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.