PASSION (PALM) SUNDAY, 2014

Today we begin that great and holy week when we celebrate the mysteries of our salvation.   We had a beautiful celebration this morning with the Sisters at 7:00 AM and had quite a number of lay people join us.  We had the blessing of palms in the hall front entrance and then processed to the chapel.  Two Sisters, Sister Pia Portman and Sister Berardine joined me for the reading of the Passion according to St. Matthew.  Then I went to the St. Joseph nursing home and again celebrated the liturgy.  There we had the blessing of palms in the chapel because of the many wheel chair patients.  I also used the shorter form for the reading of the passion. For many of these older people it is difficult enough to stay awake for Mass.  However, we did have a large crowd again today with pretty well every seat taken and a few standing.

Well, we started out this day with a little rain.  I came back to my house around noon and after doing a few things, sat down in the recliner and fell asleep.  When I awoke we were having snow.  It is a beautiful snow -- very wet and clinging to the trees etc.  The last few days it has been quite warm with temperature reaching up into the lower 80's.  Now today the wind has turned to the north and the temperature has dropped to about 30 degrees. Such is the weather in Nebraska.

This past Thursday myself and five of the Sisters took a little outing to Elgin and Raeville, Nebraska.  We left about 10:30 AM and went first to Elgin where we ate lunch at the senior citizen center.  Then we went on to Raeville.  Raeville has a large and beautiful church but practically no town is there anymore.  This is the place where the Missionary Benedictine Sisters first settled when they came to the U.S.A. from Germany.  Later then they moved to Norfolk. Here are some pictures I took there.

 Population of Raeville at entrance to the town

 Exterior and front of the church

 The rectory.   Now used by parishioners for family gatherings etc.

 One of the beautiful stained glass windows in the church

 The sanctuary

The Sisters and I who visited at Raeville. Picture taken in the sanctuary.

The church reminds me somewhat of the large church at Imogene, Iowa.  It too is located in a small town and is a very beautiful church.  The Sister next to me in the picture above is Sister Catherine.  She is the Subprioress here but was born and raised in the Raeville area and so is well acquainted.  Elgin, Nebraska is the home town of our former Father Wilford and Father Frederic, as well as Sister Ruth at Clyde. Father Martin Beckman was also from there but he left our foundation at St.Pius X and joined a diocese in Minnesota.  However, there are still many Beckmans around this area.

Have a blessed Holy Week and a glorious Easter.

Still snowing here as I complete this blog.