplain at Abbott-Northwestern and University of Minnesota hospitals, Minneapolis, and is current chaplain at Saint Benedict’s Senior Community, St. Cloud.

Thomas Wahl, OSB, studied Old Testament at Catholic University of America, Pontifical Biblical Institute and Union Theological Seminary. He taught Scripture and founded the Jerusalem Studies Program of Saint John’s School of Theology•Seminary. Liturgical Press published his four books on Scripture. Since 1990 he has been a member of our Japanese mission in Tokyo and Fujimi.

Gordon Tavis, OSB, held administrative offices such as university bursar and director of financial aid, physical plant manager, director of planning, vice president for administrative services, abbey prior, treasurer and liaison for buildings and grounds and Prep School president. He was named Administrator of the Year in 1999 and received the Prep School’s Armor of Light Award in 2002.

Raymond Pedrizetti, OSB, was faculty member of department of classics and philosophy for more than four decades. He served as faculty resident in campus housing for twenty years. He was Master of Clerics, the community’s priesthood students, in the early years after Vatican Council II. This past year he completed a six-year term as prior of the abbey.

25 YEARS Martin Rath, OSB, served the community for thirty-five years in print shop, garden, dining room, bookstore, sacristy, and Collegeville Post Office. Ordained in 1983, he was pastor and chaplain of parishes and nursing homes in Ogema, Waubun, Freeport, New Hope and Winsted. He founded a house of prayer in St. Paul and was chaplain of several basic Christian communities.

Dominic Ruiz, OSB, ordained in 1983, taught Spanish at Benilde-St. Margaret High School in St. Louis Park, Shanley High School, Fargo,

North Dakota, and Prep School and is a member of the Hispanic Ministry Office of the St. Cloud Diocese. He served parishes in St. Cloud, Lake Park, Hawley, Fargo, and Richmond and is presently chaplain of St. Scholastica Monastery of Benedictine women in St. Cloud.

Nathanael Hauser, OSB, began monastic life at Prince of Peace Abbey, Oceanside, California, and transferred to Saint John’s in 1992. At Prince of Peace he was organist, vocation director, assistant Oblate director and taught Latin, theology and Hebrew. At Saint John’s he completed doctoral studies in ancient art and archeology and works with icons, mosaics, crèches and The Saint John’s Bible project.

Luke Mancuso, OSB, transferred to Saint John’s in 1988 from Our Lady of Mount Olivet Monastery, Lake Charles, Louisiana, where he was director of pastoral care at a city hospital. He is now associate professor of the university’s English department. In 2000 he received the Robert Spaeth Teacher of Distinction Award.

Priest jubliarians were recognized and blessed at Mass during the community retreat on June 5.

Monastic jubliarians renewed their vows and were honored during Mass on July 11, the Feast of Saint Benedict. + Richard Oliver, OSB, is the newly appointed administrative assistant to Abbot John Klassen. Brennan Maiers, OSB, is the assistant abbey archivist.

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STRENGTHENING FOUNDATIONS

Saint John’s celebrates Abbey Friends’ Day Geoffrey Fecht, OSB

by Geoffrey Fecht, OSB

“A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature” (Emerson).

Friends of the abbey and monks gathered for Evening Prayer.

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in the Great Hall for a dinner that featured some of the finest German cuisine the Collegeville kitchen has to offer.

Following prayer, to which Saint Benedict gives priority in his chapter on “The Reception of Guests” (Rule, chapter 53), a brief social in the Alumni Lounge allowed for further visiting. Then the group assembled

Earlier in the week, in preparation for the entertainment segment, it was decided to offer a program of “Talents You Didn’t Know the Monks Had.” Hidden talents made public ranged from an original poetry reading by Kilian McDonnell, OSB, and authentic bird calls, especially that of the barn owl, by Aaron Ravery, OSB, to a fire-eating demonstration

by Paul-Vincent Niebauer, OSB, that harked back to his days as a circus ring master, and the finale by Daniel

n Sunday, May 25, the monastic community hosted a gathering of 165 abbey donors. The evening began with a mingling of guests and monks in the Chapter House of the year-old Petters Pavilion. To quench the travelers’ thirst, monks provided our guests with punch and a chance to chit-chat before processing into the abbey church for the celebration of Evening Prayer.

Morgan, OSB, who played a lovely Irish tune on his unique uilleann pipes.

The evening concluded with Abbot John’s thanking our friends for their generous support of the abbey. Current construction projects such as the redesigned Blessed Sacrament Chapel in the abbey church, the extensive renovation of Saint Raphael’s Retirement Center, and the expansion of the abbey cemetery are all made possible through gifts of our benefactors. Our vocations program, the Benedictine Volunteer Corps, the Jerome Theisen Guesthouse Endowment Fund and our Health and Retirement Fund are also supported by abbey friends.

Geoffrey Fecht, OSB

Abbot John then announced that the Abbey and University Capital Campaign, begun seven years ago, would successfully conclude at the end of June 2008, a full year ahead of schedule.

Abbey Friends’ Day remains a day to gratefully remember. +

Abbey Friends’ Day dinner

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Geoffrey Fecht, OSB, is the abbey’s development director.

BANNER BITS

From prayers to pilgrimage, recent books published by monks “I have never known any distress that an hour’s reading did not relieve” (Montesquieu).

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he Collegeville Prayer of the Faithful Annual 2009 Cycle B, with CD-ROM of Intercessions (Liturgical Press) by Michael Kwatera, OSB Out of the abundance of his experience as a teacher of liturgy and a pastor, the author draws from the scriptural readings and the significance of feast days to compose prayers that both presiders and parishioners will find personal, thoughtful and inspiring.

od’s Gift Giving: In Christ and Through the Spirit (Continuum International Publishing Group) by Kevin Seasoltz, OSB Focusing on God’s gift giving provides a lens for reframing some major theological topics, including what it means to speak of the eucharist as sacrifice, how to speak of the cross in a world of violence, and the role of the Spirit throughout creation and within the liturgy.

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pirit and Reason: The Embodied Character of Ezekiel’s Symbolic Thinking (Baylor University Press)

by Dale Launderville, OSB This scholarly tome is described by the author: “Although Ezekiel acts in bizarre ways under the influence of Yahweh’s Spirit, he is more reasonable than his contemporaries. He proclaims that the Jewish exiles will become symbols of Yahweh’s rule on their return from Babylon.”

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emythologizing Celibacy: Practical Wisdom from Christian and Buddhist Monasticism (Liturgical Press)

by William Skudlarek, OSB From his experience with interreligious dialogue with Buddhist monks, the author makes “a modest effort to reflect on the meaning and practice of

specifically Catholic monastic celibacy in the light of some Buddhist teachings and practices.”

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ainting the Pilgrimage: From Paris to Compostela (Naples Museum of Art) by Jerome Tupa, OSB The author presents his oil paintings, water colors and sketches that capture the sacred sites of the pilgrimage from Paris to Compostela, Spain, the alleged resting place of the Apostle James. His work is called “colorful, whimsical, delightful, bold and inventive.” + Michael Kwatera, OSB, is director of liturgy and director of Oblates for Saint John’s Abbey. Dale Launderville, OSB, is associate professor of theology at Saint John’s School of Theology•Seminary.

Kevin Seasoltz, OSB, is editor of Worship magazine. William Skudlarek, OSB, is General Secretary of the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue. Jerome Tupa, OSB, is artist-in-residence and chaplain at Saint John’s University. These books may be ordered from Saint John’s Bookstore at 1-800-420-4509 or www.csbsju.edu/ bookstore.org.

Abbey Banner Fall 2008 page 19

AWARDS

Simon-Hoa Phan, OSB

Dietrich Reinhart, OSB, university president, congratulates Father Mark.

and charismatic teacher are the consistently high class enrollments that far exceed the stated limits. A recent May term study abroad course with a cap of 25 attracted 400 enrollees.

Mark Thamert, OSB, receives the 2008 Teacher of Distinction Award “Mark forced me to change my life and I am forever grateful.”

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ather Mark, associate professor of German, is the 2008 recipient of the Robert L. Spaeth Teacher of Distinction Award. Named in memory of Robert Spaeth, outstanding teacher and academic dean at Saint John’s from 1979 to 1994, the award recognizes a colleague who brings a special passion and mastery to the classroom and the learning community.

After high school, college and seminary at Saint John’s, Mark became a Benedictine monk in 1975 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1979. He has a doctorate in German literature and linguistics from Princeton University and was one of five doctoral students to be recognized as Teacher of the Year.

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In addition to teaching German, Mark served as headmaster of the Prep School from 1994-98 when he inaugurated the Middle School program and the building of the Weber Center, two accomplishments that brought new life to the school. His contributions as a long-time member of the university’s Department of Modern & Classical Languages and current head of the German Studies Program are the primary reason for his being named Teacher of Distinction. The following excerpts from his colleagues and students are proof of their esteem:

Poetry is Mark’s passion, and he interprets the poems with sensitivity and insight and encourages students to take their own interpretive journey.

He compiled a massive database of German poetry with impressive crossreferencing to provide students endless opportunity for study, class presentation and research.

From two faculty colleagues: Mark’s creative, inventive, imaginative, and enthusiastic spirit rubs off on all his students. Bearing witness to their recognition of him as a brilliant

Mark’s classes are invariably fun and always challenging. He uses computer and internet technology, is a gifted singer and dramatist, and employs these skills in his classes. He is pro-

AWARDS foundly supportive of his students’ achievements and lets them know with spontaneous compliments how proud he is of them.

Mark directed the Honors Program for eight of his fifteen-year career at CSB/SJU. He developed the current senior honors research program that has grown to thirty or forty theses and defenses each spring. He also contributes his teaching and leadership to our study abroad program and in particular to the May term programs which he was one of the first to develop.

From a former student: There is no denying that Fr. Mark is one of the most scholarly professors on either campus. But he is not a lecturer. He is in every sense of the word a teacher. His love and dedication for teaching come through the time and effort he puts into researching and preparing integrative curriculums that reach out to both the best and most casual of students.

Before leaving for Collegeville, my father told me, “You don’t go to Saint John’s to graduate with a good job. You go to Saint John’s to learn how to think.” Fr. Mark has made me challenge, tear apart and reassemble my way of thinking about humanity and the world. Having done this I am ready to go out and live the life that I believe is worth living.

From a teaching assistant of Fr. Mark: The wisdom, dedication, care, humor, and passion of Fr. Mark set him above all the great teachers I had at CSB/ SJU. He has inspired me to pursue my own career as a professor.

Ultimately it is that sheer, contagious love of learning and language that makes teaching a vocation, an art for Fr. Mark. He does not need this Teacher of Distinction Award, but his students do. We need it to symbolize our gratitude. We need it to make concrete all the ineffability of being forever changed by a class and its mad, spirit-drunk teacher. Through his art of teaching Fr. Mark forced me to change my life, and I am forever thankful. + Fr. Mark and students in St. Peter’s Square, Rome

Whether it’s using the latest technology, having cave poetry meetings, or learning to polka, Fr. Mark invites his students to move outside the books and integrate their interests into learning. It may seem a bit bizarre having a 300-pound football player polka and waltz for a section of the course final, but I guarantee if there is one thing about the German culture that this student remembers, it’s to polka.

Fr. Mark wears many hats: faculty resident, men’s spirituality leader, professor, cantor, priest, cook, department chair, design committee member and monk.

One point pervades all of these roles: his wish to bring this Benedictine community, rooted in humility, hospitality and spirituality, to as many students and colleagues as possible.

Fr. Mark and students at the first-century Colosseum in Rome

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VOCATIONS

Introducing the new Abbey vocations website

by Dan Morgan, OSB

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ave you seen it yet? In the fall of 2007 Saint John’s Abbey began developing a new vocations website (www.AbbeyVocations.com) that aimed at taking a more interactive approach with the web.

Paul-Vincent Niebauer, OSB, abbey vocation director, explains, “We wanted to take this opportunity to rethink not only what we were saying but how we were saying it. The written word is important, but the new website allows you to watch more than fifty short, fast-loading video clips of monks and others telling portions of their own story in their own words.”

Brother Paul-Vincent continues, “It was also important to emphasize that young men may join in our common search for God in several ways — as a professed monk, or as a lay associate, a Monastic Experience Participant (MEP), an Oblate, a Benedictine Volunteer, or for one of our ‘Come and See’ weekend plunges.

I think www.AbbeyVocations.com expresses these options extremely well.

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Within the next year www.AbbeyVocations.com plans to add even more exciting features like an interactive blog, an information archive related to Benedictine life and monastic discernment, as well as adding and archiving more video clips of monks, associates, MEPs, etc., telling their stories.

To visit the site, go directly to www.AbbeyVocations.com. Another way is to access the abbey’s homepage (www.SaintJohnsAbbey.org)

and then click on the top menu option “Being a Monk” and then “Vocations.”

We invite and encourage you to visit www.AbbeyVocations.com and send us your feedback (via the “Contact Us” section on the website) as well as share this new site with your family and friends. + Dan Morgan, OSB, is the assistant to the vocation director for Saint John’s Abbey.

BENEDICTINE VOLUNTEERS

Paul Richards, OSB

Benedictine Volunteers begin seventh year of service at two new sites

by Daniel Durken, OSB Front, l. to r., Charlie McCarron, Joe Weichman, Mike Leither, Theo Eggermont, Charlie Sawyer. Back, l. to r., Mike Bancks, Brady King, Phil Hanson, Cole Woodward, Ben Demarais.

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en 2008 SJU graduates pictured above comprise the new group of Benedictine Volunteers. Two new sites are added to the program.

Michael Bancks, biology, Fairmont, Minnesota, and Mike Leither, studio art, St. Cloud, Minnesota, serve Hagia Maria Sion (Dormition) Abbey, Jerusalem, and Tabgha Monastery, Tiberias, Israel. Charlie Sawyer, physics, St. Paul, and Cole Woodward, environmental studies, St. Paul, are assigned to Manquehue Community, Santiago, Chile.

Ben DeMarais, physics, Winona, Minnesota, and Charlie McCarron, music composition, Stillwater, Minnesota, continue the presence of volunteers at Hanga Abbey, Tanzania, East Africa. Theo Eggermont, environmental studies, Fargo, North Dakota, and Philip Hanson, biology, Oregon, Wisconsin, replace last year’s volunteers at Abbey of Jesus Christ Crucified, Esquipulas, Guatemala. Brady King, art, Omaha, Nebraska, reports to Saint

Anselm’s International Benedictine College, Rome. Joseph Weichman, history, Freeport, Minnesota, serves at St. John’s Abbey.

The Jerusalem, Tabgha and Chile Communities

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ormition Abbey (“dormition” means “falling asleep”) is connected to where Christian tradition locates the life and death of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Situated on Mount Sion outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, the area was acquired by the German emperor Wilhelm II and given to the German Holy Land Society for the benefit of German Catholics. The first Benedictine monks from the Abbey of Beuron, Germany, arrived in 1906. The community of about twenty cares for guests and pilgrims, works and prays for peace and reconciliation and offers an ecumenical study program for German-speaking students of theology.

Tabgha Monastery is the foundation of Dormition Abbey. On the north shore of the Sea of Galilee near the Mount of Beatitudes and Capernaum, the hometown of Jesus, is the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes. Benedictines have served this site since 1939. In the 1980s archeologists uncovered ancient mosaics, especially of the loaves and fishes. The church was restored to its Byzantine form and consecrated in 1982.

The Manquehue Community in Santiago, Chile, is made up of lay men and women. They follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, live as celibates in separate housing, pray the Liturgy of the Hours, and teach in schools for the poor and the wealthy. +

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BENEDICTINE VOLUNTEERS Paul Conroy and his students weed the garden.

Benedictine Volunteers receive the Caritas Award The award recognizes commitment to both service and social justice.

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aul Conroy and Ben DeMarais, Benedictine Volunteers of Saint John’s Abbey, received the prestigious Caritas Award annually given to a graduate and an upperclass student of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University. Established in 1995, the Caritas Award is presented by the CSB/SJU Campus Ministry offices in recognition of commitment to service and social justice.

After graduation in 2005, Paul became one of the first volunteers to serve at the Benedictine Abbey of Hanga in Tanzania, East Africa. He taught English grammar and literature in schools operated by the abbey, and raised money in the United States to buy textbooks and build a new student laundry facility. page 24 Abbey Banner Fall 2008

Through donations from St. Henry’s, his parish in Monticello, Minnesota, Paul provided rubber work boots so students would not have to work barefoot in the fields and risk the danger of being bitten by scorpions

Ben DeMarais, SJU 2008

and snakes. Further funding provided corrective surgery for a student born with birth defects.

Paul, together with Lew Grobe (a fellow volunteer) and a monk of

BENEDICTINE VOLUNTEERS the abbey made a 900-mile bike trip through Tanzania to raise $25,000 for an endowment to educate Tanzanians who cannot afford school costs. Readers who would like to help meet this goal should make out their check to “St. Maurus Mission Appeal,” write “Phoenix Rising” on the memo line and send the check to Paul’s mother: Paulette Conroy / 9950 Aetna Ave.

NE / Monticello, MN 55362. She will forward checks to Hanga Abbey. Paul is now a faculty resident in student housing and a member of the campus ministry staff at Saint John’s.

ricane relief trip to Mobile, Alabama.

As a summer staff member of Youthworks! in Daytona Beach, Florida, he led mission trips with high school students to offer vacation school for kids from lower income families. Ben and another 2008 SJU graduate, Charlie McCarron, are currently serving as volunteers at Hanga Abbey. +

Ben DeMarais, a graduating senior awardee, has been involved in service programs including a flood relief trip to southeastern Minnesota and a hur-

Derek Johnson with some of the students in his English class

What Tanzania taught me

by Derek Johnson

A Benedictine Volunteer evaluates his experience.

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he ten months I served as a Benedictine Volunteer of Saint John’s Abbey at Hanga Abbey in Tanzania gave me the opportunity to examine who I am as a person, my faith and spirituality and my future aspirations.

The simplicity of life here makes a person reevaluate one’s priorities. Local school systems can hardly provide students with basic necessities, but I have worked with many students who have a driving passion to learn all they can. I saw this enthusiasm disappearing when I worked with Minnesota students. Their passion is being replaced with a craving for television, video games and the begging question of why should I bother to learn this?

I learned to appreciate the conversations people have with one another, not thinking this is wasting time but rather enjoying another’s company.

When I worked at Target, never did

anyone take time to converse with another. If you did, conversations seemed superficial as both of you were thinking about the work that needed to be done.

The lack of TV or the Internet cuts out the seemingly mindless zoning out that is all too common when staring at screens all day instead of opening a book or thinking about life.

Some experiences have not been quite so positive. Many Africans believe that America is a utopia of wealth, success and happiness. The worst off person in the United States seems to be ten times better off than a Tanzanian. It’s a shame to see people who are so proud of their culture and country have such a skewed perspective of life in developed countries. I hope Tanzania continues to promote education in order to give the younger generation a chance to bring their country out of its economic hardships.

I also had a chance to explore my faith. Attending Mass every day in a language I didn’t really understand gave me the opportunity to think about spiritual matters. Before coming to Tanzania I was at a crossroads with my faith, unsure what direction I was going. This experience has reignited a connection with God that I haven’t had for the last ten years.

I wonder how this experience will affect my future career. I imagine I will avoid the large profit-seeking corporate environment and be more comfortable in a smaller communityseeking workplace where the focus is not on building profits but creating solid relationships and helping people.

I thank Saint John’s Abbey for the support given the Benedictine Volunteers at Hanga Abbey. + Derek Johnson of Edina, Minnesota, is a 2006 economics graduate of Saint John’s University.

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THE ABBEY CHRONICLE

What’s Up? The Abbey Chronicle Fran Hoefgen, OSB

by Daniel Durken, OSB

Proper honor must be shown to all guests and to pilgrims.

(Rule of Saint Benedict, chapter 53)

Abbey summertime guests

Daniel Durken, OSB

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hen Saint Benedict wrote that “monasteries are never without guests,” he must have been thinking of the summer when human bodies far outnumber birds and beasties. From May through August, 128 programs involving over 13,000 participants were offered at Collegeville. Many of the groups joined the monastic community for the celebration of the eucharist and Morning, Midday and Evening Prayer.

Snow in April

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April 2008 ■ April showers that bring May flowers were rudely displaced by a 10 ½-inch snowfall on April 10 and 11. A postscript, a 2 ½-inch snowfall on April 26 reminded us just how fickle spring can be.

■ Thanks to the abbey’s new hoop house and the planning of John Elton, master gardener, a flurry of flowers bloomed in the warm climate and were ready for planting when the danger of frost was over.

■ Thanks to warm days and cold nights, the 2008 maple syrup season harvested 227 gallons of the sweet, golden juice from the 1,000 taps of our sugar maple trees. Saint John’s Arboretum personnel conducted

Daniel Durken, OSB

Weatherwise, with only four July days of 90˚ temperatures, no Minnesota records for hottest days were challenged—a blistering 114 degrees in Beardsley on July 29, 1917, and in Moorhead on July 6, 1936. Rain on nine days in May totaled 3.81 inches.

June’s total was a welcome 5.84 inches. Trees clapped their hands and lawns turned a lush green. But that color faded into a brown shade when eight days of drizzles produced only 1.73 inches.

In July the sprinkling system on the campus was extended to the monastery lawns south of the Quadrangle and the Breuer wing of the abbey.

■ “A great work of art, a work for eternity,” exclaimed Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican in Rome on April 4 when he received the Wisdom Books volume, the first completed version of the St. Peter Apostles Edition of The Saint John’s Bible. The Wisdom volume is the gift of Saint John’s University and Abbey through the generosity of the Gerald and Henrietta Rauenhorst Foundation. Abbot John Klassen, OSB, and university president Dietrich Reinhart, OSB, were present for the occasion.

Hoophouse spring flowers

THE ABBEY CHRONICLE

■ “Where is SJU?” was the question asked on the front page of the St. Cloud Times on May 15. The opening paragraph continued, “Despite St. John’s University’s position as a Central Minnesota fixture for more than 150 years, mapping software hasn’t quite caught up with it.” Columnist Amy Bowen described the confusion in the Global Positioning System (GPS) when searching for directions to Collegeville and ending up in the town of St. Joseph or at the abbey cemetery. Efforts to correct the situation are underway.

Daniel Durken, OSB

indigo bunting one morning and held it long enough for John Biasi, assistant director of advertising and marketing, to take this picture (at bottom of second column).

June 2008 ■ Abbot Thomas Hillenbrand, OSB, of Blue Cloud Abbey, Marvin, South Dakota, directed the community retreat June 2-6. His conferences centered on five steps to a vibrant Benedictine spirituality, namely, 1. IThou relationship with God and Jesus 2. Community 3. Prayer 4. Work 5. Leisure. The retreat was positively evaluated by inspired confreres.

capped, cooled, labeled and boxed for delivery to the distribution center of Otto Thole, OSB. About 300 bottles were filled that evening.

■ Wilfred Theisen, OSB, professor emeritus of physics, proved that a bird in the hand is worth one excellent photograph. He picked up a dazed

Daniel Durken, OSB

■ The second-largest graduating class in the history of Saint John’s University — 458 undergraduate men—received diplomas along with 45 School of Theology•Seminary graduates on May 11. The Pax Christi Award, Saint John’s highest honor, was given to Most Reverend Elias Chacour, archbishop of Akka, Haifa, Nazareth and All of Galilee, for his efforts to be a “steady voice of moderation in the cause of achieving Christ’s peace in one of the world’s most troubled corners.” Saint John’s Preparatory School graduated 58 students on May 24.

■ Several monks and graduate students bottled the first 28 gallons of the 2008 maple syrup harvest one mid-May evening. Under the supervision of Walter Kieffer, OSB, the syrup was drained into a cooker and heated to 170 degrees. After bottles and caps were sterilized, the hot syrup was poured into large coffee pots and then into twelve-ounce bottles to be

Daniel Durken, OSB

Michael Becker

May 2008

■ Five members of the Saint John’s golf team and their coach, Bob Alpers, had little trouble finding their way to repeat as Division III national champions on May 16.

A new billboard on County Highway 75 into St. Joseph is there for the traffic to behold.

John Biasi

tours during the spring for over 900 pre-K to senior students. Another 950 visitors came to the two Maple Syrup Festivals sponsored by the Arboretum.

Abbey Banner Fall 2008 page 27

THE ABBEY CHRONICLE

David reattached and consolidated the paint flakes to the plaster, filled the blank spaces with a mixture of chalk and glue binder, leveled off the new paint and reconstructed and painted the design. Clement painted the murals on the refectory wall in 1932.

■ The annual Fourth of July celebration got off to a unique start with a fly-over by Thomas Gillespie, OSB, in his Champ airplane. After a few polite buzzes, the patriotic standards, “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” and “God Bless America,” were sung to begin the on-the-ground festivities. Father John Bai, a School of Theology student from China, read the Declaration of Independence in his native language. A brief display of fireworks was followed by the traditional water-balloon toss, a threelegged race, an egg-on-a-spoon race and a spirited game of volleyball. An excellent array of food grilled and served picnic style satisfied the hungry hearts of those who appreciated the chance to mix pray with play.

Daniel Durken, OSB

July 2008

following made their final oblation on July 12: Laura Hanson, Minneapolis; Irene Hoffman, St. Paul; Robert Lesniewski, Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Marion Lundy-Underhill, High Bridge, Wisconsin; Donald Marlette, Dubuque, Iowa. During the community Mass on July 13 the oblates renewed their oblation before Abbot John. +

■ Sixty Oblates and Oblate candidates participated in the annual Oblate Retreat on July 11-13. Bernie Evans, associate professor of pastoral theology, discussed the theme “Doing Justice and Loving Kindness.” The

Daniel Durken, OSB

Daniel Durken, OSB

■ David Marquis, senior paintings conservator of the Midwest Art Conservation Center in Minneapolis, repaired a refectory painting by Brother Clement Frischauf, OSB, that was damaged by a leaking radiator on the floor above.

Remember our loved ones who have gone to their rest: Agnes Bell Lloyd Beiswenger John Brandl Sr. Louista Eckroth, OSB Marion Scoon Foster Edward Kalinowski Roman Klein Catherine Kremers

page 28 Abbey Banner Fall 2008

George Kuttner Laura Jane LaFond Mary Laloo Lawrence Linn John McDonnell Adella Kapsner Murray Herb Pflueger

May they rest in peace.

Andrew Pukay Jeanne Schulte Gerald Skjolsvik Adella Skudlarek Joe Straka Margaret Tembrock Russell Vebelun

BANNER BITS

New assignments, retirements, recognitions ASSIGNMENTS: Luigi Bertocchi, OSB – assistant sacristan Corwin Collins, OSB – pastor: St. Martin Church, St. Martin, and St. Catherine Church, Farming Herard Jean-Noel, OSB – teacher: St. Thomas More High School, Rapid City, South Dakota Roger Kasprick, OSB – editor: CONFRERE, the abbey’s in-house newsletter Abbot President Timothy Kelly, OSB – educational coordinator: monastic formation program Neal Laloo, OSB – abbey refectorian and special events coordinator Jonathan Licari, OSB – pastor: St. Anthony Church, St. Anthony, and Seven Dolors Church, Albany Carol Loch – director: Saint Raphael’s Retirement Center Matthew Luft, OSB – studies: liturgy and pastoral theology at Catholic University of America Richard Oliver, OSB – administrative assistant to Abbot John Klassen Paul Richards, OSB – director: monastic formation while continuing as subprior William Skudlarek, OSB – Secretary General: Monastic Interreligious Dialog with office in Rome Joseph Young – abbey coordinator of communications and marketing

RETIREMENTS: Jay Bohan – fire chief and assistant safety director for abbey and university: 7 years Allan Bouley, OSB – professor of theology: 39 years Daniel Durken, OSB – Liturgical Press director, editor, writer: 41 years JP Earls, OSB – monastic formation director: 5 years Lee Hanley – abbey communication director: 5 years David Klingeman, OSB – music director at Saint John the Baptist Parish, Collegeville: 9 years Patrick McDarby, OSB – CONFRERE editor, in-house newsletter: 14 years Julian Schmiesing, OSB – pastor of St. Martin and St. Catherine parishes: 6 years Kevin Seasoltz, OSB – professor of theology: 21 years Hilary Thimmesh, OSB – professor of English: 54 years

RECOGNITIONS: Timothy Backous, OSB – Paul Lawson Fund Recipient for Conference on Benedictine Education Dennis Beach, OSB – Academic Advising Award for Humanities Department Allan Bouley, OSB – Professor Emeritus Geoffrey Fecht, OSB – administrative service: 25 years Bradley Jenniges, OSB – administrative service: 15 years Benedict Leuthner, OSB – administrative service: 20 years Anthony Ruff, OSB – academic service: 10 years Kevin Seasoltz, OSB – Professor Emeritus Mark Thamert, OSB – Robert L. Spaeth Teacher of Distinction Award (see pages 20-21) Hilary Thimmesh, OSB – Professor Emeritus Abbey Banner Fall 2008 page 29

SUNDAY AT THE ABBEY

The 2008 Abbey Lecture Series

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hese lectures, sponsored by Saint John’s Abbey, are given by monks and invited speakers who address the relationship of monasticism to theology, culture and contemporary issues facing the church and society. Held in the Chapter House of the Petters Pavilion adjoining the Abbey Church at 7:00 p.m. on designated Sundays, the lectures are free of charge. Come and bring friends.

SEPTEMBER 7 Columba Stewart, OSB, professor of theology, executive director of the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library and Vice President of Religion and Culture, presented the September 7th lecture on “Is ‘Traditional’ Monastic Culture Possible in the Twenty-First Century?” An excerpt of Columba’s lecture will appear in the winter 2008 issue of ABBEY BANNER. OCTOBER 12 Bernie Evans, associate professor of theology and holder of the Virgil Michel Ecumenical Chair in Rural Social Ministries at Saint John’s School of Theology•Seminary, will speak on the timely topic, “What Does It Mean to ‘Vote Catholic’?” on October 12. Dr. Evans is the author of Vote Catholic? Beyond the Political Din (Liturgical Press), a must-read for the 2008 election.

NOVEMBER 16 Annette Atkins, professor of history, will present “I Wonder as I Wander through the Past: Minnesota and Saint John’s at 150” on November 16. Dr. Atkins is the winner of the prestigious 2008 Spur Award presented by the Western Writers of America for her latest book, Creating Minnesota: A History From the Inside Out.

DECEMBER 7 Cyprian Weaver, OSB, associate professor of medicine, Department of Medicine at the University of Minnesota, will discuss “The Hope and Promise of Adult Stem Cell Research” on December 7. Father Cyprian is involved in research as Director of Molecular Histopathology and Microscopy Care for the Lillihei Heart Institute, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology at the University of Minnesota.

All presentations will begin at 7 p.m. in the Petters Pavilion. page 30 Abbey Banner Fall 2008

SPIRITUAL LIFE

Spiritual Life Program Offerings for 2008-2009 “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

G

www.123rf.com

et out your calendars and please note the following dates for our Benedictine Days of Prayer and our Small Group Retreats. You can register for these events on-line at www.saintjohnsabbey.org/retreats or by calling the Spiritual Life Office at 320-363-3929.

Benedictine Days of Prayer: 2008-2009 October 24, 2008

Praying the Psalms with the Church: Saint Benedict wanted his monks to pray all 150 psalms every week. Join the monastery as it prays the psalms and learn what they can mean for your prayer life.

November 21, 2008

Praying in Advent: The Church awaits in the December darkness the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray to let go of this world in order to receive the New Heavens and the New Earth he brings.

January 9, 2009

Praying at Christmas Time: We pray to receive the Child of Bethlehem and become part of his peace.

February 13, 2009

Praying in Ordinary Time: Jesus begins to manifest himself as teacher and healer.

We pray to hear and to follow him.

March 10, 2009

Praying in Lent: Jesus faces contradiction and conflict. We pray to be faithful in joining him in his struggle, suffering, and death.

April 17, 2009

Praying into the Risen Christ: Jesus is risen and lives bodily in the presence of God. Our spirituality now includes our body, which Jesus has also redeemed.

May 15, 2009

Praying during Easter Time: Jesus appears to us, showing us his wounds and his glory. We listen to him anew, accept his Spirit, his life, and his mission into our lives.

Small Group Retreats: 2008-2009 November 28-30, 2008

Men’s Retreat presented by Father Bill Schipper, OSB

February 27— March 1, 2009

Lenten Retreat—“There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy” presented by Father Bob Pierson, OSB

May 29-31, 2009

Pentecost Retreat presented by Father Don Tauscher, OSB

Abbey Banner Fall 2008 page 31

JUNE 2008 – JUNE 2009 Liturgical Press publishes many books on the life and letters of Saint Paul. These five featured titles offer a basic introduction to the apostle who helped give the Good News of Jesus its focus and force in his time and ours.

The Acts of the Apostles of the New Collegeville Bible Commentary by Dennis Hamm, SJ The risen Jesus sends his disciples to be his witnesses “in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Paul takes care of the last part of this geographic agenda. This sequel to Luke’s Gospel follows Paul on his journeys for Jesus. Biblical text and commentary are provided.

S978-0-8146-2864-5 Paper, 135 pages, $6.95

The Letters of Paul: An Introduction by Charles B. Puskas, Jr. The life and thought of Paul with a letter-by-letter introduction to his writings. Includes chapters on the characteristics of the ancient letter and a chronology of Paul’s life. S978-0-8146-5690-7 Paper, 232 pages, $24.95

Paul the Letter-Writer: His World, His Options, His Skills by Jerome Murphy-O’Connor, OP Calling this “a book for beginners,” the author deals with the writing of a first-century letter in terms of the raw materials (pen, ink, paper) and the actual composition and writing; the organization of a letter; how the letters were brought together to create a single collection. Fascinating details.

S978-0-8146-5845-1 Paper, 160 pages, $19.95

Paul and the Third World Women Theologians by Loretta Dornisch “What if the letters of Paul were written by Paula?” the author asks. Paul is sometimes seen as anti-feminist and male-dominated. Yet he continues to be a major resource for persons wanting to live a deep Christian life. The author hopes to convert Paul’s letters to be female-friendly, user-friendly, liberation-friendly. A new spin on old letters still meaningful.

S978-0-8146-2553-8 Paper, 104 pages, $15.95 Jesus and Paul: Parallel Lives by Jerome Murphy-O’Connor, OP This book examines the parallels in the lives of Jesus and Paul. The author compares and contrasts Jesus’ and Paul’s births, early years and family settings, education, refugee status, social class, conversion experiences and deaths, and gives us new insights into each one. S978-0-8146-5173-5 Paper, 136 pages, $14.95

To order these or other books about Paul call 1-800-858-5450 or visit www.litpress.org

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