Very Hot Again

As most of you know Nebraska won again yesterday.  This is really a football state.  It seems that just about everyone wears red on game days.  When you walk into HyVee there is a big display right inside the door for the Cornhuskers.  I don't get their games on my T.V. so haven't been watching them.  Also, cannot get the Missouri games on T.V. either. So I will just stick with the Royals.  

Today the parish here is having their big Festival.  I went down there for about an hour.  Very hot so I came on back home.  This evening they have a big barbecue contest so those people cooking outside, will have not trouble keeping warm for sure.  They seem to have a very big crowd.  Many of the things are indoors so that helps.  The beer garden was outside and I did have one beer.  In the beer garden I met a brother of Father Joe Hannappel, an alumnus and priest in the Grand Island diocese.  His brother and wife are both psychologists and live here in Norfolk.

Today, September 8, is actually the feast of the Nativity of Mary.  It was on this date in 1954 that seven of us made our temporary vows --- 59 years ago.  Hardly seems possible.  So next year I will celebrate sixty years as a Benedictine monk.

Here is a picture of our profession class:

Left to right:  Frater Shawn Ryan, Frater Alexis Saathoff, Frater  Damian Parker,

Frater Kenneth Reichert, Father Maur Burbach, novice and formation director,

Frater Virgil Mudd, Frater Owen Moran, Frater Paul Kelly.

Four of us made solemn profession in 1957 -- Paul Kelly, Damian Parker, Kenneth Reichert, and Alexis Saathoff.  Of the four I am the only one still living.  Joe Mudd was killed in an automobile accident, Ed Moran lives in the Kansas City area and Michael Ryan lives in the Washington DC area.

So much for this week.  Keep cool, take care of yourself and let us all pray for peace in our world and for one another.

Today it is three months that I have been at Norfolk

Sometimes the time just seems to fly by.  It was three months ago today, June 1,2013, that I arrived at Norfolk to become chaplain for the Missionary Benedictine Sisters as well as the St. Joseph Care Center which is just across the street from the monastery.  I enjoy my work here very much

This past week it has been so hot  Everyday it seemed to be way up in the 90's and the heat index up to 100 or more.  Oh well, we will soon enough have cold weather and we will be complaining about the cold weather.  After all I am in air-conditioning most of the day. My house has central air and does the monastery and the St. Joseph Care Center.

On Wednesday of this past week I went to the Norfolk Public Library to apply and pick up a library card.   They seem to have a really nice public library.  I was happy to see the large number of larger print books they have.  I sure appreciate that larger print at this stage of my life.  They have many computers there so I can go there if necessary to use a computer.  They also have wi-fi there so I can take my Kindle down there to load books etc.  

I guess they had an outbreak of scabies in the community during this past week.  The nursing home where I work put a "no visitors" sign on the doors and they treated all the residents, including the staff as a prevention.  No one of the residents picked it up.  I also had to go through the treatment since I am an employee of he Care Center as well as of the Sisters.  They gave me this tube of Permethrin which I was told to massage into my skin from head to the bottom of my feet.  The next morning I was told to take a shower.  Today, for the first day they are allowing visitors and outside people to come to Mass there. 

This coming Wednesday, September 4, I have been asked to give a talk to an adult education class at the local Catholic church. The title is "Our Catholic Heritage."  I have been working on it the last couple days so hope I will be able to offer them something worthwhile on Wednesday evening.

Tomorrow, Monday, is Labor Day.  I understand the Sisters are having a picnic meal both at noon and in the evening.  They told me to come to both if I want so I most likely will do so.

Some of you remember my friend Benjamin Darnell either from the seminary or other places.  He left the seminary after 2nd theology, is now married and has two children.  He has worked as a youth minister in Catholic parishes at Springfield, MO, Dayton,OH and Wea, KS.  He is now taking a job as Pastoral Associate at St. Charles parish, in Kansas City North.    

Benjamin and Alicia Darnell

with their two children Isaac and Anya Marie

My e-mail:  kenneth@conception.edu

My phone:  home - 402-371-5657

Cell phone:  402-750-9684

WELL WHAT DO YOU KNOW !! FR. KENNETH IS BACK ON HIS BLOG

Entrance to the monastery

\Considering my last blog goes back to May, 2013, and that at that time I wrote about my new assignment, and that I have now been at my new assignment at Norfolk, Nebraska for almost three months, I thought it was time I again start writing on this blog.  

Some of you have probably read some things that I have written on Facebook or maybe you even received an e-mail from me.  At any rate I am happy here at this assignment.  I don't have to overwork but I do keep busy most of the time.  Here is my, more or less daily schedule.   I actually arise (and my alarm set) for 5:40 AM.  I clean up and then use thirty or forty five minutes praying, doing lectio etc.  I also drink a couple cups of coffee at this time.  At about 6:00 AM I go out my back door and then about 50 or 60 yards to the back door of the monastery (Immaculata Monastery).  I pray morning prayer with the Sisters at 6:25 AM and then celebrate Mass for them almost immediately after morning prayer at 7:00 AM.  A number of lay people also come for this Mass on a daily basis.  

I then eat breakfast with the Sisters, go back to my residence and at about 8:45 AM walk over to the St. Joseph Care Center where I celebrate another Mass each day at 9:30 AM.  I go over early in order to pray the rosary with the residents and others at 9:05 AM.  After that Mass I take Communion with me and go around to visit patients.  Some of the Catholics in the home are able to come to daily Mass but others I take communion to in their rooms  I visit all the patients whether they are Catholic or not.

I am usually leaving the Care Center anytime from 10:45 to 11:15 AM.  At 11:55 AM I pray day prayer with the Sisters and then eat lunch with them.  My afternoons are for the most part rather free except for preparing a homily for the next day or doing computer work, preparing a talk for some group that has asked me to speak to them etc.  I pray vespers on my own and get my own evening meal.  
At night I read or watch the Kansas City Royals on T.V.  Thank 
God there is a Fox station that carries their games up here.  Around 9:00 PM I go to bed.  

I do get asked to do other things.  This past week on Wednesday evening I took the Safe Environment training for the archdiocese of Omaha.  They do not use the Virtus program but rather one that was developed by Boys Town I believe.  It is much like Virtus but the Archbishop wants all the priests to go through this program.  Then on Thursday evening I was asked to give the talk for the regular Norfolk Serra Club. Last night I helped the two diocesan priests who are stationed here:  Father Dan Andrews and Fr. Greg Carl, hear confessions for a Quest retreat.  About 90 freshmen and sophomores were either making or helping with the retreat.   

We have had more rain up here than you have had and it has not been too hot -- that is, until the last few days when it has been way up in the 90's and very high humidity.  

I live in a two bedroom house owned by the Sisters and located on the next street behind the monastery.  The Nursing Home is just across the street from the monastery.  I like the city of Norfolk.  Just about the right size with a population of around 25,000.  Has most things you need and yet it is not so large that I am forever getting lost. Everybody I meet is very friendly and I don't need to tell you the Sisters are very good to me. 

Sister Kevin on the left and Sister Pia Portmann

on the right.  Sister Pia is the prioress  She is from

Switzerland originally

If you would like to see more photos go to my Smugmug Photo Site

at http://kennethosb.smugmug.com/

and then look for the album called "Norfolk Nebraska photos."

My e-mail is still the same as when I was at Conception:  
kenneth@conception.edu and my phone number here at Norfolk is 402-371-5657

I hope to write on this blog about once a week but check back now and then to see if I have anything new.  God bless you all.

My New Assignment

By now I think most of you know that I have received a new assignment, beginning on June 1, 2013.  I will become chaplain for the Missionary Benedictine Sisters at Immaculata Monastery in Norfolk, Nebraska.  While it is difficult for me to leave Conception, I am still looking forward to this new assignment.  This summer I will be 80 years old in July.  So it makes me feel good that I can still begin a new assignment at this age and hopefully do a good job in serving these Sisters.  

I came here to Conception in September, 1948, as a sophomore in high school.  I entered the community as a novice in 1953 and made my first vows in September, 1954.  Being ordained a priest in 1959, I have since held many different jobs.  God has certainly blessed me in many different ways in the 65 years I have been at Conception.  

Abbot Gregory first spoke to me about the possibility of this job back before Lent.  He wanted to me to think about it and pray about it.  Well, I have tried to always do what the Abbot asked me to do so, I told him, I don't want to change that now.  Just last week the assignment the officially published.  

This spring I have been having to deal with arthritis.  I have had some arthritis in my back and knees for some time, but suddenly it really got bad in one knee.  I went to the orthopedic surgeon at Maryville and he gave me a cortisone shot and then started me on five shots of Hyalgan.  You get a shot a week in the knee for five weeks.  I have now completed these and it is surprising how well it now feels.  They say the shots will last six months or more and then they can repeat them.

Now you may not believe this but today it has been snowing most of the day. The date is May 2, 2013, and the snow has been coming down quite heavy.  Most of it is melting when it hits the ground but at this late date it has been quite a snowfall.

Once I get moved in and settled at Norfolk I hope to continue to write something on this blog as I have an opportunity.

Keep me in prayer and know you will be in mine everyday.
*****************************************************
List of events and work I have been assigned to as a monk.  This is posted, not in anyway to brag.  I well recognize that if I have done any good in life, it is due to the grace of God much more than to me.

FATHER KENNETH REICHERT, O.S.B.  

Monastic events and work assignments in my life as a monk up to June,, 2013

Born: July 7, 1933 to Joseph and Alice (Gladbach) Reichert, the 4th of five boys -- Raymond, Harold, Jim, Maurice (Fr. Kenneth) and Edward
Baptized: July 12, 1933 by Fr. Basil Odermatt, OSB
School: St. Boniface Grade school, then one year at Brunswick High School. September, 1948 entered Conception Seminary High School.
Entered Novitiate: September 7, 1953
First profession of vows: September 8, 1954
Master of Ceremonies II: 1954-1959
Solemn profession: September 8, 1957
Ordained to priesthood: May 30, 1959

Ottawa, Canada, St. Paul University: 1959-60
Secretary to Abbot Stephen: 1960-62 and then to Abbot Anselm for one year.
Master of Ceremonies I: 1960-66, 1970, 1972-99
Assistant Abbey Vocation Director: 1961-63
Prefect, St. Maur Hall: 1962-66 then in February, 1966 moved to Marian Hall.
Prefect: Latin summer school: 1963 and 1964
Director of Abbey Vocations: 1963-65
Director of Oblates: 1963-69

Loyola University, Chicago: summer, 1966
Instructor of Brothers: 1966-67
Counselor, St. Benedict Hall: 1967-68
Counselor, Marian Hall: 1968-69
Counselor, St. Joseph Hall: 1969-70
Clinical Pastoral Education, Tulsa, OK: Summer 1969

McLaughlin, S.D., Indian Missions: 1970-72
Spiritual Director of Seminary: 1972-85
River Forest, IL, Institute of Spirtuality: summer of 1976-77-78
Manager of Book and Supply Store: 1972-76, 1977-85
Subprior: 1975-79
Director of Postulants: 1976-77
Sabbatical, St. Louis University: 1985-86
Director of Apostolic Program: 1986-87
Special Programs and Guestmaster: 1987-90
Director of Recruitment (seminary): 1990-93
Director of Alumni: 1990-99
Chaplain, St. Joseph Hall: 1991-93

Prior: July 22, 1993-May, 2007

Associate Oblate Director: 2001-2003
Director of Oblates: April, 2003-June, 2013

Director of Infirmary:  February, 2007-May, 2013

Chaplain, Immaculata Monastery, Norfolk, NE

June, 2013-

HELLO EVERYBODY!

So what has been going on?  Well, we have had a lot of cold weather but then we have also had a lot of above normal temperatures this winter.  One thing for sure we have not had much snow.  Of course we don't necessarily want the big snows like they have had in some parts of the country but we do need moisture.  The ground is still very dry here in the mid-part of the country.

I have been out celebrating Masses on many of the weekends.  I do enjoy that work but do need a little extra rest when I get home.  I guess one of most interesting places I have helped out recently has been two  weekends at Red Oak, Iowa and Imogene, Iowa.  Red Oak has a rather modern church and a nice rectory.  But the little town of Imogene has a large church and it is absolutely beautiful.  The altar is marble and they have a replica of the Pieta in Rome.  It was made in Rome out of marble.  It weighs 2 1/2 tons so I can only hope it is on a good foundation since it is in the church itself.  

The main altar, all marble.  Of course they have a smaller altar

out in front now that is used for Mass

Lent is fast approaching.  As usual each of the monks write out what they intend to do for Lent this year.  That is presented to the Abbot and then we receive a blessing from the Abbot as we try to be faithful to what we say we are going to do.  Lent is a beautiful season of the year but obviously different from the Easter season and/or the Christmas season.  

REPENT AND BELIEVE IN THE GOSPEL

OR

REMEMBER YOU ARE DUST, AND TO DUST YOU SHALL RETURN

Two options used when we receive the ashes.

What about the big news received this morning.  Pope Benedict XVI is stepping down as Pope because of his age and health.  I admire him.  In April, I believe, he will be 86 years old.  He has spent many years serving the Church and we can only express our gratitude for his service.  He deserves to have some time to rest before God calls him to the heavenly kingdom.  In the history of the Church four other Popes have resigned, the last one being Gregory XII in 1415.  However, this news certainly came as a surprise to most of us.

Work continues on the roof of the monastery.  All other buildings are completed.  They hope to have the monastery completed by April, 2013. 

 In the courtyard where scaffolding is still up and

work is still in progress.

The west or front side of the monastery where scaffolding

is set up but work has not yet begun.

Yesterday, February 10, was the feast of St. Scholastica, sister of St. Benedict.  Since it was on a Sunday, we monks did not celebrate the feast, but for the Benedictine Sisters it is a solemnity so it took the place of the regular Sunday Mass.  As is traditional now the Sisters at Clyde invited the monks over to pray vespers with them and to enjoy a meal together.  It was a very enjoyable evening.

I hope you all have a blessed Lenten season.  As the days are getting longer we will see more signs of spring and usually all of us are happy to see the return of spring weather with the flowers, birds, planting of crops etc.