Couple of older pictures

Just this past week someone sent me by e-mail the two photos posted below. I thought some of you might be interested in seeing them. They had to be taken during the mid 1950's. I am serving as assistant master of ceremonies and I did that from 1954 till 1959. Father Placid was the head master of ceremonies. I am on both these pictures on the far left side. I even had a little hair then.

The ordaining bishop is Bishop John Cody, later

the Cardinal Archbishop of Chicago. It is a

rather large class being ordained to the priesthood.

I am not able to identify any of those being ordained since they have their back to us. Most of them seem to be Benedictines and the ordination is in our Basilica here at Conception Abbey.

This weekend is an off campus weekend for our students. We had a rather large group scheduled to come this weekend for a confirmation retreat but they canceled due to the weather. On Friday we had snow. While we only received about an inch or two, up in Iowa and Nebraska they received eight inches or more. The youth group scheduled to come was from Iowa.

Lent is fast approaching. Ash Wednesday is on February 25. We monks write down our resolutions or what we call our bona opera (good works) and present it to the Abbot for approval and a blessing. When the Abbot returns from a meeting on this Tuesday, February 17, we will begin seeing him individually for this purpose.

This afternoon Brother Blaise and I are going over to Clyde to play cards with a couple of the older Sisters who are residents at Our Lady of Rickenbach. They like to play 10 point pitch. It is usually a lot of fun. Sister Bernardine, who is 89 years old, is always the leader in inviting us over to play cards.