Abbey Banner - Fall 2014 by Saint John's Abbey

Abbey Banner Fall 2014

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Consider the lilies: they neither spin nor weave, yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was arrayed like one of these.â&#x20AC;?

Luke 12:27

Robin Pierzina, O.S.B.

This Issue

Pope Francis and Change

If an abbot desire to have a priest or a deacon ordained for his monastery, let him choose one of his monks who is worthy to exercise the priestly office.

Abbot John Klassen, O.S.B.

Rule of Benedict 62.1

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Published three times annually (spring, fall, winter) by the monks of Saint John’s Abbey.

This issue of Abbey Banner explores the development of this “school for the service of the Lord” (RB Prol.45) and its apostolate of educating for ministry. Brother Aaron Raverty outlines the growth of Saint John’s teaching enterprise from its humble origins as a boys’ grammar school on the banks of the Mississippi and “the first ecclesiastical seminary in the Northwest” to today’s School of Theology·Seminary. Along the way, education became more inclusive than was typical of our society and the Church, as women were offered graduate degrees in theology.

t seems impossible that the election of Pope Francis was only eighteen months ago. Even people who are not Catholic or who do not care about organized religion are paying attention to him. In the Catholic environment, we look for signs: dare we hope for significant change? The following are some of the signs I note.

Magazine of Saint John’s Abbey

Editor: Robin Pierzina, O.S.B. Editorial assistants: Aaron Raverty, O.S.B.; Dolores Schuh, C.H.M. Fujimi bureau chief: Roman Paur, O.S.B. Abbey archivist: David Klingeman, O.S.B. University archivists: Peggy Roske, Elizabeth Knuth Design: Alan Reed, O.S.B. Circulation: Ruth Athmann, Mary Gouge, Jan Jahnke, Danielle Schmiesing, Cathy Wieme Printed by Palmer Printing Copyright © 2014 by Order of Saint Benedict Saint John’s Abbey Collegeville, Minnesota 56321-2015 abbeybanner@csbsju.edu saintjohnsabbey.org/banner/ ISSN: 2330-6181 (print) ISSN: 2332-2489 (online)

Change of address: Ruth Athmann P. O. Box 7222 Collegeville, Minnesota 56321-7222 rathmann@csbsju.edu Phone: 800.635.7303

“What’s the difference between a priest and a monk?” This question is repeatedly asked of members of our community. Decades ago the answer could have been: “Priests save souls, and brothers repair soles.” For the first century of Saint John’s history, the daily lifestyle of the monks and the community as a whole were largely segregated, ordained and non-ordained. Though Saint Benedict envisioned an egalitarian community serving under an abbot and cautioned against preferential treatment (“Let all keep their places in the monastery established by the time of their entrance” [RB 63.1]), a hierarchical system developed over the centuries. Not until the reforms of religious life heralded by the Second Vatican Council and inspired by the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. did the two-class system break down. In their own words, the Brothers tell the tale of two monasteries. Since his election in March 2013 Pope Francis has surprised and excited many with his refreshing openness, frank comments, and charismatic style. Abbot John Klassen opens this issue with a reflection on what this Bishop of Rome brings to the Church. Mr. Sebastian Gomes offers further observations and an interpretation of The Francis Effect. In the past weeks our community honored seven jubilarians on the occasion of their silver, golden, or diamond anniversaries of monastic profession and witnessed the ordination of two of our members: Fathers Bradley Jenniges and Michael Leonard Hahn. This issue introduces each of these confreres, welcomes another class of Benedictine Volunteers, and bids farewell to the founding editor of Abbey Banner, Father Daniel Durken. Prior Roman Paur highlights our labors to plant the seeds of Christianity and monasticism in Japan, while Mr. Cody Groen outlines efforts to eradicate invasive species in our woods. We also learn how a recent Saint John’s graduate was formed in a Benedictine environment; we meet a monk from Canada; and more. The editorial staff joins with Abbot John and the monastic community in offering prayers and best wishes to all our readers for God’s blessings in your lives. Brother Robin Pierzina, O.S.B.

Cover: Stella Maris Chapel on Lake Sagatagan Photo: Ælred Senna, O.S.B.

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Then are they truly monks when they live by the labor of their hands.

Pope Francis has consistently referred to himself as the Bishop of Rome, that is, first among equals. I am hoping that this shift in language truly signifies a change in understanding. That is, I hope that Pope Francis is more attentive and responsive to the delegation of authority to bishops’ conferences, while at the same time working to insure unity.

Abbey archives

When Pope Francis celebrated his first Eucharist at the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, the episcopal see of the Bishop of Rome, he celebrated in Italian, the language of the people, not in Latin, the language of the universal Church. This seemingly insignificant choice sends a message about the way this pope thinks about his relationship to the faithful in his diocese: he is their bishop. On 13 April 2013, one month after his election, Pope Francis appointed a commission to advise him on reform of the Roman Curia. Eight cardinals, representing every continent, were asked to address “the government of the universal Church and to study a plan for revising the apostolic constitution on the Roman Curia, Pastor Bonus (Good Shepherd).” Released in 1988 by Pope John Paul II, Pastor Bonus included the last major changes in the responsibilities of the Roman Curia, the administrative offices of the Holy See. Last December Pope Francis issued the apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel). This is not a standard, staid papal document, but a lively, engaging reflection directed at all Christians: lay women and men, religious, deacons, priests, and bishops. We read the entire address in our monastic refectory, and my confreres were universally positive in their assessment. Pope Francis wrote the original exhortation in his beloved Argentinian Spanish, and it carries the flavor, the richness of this language applied to pastoral situations. (The word “sourpuss” is not a common Latin word!) The word that best describes this writing is “accessible.” One can enter the reflection at almost any point and find something of spiritual significance. I point to Joy of the Gospel because I believe that it expresses in sum what we can expect in the ministry of Pope Francis.

Rule of Benedict 48.8

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Monastic Jubilees and a Transfer Chaplains, 1994–1996. At Saint John’s Father Eugene was university registrar, director of the parents’ council, and a faculty resident. In retirement, he continues to extend his warm hospitality as he assists in the abbey gift shop.

Confreres offer congratulations and blessings to Fathers Julius Beckermann (left) and Jerome Tupa.

bbot John Klassen, O.S.B., and the monks of Saint John’s Abbey observed the Feast of Saint Benedict, 11 July, with glad celebration as they honored seven confreres on the occasion of their silver, golden, or diamond anniversary of monastic profession. “Today we celebrate the generosity and grace that have been present to us in our jubilarians,” stated Abbot John. “Truly, by the grace of God, they have done their best to let the Holy Spirit work in them.” During the joyous Mass each of the jubilarians renewed his vows and then joined family, friends, and confreres for a festive luncheon.

his monastic life Father Roger Botz was a teacher and then principal while working as a missionary monk at Colegio San Antonio Abad in Puerto Rico. His lively sense of humor was shared with thousands of students, parents, and alumni while he served as an administrator, chaplain, or faculty resident at Saint John’s University. Since 1985 Father Roger has been the compassionate, supportive presence to the sick and dying and their families as a member of the

Simon-Hòa Phan, O.S.B.

spiritual care department at the St. Cloud Hospital. Pastoral work has been the primary focus of Father Eugene McGlothlin’s ministry. He served Minnesota parishes in Detroit Lakes, Hastings, and Collegeville, and was a hospital chaplain at Saint Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth and Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He was elected president of the National Association of Catholic

Diamond Jubilarians

Recognized for their faithful service as Benedictine monks for sixty years were Fathers Roger Botz, O.S.B., Eugene McGlothlin, O.S.B., Kieran Nolan, O.S.B., and Chrysostom Kim, O.S.B. Early in

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Robin Pierzina, O.S.B.

Left to right: Fathers Kieran Nolan, Eugene McGlothlin, Chrysostom Kim, and Roger Botz

For sixty years Father Kieran Nolan has shared the abundant wit, occasional wisdom, and always curious speaking patterns of the Irish/Bronx, New York, with his Minnesota confreres. Educated as a moral theologian, he founded the first program for permanent deacons in the U.S. and also served as the dean/ rector of Saint John’s Seminary. In Collegeville he was pastor of Saint John the Baptist Parish, and subprior and vocation director for the abbey. For twenty-four years Father Kieran spoke Irish/Bronx Japanese at Saint John’s priories in Tokyo or Fujimi. Father Chrysostom Kim developed and taught in the honors program at Saint John’s University from 1967–1986, and also welcomed to campus his friends W. H. Auden and Saul Bellow. He assisted at Minnesota parishes including Saint Augustine, Saint Cloud; and Saint Boniface, Cold Spring. For seven years he served at Saint Anselm’s Priory, Tokyo, as novice and junior master or as pastor. His interests include musing “sans cesse in areas philosophical, historical, poetic-literary, sociocultural, and occasionally jotting down something that I have mused on.”

Fathers Jerome Tupa (left) and Julius Beckermann

Golden Jubilarians For the past fifty years Fathers Jerome Tupa, O.S.B., and Julius Beckermann, O.S.B., have dedicated their lives to Benedictine monasticism. Both were trained in the formation program of the lay brothers and later responded to the Spirit’s call to seek ordination and extend pastoral ministry as monk priests. Father Jerome Tupa’s observance of the vow of stability has been expansive: educated at the Sorbonne in Paris before becoming a member of the French department of the university, he spent many semesters founding and directing study abroad programs in Europe. His avocation as artist led to additional pilgrimages to paint religious shrines across Europe and the U.S. Father Jerome’s oeuvre is colorful, exuberant, and big—so big that he runs out of room and has to bend or tip buildings to fit on the canvas. He served as a faculty resident and chaplain for the university and as a pastor in Collegeville and Saint Joseph, always bringing good cheer and warmth to his flock.

Robin Pierzina, O.S.B.

Father Julius Beckermann was formed by the lifestyle and values of the humble, holy brothers who welcomed him to Saint John’s fifty years ago. As socius (work boss) of novices, he helped form the current abbot of Saint John’s Abbey. After nine years with the grounds crew on the Collegeville campus, he served for two decades at Saint Mary’s Mission, Red Lake, Minnesota. There he deepened his understanding of and love for the Ojibwe people and culture—a love that was readily reciprocated. Since his ordination in 2003, Father Julius has served as a pastor or chaplain in several central Minnesota locales, continuing to minister in the manner of his earliest formation. Silver Jubilarian Throughout his twenty-five years of monastic life Father Anthony Ruff has made music for the Lord. Trained in liturgy and liturgical music, he has shared his talents and insights with the community as abbey organist, university theology teacher, founder of the National Catholic Youth

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Trinity Benedictine Monastery Roman Paur, O.S.B.

Monastic Transfer On 24 June Abbot John Klassen and the monks of Saint John’s Abbey welcomed Father Michael Peterson, O.S.B., as he transferred his vow of stability from Blue Cloud Abbey (Marvin, South Dakota) to Saint John’s. (Blue Cloud closed in 2012.) Father Michael spent most of his early life in Minnesota. He was born in Marshall, grew up in Morris, and graduated from the University of Minnesota Morris with a degree in choral music. He plays the Native American flute and has recorded a CD. He is also an avid swimmer, noting that “living near a lake is a must for me.” Michael is deeply involved in interreligious dialogue, especially with Buddhist monks and nuns. He is the president of Monastic Interreligious Dialogue (MID) and has begun to meet with Somali Muslims in the Saint Cloud area. “Dialogue with people is at the heart of my spirituality,” observes Father Michael.

Father Anthony Ruff

Robin Pierzina, O.S.B.

Choir, and director of abbey music. With encouragement from practical, well-organized confreres, he attempts to bridge the theoretical and real worlds. Father Anthony founded and directs the Gregorian Chant Schola, which has recorded Latin and English chant. He shares practical wisdom and advice about liturgy as moderator of the blog Pray Tell, and enlivens Saint John’s liturgical life by writing responsorial psalms and antiphons. B

Sustain me, O LORD, as you have promised that I may live, and disappoint me not in my hope. Psalm 119:116

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After reading Thomas Merton’s The Seven Storey Mountain and Kathleen Norris’ Dakota: A Spiritual Geography, Michael was inspired not only to try life as a monk but to do so in a rural area. “I love the Great Plains and open spaces,” he explains. “I joined Blue Cloud in 1996. I learned to love my community and felt a deep call to Blue Cloud even though we struggled for many years with a lack of vocations. When Blue Cloud closed, I really had to rediscover my monastic vocation. Since stability is so linked with our sense of vocation as a Benedictine, how was I going to rediscover my vocation in a new monastery?” While a student in the Saint John’s School of Theology·Seminary, Michael had become acquainted with the Collegeville community. “I loved the spirit of hospitality and fraternity at Saint John’s. Being in my 40s, I was also looking at a community in which I could be more active in ministries. It seems that my ministries are bearing fruit.” Father Michael serves as assistant oblate director, abbey organist, and as a member of the vocation team, and is a chaplain for the College of Saint Benedict and Saint Benedict’s Monastery.

Robin Pierzina, O.S.B.

Retreat Program

n May Father William Skudlarek, O.S.B., participated in a weeklong Buddhist retreat (sesshin) at Sōgenji, a training monastery in Okayama, Japan. The Zen master (roshi) at Sōgenji, Shōdō Harada, has been closely involved in the Spiritual Exchange program for the past thirty years. The program arranges for Catholic monks and nuns from Europe to live for a time in Japanese Zen Buddhist monasteries, and vice versa.

The daily schedule, typical of sesshins in Zen monasteries of the Rinzai School, begins at 4:00 A.M. with an hour of chanting sutras followed by two hours of meditation (zazen), a break for breakfast, and outdoor work. Three more hours of zazen, dinner followed by an hour-long break, a one-and-a-half hour talk by the roshi, another hour of zazen, a break for supper (optional), and then three more hours of zazen round out the day. There are also times during the day for short individual meetings with the roshi. (At 10:00 P.M. a final hour of zazen under the stars is offered, but William skipped that and went to bed.) Oblates Our oblate program includes about forty-five Christian women and men, some living in Tokyo and Yokohama, about two hundred miles from Fujimi. We offer several day-retreats each year, beginning with a morning conference, followed by noon

Father Roman Paur with oblates of Trinity Benedictine Monastery

Mass (during which there may be final oblations), lunch, small group discussions, and a final discussion before concluding with Vespers. Library Project Recently the monks of Trinity Benedictine Monastery decided to downsize our library holdings and shelving, retaining only the materials that are actually used, and thereby expanding the meeting space available to accommodate larger groups for day retreats and conferences. Many of the volumes that accumulated over the years were never used or are no longer needed because of access through Internet sources. A volunteer worked with the monks over a number of months, especially culling out many books in Japanese and other languages. The Trappist Sisters in Nasu, where Father Tony Gorman, O.S.B., serves as a resident chaplain, were very happy to receive the books as well as the library shelving.

Trinity Benedictine archives

Collegeville Guest Beginning in June, Brother Shuuta Maximilian Oka, O.S.B., participated in the two-monthlong conversational English as a second language program at Saint John’s Abbey that was organized by Brother Paul Richards, O.S.B., Oka-san very much enjoyed the program and his second visit to Saint John’s, improving his language skills noticeably and making new friends among the eight program participants from various countries. Summer Produce In spite of a late planting, the community enjoyed fresh vegetables from our own garden again this year, especially rhubarb, tomatoes, and sweet corn. The basil, too, is a real treat especially for making pesto that otherwise is B pretty pricey in Japan. Father Roman Paur, O.S.B., is the prior of Trinity Benedictine Monastery in Fujimi, Japan.

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Benedictine Volunteer Corps college graduates, met with us to talk about the monastic life. We learned why these men chose to join the Benedictines and more importantly, why they stayed.

BVC Retreat

Alex Forster

’ve never been to prison, but I imagine my emotions the first morning of The Saint John’s Benedictine Volunteer Corps (BVC) retreat rivaled that of the most hardened criminal! I woke after only a heartbeat’s sleep to a nagging at the back of my brain. Brother Paul Richards, O.S.B., the program director, had sent an email to all the new Benedictine volunteers the night before, and it made me nervous. “Report to Frank House at 3:00 P.M. for your room assignments; wear a tie.” “What kind of trouble had I gotten myself into?” I wondered. I wasn’t even a day past my college graduation, and I was already assigned a cell and uniform. The monastery depends on the generosity of donors to help support its many apostolates and to keep itself in good financial condition. My first task as a new recruit for the BVC was to meet with the Saint John’s University Board of Trustees over dinner, hence the shirt and tie. For many of us, it was an opportunity to explain all the mistakes we had made in our past life to lead us to the Benedictine Volunteer Corps! Hopefully, with the support of these generous trustees—many of whom are Johnnie alumni— we’d be able to gather enough sympathy and support to send us to different monasteries around the world for a year of service. Schedules are something most college students consider optional.

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Benedictine Volunteer Corps, 2014–2015

On that first night here I tried to sneak to my room after supper to grab a quick nap, but Brother Paul caught me. “Evening Prayer starts in ten minutes,” he said. “I hope you are just leaving to use the restroom.” I hung my head obediently and turned to enter the abbey and university church. Evening Prayer for the monks of Saint John’s is a time for reflection. All the men file into the church in the order of their profession (statio). The new monks sit in the front choir stalls while the older monks, most of whom have been here throughout their entire adult lives, sit in back. As a newcomer I sat in front. The rest of the BVC retreat followed a similar pattern. Each morning we woke early to a polite cacophony of choir bells outside our door, followed by prayer. After God, or maybe the refectory coffee, opened our lips,

BVC

archives

Benedictine Volunteers Mark Steingraeber (left) and Jacob Helmer (right) join Brother Ælred Senna for meal preparation.

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Saint John’s School of Theology·Seminary at the College of Saint Benedict, Saint Joseph, Minnesota. This program later thrived at Saint John’s as a five-year summer graduate school under Father Paschal Botz, O.S.B., of Saint John’s Abbey and Sister Mary Anthony Wagner, O.S.B., of Saint Benedict’s Monastery as its founding directors.

Aaron Raverty, O.S.B.

n 1856 a contingent of Benedictine missionary monks from Saint Vincent Archabbey in Pennsylvania carried the seeds for both a new monastery foundation and for Saint John’s future educational apostolate to the shores of the Mississippi River near Saint Cloud, Minnesota. This “school for the Lord’s service” and the earliest blossom of Saint John’s teaching enterprise would be transplanted a few years later to the “Indianbush,” the present Collegeville location. As Father Colman Barry, O.S.B. (1921–1994) remarked in Saint John’s centennial history Worship and Work, “The basic social form of the school was patterned after the synthesis of the monastery itself where abbot, priests and Brothers worshipped and worked together” (113). Receiving its official Saint John’s Seminary and College charter in 1857 from the Minnesota Territorial Legislature, the seminary would develop from such humble beginnings into one of the premier and inclusive educational institutional divisions of Saint John’s. The first students were mostly local, rural German Catholic boys, consistent with the vision of Bishop Cretin of Saint Paul who had invited the Benedictines of Saint Vincent to make a foundation in central Minnesota and attend to the sacramental and educational needs of the mostly German Catholic settlers who decided to make this new land their home. Abbot Rupert Seidenbusch, O.S.B.,

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Participants in the Benedictine Institute of Sacred Theology, c.1958

first abbot of “St. Louis on the Lake”—the abbey’s original name—was intent upon educating men for the priesthood, first of all, for these German Catholic parishes. “The general layout of the curriculum was determined by the missionary character of ecclesiastical life on the frontier. The courses, therefore, were limited to those essential branches necessary for qualifying priests for the missions” (Scriptorium, 1957, 17).

We root ourselves in the Christian tradition, and interpret that legacy in light of the Roman Catholic and Benedictine heritage.

University archives

There were no official diocesan priesthood candidates until 1868. In a historical sketch of Saint John’s Seminary, Father Alexius Hoffman, O.S.B. (1863–1940), called this institution “the first ecclesiastical seminary in the Northwest.” In 1949 the seminary entered into a joint relationship with the bishop of the Diocese of Saint Cloud, incorporated under the new title of “St. John’s Seminary of the Diocese of St. Cloud.” This arrangement continued until 1988 when ownership and management of Saint Cloud Hall (now Emmaus Hall) once again reverted to Saint John’s Abbey and University. In 1957 the Benedictine Institute of Sacred Theology (BIST) emerged from teaching graduate courses for the Benedictine sisters

Beginning in 1958 with the establishment of BIST at Saint John’s, women were offered graduate degrees for the first time from a Catholic theologate in the U.S., and probably the world. In shaping a collaborative ministry, the seminary merged with this graduate program of studies in 1979 to provide the academic foundation for seminarians, forging the union that was to become known as the Saint John’s Graduate School of Theology. Responding to the Second Vatican Council’s call for the full participation of all the baptized, seminarians, religious men and women, deacons, and laypersons were now educated as one body for work in parishes, schools, and elsewhere. The office of Dean of the Graduate School of Theology was established in 1962. Formally organized in 1963, with accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools in 1964, the Graduate School of Theology became Saint John’s School of Theology·Seminary in 1988. The degrees offered, along with their dates of accreditation, include: master of arts in sacred studies (1964), master of arts in theology (1969), master of divinity (1969),

master of arts in religious education (1975), master of arts in liturgical studies (1976), master of arts in liturgical music (1988), master of arts in pastoral ministry (1991), and master of theology (2009).

n its mission statement, the School of Theology·Seminary asserts: “As an academic community relying on the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, we root ourselves in the Christian tradition, and interpret that legacy in light of the Roman Catholic and Benedictine heritage passed on to us by Saint John’s Abbey with its rich theological, liturgical, and ecumenical history. We commit ourselves to academic, spiritual, pastoral, and professional formation so we might serve the Church in

Saint John’s Seminary ordination class, 1954

lay and ordained ministry and thus use our diverse gifts for the transformation of our world.” Doubling in this way in seminary training for ordination and as a school for advanced theological studies, Saint John’s offers something unique. Father Michael Patella, O.S.B., current seminary rector, emphasizes the singular role that Saint John’s plays in forming men for the sacrament of holy orders: “Priestly education and formation at Saint John’s take full advantage of the monastic tradition in educating monastic seminarians. In fact, our seminary focuses on preparing monks for ordination; the monastic life necessitates a course of study fundamentally different from those with a vocation to diocesan priesthood.”

Abbey archives

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Growing up Benedictine In addition to its degree programs, Saint John’s School of Theology·Seminary further showcases its institutional flexibility today in a graduate certificate program, sabbatical options for faculty and those seeking renewal or transition in their ministry, web-based courses, and a studyabroad opportunity in the Holy Land. Its support of The Saint John’s Bible, continuing education in the form of conferences, and faculty and alumni/ae blogs all attest to its dynamic outreach to the Catholic Church and to the B world.

University archives

Benedictine Institute of Sacred Theology 1967 summer faculty (left to right): Claude Peifer, O.S.B.; Alois Stenzel, S.J.; Horton Davies; Mary Anthony Wagner, O.S.B.; Michael Schmaus; Luke Steiner, O.S.B. (dean)

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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Newly Ordained Fathers Bradley Jenniges, O.S.B., and Michael Leonard Hahn, O.S.B., graduates of Saint John’s School of Theology·Seminary, were ordained to the priesthood on 31 May. They reflect on their call to the priesthood: Michael Crouser

Alan Reed, O.S.B.

Ordination day, which had seemed like a far-off possibility for so long, was amazing! The support of family, friends, confreres, and people from the parishes was remarkable. I’m grateful for the preparation I received at Saint John’s School of Theology·Seminary, where the teachers were knowledgeable, faith-filled, and inspiring. I’m also grateful for the support of the people of Seven Dolors and Saint Anthony parishes, where I engaged in ministry in religious education, pastoral care, and service as a deacon. Ministry as a priest in parish and nursing home settings is a big change from my past work in the abbey business office and the Saint John’s Fire Department, and even from my theological studies. But I believe that my years of living and study in the monastery have provided a solid foundation for this new ministry. Bradley Jenniges, O.S.B. Every monk will acknowledge that he has been asked countless times, “What’s the difference between a ‘brother’ and a ‘father’?” On the one hand, the simplest answer is “nothing.” All monks, whether brothers or priests, are united by our baptism and our desire to seek God by living, working, and praying together. On the other hand, Saint Benedict in the Rule asks that some monks be ordained priests in order to serve the community in a particular way, especially in the celebration of the sacraments. As I consider my own call to monastic life and now to the priesthood, I believe the two can be mutually supportive. I know that my formation as a monk will make me a more generous, humble priest. I hope that my ministry as a priest will also allow me to be a more faithful, prayerful monk. Michael Leonard Hahn, O.S.B.

Samuel Hentges

arlier this summer I made the “long-but-not-too-long” trip, as my mother calls it, from Minneapolis back home to Fountain City, Wisconsin. I rolled down my windows and enjoyed the sunshine and the river valley breeze that I have come to love. After two-and-ahalf admittedly enjoyable hours driving down the river’s edge, reflecting on my lunch and first week of work, I finally made the left turn onto Castle Rock Lane. With the house in view, I slowly passed a maple tree that had begun growing in, seemingly, the most inconvenient spot in our empty yard four years ago. I was immediately taken aback by how much it had grown, and I briefly thought back to the time when it first sprouted.

The Benedictine values that drive Saint John’s have shaped a community like no other.

I was a very different person some four years ago. As an invincible teen at the top of the high school totem pole, college was fast approaching, but not yet looming, and I was ready to just enjoy summer, family, and friends. I was a good kid but young, extremely impressionable, and naïve. “Benedictine” still just sounded like a kind of breakfast to me. Having been blessed with a virtuous family and loyal friends, the seeds of stewardship, listening, and moderation had been sown. Yet as I grew into adulthood, those values were still in need of nurturing and cultivation. Saint John’s University provided the perfect environment for me to grow. The Benedictine values that drive Saint John’s Abbey and University have shaped a community like no other. Throughout my four short years in Collegeville, the values that I grew up with were an imperative way of life. Yet these values of listening, stewardship,

hospitality, and moderation were never forced upon me. Rather, they, along with the rest of the Benedictine values, were simply there for me, ready to adopt me if I adopted them. And slowly, surely, the way I approached life began to take shape. Blessed with a wonderful support group of friends, classmates, and faculty, letting the Saint John’s way shape my persona was steady, seamless, and inviting. The presence of the Benedictine lifestyle has been a subtle necessity these past four years of growing up, and thanks to my time at Saint John’s, I find myself today a simple, and at the same time, deeply more complex man. But like that not-so-little maple tree on my drive home, my growth was never apparent until the day when who I’ve become looked back at who I once was. B Mr. Samuel Hentges, a 2014 graduate of Saint John’s University, works for Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America in Golden Valley, Minnesota.

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Invasive Plants Cody J. Groen

nvasive plant species are present throughout Minnesota. Saint John’s Abbey Arboretum is no exception. Large tracts of land must be continuously monitored to prevent invasive species from establishing a beachhead. Conservation and stewardship are critical for the more than 2,500 acres of lakes, prairie, and woods at Saint John’s. An invasive species is defined by the National Invasive Species Management Plan as “a species that is non-native to the ecosystem under consideration and whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.” Some species have been invasive for so long that people do not recognize them as being non-native or invasive. Many of the invasive plant species of Minnesota, such as Creeping Charlie, Yellow iris, or Norway maple, fall into this

Before (left) and after removing buckthorn

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obscure category. Coming to the New World as early as the first settlers, some exotic (nonnative) plants became invasive centuries ago and dominated the landscapes for decades. Many species of plants have been invasive longer than most people have been alive. People may find it difficult to imagine plants harming their environment, more so if the plants have been around since their childhood. Not all exotic species are invasive. Many non-native species, such as lilacs or soybeans, can be beneficial and, most importantly, do not aggressively expand from where they are established. On the other hand, some species are very good at reproducing. Such organisms with a high fecundity are able to enter into an environment and quickly populate, taking advantage of space and nutrients—for example, European buckthorn. This inevitably leaves less space for the native species and individual organisms.

Each species evolved to a life in an environment that remained relatively unchanged over thousands of years. Changes do occur in environments over the long term, but rarely do sweeping changes occur naturally in the limited time of a hundred years or so. At the abbey arboretum, land manager Mr. Tom Kroll uses an approach that hinders invasive species from undergoing such sweeping, rapid population explosions. Through a combined use of herbicides, burns, and good old-fashioned elbow-grease removals, invasive species are culled back to a population that allows native species to compete for resources and space. Each year the arboretum staff and volunteers burn some of the prairie lands, not only to maintain the health of the grasslands and remove layers of detrital (dead material) but also to control exotic species not adapted to frequent fires. These stewards further remove invasive species through the use of brush

Cody J. Groen

Troy Knight

Prescribed burn of the prairie

trimmers and conservative application of herbicides. In the Saint John’s prairie, Spotted knapweed, Absinth wormwood, and thistles are often the target of Mr. Jeff Evander, a specialist hired to remove invasive species. Some exotic species, such as canary grass or bird’s foot trefoil, are so well established that eradication is impossible. Therefore stewardship efforts are directed toward quelling the spread of invasive exotics, preventing the introduction of new invasive species, and evening the playing field between native and exotic plant species. Mr. Evander and volunteers spend much time in the wooded areas, tasked with removing invasive European buckthorn. This project requires constant vigilance. With seeds spread by the movements of birds, buckthorn can spring up

in areas far from any existing stand of buckthorn. In the abbey arboretum, bit by bit, land is cleared of standing buckthorn through the hard work of brush clearing and some use of herbicides on remaining stumps to kill root systems and prevent a plant from sprouting again. The work doesn’t stop once adult and mature plants are removed, however. After the mature, seedbearing plants are removed, the arboretum staff and volunteers move slowly over an area, pulling up all the young plants by hand. Such intensive work is necessary because allowing even one plant to remain and grow to maturity can lead to an outbreak of buckthorn in an area once again. Nor is it a short process. As seeds are long-term storage devices for plant reproduction, yearly vigilance must be maintained.

Though a section of woods can be “buckthorn busted” in one summer, seeds that fell to the ground in previous years will germinate intermittently, and those plants that spring from the ground years later need to be removed as well. Without constant care and stewardship, Saint John’s native woodlands and prairie would be overrun with invasive plants like in so many other places in Minnesota. Thankfully, the Saint John’s Abbey Arboretum is well cared for by stewards who are tireless and dedicated in their work of maintaining a healthy land and landscape. B

Mr. Cody J. Groen, a 2014 graduate of Saint John’s University, is serving in Bogotá, Colombia, with The Saint John’s Benedictine Volunteer Corps.

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In the 1990s, under the guidance of Father Paul Schwietz, O.S.B. (1952–2000), some fifty acres of abandoned farm fields near the main entry road to Saint John’s were restored to prairie land, planted with approximately one hundred species of native grasses and wildflowers. To the delight of thousands of visitors annually, “Paul’s Prairie” has attracted all manner of animals, birds, reptiles, and insects. The changing hues and texture of the native grasses, darting dragonflies, and colorful butterflies fluttering by, all manifest the mission of the Saint John’s Abbey Arboretum: to make accessible a natural environment that invites spiritual renewal.

Prairie Splendor

All the earth is filled with God’s glory! Isaiah 6:3

Inset photos: Judy Johannes Jaime Moquin Ann McGee

Inset photos: Lindsey Envall Arboretum archives Judy Johannes

The Brothers we left. We didn’t associate with the clerical novices. We worked most of the day. After Vatican II the brothers were very unhappy with the division between the ordained members of the community and the non-ordained.

In 2012 Brothers Simon-Hòa Phan, O.S.B., and Peter Sullivan, O.S.B., with assistance from Novices Richard Crawford, David Allen, and Lucian López, interviewed and videotaped monks of Saint John’s Abbey who entered the community prior to 1970 and were formed as lay brothers, before solemn profession was possible for the non-ordained members. Edited excerpts of the transcribed interviews follow, detailing what monastic life meant for the brothers. Editor

ife was so different in those days. There were really two communities in one house. We had two monasteries, two religious observances, two horariums. Brothers and priests and clerics didn’t talk to each other. There was this total segregation. I was told that if I wanted to be a brother, that was fine, but I would have to drop out of school. Brothers didn’t go to school. Brothers did manual labor. (Andrew Goltz)

Otto Thole Brother Otto Thole, O.S.B., was the youngest of three blood brothers to join Saint John’s Abbey.

My brother Simeon and I were in the same class but not the same novitiate. He was in the clerical novitiate, and I was in the brothers’ novitiate. We were not allowed to have a fraternal relationship until he was ordained. If I talked to any one of my brothers before they were ordained, they got in hot water, and I was told to stay in my place.

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The brothers with Father Paschal Botz, brother master, c. 1956

Walter Kieffer

The brother candidates had a separate novitiate until the year before I entered. Father Daniel Durken became novice master, and he insisted that the brothers be part of the program. But until then, there was segregation between clerical novices and brother novices. Brothers were in the basement, and we didn’t dare go up to first floor or up to third floor, because that was for the clerics, and the first floor was for the fathers. As we walked into the refectory, the brothers sat on There have been so many wonderful things that have happened over the years. I would encourage anyone who wants to come to the monastery, even after all we’ve been through, to come and join us: I would certainly encourage it. After [fifty-four years of monastic life], I’m still a very happy man. Brother Luke Dowal, O.S.B.

Abbey archives

the right; all the clerics and priests sat on the left. It was totally segregated. We had the same food. We all helped serve each other. We all sat together as brothers, and we got served last. The servers would take care of the ordained and the clerics first. We prayed downstairs until 1967. Jerome Tupa and I were the cantors the week before we moved upstairs. Then we moved to the lower choir stalls. The upper choir stalls were full so it took another year before we were integrated into the choir stalls according to statio [in order of seniority], and there was a lot of discontent among some clerical members. They refused to come back to prayers because they were sitting next to the guy who cleaned their room. Julius Beckermann

The brother novices did not live in the novitiate when I was a brother. We went into the novitiate for classes, and immediately after class

Jerome Tupa and I were the last class that did not live in the novitiate with the clerical novices. The following year that changed. Some years later I became the socius [work boss] and lived in the novitiate. The present abbot was in one of the classes when I was socius. When Abbot Baldwin Dworschak asked me to accept that job, it was a huge change that I would live in the novitiate. I didn’t live there as a novice! Novices got up about 4:15 in the morning, and we started prayer about 4:30. It was ordinarily the novices who would ring the cow bell in the monastery to wake the clerical novices. As brother novices most of our day was devoted to

manual labor, other than attending novitiate class for about one hour at 10:00. We also had our assigned times for prayers. Jerome Tupa

Work days were long. After Morning Prayer we had the brothers’ Mass in the lower level of the church. Then we either had a meditation period or we served another Mass. After serving our Mass or going to the one upstairs, we would go to breakfast where we always sat in our assigned places. Breakfast consisted of Johnnie Bread and either some cheese, salami, or occasionally, eggs. It was pretty simple. Then we would go upstairs to change into work clothes and make our beds before we gathered in our study hall, where we prayed the rosary followed by some time to read or study. At 8:00 A.M. we went to work until 11:15.

In the dining hall, we were the last monks to get served. We had to hurry up and eat because the abbot would ring the bell. I’m a very fast eater, and people would ask why I ate so fast. I told them that you had to get your food down before they rang the bell! After I got out of novitiate, I was put in charge of the grounds. [Fifty-four] years later I am still in charge of the grounds. That is the only job I ever did. My first job was to landscape the church. I would do it again. It is very satisfactory that I can be a religious and at the same time do great work. Brother Mark Kelly, O.S.B.

Hubert Schneider and Paul Crone would lead the monks out of chapel in statio, and we would wait in the corridor for the clerical monks from upstairs. Then the After Noon Prayer (we had our brothers followed the clerical Office downstairs), Brothers novices. It was really a daily recognition of the place of the brothers in the house. That sense of humiliation was something that the brothers just swallowed. Going into the refectory, all the monks from the clerical side were standing at their places, and then the brothers would traipse in and take their places. The service of food went from the abbot to the priests, down to the clerics, and then the brothers. Occasionally the clerics and the brothers just didn’t have Robin Pierzina, Abbey archives enough time to eat. The older Above left: Brother Edward Zwak (1903–1991), left; and Brother Victor McMahon (1899–1985) brothers went to speak to the Above right: Brother Charles Kirchner (1904–1985) O.S.B.

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quite active in seeking equality among the races, and yet in their own house they could not see anything wrong with other people waiting on them. That came to a screeching halt in 1969–1970 when the brothers began to take solemn vows and therefore, for the first time, were allowed to go to chapter meetings and vote on community concerns. But clericalism ran very, very deep within the Church and here in the monastery.

Brother George Primus (1923–2013)

abbot and said this really needs to stop; we didn’t have enough time to finish our meal. It did begin changing some of the patterns of how we were living. The humility of some of the older brothers was very, very deep, quite sincere, and inspiring. Some were the janitors in the house, and so they cleaned the priests’ rooms and made their beds. This meant they were simply domestics and were treated as such. [In the mid 1960s] ordained members of the community were going out for these marches for equality of black people in the South. Some were

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I liked praying in the brothers’ chapel. But I fought to move upstairs to be integrated into the clerical community. Some priests argued for integration because they needed a group of people there who spoke only English—after the Second Vatican Council the vernacular could be used at Office if there were members who could not understand Latin. The presence of the brothers allowed the community to recite the Office in English! Michael Crouser

Andrew Goltz

I’m one of the original signers of the petition that was sent to the general chapter concerning the

request to make solemn vows (until then we made perpetual simple vows). Changing to solemn vows made us chapter members. As brothers we did not have the right to vote; we had no legal voice, either passive or active. Chapter was something that the priests did. Brothers who had been here for fifty years had no voice! When we were granted the right to make solemn vows, we did so. At Vespers one day all of the brothers who were going to make

One of the early lessons I learned from Father Daniel Durken was: “Have an attitude of gratitude.” Some of the jobs I have had over the years, I would never have chosen. They have helped me grow and through that growth I have become a fuller person. It has been a good life. It’s the work of the Holy Spirit. Brother Walter Kieffer, O.S.B.

When I came to Saint John’s as a brother in 1962, the brothers got along beautifully together. They were a very, very supportive group of people, extremely kind to us and welcoming. There were a lot of elderly brothers who were spiritual giants in our monastery: Brothers Hubert Schneider, Edward Zwak, Victor McMahon, and Stephen Thell. I was happy as a brother, and I liked what I was doing. Father Julius Beckermann, O.S.B.

solemn vows came out into the sanctuary, around the altar, and the abbot presided. We pronounced our vows and became solemnly professed monks, and the statio lines were integrated. Before the integration the order of statio, from bottom to top, was brother novices, junior brothers, senior brothers, choir novices, clerics, priests, abbot. So you had this situation where a choir novice, who’s been here a couple of months, was senior to Brother Hubert, who’d been here since 1929! Raphael Olson (1929–2013) With Vatican II, I think most

of the brothers were in favor of the changes coming to the Church. We were pushing for full membership in the community. I was told by one person who is now gone: the only reason I am against the brothers coming to chapter is that some brother might get up, poor soul, and make a fool of himself. Well, after attending the first chapter meeting, I walked out and said I wondered what he was worried about. I couldn’t get over the way some of those people carried on.

Years ago, vocations, the priesthood, the nunnery, or whatever, were very important to parents. We were sort of geared that somebody in [our family of twelve kids] should do this. Since I was the last one, I didn’t have much choice, if they wanted one to be religious. I wanted to be a teaching brother, not a priest. It never entered my mind to be a priest. My dad said why don’t you try it out, and my mother told my brother not to tell anybody that he is going to the monastery; he will be home next week. Well, sixty years later, I’m still here! I came to Saint John’s to try it out, and I liked it. I worked on the White Earth Reservation, repairing and keeping up the machinery. I loved it there. Tears come to my eyes when I think of how well things worked. I also served about thirty years in the abbey woodworking shop. I enjoyed it all; I really, really did. It was a good experience. I had the opportunity to work with Brother Hubert Schneider, who knew his stuff backwards and forwards. We had a real camaraderie between the brothers, especially before Vatican II. It was a very close-knit group of people. I see God in most of this stuff. I would say it has been a very good life. Brother Gregory Eibensteiner,

O.S.B. (1934–2013)

Andrew Goltz

I don’t want to go back to any of those rigorous rules of what you could eat or where you can stand or where you could talk or what bathroom to go to. But I would hope that the intimate family relationship that we experienced amongst the brothers would continue and deepen. I miss the comradeship we had then. B Abbey archives

Brother Hubert Schneider (1902–1995)

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The Francis Effect Sebastian Gomes The substance of the ancient doctrine of the deposit of faith is one thing, but the way in which it is presented is another. Saint John XXIII

n 13 March 2013, following the historic election and first appearance of Pope Francis, I spoke with Father Guillermo Ortiz, S.J., for whom the former Father Bergoglio had been formation director. I mentioned that I had been struck by the new pope’s profound gesture of humility in asking the people to pray over him before giving them his blessing, and I asked Father Ortiz if this was characteristic of Father Bergoglio. Smiling, he said, “You haven’t seen anything yet.” A year and a half later we’ve seen a great deal! Pope Francis wasted no time moving into the office, implementing the structural and institutional reforms that he says are “the fruits of the meetings before the conclave.” Given the hierarchical structure of the Catholic Church and the pope’s global celebrity status, it is easy to presume that Francis’ efforts are entirely his own. In fact, it was the unique context of the 2013 conclave—the unprecedented resignation of a presumed “conservative” pope and the absence of a papal funeral—that allowed the cardinals the freedom to speak openly about what, and more importantly whom, the Church needed at this moment. If some of the reforms appear jarring—and there are surely more to come—then we can only say that they are the results of a

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team effort between Francis and the College of Cardinals. Equally impressive has been the degree to which Pope Francis is reaching out beyond the walls of the Church to the entire human family. He calls it “going to the peripheries,” all those places where human beings are alone, excluded, isolated, or ignored, where there is corruption, abuse, and dishonesty, where there is ignorance, violence, and hatred. “The joy of the Gospel is for all people,” Francis says, “no one can be excluded” (Evangelii Gaudium 23). Many, who previously would have ignored the popes and dismissed the Catholic Church for being archaic, closed-minded, and authoritarian, are now taking a second look. “The Francis effect”—a term first coined by the secular media—is something everyone can feel. We at Salt and Light Television in Canada adopted this title for our documentary because it is a term that many non-Catholics use to describe what is happening in the Church! While making this documentary, I learned much about Pope Francis; I offer three observations about him and the powerful effect he is having on so many people. The first is authenticity. The man is for real! He continuously preaches about being a Church that is poor and for the poor, and at the same time he rejects being driven in the papal Mercedes or being treated like a king. He spends countless hours with

the disabled who visit him en masse in the Vatican. Many have said that they felt like the most important person in the world to him at the moment he made eye contact. He promotes and encourages the sacrament of confession, and then spontaneously goes to confession himself at a public reconciliation service. He walks the talk. The second is Francis’ ability to challenge and to affirm simultaneously. He has said some things that are not easy to hear: “a globalization of indifference has developed. . . . we end up being incapable of feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor, weeping for other people’s pain, and feeling a need to help them, as though all this were someone else’s responsibility and not our own” (Evangelii Gaudium 54). He has denounced Christians whose lives “seem to be a perpetual funeral. . . . They move about better in the shadows, not in the light of joy. Like bats!” (Homily, 17 April 2014). He said he wants bishops who are pastors, animated by inner poverty and who don’t have the psychology of “Princes” (Address to nuncios, 21 June 2013). And he’s been very critical of laziness in Christian life: “It is one thing to recite the Creed from the heart and quite another to recite it like a parrot!” (Homily, 17 January 2014). But at the same time, Francis repeats the mantra of mercy that he believes comes straight from the heart of the Gospel: “Let me say this once more: God never

tires of forgiving us!” (Evangelii Gaudium 3). He stands in solidarity with everyone else, admitting that he is, above all else, “a sinner whom the Lord has looked upon with mercy” (Jesuit interview). One of the most frequent statements I hear about Francis is simply: he makes me want to be a better Christian. Third and finally, Pope Francis is a free man. True freedom, as the lives of the saints have taught us, is found in dying to self and putting God at the center of one’s life. If we really want to understand Pope Francis and how he is able to do what he does, we need look no further than the simple yet profound faith of a man who has put himself entirely into the hands of God, where there is unconditional acceptance, abundant mercy, and everlasting joy. B Mr. Sebastian Gomes, an alumnus of Saint John’s University and School of Theology, was a faculty resident before joining the staff of Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation, Toronto. He is the writer, director, and producer of The Francis Effect, available at: saltandlighttv.org; or phone: 1.888.302.7181. Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation

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Meet a Monk: Kenneth Kroeker The unassuming manner and soft voice of Brother Kenneth Kroeker, O.S.B., betray some basic facts of his personal history. Canadian by birth and much of his education, Brother Ken is a personification of the gentle Canadian. Born in Vancouver, British Colombia, his elementary and secondary education were in public schools of various Vancouver-area municipalities, finishing in Centennial High School, Coquitlam, B.C.

Abbey archives

J. P. Earls, O.S.B.

f you’ve ever had occasion to visit the basement of the Saint John’s quadrangle, you might well have taken the staircase next to the Great Hall. As you reach the bottom of the stairs, you would encounter a gray doorway with a brightly illuminated sign next to it announcing:

The office sign, simply “in charge,” has been there for several years, confirming that Ken has been in a number of offices throughout the Order of Saint Benedict, and, as a man of many talents, he might occupy a number of others before his monastic workdays are finished. He prepared for such a varied career after graduating from high school. He worked in the pulp mill in Port Alice (avg. 120" of rainfall annually) for one and

a half years. He then entered Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C., graduating with a bachelor’s degree in math, having fulfilled the arts requirement with courses in Latin and Greek. Ken later moved to Edmonton, Alberta, and spent two years working in construction. During this time a friend, who once got him a summer job working in a construction camp in the Northwest Territories, interested him in the Catholic Church. He was ready to find a spiritual home. His father was raised in a Mennonite community, and his mother came from the United Church of Canada. Ken’s early religious experience was in a Baptist church. In his teens he moved on to the United Church of Canada. When his friend in Edmonton asked Ken to attend Mass with him, Ken’s faith journey to the Catholic Church began in earnest. He entered the Church in 1982.

Ken Kroeker OSB Office in Charge

While you now know who occupies the office in charge, you might be in some doubt as to what exalted responsibilities of the Order of Saint Benedict that officer might be “in charge” of. Should you then knock on the door and be given permission to enter, you might be surprised at the modest appointments and at the even more unassuming officer behind the desk. A soft voice would ask, “May I help you?”

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Brother Ken at the Abbey of Our Lady of the Prairies

Kroeker archives

Retreats at St. Joseph Seminary in Edmonton led him to consider the diocesan priesthood. However, a seminarian urged him to consider alternatives. One of these was the Trappists at the Abbey of Our Lady of the Prairies in Holland, Manitoba. In 1984 Ken entered that community, making his first vows in 1986. This was a farming community, and Ken’s work there was set in the rhythms of agriculture. (For those who may have read the book, All We Know of Heaven: A Novel by Rémy Rougeau, which deals fictionally with life in this particular community, be assured that the cows still have French names. Ken remembers the death of the prime milker, Mirabelle, at Christmas!) The liturgies at Our Lady of the Prairies were in Canada’s two official languages, and Ken made steady progress in French, but he often considered this daily challenge “a punishment for not paying attention” during the eight years of French classes he had while growing up. In 1988 he was happy to be assigned to study at Saint John’s School of Theology·Seminary. He made solemn vows with the Trappist community in 1990, but by 1992 he was beginning the process of transferring to Saint John’s. While his transfer was being adjudicated, he was given an assignment as a nursing assistant in Saint Raphael Hall, the abbey’s senior healthcare and retirement center. Ken began to take courses aimed at a nursing degree at the same time that he was finishing his master’s in

Abbey archives

Brother Ken, R.N.

theology. He earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing in 1997 from Saint John’s University. Ken worked as a registered nurse in the Saint John’s University Health Center for twelve years, serving the needs of the monastic community and the faculty, staff, and students of Saint John’s, Saint Benedict, and Saint John’s Preparatory School. When the university health center closed, Ken continued to work as an R.N. at the student health center now operated by HealthPartners of Central Minnesota. At the end of 2010, he left that position and took a sabbatical leave for six months, staying with the Trappists at the Abbey of New Clairvaux in Vina, California. He was still attracted to the steady rhythm of prayer and physical labor in the Trappist life, but this experience convinced him he had made the right choice by transferring to Saint John’s.

“Monastic life has had its ups and downs during my thirty years as a monk,” reflects Brother Ken. “However, I have to say that I am grateful, even if at times I don’t feel that I am, for the gifts of peace and well-being that this life has embedded in me. The daily rhythm of common prayer and work which first attracted me to the monastic life continues to be the great blessing that will hopefully always strengthen my bond with the community.” For the past three years Brother Ken has been a member of the abbey business office, working with abbey medical accounts, Medicare, and assisting with the accounting practices of the Order of Saint Benedict. The office in charge is still in charge! B Father J. P. Earls, O.S.B., is professor emeritus of English at Saint John’s University and a member of the chaplain team for Saint Benedict’s Monastery.

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Daniel Durken

Abbey archives

ather Daniel Durken, O.S.B. (baptized Donald Herman), was the older of twin boys born to Herman and Angeline Elizabeth (Kahnke) Durken in Pemberton, Minnesota, on 11 January 1929. Before entering the novitiate of Saint John’s Abbey in 1949 and receiving the religious name of Daniel, he attended Saint John’s Preparatory School and began his undergraduate studies at Saint John’s University, later receiving a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and classics. Following his profession as a Benedictine monk in 1950, Daniel began seminary training leading to his ordination to the priesthood in 1956. He also completed two master’s degrees: in speech education (with a concentration on rhyme and alliteration) from Saint Louis University, and in religious education from The Catholic University of America. His masterful command of the English language and his love of Scripture would give form and substance to a lifetime of teaching, preaching, speaking, editing, and publishing.

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Abbey Chronicle

Father Daniel was a worker bee of the Collegeville community (“workin’ rhymes with Durken!”). His teaching career began in 1955 as an associate professor of theology at Saint John’s University. Over the next forty-six years he would educate and entertain undergraduates in the classroom and adults in parish Bible study classes. He was variously an instructor of speech and debate coach, assistant student chaplain, dormitory prefect, and dean of men. He served the monastic community as novice master (1963–1969) and assisted the abbot as personnel director (1971–1978). Word, wit, and warmth serve well to outline the essential character of this faithful monk.

Peter Dwyer Director, Liturgical Press

On weekdays Father Daniel edited and authored all manner of publications. He was the editor of The Oblate (1950–1955), Sisters Today (1967–1979), Confrere (1968–1969, 1971– 1978), The Bahama Benedictine (1995–2000), and Abbey Banner (from its first issue in 2001 until his retirement in 2010). On weekends he provided pastoral assistance, always with props and puns, to Minnesota parishes, most notably at Saint Michael’s, Farmington (1972–1982); Saint Bartholomew, Wayzata (1982–1986); and Saint Clement, Minneapolis (1986–2007). During the Durken decade (1978–1988), Daniel dutifully

directed Liturgical Press, creating a management team and overseeing the introduction of computer programming. He once suggested that ads promoting commentaries on the Book of Revelation in The Bible Today include a guarantee that if the world ended before the subscription expired, “We’ll double your money back!” On more than one occasion, when asked his opinion of a manuscript being considered for publication, Daniel’s verdict was: “You will sell two copies of this book. One to the author and one to his mother.” He also produced fifteen audiocassettes on various books of the Bible and other topics for the Press, wrote commentaries for Bible and Sunday Liturgy Bulletins, and “Homily Hints” for the Looseleaf Lectionary. Due to his declining health, the monastic community gathered for an anointing service on 28 March 2014. The next day Daniel Donald Durken died during dinner. Interment in the abbey cemetery followed the Mass of Christian Burial on 3 April. B

eavy precipitation, solid or liquid, marked the transition from winter to spring. Ten inches of snow fell on Wednesday of Holy Week, only to be melted away by bright sun and 70-degree temperatures on Easter Sunday. Easter alleluias were joined by the haunting call of a loon, patiently waiting on the Gemini lakes until Lake Sagatagan opened on 24 April. On Low Sunday five inches of rain fell, double the monthly average for April; wet, cool weather continued into May. The lilacs and flowering crabs went from a few tiny leaves to full fragrance and blossoms in forty-eight hours. Nearly three inches of rain fell on Father’s Day weekend. For much of Minnesota, the precipitation through June was the most on record; many crops drowned or were never planted. On 21 July the high of 91 degrees with a dew point of 78 brought all the comforts of Nassau to Collegeville. Overall, however, summer time in central Minnesota was delightfully temperate. March 2014

• On 29 March the Vatican Information Service announced that Pope Francis appointed Father William Skudlarek as a consultor of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. Father William serves as secretary general of Monastic Interreligious Dialogue in Rome. April 2014

Marcellus Hall

• The monastic community celebrated the Vigil of Palm Sunday with a special prayer service

Alan Reed, O.S.B.

featuring the creative musical composition of Father Jerome Coller, followed by a reception for guests, who enjoyed homemade breads and jams. Many friends, neighbors, students, parents, and nearby parishioners joined the community for the services of Palm Sunday, Holy Week, or the Easter Vigil. On Easter Monday, 21 April, at midday the community hosted about 150 employees for Eucharist, followed by lunch in the Great Hall. Alleluia! • How sweet it is! Brother Walter Kieffer and Dr. Steve Saupe reported that 316 gallons of maple syrup were produced from 12,160 gallons of sap collected during the 2014 season in the Saint John’s woods. To begin the season, nearly two hundred visitors helped put out 900 taps on 15 March. Two weeks later Abbot John Klassen, along with the abbey arboretum

staff and other friends, joined about forty members of the Larry Schwietz extended family for a blessing of the maple sap evaporators. Last year the arboretum staff installed two evaporators. A large workhorse evaporator (Big Burnie) can turn two hundred gallons of maple sap into approximately five gallons of syrup per hour. Through the generosity of the Schwietz family, a small evaporator (Little Larry) is now available for daily teaching purposes. More than 1100 people attended the first maple syrup festival on 29 March, with 600 more taking part the following week: collecting sap, learning about the history of the enterprise, and enjoying maple syrup sundaes.

Robin Pierzina, O.S.B.

May 2014 • The triathlon team of Mr. Dan McAvey and Brothers Lewis Grobe and Nickolas Kleespie successfully defended their firstplace title in the Fruit at the Finish Triathlon on 3 May. Dan (director of university residential life) swam .75K in 10.53 minutes; Lew biked 22K in 38.33 minutes; and Nick ran 5K in 17.55 minutes, for a winning total of 1:07:21.

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response to the Second Vatican Council’s directive that the treasury of sacred music be preserved and fostered in the modern liturgy. The NCYC was led by choral conductor Dr. Axel Theimer with Father Michael Leonard Hahn serving as choir chaplain. The group’s repertoire ranges from medieval Gregorian chant to twenty-first-century music. July 2014

Alan Reed, O.S.B.

Left to right: Abbot John, Fathers Michael Leonard and Bradley, and Bishop Kettler

On 31 May, in the presence of Abbot John and their monastic confreres gathered in the abbey and university church, Brothers Bradley Jenniges and Michael Leonard Hahn were ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Donald Kettler. As of 1 July Father Bradley is the associate pastor of the Church of Seven Dolors and Church of Saint Anthony of Padua, and chaplain at Mother of Mercy Nursing Home, Albany, Minnesota. Father Michael Leonard is pursuing graduate studies at the School of Theology and Ministry of Boston College. • During the annual recognition luncheon of the Saint John’s Administrative Assembly on 21 May, Father J. P. Earls and Brother Kelly Ryan were honored for fifty-five and fifty years of service, respectively. June 2014 • During the monastic community’s annual retreat, ably and delightfully directed by Sister Margaret Michaud, O.S.B., of Saint Benedict’s Monastery,

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Fathers Hilary Thimmesh, William Skudlarek, and Bernardine Ness were honored for their diamond (Hilary) and golden jubilees of ordination. • With thirty choristers from twelve states, the National Catholic Youth Choir (NCYC) celebrated its fifteenth season of “Spreading the Catholic Faith through Great Music.” Father Anthony Ruff founded the group in

• Addressing the topic “Prayer in the Life of an Oblate,” Abbot John served as retreat director for nearly ninety oblates of Saint John’s Abbey during their annual retreat on the weekend of 18 July. Along with Fathers Don Tauscher and Michael Peterson, he received the final oblation of six oblates: Mr. James Secord (Edina) has worked with Liturgical Press and The Saint John’s Bible; Mr. Richard Marsolek (Bemidji) has a deep love for the Rule of Benedict and has compiled a study booklet for his personal use; Ms. Sheila Hughes-Tembrock (Saint Cloud) recently married Oblate Jim Tembrock—both are active in the pro-life movement; Mr. Robert Emery (Sparta, Wisconsin) has been active in lay ministry with

Wayne Torborg

An 18" snapper, summer guest at Saint John’s

Following a threemonth candidacy program, Bradford Rothrock (left) and Aidan Nathanial Putnam were invested as novices during Morning Prayer on 8 July. With guidance from novice master Father John Meoska, each is discerning a call to monastic life at Saint John’s Abbey. Robin Pierzina, O.S.B.

the United Church of Christ; Mr. Pat Couteaux (Maple Grove) has researched the relationship of Mary within the context of Benedictine spirituality; and Mr. John Biggs (Dawson) works in ministry with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is interested in the writings of Saint John Cassian and Evagrius Ponticus. Though unable to be present in Collegeville, two others also made their final oblation: Ms. Rachel Wheeler (Berkeley, California) is currently studying at the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley; and Ms. Diane Schmerler (Hopkins), a travel and antique enthusiast, was a teacher in the Saint Paul public schools for twenty-five years.

August 2014 • With more pomp than circumstance, the monastic community honored the first graduates, all summa cum laude, of the abbey’s English as a Second Language Institute on 2 August. For eight weeks eight Benedictine or Cistercian monks from Austria, India, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, and Vietnam took part in an individualized learning program

to improve their English skills and also joined the monks of Saint John’s Abbey for Eucharist, prayer services, meals, and casual conversation. In his august address, commencement speaker Father Meinrad Dindorf saluted the graduates (“as you go forth” . . . blah, blah, blah) and expressed as well the gratitude of the participants and community for the work of Institute founder, Brother Paul Richards, and instructor extraordinaire, Ms. Sarah Pruett. • On 21 August the staff of the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library moved into their newly transformed world headquarters. Beginning on 19 May the Marcel Breuer-designed space was renovated under the guidance of Mr. Gregory Friesen of CSNA Architects in order to accommodate a larger staff, numerous guests and scholars, and the changing technological needs of this repository of ancient learning. B

• Abbot John, Father John Meoska, and Brothers John Hanson and Ælred Senna participated in the thirteenth annual Bridgefolk Conference of Mennonites and Catholics, focused on Service: An Overflow of Christ’s Love, held at Saint John’s, 24–27 July.

Monica Bokinskie

The remains of the Saint John’s Paint Shop (destroyed by fire) were razed in August.

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Fifty Years Ago

Monks in the Kitchen

Excerpted from The Record, official newspaper of Saint John’s University:

Thanksgiving in July Ælred Senna, O.S.B.

22 May 1964

• The Honorable Eugene McCarthy, United States Senator, will deliver the Saint John’s University commencement address and will be one of two recipients of the annual Pax Christi Award. The other recipient is Father Frederic McManus, American liturgical leader and associate professor of canon law at The Catholic University of America. 29 June 1964

• Saint John’s Abbey will host the fifth annual Scripture Institute for clergy of all faiths. The Institute is designed to aid clergy who have been away from seminary studies for some years to make a more fruitful investigation of the chief concerns of modern scriptural research. • Construction will begin immediately on a new $1,772,000 library, the fourth building designed by architect Marcel Breuer for Saint John’s, and the first building planned in a $12 million expansion program. Other buildings scheduled for construction in this, the second phase of Saint John’s 100-year building program, are a science hall, student union, dormitory, and field house. Also during this phase the new Saint John’s Preparatory School complex will be completed with the addition of an administration–library building and gymnasium.

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O Alcuin Library

Saint John’s library, with a capacity of 450,000 volumes, will include four unique features. It will: house the Kritzeck Collection of manuscripts which contains holograph documents of historical importance; contain the first microfilm collection of manuscripts from European monastic libraries; include the Virgil Michel Liturgical Institute, which is intended to promote research aided by Saint John’s outstanding liturgical collection; and, as an Ecumenical Study Center, it will include a collection of basic ecumenical reference works, journals, and publications. • The Hamm Foundation will finance the 1964 Workshops on Pastoral Care and Psychotherapy to be held in July and August. Open to clergy of all faiths, the Institute for Mental Health brings together the professional views of psychiatry and psychology to provide an opportunity to come to grips with the problems that daily present themselves to pastors. 28 August 1964

• Saint John’s Abbey has been selected by the Post Conciliar Commission on the Liturgy as one of seven places in the world [and the only U.S. site]

University archives

to experiment in a limited way with concelebration of the Mass, in which several priests join to offer the Mass. “This method of procedure,” observed Father Godfrey Diekmann, “illustrates that before an important liturgical reform will be promulgated for the whole Church, a period of experiment will precede to insure a more satisfactory final result.” • Brother Mark Kelly was rescued August 18 after being trapped for nearly two hours in an excavation cave-in of a 10-foot trench dug to reach a tunnel between two prep school buildings. An air pocket allowed him to breathe until rescuers cleared earth away from his head. • Workers have been busy renovating the newest campus student residence, Saint Francis [Frank] House, formerly the convent for the sisters who worked in the kitchen. The hall will house 55 upperclassmen. Excerpted from Confrere, newsletter of Saint John’s Abbey:

• (Volume II, No. 7 [September 1964]). With the special permission of Saint Cloud Bishop Peter Bartholome, Sunday Vespers this Sunday and succeeding Sundays are sung in English. B

ur traditional Thanksgiving meal has long been one of my favorites to prepare—and to eat!—so when given the opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving in July, I was thrilled! This summer the abbey inaugurated the first annual Saint John’s English as a Second Language Institute (ESLI). Eight monks from five countries joined us for two months to participate in a program designed to improve their English language skills. The participants lived, prayed, and ate with us according to our monastic horarium and also had classroom time with a Saint John’s professor, conversation time with members of the monastic community, and the opportunity for a variety of other cultural experiences to round out their education. One such event was “Thanksgiving in July.” What better way to introduce ESLI participants to the local culture than through food! And what American meal is more quintessential than Thanksgiving! While Thanksgiving in July may sound like the perfect event for the ESLI participants, the Holy Spirit must be given credit for its success. It just happened that we were given two whole turkeys at the end of June, and suddenly, we had the makings of our languagemeets-culture event! We had turkey and dressing, gravy, green bean casserole (hot dish, to y’all), sweet potatoes, fresh-baked bread, cranberry sauce, and, of

course, pecan pie for dessert! No, not pumpkin . . . pecan. I’m from Texas, remember! From start to finish, the meal was great fun. The visiting monks enjoyed the feast, and the gathering provided an opportunity to give thanks to their professor and to Saint John’s monks who had been serving as their conversation

partners. Once more we experienced the blessings of food made and shared with love and gratitude—what wondrous grace our God showers on us every day. For this we are truly thankful— even in July! B Brother Ælred Senna, O.S.B., is the associate editor of Give Us This Day.

Brother Ælred’s Pecan Pie (serves 8) • • • • • • • •

1 stick butter (½ cup) ¾ cup brown sugar ¼ cup granulated white sugar ⅔ cup Karo syrup ⅓ cup maple syrup 3 eggs, beaten 1 cup chopped pecans 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a saucepan, melt the butter—don’t let it brown. Mix in the sugars and the syrups. Cook, stirring over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Allow to cool slightly before stirring in the eggs (to avoid a scrambled egg pie). Mix well. Stir in the pecans. Pour into the pie shell, and bake for 1 hour or until mostly firm when shaken.

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In Memoriam

The Word of Light and Hope

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

Rene McGraw, O.S.B.

Lucille Marie Adelman, O.S.B.

Camille Hilgers, O.S.B.

Estelle Panger, O.S.B.

John Babicz, O.S.B.

Ronald Howard

Thomas Paur

Leroy A. “Lee” Blaske

Mary Jane Hunkler, O.S.B.

Abbot Claude Peifer, O.S.B.

Gary Bohr

Zoe Imholte, O.S.B.

Kory S. Poissant

Mary Carol Braun, O.S.B.

Michael Johnson

Paul L. Pruett

Michael J. “Mike” Brice

John P. Kinney

Jeanne Frances Pyzdrowski

Virginia “Ginny” Brooks

George Knippen

Giles Reller, O.S.B.

James R. Carlson Jr.

Jerome Bernard “Jerry” Knuesel

Douglas A. Ringkob

Thomas Carpenter

Karlee Koller

Mary Sarto Sadler, O.S.B.

Margaret Clarke, O.S.B.

Rita Krych

John “Jack” Schneider

Nathan Cochran, O.S.B.

Cecile LaForest, O.S.B.

Mary Schneider, O.S.B.

Ervin J. “Erv” Deering, Obl.S.B.

Cynthia “Cindy” Landwehr

Gerie Schulte

Judy Dellenbach

Rose Taus Linden

Joseph Michael Scoblic

Travis J. Doering

Celestine “Sally” Maiers

Edith Selzler, O.S.B.

Francis dos Remedios, O.S.B.

Bill Maupin

Edward Anders Sövik

Janice Drout, Obl.S.B.

Jannel McDonnell

Nicholas Spaeth

Orville P. Evens

Thomas Francis McHenry, O.S.B.

Marjorie Spartz

Henry Fritz, O.S.B.

Lynda Meirick

Dennis J. “Mike” Sullivan

Gerald R. “Jerry” Gallagher

Colleen Moorse

LeRoy M. “Roy” Thelen

Irene M. Graham

Marilyn E. Murray

Monique Valville, O.S.B.

Larry P. Gross

Jack Naughton

Patricia Wallis, O.S.B.

Elizabeth Gruenes, O.S.B.

Matthew K. Nolan

Mary Rose “Rosie” Weiland

James David Hahn

William T. “Billy” O’Brien

Richard M. Wey

Jay Hardy

Hugo J. Otto

Hildegard M. Wiechmann

Robert Harris

Leo A. Otto

Isabelle M. “Isy” Zimmer

Jeanette Heinen

Gerald Joseph “Jerry” Overman

Joshua Nickolas Zimmerman, O.S.B. Marion Zimmerman, O.S.B.

ome eight years ago, on 2 October 2006, in a one-room schoolhouse in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a lone gunman killed five Amish children and injured another five before he took his own life. No words could take away the pain that the parents and siblings of those five children felt. No words could bring the children back to life. No words could make everything better, as the words of a parent could make our own little scrapes and pains of childhood feel better and dry our tears. But the words of the Amish were a start, as some thirty of them traveled to the funeral of the man who had killed their children. No words could bring light out of the darkness of murder, but the words of the Amish families opened a road of hope and light and forgiveness. No words could make a place of despair into a place of hope, but together the Amish built a new schoolhouse and called it “New Hope.” In the midst of darkness, a word of creation came from God that made all things new: “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). In the Word made flesh, a light entered into darkness: “The light shines on in darkness, a darkness that did not overcome it” (John 1:5). All was fresh and new. In the midst of hatred, a word came from Jesus on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

The Word of God makes all things new.

The Amish spoke such a word. Jesus created a new world leading to new hope through love and forgiveness. Then the world will not just be renewed at the end of time. Then the year 2014, and 2015, and beyond will indeed be years in which the Word of God makes all things new. Yes, Lord, may it be so! B Father Rene McGraw, O.S.B., is a member of the philosophy department and a faculty resident at Saint John’s University.

A Monk’s Chronicle

Forgiving seems almost unnatural. Our sense of fairness tells us people should pay for the wrong they do. But forgiving is love’s power to break nature’s rule.

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.

Lewis B. Smedes, Forgive and Forget: Healing the Hurts We Don’t Deserve

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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Fall 2014 Volume 14, Number 2

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

15 Growing up Benedictine Samuel Hentges

5 Pope Francis and Change Abbot John Klassen, O.S.B.

16 Invasive Plants Cody J. Groen 18 Prairie Splendor

6 Monastic Jubilees 9 Trinity Benedictine Monastery Roman Paur, O.S.B. 10 Benedictine Volunteer Corps Alex Forster J. D. Quinby 12 Saint John’s School of Theology·Seminary Aaron Raverty, O.S.B.

20 The Brothers 24 The Francis Effect Sebastian Gomes 26 Meet a Monk: Kenneth Kroeker J. P. Earls, O.S.B.

28 Obituary: Daniel Durken 29 Abbey Chronicle Robin Pierzina, O.S.B. 32 Fifty Years Ago 33 Monks in the Kitchen: Thanksgiving in July Ælred Senna, O.S.B. 34 In Memoriam 35 The Word of Light and Hope Rene McGraw, O.S.B.

Benedictine Days of Prayer 26 September 2014: 31 October 2014: 14 November 2014: 23 January 2015:

Where is God? How do I find and experience God in this world? In the world but not of the world. Is this possible? The afterlife: if it exists, what is it like? What is asceticism for? Do I need it?

The day begins at 7:00 A.M. with Morning Prayer and concludes about 3:30 P.M. Rooms are available in the abbey guesthouse for the preceding overnight. Advent Retreat 5–7 December 2014: Praying the O Antiphons in Advent Presenter: Father Michael Kwatera, O.S.B. Register online at abbeyguesthouse.org; or call 320.363.3929.