Another busy week has gone by.....

Last week another blogger from this area published on his blog a picture from the summer, green grass and all. I thought to myself that was a good idea. We have had so much cold weather and snow that sometimes it seems that we will never get to spring. So anyway the pictures above should remind us all of how beautiful God makes this land of ours. We will just appreciate it more after this winter. The snow can be beautiful also but by now we are all ready for spring.

It has been a sort of busy week or two weeks for me. Sometimes I wonder if it just seems busy or simply that as I get older I move a little slower. Last Tuesday I had an appointment with my dentist in Maryville. I go to a rather young dentist who just moved into Maryville about a year ago. He is originally from Idaho but went to dental school at Creighton University in Omaha. After practicing in Columbia, MO for a while, he and his wife decided to move to Maryville. He is a very good dentist .

Tuesday afternoon I went to St. Joseph for a visit to the dermatologist. I have been getting what is called the "blue light treatment." I have had a number of growths removed from my face and my head. First they used this treatment on my face and now on my bald head. You have three treatments about a month apart and then go back after a couple months for a follow up. So far it has worked well for me.

The talks we had by Father Paul Turner just after Ash Wednesday were very interesting and informative. When it is finally published it will take me a while to get used to the changes in the Mass. When I was ordained in 1959 we still used Latin in the Mass and other sacraments. There have been many changes since that time.

Two of our priest monks were out in parishes this week giving parish missions. Father Prior Daniel was at Hitchcock, Texas and Father Patrick was at Nixa, Missouri (close to Springfield). Both returned home on Wednesday or Thursday.

This Saturday I go to Maryville MO for the Saturday evening Mass and confessions. Our Father Martin is pastor at Maryville but he has two funerals on Saturday so needs some help that evening. Next weekend I go to Montrose and Butler, Missouri for the regular Sunday Masses. That is about 180 miles from Conception.

This weekend our guest facilities are filled with meeting groups and retreatants. The largest group is the Mid-America Medieval Association (MAMA). About a hundred or more will be here for their conference. Brother Thomas is a member of this association.

A number of students have been showing up at the St. Stephen Health Care Center not feeling well. Some have the flu and some have colds. A few of the monks have also been in bed with similar symptoms.

If you live in the area remember the OPEN HOUSE IN THE ST. STEPHEN HEALTH CARE CENTER on Sunday, March 14, 2:00-4:00 PM.

A reminder to check out the Conception Abbey web site and the oblate section of that site.

And also my photos on the web.
To view photos that have appeared on my blog click here.

LENT, 2010

Yes, the season of Lent begins this Wednesday, February 17. Hopefully we are all prepared to enter into this season and looking forward to the joy of Easter. Lent is a time of conversion, of changing direction if that is what we need to do in our life. It's a time to turn away from sin and to turn to Jesus Christ more and more. So anything special we do during Lent should help us to do that.

Each of us who are monks take our Lenten good works that we propose to do to the Abbot and ask his approval and blessing. As a community we also do certain works during Lent, such as more silence, cutting back in food etc.. Lent is a time to die with Christ so we can rise with him at Easter.

This past week continued to be very much winter. We have had light snows a number of days and the days and nights are cold but we can be thankful we did not have snow like they had out east in Washington, DC, New York, Philadelphia etc.. I saw someplace yesterday that 49 states had new snow fall yesterday (Saturday). That means someplaces are having snow that usually do not get snow. I understand from a friend who is studying in Rome that last week they had their first snowfall in 26 years.

This coming week we will have three continuing education sessions with Father Paul Turner, an alumnus and pastor at Cameron, MO. He will speak to us about the new sacramentary that is being prepared and the changes that will be happening when we begin using it. We have a session Thursday afternoon, Thursday evening and Friday morning. The seminarians will be on retreat the first three days of lent --Ash Wednesday to Friday evening.

These past few days the deacon candidates from the diocese of Jefferson City and their wives have been here on retreat. They are preparing for their ordination to the diaconate in April. This weekend we also had a couple of groups of young people preparing for the sacrament of confirmation. A cousin of mine along with her husband and their son were here with the youth retreat group from Webb City, MO. It was good to visit with them.

New shipments of furniture are still arriving for the St. Stephen Health Care Center. We now have the new dining room furniture. They also began putting the railings in along the halls this week. That should be finished this week.

One of the tables in the dining room

The dining room for residents of Health Care Center

The sun porch next to the dining room

You are encouraged to also go to the Conception Abbey web site and read the Oblate blog there.

Please click here.

A Few News Items from Conception Abbey

More snow (3-4 inches) on February 5, 2010

Taken inside monastery looking through window
into the courtyard.

Just want all of you to know that, while much of the snow we had in January has melted, we keep getting a little more now and then to remind us that winter is not over yet.

With regard to our renovated St. Stephen Health Care Center, we are enjoying it very much. Some furniture is still arriving. I am including a couple pictures of that below.

Fr. Kenneth in his office with new office furniture
St. Stephen Health Care Center

Part of the living room area on 2nd floor
New chairs for the chapel in St. Stephen's

South end of dining room area in St. Stephen's

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

We here at Conception are getting ready for Lent. As St. Benedict states in his Rule, each of the monks "should make known to the abbot what he intends to do, since it ought to be done with his prayer and approval." Abbot Gregory gives each monk twenty minutes to come in and talk to him and ask for his approval on what they propose to do special during Lent. I hope all of us are starting to make some plans for Lent so that it can be a time to truly prepare for the joy of Easter.

A week ago, on Friday evening, January 29, we held our annual SOS (Support Our Seminarians) dinner and auction at the Mariott Hotel in downtown Kansas City. About 730 people attended this year. Since a number of my family were attending, I also went down for this event. I believe this was the 17th year for this event.

I encourage all of you to go to the Conception Abbey web site for more information about Conception or to read my Oblate blog. Click here please
To see other photos on my photo web site --- click here.