Busy Week

A picture taken at Pella, Iowa

This past week has been somewhat a busy week or at least it seems that way. On Sunday, May 3, Karen Ceckowski and I drove to Des Moines to attend an oblate meeting for the oblates in that area. We had about 50 or more oblates come to the meeting. At 5:30 PM we prayed vespers (evening prayer) in the Basilica of St. John. Then we went to the parish hall downstairs where we enjoyed a pot luck dinner together. We had so much delicious food and we enjoyed and gave thanks for all of it. Then we had a more or less informal meeting. We primarily wanted the oblates who have for many years been affiliated with Conception Abbey to get acquainted with 60 or so oblates who have transferred to Conception Abbey from St. Gabriel Priory in Des Moines. Father Aquinas, who was Prior of the Priory and also pastor of the parish, St. John's Basilica hosted the meeting. I stayed overnight at the rectory there at the Basilica and Karen stayed with some of our oblates there in Des Moines.

About mid-morning on Monday we left for Pella, Iowa. Marilyn Mutti, an oblate from Pella invited us to stop by for lunch. She served us a delicious lunch and then we went out to see some of the tulips for which Pella is famous. They were in full bloom and really beautiful. I have put some of the pictures that were taken by Karen on my smugmug photo site. To see them go to: http://kennethosb.smugmug.com/gallery/8161318_HNkDz/1 There are also a few pictures there of the oblates praying vespers together.

We returned home Monday evening and May Day was in full swing here at Conception. It was a beautiful day and the first nice day to have May Day. That is an old tradition at Conception. It was going on way back when I first entered Conception as a student in the 1940's.

A couple days last week I had to go to Maryville for physical therapy. Then on Thursday evening I went to the diocesan jubilee celebration in Kansas City. They always honor all the priest jubilarians at a special dinner at Hillcrest Country Club in Kansas City. Bishop Finn is kind and also invites the religious priests who are in the diocese to this celebration. Father Aidan (40 years ordained) and myself (50 years ordained) went and Father Frowin went along to drive.

This week is the last week of the school year. Next Sunday is graduation and then the students will be leaving.

I hope all of you will eventually have a chance to see a very good movie made about Conception Abbey entitled "The Rule of St. Benedict." It was made by an Episcopal priest from St. Louis. He does this as a hobby and is quite professional in his work. He has made a number of documentary films and has won a number of awards at film festivals. Eventually the Printery House is going to sell the film through the internet. At present it is available only in the Abbey gift shop. Keep checking the Printery House web site. www.printeryhouse.org

God bless you all.

Warm weather and spring

First of all I just want to show you two or three pictures I took while out walking a couple days ago. It's a beautiful time of the year with trees and flowers blooming. Nice days to go out for a walk.A beautiful crabapple tree blooming between

the monastery and infirmary.

Tulips blooming on the south side of monastery.

Trees and bushes blooming in the courtyard of the monastery.

We have had some warm temperatures this past week as it got up into the lower 80's a day or two. Farmers have been out working hard trying to get crops in for the growing season.

We are getting ready to renovate our infirmary building. So that means we have to provide temporary living quarters for the monks who live in the infirmary. We are fixing some rooms on the first floor of the monastery for this purpose. Fortunately at the present time we only have four residents in the infirmary. They will completely gut the inside of the infirmary and then re-do all the rooms, making the rooms larger and putting complete bathrooms in each of the rooms. They will also install central air-conditioning. The present infirmary building was built in the early 1960's. I have had to move my oblate office, which was located on the first floor of the monastery, so they could use that room for a computer room.

The constuction company thinks it will take them about six month to complete the infirmary work but we'll see once they get into the work. Hopefully we can be back over there by Christmas.

This is a busy time of the year for weddings, graduations etc. I will be going to Brunswick on May 23, to preside at the wedding of my grandniece Jamie to John Case. Then the first Sunday of June I'll be there again to celebrate my own golden jubilee of ordination to the priesthood.

Easter Octave

Blessing of the Easter fire in front of basilica
at beginning of Easter Vigil

Now that we have completed the eight days of celebrating Easter with the conclusion of the Octave days of the feast, we begin the Easter season which will last up until Pentecost. So the Church does not want us to just stop celebrating this important feast but to continue reflecting and rejoicing in it for these fifty days.

During the Easter Octave we had a different schedule on Monday and Tuesday. Monday we did not begin our morning Vigils until 7:00 AM and then Morning Prayer at 8:15 AM. On Monday evening about 25-30 Sisters from Clyde came over to join us for vespers and then for dinner. It is always a joy to have them join us. They invite us over for vespers and dinner on the feast of St. Scholastica, February 10, and we invite them over usually for vespers and dinner on Easter Monday.

On Tuesday we had our regular morning schedule but did not have reading at meals.

Everyday during the Easter Octave the community had a social gathering at 3:00 PM in the afternoon with refreshments being served. On Monday afternoon we saw the final edition of the documentary film done on Conception Abbey by Jay Kanzler from St. Louis. He is an Episcopal priest but does documentary films as a hobby. It is very well done and will soon be available for others who may want to purchase a copy.

This past weekend we had just about a full house in our guest and retreat facilities. The largest group was for an oblate retreat given by Father Daniel Petsche, O.S.B. There were fifty one oblates present for the retreat. This is, I believe, the largest group of oblates we have had for these retreats which are held twice a year. There were also three other smaller groups here. For some pictures of the oblate retreat go to: http://kennethosb.smugmug.com/gallery/7948933_ewR3N#516005119_5fU5C

The students returned on Sunday evening to begin the last four weeks of the school year. Soon it will be May and time for school graduations and other events.

BLESSED AND HAPPY EASTER

CHRIST IS RISEN, ALLELUIA

And the angel said to her (Mary Magdalene): "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken my Lord, and I don't know where they laid him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" She thought it was the gardener and said to him, "Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni," which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, "Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and then reported what he had told her. (John 20)

LET US REJOICE AND BE GLAD ON THIS EASTER DAY.

BLESSED AND HAPPY EASTER!

Father Kenneth

Abbot James celebrates 85th birthday

Abbot James Jones, O.S.B., who was Abbot of Conception Abbey from 1987-93, celebrated his 85th birthday on Monday, March 30. The picture below was taken on the day of his birthday. He is still able to do some walking with the help of a walker and a nurse, but otherwise moves about in a wheel chair. The day before, on Sunday, March 29, he celebrated his 61st anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. An interesting note is that he was ordained in March, 1948. In September, 1948, I first came to school at Conception as a sophomore in high school. Father James taught me Latin that first year I was here. So that means in September it will be 61 years since I first came to Conception. Time keeps moving doesn't it and the years keep counting up.

Abbot James March 30, 2009 in the lounge of
St. Stephen infirmary

The picture below is of Sister Bernadine from the Clyde Sisters and myself just before celebrating Mass for the older Sisters at Our Lady of Rickenbach at Clyde. I am holding a "flat Stanley" photo of one of her grand nieces who sent it to her to help her with a school assignment. Sister Bernadine is almost 90 years old and is still quite active, loves to play cards (10 point pitch) and visit with people.

Sister Bernadine and Fr. Kenneth in March, 2009

This past weekend the seminary sponsored an Encounter With God's Call Weekend. It was well attended by young men from various dioceses who are interested in looking at the seminary. I believe they had about 120 registered but due to the very heavy snow in parts of Oklahoma and Kansas, I believe there were about 80 able to attend. They arrived on Saturday and stayed until noon on Monday, March 30.

Brother Macario arrived home from St. Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana last Saturday and will be here through Easter. He is studying theology at St. Meinrad. I believe Brother Guerri, who is also in school at St. Meinrad, is also coming soon for these days. Brother Pachomius, who is a deacon and in his last year of theology at Mount Angel Abbey in Oregon, will also arrive later this week. He will serve as deacon for all the Holy Week and Triduum ceremonies.

There are many penance services being held in the local parishes at this time of the year. Last evening, Father Prior Daniel, Father Joel, Father Timothy and myself went to Maryville to help with confessions. Father Peter, Father Xavier and Father Patrick went to Savannah, MO for confessions. There are more services tomorrow evening and later in the week.

Next week is Holy Week and the Triduum. I will probably be kind of busy so may not get a blog written. So if not, have a blessed Holy Week and a blessed and Happy Easter.