SPRING IS ABOUT HERE

The temperature is up in the mid-seventies today. Yesterday was also a warm day. So some people are out putting in some garden etc. When I was a youngster out on our farm we used to plant potatoes sometime around St. Patrick's day so I think some are out today planting potatoes. After this winter it is just good to have some nicer weather. During the winter months Todd Coffman, one of our lay workers, and Brother Placid were building new picnic tables. They built twelve of them just like the ones pictured above. They should wonderful for picnics as they are long enough to hold four or five people on each side. Before long we will be using them.

Yesterday I attended a funeral of one of our long time oblates, Mary Gallagher. She lived in the Ravenwood area but belonged to the parish at Maryville. About three years ago she made it known that she wanted me as well as Father Regis to concelebrate at her funeral and Brother Justin to be cantor. Father Regis of course is already deceased, but Brother Justin and I did go over for the funeral. Mary's husband John died in 1991 and since then she and one of her sons had continued to live on their farm. As long as she was able she always came to our oblate retreats here at Conception.

This Friday and Saturday the Seminary Board of Regents meet here. That means a number of bishops, vocation directors and others will be here from tomorrow until Saturday noon or so. In fact some are arriving today so they can visit with their seminarians.

For those who do not read my oblate blog which is on the Conception Abbey web site, the oblates have just completed purchasing bibles for each of our guest rooms in the guest houses. It is a nice addition and we hope they will be used much. To go to the oblate blog, click on the "Conception Abbey" link at the top of this page, then click on oblates on left side of the page and finally click on "oblate blog."

Lent at Conception Abbey

If you take a walk around Lake Placid at Conception Abbey you will see, on the far side of the lake, facing the monastery, this cross. Perhaps it is a good reminder to all of us that Lent is almost upon us. Lent will begin on Ash Wednesday, March 9, this year of 2011. This about the latest that Lent can begin because Easter is about as late as it can be this year.

How do the monks at Conception observe the Lenten season. I suppose we observe it, for the most part, like others. But, on the other hand we probably have some special practices that are unique to Conception Abbey. Ash Wednesday itself is always observed as a Day of Recollection. There will be a conference given by the Abbot and we observe silence during the entire day with no recreation, watching t.v. etc.

Then on all the Fridays of Lent we observe silence, except for necessary talking, teaching etc. But, again we have no public recreation or watching of t.v. etc. Likewise we do not eat dessert during Lent, except on Sundays and a few of the major feastdays.

St. Benedict, as many of you know, spends an entire chapter in his Rule on the observance of Lent. Among the things that he strongly recommends is that each monk present to the Abbot the special things that he proposes to do during Lent. We go in and visit with the Abbot for about twenty minutes and he gives us a blessing for our Lenten good works asking God to bless us this Lenten season. If you would care to read what St. Benedict says in his Rule go to chapter 49 of the Rule of St. Benedict if you have a copy handy.

We also during Lent will have a series of conferences and discussions on Pope Benedict XVI document on the synod document: Verbum Domini (the Word of God).

This weekend the students are on a long off-campus weekend. They were able to leave on Thursday and will return Sunday evening. Then the first three days of Lent -- Ash Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of next week they are on retreat. Silence is observed on these days, they have conferences that are given by a retreat director and they spend time in prayer and reflection.

Last weekend I spent at Macon, Missouri (with one Mass at Bevier, MO) celebrating the weekend Masses since the pastor was gone. I enjoyed it and was well taken care of during my time there.

Lastly I want to wish each of you who read this blog, a Blessed Lenten season, and may you all come to the joy and peace of Easter.

Fr. Kenneth

Is spring here already???

Suddenly the last few days we have had very spring like weather. Even at this moment the temperature is right up around 70 degrees. It feels wonderful and the snow is almost all gone but we know that winter weather will be back.

This picture was taken on Wednesday afternoon,
February 16, 2011.

This afternoon, Thursday, February 17, practically all the snow is gone. Now the rivers and streams are rising with some flooding and of course there is lots of mud.

Some of the Bibles being prepared to be put in guest house rooms.

A project the oblates of Conception Abbey have recently taken on is to put a bible in each room of our guest houses. So far we have been able to put a hard bound bible in each room of Marian Hall. We are now working to put one in each room of St. Benedict Hall. We are very grateful to our oblates for taking on this project and, as always, appreciate their prayers and generosity.

Last week on the feast of St. Scholastica, February 10, we enjoying having the Sisters from Clyde Monastery here with us for vespers and dinner. For some pictures of this event, go to the top of this blog and click on the link to "Conception Abbey" web site, and then on the top of that page click on "photo gallery." New photos are added to this site rather frequently.

Ice and Snow bless the Lord

Snow on February 1, 2011

This picture was taken during the snow and the wind on Tuesday. Winds were from about 25 to 45 mph.

The Liturgy of the Hours for ordinary time on Sunday of Week I, has us pray the Canticle from the book of Daniel, chapter 3. It's a song of praise as all people and all creation sing to God in praise. Here is just a part of it:

Dew and rain, bless the Lord. Frost and chill, bless the Lord. Ice and snow, bless the Lord. Nights and days, bless the Lord. Light and darkness, bless the Lord.
Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord.

This winter since Christmas has just about had all of these. This present week we had ice on Monday morning and off and on throughout the day, and continuing through the night. Then on Tuesday the snow came and the winds came and the winds blew hard throughout the day and most of the night. And so many people were snowed in for a day or two. Even yet the highway department is working to open all the roads. A number of places they had managed to open one lane but now are opening the other lane or lanes. Even Interstate 70 was closed Tuesday evening and throughout the night from Kansas City to St. Louis.

Let us continue to praise the Lord with what he sends us.

It was difficult to staff our Health Care Center those first three days of the week but due to the cooperation and good spirit of our staff we managed to have someone here all the time. Our head nurse, Ronda Noble, R.N., stayed here from Sunday evening until Wednesday noon. Tuesday night we had three nurses spending the night and one on duty. Thanks to them for their sacrifices and willingness to fill in as needed.

I have mentioned before how I have bird feeders outside the sun porch in the Health Center.
Among birds coming to eat are cardinals. They are indeed beautful birds. You can see one in this picture in the tree patiently waiting to get to one of the feeders.

More birds, especially finches, trying to eat on the day of the snow storm.

Brother Cyprian has been home most of this week as his mother died last week at the age of 91. His father is still living and he indicated they had been married almost 69 years.

I couldn't help but include this picture taken at my grandparents home. My Dad and Mother (both now deceased) are seated in the buggy. My oldest brother Raymond (now deceased) is seated on the floor of the buggy and my mother is holding my second oldest brother, Harold (still living and 84 years old). They evidently had gone to my grandparents for the day which was about ten miles from where we lived. Due to muddy roads they went by horse and buggy. I remember the buggy but never remembering traveling that far in it.

To enlarge any of the pictures just click on them.

God bless all of you and keep warm.

Fr. Kenneth, O.S.B.

Good News and Sad News

Two new postulants arrive: on the left Manuel Santarriaga,
from the El Paso, Texas area, and on the right Daniel
Friedel from East Alton, Illinois

The above two candidates are now here to begin a period of postulancy. Oblates are encouraged to pray for vocations everyday, both for the dioceses and the monastic life.

Visiting here at Conception for a couple days is Abbot Richard Yeo, O.S.B., the Abbot-President of the English Congregation of Benedictines. He has just completed a visitation at St. Louis Abbey and is now spending a few days here at Conception. He is a monk of Downside Abbey in England.

A cousin of mine died rather suddenly last week in Omaha, Nebraska. One of my Dad's sisters, Aunt Rose and her husband lived in Omaha. They had five children, all of whom are now deceased. The grandson of my aunt and uncle, died rather suddenly at the age of 50 toward the end of last week. As a young boy I always remember how we looked forward to my aunt and uncle and their family coming to the farm to visit all the Reicherts. They would spend a week or so and usually we had a big family reunion while they were there.

Just outside the sun room in the renovated St. Stephen Health Care Center I have put some bird feeders. It is interesting to watch them as they come everyday for food. We have a number of different kind of finches, two or three different kind of woodpeckers, cardinals, blue jays and I'm not sure what else. The most beautiful I think are the male cardinals in their bright red feathers.

Last weekend and again this weekend I will be in Plattsburg and Easton, Missouri for the weekend Masses. On Saturday there is a Mass at Easton at 4:00 PM, then drive on to Plattsburg for a Mass at 6:00 PM. Sunday morning there is a Mass at Easton at 8:00 AM and then the final Mass at Plattsburg at 10:00 AM. By that time I am usually pretty well worn out.

More snow is predicted for us on Wednesday. So far we have gotten through this winter in good shape.

To go to the Conception Abbey web site, click on the link at the top of this blog and then to read the oblate blog, click on "oblates" on the left of your screen.

God bless you.