New Postulants, Unusual January weather etc.

About two weeks ago two new postulants arrived at the monastery.  A third one is expected in the next couple of weeks.  The two presently here and living in the monastery with the community are:  Postulant Jonathan Pund, from New Florence, MO and a recent graduate of Central Missouri State University, Warrensburg, MO and Postulant Benigno DeLoera, orginally from Mexico, but his family now resides in Wichita.  

Postulant Jonathan on the left and 

Postulant Benigno on the right

Also, among our young monks, Brother Maximilian Burkhart, has been taking classes since last fall at Maryville and is now finishing his clinicals for his CNA -- Certified Nursing Assistant.  He will then be available to help with our work in the St. Stephen Health Care Center.  Brother Maximilian is now on his third year of temporary vows.  

Brother Maximilian in scrubs as he prepares

to go to work at Pineview Nursing Home in

Stanberry as part of his clinical training.

We are grateful to God for all the young men He has sent to us in recent years.  It gives those of us who are older a lot of encouragement as well as a lot of responsibility to give good example.  Continue to pray for vocations both to the monastic life and to the diocesan priesthood.

The weather this winter has really been unusual.  We have had practically no snow and very little cold weather.  Last week on Wednesday it was very windy and the temperature did not go above about ten degrees but then in a day or two it was again like spring.  It is expected to turn colder again tonight but then warmer again in just a couple of days.  

The students are now all back from Christmas break.  We had a few drop out at the end of the first semester but we also picked up five or six new students at the semester so the enrollment holds about the same.

I have personally been going out to help in parishes many weekends.  This past weekend I celebrated the Masses at St. Mary Parish, St. Joseph and also one Mass at Hirlingen, a parish located out in the country east of St. Joseph.  The next two weekends I am scheduled to go to Plattsburg, MO and Easton, MO for two Masses at each place.  

God bless you and all the good work all of you are doing.