Some News Items

Spring is such a beautiful time of the year that I find myself continuously wanting to take pictures. Yet, the pictures do not really do justice to the natural beauty that is there.

ENCOUNTER WITH GOD'S CALL: This past weekend from Saturday afternoon until today (Monday) after Mass and lunch, the seminary hosted about 125 young men who came to see what seminary life is like. This event is called "Encounter with God's Call." They come from many dioceses and from many places. Usually vocation directors from the various dioceses accompany the young men who come. Many of our new students each year are men who attended one or more of these weekends.

ABBEY TRAILS: Saturday we had our annual so called Abbey Trails. It includes both a run and a walk. Again this year we had a large group in both divisions. Many of the younger ones doing the run, and many young and old alike doing the walk. Awards are given for each age group as well as the over all winners.

FATHER ANTHONY SHIDLER, O.S.B. Father Anthony moved over into the St. Stephen Health Care Center last week. Father Anthony will be 89 years old in August but has been very active, attending all our prayer, and working as porter for half a day each day. But, due to hip replacement surgery some years ago he is finding it more and more difficult to get around. He is gradually settling in to his new way of life.

Weekend work: This past weekend I again helped in a couple of parishes. On Sunday morning about 5:30 AM I left for Leon, Iowa where I celebrated Mass at 8:00 AM and then went on to Chariton, Iowa and celebrated Mass at 10:30 AM. I always enjoy doing this pastoral work but I do come back quite tired.


THE WEATHER: The weather has been great. Most days have been sunny and relatively warm. Farmers are out in the fields planting corn. So it seems like spring is upon us.

Oblates and other readers who would like to view more photos of the oblate retreat last weekend as well as other oblate pictures, click here.

If you would like to read more about the REVISED GRAIL PSALMS, translated by Abbot Gregory and other monks of Conception Abbey, go to the Conception Abbey web site, click here. And then on the left side of the screen click "news."

God bless you.

SPRING IS HERE AND IT IS WONDERFUL AND A BLESSING

After a cold and difficult winter spring has now arrived it seems -----------
and now on most days the temperature has been up into the 70's and even into the 80's a few days. That is one of blessings of living in a part of the country where we have the different seasons. You enjoy the beautiful days so much more I think. While the winter was very cold and we had a lot of snow now we can enjoy the beautiful flowers, green grass etc. all the more.















The Triduum days and Easter were a beautiful time at Conception. We had a sizable group of guests with us and even more for the Easter Vigil which we began at 4:30 AM on Sunday morning. It ended about 7:15 AM. That is such a beautiful three days and very meaningful for Christians who celebrate on those days our salvation and redemption.

I celebrated Mass at Clyde for the older and infirm Sisters at Our Lady of Rickenbach during Holy Week. This week I am the celebrant for the Clyde community Masses in their main chapel. The Sisters are preparing to renovate their monastery and so are in the process of moving into other housing, primarily their other monasteries or in their guest facilities. So this Wednesday will be the last Mass in their main chapel until after the renovation -- probably a couple of years. They will have Mass in the Rickenbach chapel during that time.

Revised Grail Psalter approved:
Word was received this past week that the Holy See has given its recognitio to the revised edition of the Grail psalter. Abbot Gregory and other monks worked on that for a long time. In the future this translation is to be used in all liturgical texts in the U.S.A. and perhaps in other English speaking countries. We are proud that it is being published under the name of Conception Abbey.

Almost forty oblates were here for the retreat this past weekend. It was given by Father Pachomius who did a great job. To see some pictures from the retreat days click here
and then go to the album "oblates 2010."

Blessings and peace to each of you.
Fr. Kenneth