Thanksgiving Week

During Thanksgiving week the monks who are out serving in various missions come home for the week. This year all were home except for the four who are away at school: Bro. Pachomius, Bro. Guerric, Bro. Macario and Bro. Anselm. Our students in the seminary left for home after their last class on Tuesday. Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday we had community meetings and chapter meetings.

On Wednesday evening of the week we begin to celebrate all the jubilees of monks who are celebrating jubilees this year. On Wednesday evening we had a social and the junior monks put on a delightful drama to honor the jubilarians. On Thanksgiving day we had a solemn Mass at 10:00 AM and then at noon a banquet to also honor the jubilarians. Abbot Gregory was celebrant for the Mass and among the concelebrants was Archbishop Jerome, our former abbot, and now the Archbishop of Dubuque, Iowa. Also, home and concelebrating was Abbot Marcel, another former abbot and former Abbot Primate of the Benedictine order.

Jubilarians this year were: Father Malachy, 70 years professed, Father Hugh and Father Regis, fifty years ordained, Father Francis, Father Rene and Brother Mark, fifty years professed, and Brother Cyprian, twenty five years professed.

The picture up above was taken the day after Thanksgiving. As you can see we had a white Thanksgiving. We had snow a big part of the day on Wednesday and, although most of it melted right away, probably a good inch accumulated on the ground. The weather also turned very cold. I believe last night it got down to about 12 degrees.

New Windmills

This morning Brother Blaise and I took a drive around the local country side to see the windmills that have been set up. I am putting a couple pictures on this blog. They are quite impressive. The other picture is of a couple of flowering pear trees in front of the monastery. The leaves are beautiful this time of the year. For more pictures of the windmills go to: link posted below the pictures
http://kennethosb.smugmug.com/gallery/3736027

The Fantasticks

This past weekend the Seminary drama department presented THE FANTASTICKS. It was presented on Friday evening, Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. It was very well done and enjoyable to watch. It was directed by Brother Cyprian. Actors were seminarians: Alex Urena, Andrew Horn, Craig Thomas, Chris Ciaffa, Sam Matthiesen, David Bauer and Dan Nielsen. Kathy Nelson, who is from the local area, played the part of the girl, Luisa. Jennifer Phelps, an oblate from Des Moines, was in charge of make-up.

Yesterday I took Abbot James to St. Joseph for a doctor appointment. On the way home I came by the back roads, as it were, in order to take Abbot James by some of the windmills that are set up now as part of the Conception Wind Energy Farm. They are not working yet but are very impressive and quite large. As soon as I have a chance I will take a close up picture of one or two of them and post them on this blog.

The Benedictine Priors who were here for a workshop last weekend left on Monday. On Sunday evening they enjoyed a meal at a restaurant in St. Joseph.

That's it for this time. Continue to enjoy the nice fall weather.

Ordination to diaconate

This past weekend I attended the ordination to the diaconate of an alumnus, Nathan Gohlke, for the diocese of Joliet, Illinois. He is looking forward to ordination to the priesthood in the spring of 2008. The ordination took place in the Cathedral at Joliet. The next day I concelebrated with his pastor Father Ron Hart at Irwin, Illinois. At the Mass the new Deacon Nathan gave the homily and was deacon for the Mass. See picture posted with this blog. I stayed a couple days with Father Hart, also an alumnus, and good friend of mine for the last 40 years or more. For anyone who remembers Nathan I have some more pictures on my photo web site at:
http://kennethosb.smugmug.com/gallery/21921

Work on the windmills continues. I took a couple more pictures today if you want to see some of the progress. Go to the same address as I put in my last edition of this blog, posted just down below this one.

This coming weekend is "Encounter With God's Call." A weekend for young men who are perhaps giving some thought to a vocation to the priesthood. It is also the weekend for the seminary dramatic production.