Father Malachy enters eternal life

Father Malachy Riley, O.S.B. entered eternal life on Tuesday afternoon about 1:25 PM. I mentioned in my last blog that I had been spending a lot of time, and even some nights, in the infirmary. That was because of the eminent death of Father Malachy. Father Malachy was the oldest member of the Conception Abbey community, having been born October 5, 1914. So he was on his 94th year. With him at the time of his death was one of his sisters from St. Louis and a number of members of the monastic community. He had many assignments during his long life but had returned to the Abbey in the year 2000 and took up residence in the infirmary.

Today is the funeral for Father Albert's mother who died this past Saturday. The funeral is in Des Moines but the burial will be here at Conception in our cemetery.

This evening the Sisters from Clyde will be joining us for vespers and for dinner. They invite us over there usually for the feast of St. Scholastica on February 10 and usually we invite them over here sometime during Easter week.

HAPPY EASTER

Well, here it is Easter Sunday. That day which is the Solemnity of Solemnities. The day when Jesus Christ won for all of us victory over sin and death. So Happy Easter to each and everyone of you! Here we once again had a lot of guests for the celebration of the Triduum which begins with the Holy Thursday evening Mass and concludes on Easter Sunday evening with vespers. As usual our Easter Vigil this morning began at 4:30 AM and ended about 7:30 AM. Unfortunately this year I had to miss the Easter Vigil due to work in the infirmary. I was over there all last night and will probably be there again tonight.

Now that Lent is over I hope to once again begin publishing now and then on this blog. I appreciate very much those of you who read it and those of you who have taken time to comment.

The seminarians all left today after the Vigil Mass and by now many of them have arrived at their homes. They will return next Sunday so they have a full week break.

On Holy Thursday I celebrated Mass and on Good Friday had the services at Our Lady of Rickenbach home at Clyde. This is the health care residence for the Sisters at Clyde. There are about 26-27 Sisters living there.