Alumni Reunion, Family Weekend etc.

 

Bottom floor rooms begin to take shape

Taken on back side (northeast) of new guest house.

A couple of updated pictures of the new guest house.  We have had lovely weather so they are moving ahead at a good pace.  

A week ago on September 23-24 we had our alumni reunion,.  About 70 alumni were here for the occasion.  Abbot Gregory gave them a talk on the new revised Grail psalter.  Abbot Gregory was also celebrant for the Mass on Friday evening.  That was followed by a social hour and a banquet and more visiting and socializing that evening.  Two classes had were honored in a special way, the college class of 1966 and the college class of 1971.  On Saturday evening the class of 1971 had a cook out.  Since i had been their prefect I was invited to attend this reunion.  It was good to see so many old faces but it also serves to make me realize how old I am getting.  I remember well when they were here and now, those who did not go on for ordination, are talking about their grand children.  So time flies by.

This past weekend, October 1 and 2, we had our annual family weekend for the seminarians.  I was out in a parish for the weekend in St. Joseph, but I understand there was an overflow crowd here for the occasion.  

During the last year the old lake (Maria Laach) down the hill from the
the ball fields, was drained and then cleaned out.  It
is now refilling.

The grotto that is on the island at Maria Laach

COOLER WEATHER -- PROGRESS ON NEW GUEST HOUSE

Work continues on the new guest house.  I am putting some pictures on this blog to bring you up to date on how it is progressing.  They are still hoping to get it enclosed before the winter weather sets in.  The last week or so it has been much cooler.  In fact most days recently it has not gotten above the 50's and 60's.  Good sleeping weather for sure, but difficult to get out of bed in the mornings.  

Last weekend I helped at St. Andrew Parish in Gladstone, MO, a suburb of Kansas City north of the Missouri river.  It was a busy weekend with one Mass Saturday evening and three on Sunday.  The last Mass on Sunday was not until 6:30 PM so on Sunday afternoon my friends Benjamin and Alicia Darnell and their little son Isaac came out to see me.  They just recently moved back to the Kansas City area from Dayton, Ohio and Ben is now working as youth minister at Queen of the Holy Rosary parish at Bucyrus, KS.   It was good to see them again and it is good to know they are now much closer than they were.

On Monday Ben's parents Rick and Sandy Darnell came to see me here at Conception, spending Monday night.  They live in Phoenix, Arizona but had been in Missouri for some days on vacation.  

Tomorrow on Saturday I go to Trenton, MO.  Tomorrow afternoon I will preside at the wedding of a cousin of mine, Marie Gladbach.  Her Dad and my mother were brother and sister.  Her Dad is now deceased but her mother is still living and is 96 years old.  She plans to be at the wedding.  

They have also poured the concrete for the Health Care Center parking lot.   Parking in this lot will be only for staff members and guests of the residents in the Health Care Center.  We are not able to park on the area yet but will be soon, as the concrete cures more.

Oblates of Conception Abbey:  Don't forget to register for the oblate retreat October 7-9, 2011.  Register by contacting the guest department:  e-mail = guests@conception.edu or phone 660-944-2809. 

God bless all of you.  Let us pray for one another.

Novices, Hail & Wind storm, Birthday

On Sunday, August 14, two men entered the novitiate for Conception Abbey. Novice Daniel is originally for Alton, Illinois. Novice James is originally from Clarence, MO.

Novice Daniel Friedel receives a copy of the Rule of St. Benedict
from Abbot Gregory

Novice James Chinn recives his copy of the Rule from
Abbot Gregory

Birthday cake for Father Anthony's 90th birthday
August 21, 2011

Father Anthony at his birthday party

Damage to windows, roofs and trees from a very intense
wind and hail storm on the evening of August 18

More damage

Window damage at the Printery House

On the evening of August 18, toward the end of Compline we began to get a tremendous storm. The electricity went out. As we left compline it was starting to rain and soon the hail came with it. The winds reached up to 90-100 mph and the hail lasted for a good twenty minutes or so. We received quite a bit of damage, the Sisters at Clyde received even more damage. All the crops in this area were ruined -- especially the corn and soybeans. We were without electricity until Saturday morning, August 20.

Photos of storm damage courtesy of Brother Maximilian, OSB

LEISURE AND VACATION

Last Tuesday, August 2, I returned from about 9-10 days of vacation and time for visiting relatives and friends. I really enjoyed these days even though the temperature was up to about 100 degrees each day. I got to see many of my relatives who live in the Brunswick, MO area, as well as my brother Harold and his wife Dee in Kansas City. Also, I got to see many old friends who I had known or worked with years ago.

I did not do anything unusual except eat more than I usually do. So many want you to come to eat a meal or they want to take you out to a meal. But, I got lots of rest, went down to the parish church and celebrated Mass either concelebrating with the new pastor, Father Rob Fields, or celebrating the Mass myself when Father Rob was gone.

I came back relaxed and felt like I had a number of leisurely days. My roots certainly go back to this little river town in North Central Missouri. I was born in a farm house there, went to church regularly at the Catholic church there, was baptized there, confirmed there, served many Masses in that church etc., as well as celebrated my first Mass there in 1959.

It seems to me that when we are younger we like to be on the go a lot -- taking trips, going to see things etc. As a result we frequently come back more tired than we were when we left. It seems only as I have gotten older have I learned to relax and to enjoy leisure. Sometimes I just enjoy being alone.

At any rate I am back at work again now. As usual when you are gone for a few days, there is work waiting for you when you return. But, I have gradually gotten caught up.

One of the things I enjoyed when in Brunswick was the "friendship wheel" lunch at the St. Boniface Church Hall. This is a once a month activity. The five churches in Brunswick take turns hosting it on the fourth Wednesday of each month -- skipping December and January. In July it was hosted by the Catholic church. Anyone comes who wishes, each person is asked to leave a $3.00 donation for the meal, although most seem to leave more than that. The Baptist minister and Lutheran pastor were there for this dinner and of course the Catholic pastor. It brings the people together from the different religions. The churches that take part in this are the St. Boniface Catholic church, the Methodists, the Lutherans, the Christians and the Baptists. I enjoyed it very much.

Here at Conception work is proceeding on the new guest house. With the weather so hot the workers have been coming to work as early as 6:00 or 6:30 AM and quitting then about 2:30 PM. That makes sense to me in hot weather.

Our new students start arriving on August 17 so that is not far off.

Some photos: Many of you remember the quaruplets that were born to
one of my grandnephews and his wife in 2009. One
of the boys died a couple days after birth. The other
three are pictured about and seem to be doing well.
They were two years old on July 7

Work proceeds on the new guest house.

While work progresses on the new guest house, windows
are being replaced on the north side of the library

HOT, HOT, HOT AND YES, ALSO HUMID

As I am sure many of you have read or heard the mid-section of the country is in an extreme heat wave. Of course you have probably also heard, or seen news, about the flooding Missouri river. A number of the roads along the Missouri river, including Interstate 29, which goes from Kansas City to Omaha and beyond, is closed due to the flooding. Evidently they had an unusual amount of snow up north in Montana this winter and then some heavy rains in the spring. So they are having to let a lot of water out of the dams up north. That is what is causing the river to flood.

And then for the past week or more we have had day after day of very hot and humid weather. With all the water around that only makes it more humid. So they are telling people to take it easy, take a lot of breaks if you work outdoors and drink a lot of water.

They have now started to work on the new guest house. As you can see from the above picture they have been grading and preparing the area for building. It is expected to take a full year to complete the building. J.E. Dunn is the construction manager but of course there are many sub-contractors. (click on picture above to enlarge it)

During the month of July we are having our LCCIP program for International Priests who are working or preparing to work in the United States. The letters stand for: Language, Culture, Church for International Priests. It is a three week program held every summer here at Conception to help these priests acclimate to the culture and language in this country. With the shortage of priests in this country many dioceses are going outside the United States to try to find priests who are willing to come to this country for priestly ministry.

Click on picture to enlarge it.

The picture above is of an alumnus and good friend of mine who just recently graduated from the Wichita Police Academy. Pictured is Randy Gorges, along with his wife Vera, and his son Isaac. I have come to really appreciate and admire the police. They render a real service to our communities and in so many ways risk their life to help us. After the shooting we had here in 2002, I realized they are really our friends and not out to try to catch us doing something wrong.

Toward the end of this week I will be going to my little home town of Brunswick, Missouri to spend about ten days relaxing and visiting family and friends.

My prayers are with all of you everyday.

God bless you.