Blessing of St. Stephen Health Care Center

The new name given to the renovated infirmary is now: St. Stephen Health Care Center. We had the blessing of the building last Tuesday, November 24, while all the monks were here at home for Thanksgiving week. It will be a couple weeks before we can begin moving in but things are coming along great and we are all looking forward to moving back over there.

Photos were taken by Novice Eric.

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

LET US GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD OUR GOD

The pictures above were all taken this morning, Tuesday, November 24, in the renovated Health Care Center here at Conception. They are all taken on the 2nd floor. The top left is the chapel in the center of the 2nd floor. The top right is one of the resident rooms. The bottom left is the hallway on the 2nd floor. The bottom left is the lounge and T.V. room on the 2nd floor. That is the only room that will have carpet. We have of course not yet moved in and the work is not all completed. We are planning and hoping to move in before Christmas. Today at 2:30 PM we are planning to have the blessing of the building. All the monks should be home by that time from their various assignments and so the Abbot wants to have the blessing when they are all home.

During this Thanksgiving week, as is traditional here at Conception, most of the monks try to come home. During the week we have meetings and also time for socializing and enjoying one another's company. We also celebrate our jubilarians for the year 2009. This year, Father Joachim Schieber celebrates 70 years of monastic profession and 65 years as a priest. Father Donald Grabner celebrates 60 years of monastic profession. Father Kenneth Reichert and Father Paschal Thomas celebrate 50 years of ordination to the priesthood. Father Karl Barmann celebrates 50 years of monastic profession. The Mass on Thanksgiving day honors the jubilarians and then a banquet follows.

The seminarians all attended the National Catholic Youth Convention this past weekend. This year this event was held in Kansas City at Bartle Convention Hall and also at the Sprint Center. About 25,000 youth and adults attended. Many pictures were posted on the Kansas City Star web site of this event. Today the students leave for their Thanksgiving break. They will return on Sunday evening.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week with our families, friends, community etc., let us not forget to take time to thank God for his many blessings. I ask you to join with me in thanking God for my fifty years in the priesthood and fifty five years as a professed monk. I am also grateful to my family and all of you who read this blog for your support during these years.

God Bless you.

If you would like to go to the Conception Abbey web site or read the oblate blog, click here.

What's going on?

Here it is already November 10 and in just a couple weeks we will be giving thanks at Thanksgiving and then we begin the Advent season in preparation for the feast of Christmas. Of course we all know that many of the stores already have their decorations up for Christmas. I hope that most of us can wait a while longer. Advent is a time to prepare and then we celebrate on Christmas.A week or so ago one of our infirmary employees retired after working here for about eight years. Juanita Middleton was a faithful worker for us for those years. We are grateful for her service. On her last day of work we had a little social gathering for monks and infirmary employees to honor her.

Shown above are on the left Ronda Noble R.N. our present

head nurse, Juanita seated, Fr. Kenneth behind her
and Carol Madden, R.N. who retired as head nurse
at the end of June, 2009

This past week the weather has been beautiful with warm days and nights. I'm sure the farmers are happy about that as they have had a chance to get at least most of their grain out of the fields.

Last weekend the seniors were in Kansas City for their experience of the "inner city." They spend time helping at "First Harvest" and then with a group that takes food and clothing to those who live on the street and under bridges.

Brother Mark had heart surgery at North Kansas City Hospital last week. He was just released from intensive care a day or two ago and should be coming home within the next few days.

So far the flu has not really hit us here at the monastery or in the seminary. A few students have been ill for a day or two but seem to get back to normal fairly soon. It will be great if we can avoid an outbreak of that H1N1 flu.

That's about it for now.

If you want to read the oblate blog for this week go to http://www.conceptionabbey.org and then click on "oblates" on the left side of your screen. To go to my photo site click here.

Remembering the Faithful Departed

Procession to cemetery November 2, 2009

Yesterday on November 1, we celebrated the feast of All Saints. Remembering all those who have gone before us and are now enjoying eternal life and happiness in heaven. Not only those saints who are canonized by the Church but no doubt many of our relatives and friends who are now in heaven. Today we remember those who have gone before us but who are still awaiting the full happiness of heaven. We pray for them and remember them in prayer in a special way today. Here at Conception we will have a procession to the cemetery after lunch and pray especially for those who are buried in our cemetery.

Many times on November 2 it is very cold for these processions but today is sunny and relatively warm so it should be comfortable for the procession.

The infirmary continues to move along although I think it will be after Thanksgiving before we can move in. Hopefully we will be back there before Christmas so we can celebrate the feast in our new surrondings. I am including a couple of pictures here to try to give you some idea of how it is looking. These pictures were just taken today.

2nd floor hallway

A shower in one of the rooms.
Each room will have a complete
bathroom with walk-in shower.

To go to Fr. Kenneth Smugmug photo site: click here
To go to Conception Abbey web site and oblate blog: click here