LENT, 2010

Yes, the season of Lent begins this Wednesday, February 17. Hopefully we are all prepared to enter into this season and looking forward to the joy of Easter. Lent is a time of conversion, of changing direction if that is what we need to do in our life. It's a time to turn away from sin and to turn to Jesus Christ more and more. So anything special we do during Lent should help us to do that.

Each of us who are monks take our Lenten good works that we propose to do to the Abbot and ask his approval and blessing. As a community we also do certain works during Lent, such as more silence, cutting back in food etc.. Lent is a time to die with Christ so we can rise with him at Easter.

This past week continued to be very much winter. We have had light snows a number of days and the days and nights are cold but we can be thankful we did not have snow like they had out east in Washington, DC, New York, Philadelphia etc.. I saw someplace yesterday that 49 states had new snow fall yesterday (Saturday). That means someplaces are having snow that usually do not get snow. I understand from a friend who is studying in Rome that last week they had their first snowfall in 26 years.

This coming week we will have three continuing education sessions with Father Paul Turner, an alumnus and pastor at Cameron, MO. He will speak to us about the new sacramentary that is being prepared and the changes that will be happening when we begin using it. We have a session Thursday afternoon, Thursday evening and Friday morning. The seminarians will be on retreat the first three days of lent --Ash Wednesday to Friday evening.

These past few days the deacon candidates from the diocese of Jefferson City and their wives have been here on retreat. They are preparing for their ordination to the diaconate in April. This weekend we also had a couple of groups of young people preparing for the sacrament of confirmation. A cousin of mine along with her husband and their son were here with the youth retreat group from Webb City, MO. It was good to visit with them.

New shipments of furniture are still arriving for the St. Stephen Health Care Center. We now have the new dining room furniture. They also began putting the railings in along the halls this week. That should be finished this week.

One of the tables in the dining room

The dining room for residents of Health Care Center

The sun porch next to the dining room

You are encouraged to also go to the Conception Abbey web site and read the Oblate blog there.

Please click here.

A Few News Items from Conception Abbey

More snow (3-4 inches) on February 5, 2010

Taken inside monastery looking through window
into the courtyard.

Just want all of you to know that, while much of the snow we had in January has melted, we keep getting a little more now and then to remind us that winter is not over yet.

With regard to our renovated St. Stephen Health Care Center, we are enjoying it very much. Some furniture is still arriving. I am including a couple pictures of that below.

Fr. Kenneth in his office with new office furniture
St. Stephen Health Care Center

Part of the living room area on 2nd floor
New chairs for the chapel in St. Stephen's

South end of dining room area in St. Stephen's

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

We here at Conception are getting ready for Lent. As St. Benedict states in his Rule, each of the monks "should make known to the abbot what he intends to do, since it ought to be done with his prayer and approval." Abbot Gregory gives each monk twenty minutes to come in and talk to him and ask for his approval on what they propose to do special during Lent. I hope all of us are starting to make some plans for Lent so that it can be a time to truly prepare for the joy of Easter.

A week ago, on Friday evening, January 29, we held our annual SOS (Support Our Seminarians) dinner and auction at the Mariott Hotel in downtown Kansas City. About 730 people attended this year. Since a number of my family were attending, I also went down for this event. I believe this was the 17th year for this event.

I encourage all of you to go to the Conception Abbey web site for more information about Conception or to read my Oblate blog. Click here please
To see other photos on my photo web site --- click here.

What's Going On

Over a week has gone by since I last wrote on this blog so I thought I would bring you up to date a bit. The weather continues to be one of the dominating things that people talk about. It has gotten warmer and a lot of the snow has melted and no new snow has come. However, for about the last ten days or so it has been cloudy and foggy everyday. So naturally everyone has been getting a little "cabin fever" wanting to see some sunshine and nice weather. Today the sun did shine for about half a day but then it once again clouded over. Sorry to talk about the weather so much but that has been a topic of much concern this winter.

This weekend I have been home most of the time. However, I did go to the Clyde Monastery for two Masses this morning. On Sundays they have their community Mass at 8:30 AM and then Mass at Our Lady of Rickenbach, their Health Care Center, at 11:00 AM. On Sundays the same priests celebrates both Masses. During the week the community Mass is at 7:30 AM and I will be celebrating that all this week. The Mass at their Health Care Center is at 11:00 AM everyday and on weekdays a second priest goes over for that.

On this past Thursday the Nodaway County Health Nurse came over to give the H1N1 flu shot to those who wanted one. I got one just to be sure. Right now it seems to have pretty well disappeared but some health officials think there will be another outbreak in February or so.
I guess it's better to be safe than sorry.

Every five years in the monastery we read the necrologies of the monks of Conception who have died. We read these on the anniversary date of their death at the evening meal. It is interesting to hear about the monks who have gone before us. As I get older I find I remember so many of them. I came here as a student in 1948 and entered the monastic community in 1953 so many have died during that time. Last Thursday, January 21, was the anniversary of Abbot Kevin's death and today January 24, is the anniversary of Abbot Anselm's death . Abbot Kevin died in 1995 and Abbot Anselm in 1999.


If you would like to read the blog I write for the oblates or see the Conception Abbey web site, click here.

IT'S BEEN COLD AND LOTS OF SNOW

To enlarge photo just click your mouse on it.

We have had a cold winter so far and have received more snow than we have had in many years. This past week we again had good size snow, and with the high winds we have been having, it blows into big drifts. It took the highway department a couple days just to get the main roads cleared and many of the minor roads were closed many more days. Today the temperature is up into the upper 30's which feels like spring. For many days we had temperatures staying at zero or barely above zero all day. Some nights the windchill was down to 20 and 25 below zero. But, I'm sure many of you have been experiencing the same kind of weather or maybe even worse. I sent some pictures to some friends who live in Phoenix. They sent some pictures back of flowers blooming in their yard and said the temperature has been in the 70's most days. How to make people feel good??? I remember well winters like this in the past but it has been a long time since we had so much snow and cold weather.

Last Sunday I was at Cameron, MO for the weekend Masses. Two Masses at St. Munchin's in Cameron. St. Munchin was an Irish saint. And then one Mass at St. Aloysius in Maysville, MO. I always enjoy these weekend assignments. I come back tired but I meet so many wonderful people. This coming weekend I go to Plattsburg, MO. I will have two Masses at Plattsburg (one on Saturday evening and one on Sunday) and one Mass at Easton, MO on Sunday morning.

The seminarians returned for the second semester last Sunday also. I think all of them were able to make it but that would probably not have been possible a week ago.

We are gradually getting more and more settled in the renovated St. Stephen Health Care Center. It is very nice. However, we are still waiting for new furniture and some other finishing touches.

Again I want to assure you of my prayers. I encourage you to go to the Conception Abbey web site and look at that. I have a blog for oblates there. Simply click on "oblates" on the left side of the screen and then on "blog." Click here if you would like to view some of my photos on Smugmug.

BLESSED AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

I wish everyone who reads this blog many blessings in this year of 2010. The years seem to go by so fast. Did you stay up on New Year's eve to see the new year come in? I personally have not done that for a long, long time. Here in the monastery we have a little New Year's eve party in the evening after vespers. Then from 8:00-9:00 PM we make a Holy Hour for peace. After that I went to bed. I figure the new year will come in without me watching it.

On Christmas eve and Christmas day we had quite a snow storm. High winds and a lot of snow. It was difficult, if not impossible for people go to where they had planned to celebrate Christmas. Our basilica is usually pretty well filled for midnight Mass, but this year we only had about thirty people in church. I had to work in our Health Care Center all night on Christmas eve as we could not get nurses in to work. It has also been very, very cold with temperatures the last couple nights down to zero or below. Last night we had about another inch or two of snow.

We are now pretty well moved into the renovated St. Stephen Health Care Center. It is very nice and all the residents seem to be happy to be there. There are a few little things that will still have to be done but for the most part it is completed.

Below are some pictures of the renovated building.

First floor: kitchen

First floor: dining room

First floor: sun porch

First floor: exercise room

To view my personal photo site go to: http://kennethosb.smugmug.com/

To go to the Conception Abbey web site click here.