Death of Abbot James

Abbot James and Fr. Regis (pushing wheelchair)
Taken a few years ago.

When I returned from Washington, D.C. on August 3, I was informed already at the airport that Abbot James had been taken to the hospital in St. Joseph that morning by ambulance. We stopped to see him and he was still in the emergency room. After staying at the hospital for about an hour we came on home as the nurse said they would probably keep him overnight. Later in the afternoon the hospital called and told us he had a perforated bowel and probably a tumor. The surgeon called me a little later and asked me to come down since I was designated as his agent on his living will and durable power of attorney. Both the surgeon and his regular doctor suggested that we not do surgery as they thought he might not even make it through surgery. So on Tuesday we brought him home, again by ambulance, and put him on hospice care. On Wednesday morning about 4:10 AM when the nurse went in his room to give him some medicine for pain, he was dead. We are thankful he did not have to suffer for a long time

The funeral for Abbot James was on Saturday morning at 10:30 AM. The church was pretty well filled and a number of priests were here for the funeral, including Archbishop Jerome Hanus, O.S.B., our former abbot and now Archbishop of Dubuque, Iowa, Bishop Rober Finn, our own bishop, Abbot Bonaventure retired Archabbot of St. Meinrad Archabbey, Abbot Gabriel from St. Benedict Abbey in Massachusetts, Abbot Barnabas and Abbot Owen (retired) from St. Benedict Abbey, Atchison, KS. Abbot James was a good friend of many people and greatly loved by those of us in the monastic community. If you would like to read the eulogy given by Father Daniel at the wake service on Friday evening, or the homily given by Abbot Gregory at the funeral Mass or the obituary notice, please go to the Conception Abbey web site:
www.conceptionabbey.org and then click on "news" on the left side of the screen.

Fr. Kenneth in front of George Washington's home at Mount Vernon

For more pictures of this visit go to: http://kennethosb.smugmug.com/gallery/9222100_3dxSs

As I mentioned I returned last Monday from visiting good friends in the Washington, DC area. It was a delightful trip and I had a wonderful visit with Mike and Angie Ryan. Mike was a classmate of mine in the seminary and we spent the novitiate together and three years of temporary vows. So we have been friends for 55 years or more. I always enjoy Washington and we were also able to visit the home of Thomas Jefferson and the home of the fourth president, James Madison. I enjoy history and especially American history so all this was very interesting. On this trip I was able to visit the home of three of our first four presidents -- George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. I missed the second president, John Adams, who was from Massachusetts.

Our four postulants are on retreat this week as they prepare to enter the novitiate on Friday, August 14. Also, on retreat are Novice Adam, who will make first profession of vows on August 15, and Brother Paul, who will make solemn vows on Sunday, August 23.

Until the next time be assured of my prayers.

What's going on?

Infirmary renovation as walls start to go up.
Taken July 25, 2009

It has indeed been a while since I last wrote on this blog. Summer seems to be a more difficult time to do such things so today, on Saturday, I thought it was time to say "hello" again. This weekend I am not out in a parish. Last weekend I went to Marceline and Brookfield, MO to celebrate four Masses. Both of these towns used to have their own pastor but due to the shortage of priests they are now united, although Brookfield does have a Sister as pastoral administrator of the parish.

In the last couple of weeks I have spent a lot of time working on pictures from my 50th anniversary celebration. I put together a couple of DVD's that I could send to family. I enjoy doing these sort of things but it does take time.

My cousin who was a priest, died a few weeks ago. He was 71 years old but died after having a massive stroke. His name was Father Henry Reichert, a priest of the diocese of Jefferson City, MO. Brother Blaise and I went to his funeral at Tipton, MO where he was pastor. He also was taking care of two parishes -- the one at Tipton and also the one at California, MO. He was from a family 16 children and he is the first one to die. He grew up in the Brunswick area just a couple miles from where I grew up.

This coming week on Thursday, July 30, I will fly to Washington, DC. I have a good friend there and he and his wife did not come to my 50th celebration but wanted to send me money to fly out to see them for a few days. So I am looking forward to that. I have been to Washington, DC before but always enjoy it as there is so much to see there.

Right now I am also going through a lot of dental work on my teeth. I have neglected seeing a dentist for a number of years and now I guess I have to make up for that. As you get older you wonder if you are going to get your money's worth out of the work they do on those teeth.

Work on the infirmary continues as you can see on the picture up above. There are also a number of other projects going on this summer which we hope to complete before school begins again.

For those who are interested in seeing more photos of my jubilee celebration or of the oblate "pray and work" weekend, go to my photo site: http://kennethosb.smugmug.com/

Until the next time God bless all of you.

Fr. Kenneth

What a blessing!

Gift I received from some of my family on my 50th anniversary.

The big news this week for me is that yesterday one of my grandnephews and his wife gave birth to quadruplets. Obviously they have known for some time that she was pregnant with four babies. They were born yesterday, July 7, in Boone Hospital at Columbia. All four seem to be doing o.k. They are very small -- only about two pounds each but seem to be doing well so far. I was especially excited as they were born on my birthday. There were two boys and two girls and these are their first children. My grand nephew's last name is Reichert. So it seems the Reicherts will be around for a while yet. Say a little prayer for them that they will continue to grow and be in good health.

I am still working to get the photos together from my 50th anniversary of ordination. It takes a while to get all that done and then I would like to make a DVD for some of the family.

We have had some good rains in the past week and the heat and humidity have decreased so the weather is more bearable.

This weekend, July 10-12 is the oblate "Pray and Work" weekend. We are expecting about 35 oblates here for the weekend. We will spend a big part of the time on Saturday doing work.

That's it for this week. Prayers and blessings to all of you.

Hot and humid week

Cactus blooming on south side of the monastery

The past week has been very hot and humid. Most days this past week the heat index was well up over 100 degrees. We got a shower just about everyday and that only made the heat and humidity worse.

I had a priest cousin die last week. His name was Father Henry Reichert and he was a priest of the diocese of Jefferson City. He was only 71 years old but had a massive stroke at the rectory. They flew him to Columbia, MO and the doctors put him on life support but told the family he would be pretty much a vegetable if he survived at all. So the decision was made to remove the life support. He died a few hours later. The funeral was on Friday at Tipton, Missouri where he was pastor. He was much loved as a pastor and the church was packed for the funeral as well as most of the priests of the diocese were there for it. Since Tipton is about 200 miles from here, Brother Blaise accompanied me to the funeral and helped with the driving.

About a year ago there were four priests still living who grew up in my home parish: Monsignor Victor Moser, also a cousin of mine, died in May 2008. Monsignor Lawrence Speichinger died a few months ago. And now Father Henry Reichert who also grew up in the Brunswick area has died. So I am the last remaining priest who grew up in that little rural community at Brunswick. So life goes on. We are only in this world for a short time.

I have also been busy trying to send out thank you notes to so many people who remembered my 50th anniversary of ordination. By the way some of the pictures of the anniversary are now available on my Smugmug photo site. Go to: http://kennethosb.smugmug.com/ and then click on the album: "50th Anniversary of Ordination."

We now have four postulants here in the monastery. They hope to enter the novitiate in August. It is good to see young men coming to the monastery and considering a monastic vocation.

Below is a brief video of the conclusion of my Mass of Thanksgiving on June 7, 2009.

Thanks be to God for fifty years of priesthood

At the Mass: left to right - Deacon Michael Smith,
Fr. Kenneth and Fr. Leonard Misey (pastor)

At the dinner following the Mass - left to right at
the head table -- Fr. Misey, Deacon Michael Smith, Fr. Kenneth,
my brother Harold and his wife Dee, my sister in
law Vera and my Aunt Mercedes Gladbach.

What a wonderful celebration I had for my Golden Jubilee of ordination to the priesthood. On Saturday evening, June 6, we had a family gathering at the farm of my nephew and his wife, Kenny and Julie Reichert. Many relatives were there and also some of the out of town guests. Then on Sunday morning I celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving. The church was full and overflowing as chairs had to be set up. That was followed by a dinner served by the Knights of Columbus at the Knights Hall. It was certainly a day I will remember for the rest of my life. I am certainly grateful to God for being able to celebrate this occasion and also to all my family and many others who helped to make it a wonderful day.

My good friends Ben and Alicia Darnell were there and spent a few days. They now live in Dayton, Ohio where Ben is youth director at one of the large parishes. They are expecting their first child in August. Also, his parents Rick and Sandy Darnell were there. They came all the way from Phoenix, Arizona for the occasion. The deacon for the Mass was a former seminarian who served at my first solemn Mass at Brunswick in 1959. He is now married and is a permanent deacon. He now lives in the Detroit area. I was also very happy to have the brother of Father Alexis there. Father Alexis was ordained with me and we were good friends. He died after heart surgery in 1998. His brother Bill and his wife Shirley and one of their daughters came from Peoria, Illinois to be present for the day.

I have been busy since I returned to the Abbey last week on Thursday. I now have many thank you notes to write but I'll get to them in good time.

The temporary infirmary seems to be working out well. The main problem is that we do not have any extra rooms available.

Thank you to the many of you who sent a card or an e-mail for my jubilee. Thank you especially for the prayers.

Until the next time, God bless you.