Spring is coming

It seems that spring is finally starting to arrive. While the temperatures get down in the 30's at night, the days are warmer with temperatures in the 50's and 60's. We have had a cold winter with lots of snow and ice. I think it has been a winter we will remember for a while, especially the bad ice storm in December when we were without electricity for five days.

We have continued to have many retreatants here at the Abbey, both during the week and especially on weekends. This coming weekend the seminary will be holding it's "Encounter With God's Call" weekend. This is a weekend for young men, who are giving some thought to coming to the seminary, to come and visit and hear talks by other seminarians and even attend some classes.

This next weekend will also be our first oblate retreat for this year. This retreat will be given by Brother Thomas Sullivan, O.S.B. and is entitled: "The Patriarchs from the Genesis narratives: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph." We are expecting between 40 and 50 oblates for the retreat.

The picture I am including with this blog was just taken yesterday afternoon when I was out walking. I was out in the apple orchard area to the east of the campus and took this picture of the back of the buildings. You can enlarge the picture by simply clicking on it.

Solemnity of St. Benedict

Today is the Solemnity of St. Benedict for those of us who are Benedictines. Usually this feast is on March 21 but since that date this year came during Holy Week and so could not be celebrated, it was moved to this Tuesday after the Octave of Easter, April 1. We are following our Sunday schedule today and so had a beautiful Mass at 10:30 AM and that was followed by a banquet dinner at noon. So all of you who are Benedictine Oblates of Conception Abbey, I wish you a Happy Feastday.

Yesterday and today is also Pastor's Day for the pastors of our seminarians. They joined the monastic community for vespers yesterday evening then had a banquet in the student dining room. Today many of them joined us for Mass and concelebrated.

The picture above is just one I took a few weeks ago when out walking. It's an old barn on our farm and just behind it are some of the wind turbines that are part of the local windmill farm. The windmills are still not in operation but are all set up and they are working to prepare them to start generating electricity.

Father Malachy enters eternal life

Father Malachy Riley, O.S.B. entered eternal life on Tuesday afternoon about 1:25 PM. I mentioned in my last blog that I had been spending a lot of time, and even some nights, in the infirmary. That was because of the eminent death of Father Malachy. Father Malachy was the oldest member of the Conception Abbey community, having been born October 5, 1914. So he was on his 94th year. With him at the time of his death was one of his sisters from St. Louis and a number of members of the monastic community. He had many assignments during his long life but had returned to the Abbey in the year 2000 and took up residence in the infirmary.

Today is the funeral for Father Albert's mother who died this past Saturday. The funeral is in Des Moines but the burial will be here at Conception in our cemetery.

This evening the Sisters from Clyde will be joining us for vespers and for dinner. They invite us over there usually for the feast of St. Scholastica on February 10 and usually we invite them over here sometime during Easter week.

HAPPY EASTER

Well, here it is Easter Sunday. That day which is the Solemnity of Solemnities. The day when Jesus Christ won for all of us victory over sin and death. So Happy Easter to each and everyone of you! Here we once again had a lot of guests for the celebration of the Triduum which begins with the Holy Thursday evening Mass and concludes on Easter Sunday evening with vespers. As usual our Easter Vigil this morning began at 4:30 AM and ended about 7:30 AM. Unfortunately this year I had to miss the Easter Vigil due to work in the infirmary. I was over there all last night and will probably be there again tonight.

Now that Lent is over I hope to once again begin publishing now and then on this blog. I appreciate very much those of you who read it and those of you who have taken time to comment.

The seminarians all left today after the Vigil Mass and by now many of them have arrived at their homes. They will return next Sunday so they have a full week break.

On Holy Thursday I celebrated Mass and on Good Friday had the services at Our Lady of Rickenbach home at Clyde. This is the health care residence for the Sisters at Clyde. There are about 26-27 Sisters living there.

Lent, 2008

I wanted to take a minute to wish each of you a blessed and holy Lent as we begin the Lenten season on Wednesday, February 6. I have decided to give up writing anything in this blog, at least during this Lenten season. It is a busy time for me with many things going on so I will just let this blog lie dormant for a while, at least during the Lenten season and perhaps somewhat beyond. Please go to the Conception Abbey web site and read the Prior's Journal and he will keep you up to date on what is happening here at Conception.

Blessings and peace.