Autumn Colors

Last week I was out for a walk one nice afternoon and I took my camera to take a few pictures. Many of the trees are really beautiful right now. It's a nice time of the year. The only thing is that we know winter is to follow. Hopefully it will be a mild winter but who knows!!

This past Sunday I drove to Des Moines to attend an oblate meeting at the Basilica of St. John. Those oblates have belonged to St. Gabriel Priory at Des Moines but since that Priory is now being closed they have to change their affiliation. Most of them want to change to Conception Abbey. I spent the night in Des Moines and returned yesterday by noon.

Last night we had a lecture by Rabbi Alan Cohen from Kansas City. He shared a lot about what Jews believe. He has been to Conception two or three times before. It was an interesting lecture and I think we all came away with a better understanding of the Jewish religion.

Tomorrow Bishop Lucas from the diocese of Springfield, Illinois will be here. He will celebrate the conventual Mass tomorrow. He has two or three students here studying for the Springfield diocese.

This morning Father Hugh is having colon surgery at Heartland Hospital in St. Joseph. He will have to spend some days in the hospital after his surgery. Father Norbert and I are taking his place as chaplain for the Sisters at Savannah during his absence.

Busy Week

We had a busy weekend here at Conception with about 45 oblates here for retreat as well as candidates for the diaconate from both the diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph and the diocese of Des Moines, as well as another one or two smaller groups. Then when they left on Sunday we had to get the rooms ready immediately for a couple more groups who were arriving on Sunday evening and on Monday. This week a group called Companions of St. Luke will be here. This is a group of Episcopalians who follow the Rule of St. Benedict. Then also the priests of the diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph will be here for some continuing education.

This morning Brother Blaise and Father Allan and myself are going to Chillicothe to attend the funeral of Monsignor Lawrence Speichinger. Monsignor Speichinger is originally from my area around Brunswick, MO although he attended the mission church at Indian Grove, MO, about 10-12 miles from Brunswick.

Weather has been cool but at least the sun is shining most days and the leaves are in great color now.

Enjoyable Weekend

This week I'm including a winter scene photo of Engelberg Abbey in Switzerland. This is the monastery that sent monks here to Conception in 1873 to found the monastery of Conception Abbey. You can see the beautiful mountains they left in Switzerland when they came to the plains of northwest Missouri. I visited Engelberg once in 1980 and absolutely loved the scenery there. At first our monastery here in Missouri was called New Engelberg (New Mount Angel), but it was later changed to use the name of the town which had been named in honor of the Immaculate Conception. So today we are known as Conception Abbey.

I had a very enjoyable visit in Kansas City last weekend with my family. We did a lot of visiting and I also got a lot of good rest. I returned on Monday afternoon.

The new bishop of the diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Missouri visited here Sunday until today. His name is Bishop James Johnston. He was a priest in the diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee until named a bishop this past spring. On Monday evening he prayed vespers with the monastic community and ate the evening meal with us.

It has rained the last couple of days. Not heavy rain but enough to keep the farmers from continuing their harvesting.

This next weekend I will be giving the retreat to the oblates of our monastery. There should be between 40-45 attending the retreat.

What's going on?

Here we are beginning another week. Already we are well into the month of October. I am including in this blog an older picture of my family. This is the only family picture we have. It was taken only a few days before I left home to enter the novitiate at Conception and my youngest brother, Edward, died less than two year later of cancer. He was only 19 years old at the time. That was in 1955. In the front row, seated, are my parents Joe and Alice (Gladbach) Reichert. My Dad died in 1973, my mother in 1980. In the back row from left to right are: myself, my oldest brother Raymond who died in the year 2000, my second oldest brother Harold, who is still living in Kansas City with his wife of over 56 years, my brother Jim, four years older than me, who died in the year 2002 and then my brother Ed. I have 13 nephews and nieces and I was privileged to witness the marriage of all of them. And of course I have many grandnephews and nieces. Next weekend I plan to go to Kansas City to spend the weekend with my brother and his wife and also visit with my sister in law, Jim's wife.

This past weekend I was at Plattsburg, Missouri to celebrate the weekend Masses. It's a pleasant parish to help in as the people are very friendly and welcoming. Here at Conception this past weekend we had family weekend for the students. I understand that there were about 190 guests here for the weekend so it was well attended. Thank God the weather was beautiful.

Next Friday and Saturday the seminary board of regents meets here at Conception. The regents include a number of bishops, vocation directors and lay people and they serve as an advisory board to the seminary administration.

The weather has been beautiful. The trees are just starting to turn colors and the farmers are busy harvesting.

My prayers and best wishes to all of you.