NEWS FROM NORFOLK

It's time to write from my assignment at Norfolk again.  The past week or so we have had quite a bit of rain.  And we have had a lot of cloudy weather and a lot of humid weather.  Tomorrow already is the first of September and Labor Day so I suppose we will soon see the beginning fall.  Fall is a beautiful time of the year but we all know that winter follows soon after.  One morning it started raining during morning prayer and by noon we had received about 3 1/2 inches of rain.  The next night I didn't hear a thing but the rain gauge indicated almost another four inches of rain.  I hope the rivers south of here are not flooding.  All that water ends up in the Missouri river.

This past week another monk died at Conception Abbey.  Brother George Strohmeyer died at the age of 92.  In his last years, living in our infirmary at the abbey, he spent much of his time making rosaries.  I think we have enough rosaries to give them away for a long time.  

Brother George originally was a member of Corpus Christi Abbey in Texas but when that abbey was closed he transferred to Conception Abbey.  Now he is in the heavenly kingdom.

School has started at Conception with, I believe, about 95 students. Pray for vocations and for the perseverance of those who are in the seminary.  

 Abbot Gregory teaching a scripture course

 Archbishop Jerome Hanus, O.S.B. teaching a religion course.

I have been following the Kansas City Royals very closely. Fortunately they are on television up here and a lot of people in the area follow them.  Of course in Nebraska football is the big thng.  Just about everyone wears red when the Huskers are playing.  Someone even gave me a Husker cap.  The Royals have done well this year but right now seem to have a difficult time getting timely hits.  

It was good to see Keith Jiron when he was in Norfolk a couple weeks ago.  He and his family now live in Omaha.  He will again have to come to Norfolk, I think he said September 17.  So hopefully I will get to see him now and then.

And, keep in mind, that if any of you are up in this area or just going through the area, stop and see me.  It's always good to call first to make sure I am here but I would love to see you.  My phone number here in the house where I live is:  402-371-5657.  I also have a cell phone but do turn it off when I am visiting in the nursing home or celebrating Mass etc.  402-750-9684.  You can always leave a message if I am not home.  As for e-mail I continue to use the Conception e-mail -- kenneth@conception.edu

I am still eating a lot of fresh fruit and sweet corn and tomatoes.  I love this time of year and I can buy peaches, blueberries, raspberries and even black berries.  I put them in the freezer and take them out as I need them.  People have been very good in giving me tomatoes.

Must go for now.  Hope God continues to bless each of you.

Fr. Kenneth

Liver today for dinner. I love it.

It seems as though there are many who do not like liver today. When I was growing up on the farm the only time we got liver was when we butchered and we looked forward to having fresh liver that evening.  My mother would fry it with onions and then make a delightful gravy and then make real corn bread and how I liked to put that gravy and liver on the corn bread for a delightful meal.  O well, that was years ago but I still like liver and we do have it here at Norfolk now and then.  I usually eat the noon meal with the Sisters and then make my own meal for the evening. People have been giving me fresh tomatoes and sweet corn so it has been good eating at this time of the year.  I also have been buying fresh fruit at the grocery store -- strawberries, peaches, blue berries, plumes etc.  Good eating at this time of the year.

These days are auction days at Conception Abbey.  After all the cleaning out of the monastery in preparation for the renovation, there are three days of selling things that will not be going back into the monastery.  Hope they get rid of most of the things.  Good to have the sale before the students return. 

I have not been doing much traveling recently.  There have been a couple changes in schedule so I have stayed here even on my days off.  I did finally sign up for AAA, so I can call them if I am out on the road and have a flat tire or car trouble.  I honestly don't think I could change a tire today.  I have changed many of them in my life, but I kind of doubt that I could get the job done now so I thought I should sign up for AAA so I can call for help.

This coming Wednesday, August 20, I will be going to Humphrey, Nebraska for a 4th degree Knights of Columbus meeting.  I am now the chaplain for the 4th degree Knights in this area.  Most of the time we meet in Norfolk, but during the summer especially meetings are held in the various towns in the area.  

Keith Jiron, who now works for the Archdiocese of Omaha will be in Norfolk this coming Tuesday so we are planning to have lunch together.  Keith was a seminarian some years ago and then he worked for us at Conception as admissions director for a few years. He and his wife, Kate, now have four children -- all boys.  I haven't seen Keith for some time so am looking forward to seeing him.  

Pictured above are the two new novices who entered the novitiate at Conception on August 14.  Pictured with Abbot Gregory are Novice Eric on the left and Novice Joseph on the right.  We thank God for the new and younger members seeking to join our community.  Please keep them in prayer.

This is a picture of the old altar in the parish where I grew up -- St. Boniface Church at Brunswick, MO.  All that beautiful work is wood so it certainly took a lot of work.  This is where I celebrated my first solemn Mass in 1959 -- at the old altar above and in Latin. Now of course the newer smaller altar is used for Mass.  I served many Masses at this older altar when I was young.  I think I started serving when I was in the third grade.  

So much for now, let us all continue to pray for one another.  

Visitors and Trip to Mount Michael Abbey

Just a few words and some photos.  We have had some cool weather up here in Northeast Nebraska for the past week or so, but according to the weather forecast it is once again supposed to get hot with temperatures in the 90's for part of next week.  

Last weekend I was happy to have some friends here to visit as Brother Maximilian, his mother Debbie and his brother Mike were here for a couple days.  It was good to see them. Here are a couple pictures from their visit.

 The young man and the young lady were

not here visiting me but were guests.  The young man

is from Norfolk and goes to college at 

Benedictine College in Atchison.  The

young lady is from Germany and had been

an exchange student here.

On Wednesday of this week, July 29, I drove to Mount Michael Abbey at Elkhorn, NE to visit the monks there.  It was good to see them all, but I especially enjoyed seeing and visiting with Abbot Raphael and Abbot Theodore.  Both have served as abbot at Mount Michael and both originally came from Conception Abbey.  I could not believe all the changes that had taken place at Elkhorn.  Way back in the summer of 1956 Fr. Alexis and I were sent to Elkhorn to help get the place ready for school to begin that fall.  At that time they were pretty well out in the country, but, like most large cities Omaha has spread out in all directions.  I took highway 275 all the way down and then exited onto Maple Road.  That is now a four lane divided highway and of course the road that takes you to Mount Michael is only a couple miles after you exit on to Maple.  

I also had never seen the newest addition to their monastery.  It is very nice.  Not extravagant but comfortable with a bathroom in every room and the rooms are quite large.  It was an enjoyable visit for sure and I hope to go back sometime this fall.  They were very hospitable with their present abbot, Abbot Michael, just getting home Wednesday night but I had a chance to talk with him a while on Thursday.  I left shortly after lunch on Thursday to head back to Norfolk in time to take the 5:00 PM Mass for the Sisters.

 Abbot Theodore as he and I were visiting the cemetery.

The new wing of the monastery taken from over toward the high school building.

 Bell tower built on the campus since I was last at Mount Michael

View of the school.  This year they are expecting about
250 students.

When I was visiting my family in June the parish at Brunswick celebrated my 60th anniversary of profession.  At that time my sister in law, Vera, had put together a collage of part of my life.  I took it over to the Sisters and left it there for about a week or so.  They enjoyed very much looking at the photos.  Here is a picture of the pictures.

Collage put together by my sister in law for my 60th anniversary.

When I was at Elkhorn Abbot Theodore reminded me of photos of deceased monks at Conception that I formerly had on my computer.  Well I had removed them and he missed them.  Fortunately I kept a copy of them on a disc and was able to put them back on my photo site.  They are not complete as it only goes up to 2007.  They are also not in order but anyway here is the web site for them.

http://kennethosb.smugmug.com/Conception-Abbey/Deceased-monks-of-Conception/

God bless you all.  Today is the first day of August so soon schools will be opening for a new school year.