What's Going On

Over a week has gone by since I last wrote on this blog so I thought I would bring you up to date a bit. The weather continues to be one of the dominating things that people talk about. It has gotten warmer and a lot of the snow has melted and no new snow has come. However, for about the last ten days or so it has been cloudy and foggy everyday. So naturally everyone has been getting a little "cabin fever" wanting to see some sunshine and nice weather. Today the sun did shine for about half a day but then it once again clouded over. Sorry to talk about the weather so much but that has been a topic of much concern this winter.

This weekend I have been home most of the time. However, I did go to the Clyde Monastery for two Masses this morning. On Sundays they have their community Mass at 8:30 AM and then Mass at Our Lady of Rickenbach, their Health Care Center, at 11:00 AM. On Sundays the same priests celebrates both Masses. During the week the community Mass is at 7:30 AM and I will be celebrating that all this week. The Mass at their Health Care Center is at 11:00 AM everyday and on weekdays a second priest goes over for that.

On this past Thursday the Nodaway County Health Nurse came over to give the H1N1 flu shot to those who wanted one. I got one just to be sure. Right now it seems to have pretty well disappeared but some health officials think there will be another outbreak in February or so.
I guess it's better to be safe than sorry.

Every five years in the monastery we read the necrologies of the monks of Conception who have died. We read these on the anniversary date of their death at the evening meal. It is interesting to hear about the monks who have gone before us. As I get older I find I remember so many of them. I came here as a student in 1948 and entered the monastic community in 1953 so many have died during that time. Last Thursday, January 21, was the anniversary of Abbot Kevin's death and today January 24, is the anniversary of Abbot Anselm's death . Abbot Kevin died in 1995 and Abbot Anselm in 1999.


If you would like to read the blog I write for the oblates or see the Conception Abbey web site, click here.