Hot and humid week

Cactus blooming on south side of the monastery

The past week has been very hot and humid. Most days this past week the heat index was well up over 100 degrees. We got a shower just about everyday and that only made the heat and humidity worse.

I had a priest cousin die last week. His name was Father Henry Reichert and he was a priest of the diocese of Jefferson City. He was only 71 years old but had a massive stroke at the rectory. They flew him to Columbia, MO and the doctors put him on life support but told the family he would be pretty much a vegetable if he survived at all. So the decision was made to remove the life support. He died a few hours later. The funeral was on Friday at Tipton, Missouri where he was pastor. He was much loved as a pastor and the church was packed for the funeral as well as most of the priests of the diocese were there for it. Since Tipton is about 200 miles from here, Brother Blaise accompanied me to the funeral and helped with the driving.

About a year ago there were four priests still living who grew up in my home parish: Monsignor Victor Moser, also a cousin of mine, died in May 2008. Monsignor Lawrence Speichinger died a few months ago. And now Father Henry Reichert who also grew up in the Brunswick area has died. So I am the last remaining priest who grew up in that little rural community at Brunswick. So life goes on. We are only in this world for a short time.

I have also been busy trying to send out thank you notes to so many people who remembered my 50th anniversary of ordination. By the way some of the pictures of the anniversary are now available on my Smugmug photo site. Go to: http://kennethosb.smugmug.com/ and then click on the album: "50th Anniversary of Ordination."

We now have four postulants here in the monastery. They hope to enter the novitiate in August. It is good to see young men coming to the monastery and considering a monastic vocation.

Below is a brief video of the conclusion of my Mass of Thanksgiving on June 7, 2009.