4 minute read
GOD FOUND ME AT THE ABBEY
By Brother Luke Kalhorn, O.S.B.
I’m Brother Luke, and the journey that led me to become a monk at the Saint Louis Abbey is quite unique. Unlike any of my Benedictine brothers, I have four children, including three Priory graduates, and I also have 12 grandchildren.
My adventure to become a monk began a long time ago. My wife Susan and I fell in love with the Abbey at a meeting for incoming Priory parents. Abbot Luke Rigby, O.S.B., said to the parents, “We are so happy you have decided to send your boy to Priory, and we are honored you have entrusted us with their education and with their adventure in finding God.”
That was the beginning of a long love affair. Because we had three sons at Priory (Chris ’88, Steve ’97, and Tim ’99), our activities spanned well over a decade.
Susan became immersed in Xanadu, working her way up to being chair, and was also president of the Mothers’ Club. I followed her lead, a very good practice, and became Fathers’ Club president. We met so many wonderful people as a part of our Priory journey. Even to this day, we still count many of them as our best friends.
The monks married our children, including our daughter Jennifer, and baptized some of our grandchildren. They renewed our wedding vows, a practice I highly recommend, and continued to be close to our growing family.
After a long and successful career as senior vice president of Watlow, I purchased Watlow’s largest distributor, TAPCO, a factory automation distributor in Cincinnati. Following that, God had a different plan for us. Susan developed heart problems and passed away four years ago.
We had always planned to eventually sell the company and move back to St. Louis. During our more than 15 years in Cincinnati, we regularly traveled “home” and always visited with our great friends, the monks, and especially Abbot Luke and Abbot Thomas Frerking, O.S.B.
Now, it was time to sell our home and business. Once I moved back to St. Louis, I attended 7:30 a.m. Mass and daily Lauds. It brought me great joy and comfort.
One morning, after Lauds, Father Gerard Garrigan, O.S.B., sat down beside me and said, “Have you ever thought of becoming a monk?” I thought he was crazy to suggest such a thing.
The next week I mentioned it to Abbot Thomas, and he said, “I have not talked to Father Gerard about this, but that is exactly what I was thinking about for you.” I said, “What can I do in the monastery that I can’t do now?” Abbot Thomas replied, with his classic big smile — “You can give yourself to US!”
Next, I met with Abbot Gregory Mohrman, O.S.B., ’76 and explained my faith calling experience and the feedback from my meeting with Abbot Thomas. He invited me to move to the monastery, and I never left.
What I most like about being a monk is praying the divine office in common with my brother monks, doing the sacristy work of setting up the altar for masses, private prayer at the Mary Shrine (everyone needs a special place to pray), spending time with the students at Priory, and doing meaningful work for the Abbey, especially the Affiliates of the Abbey team and working on the new Abbey website.
On September 28, 2024, I made my final promises as a monk oblate, and Abbot Gregory conferred my new name as Brother Luke. So, all along, it has been God’s plan. I was looking for God and God found me at Saint Louis Abbey
