Thanksgiving, Advent and other things

Last week most of the monks who are assigned to parishes or as chaplains were home for the week.  We had our usual community meetings.  On Thanksgiving day itself we honor all those who celebrate jubilees during the year.  This year we honored and celebrated with:  Fr. Richard Cleary and Fr. Hugh Tasch: 60 years professed, Archbishop Jerome Hanus, 50 years professed, Fr. Francis Stuart and Fr. Rene Guesnier, 50 years ordained, Br. Jude Person, 25 years professed.  It was a delightful week and good to see our confreres.  Those who are away at school were not able to come back but they will be home for Christmas.  


Today, Sunday, November 27, and the first Sunday of Advent, we began using the New Roman Missal.  I had the Mass for the residents in the Health Care Center and all went well there.  Abbot Gregory was the principal celebrant for the Community Mass and I understand all went well there also. You do have to keep your eyes on the book but in time we will learn the words more from memory.  


The students left for Thanksgiving vacation last Tuesday. Today they will be returning and in just a few weeks will be leaving again for a longer Christmas break.  


JOSEPH GLAUS:  Some of you who are older alumni should remember this name.  Just a few days ago someone asked me about him.  I found the article written about him in the Tower Topics issue of December, 1955.  He had died in October of that year.  He left his home in Switzerland in 1913 and came to Conception.  He worked here then as a layman for 42 years.  In 1935 he was assigned as janitor in St. Maur Hall and continued in that work until his death.  As a janitor he endeared himself in the hearts of those for whom he toiled.  He was a very charitable person.  It seems his whole life was spent in serving others.  Just thought some alumni who were in school here in those year and remember "Joe" would like to hear a little about him.  Below is a picture of Joe Glaus, smoking a cigar.  Picture was taken from the 1955 Tower Topics.

Work on the new guest house continues at a good pace.  It is now all enclosed so work can continue even in cold or wet weather.   They still have to lay brick on a big part of the front (south) side but they hope to get that done soon. The roof is all covered but the final roof will not be put on until next spring.  

West end of the building.

North or back side of the building

As we conclude this Thanksgiving week, I hope we all remembered to thank God for his love and goodness.  We all have much to be grateful for in our lives.  


God bless you.
Fr. Kenneth

What's Happening?

Looking back since my last entry in this blog which was dated November 1, I should first of all note that we were not able to have our usual procession to the cemetery on November 2.  The weather was rainy and cold.  


The weekend of November 5-6, I was at Cameron, MO where I celebrated all the Masses at St. Munchin Church and also at St. Aloysius Church at Maysville, MO.  


This past weekend November 12-13, I was not assigned to a parish assignment but on Sunday I went to Omaha, Nebraska, for a wake service.  A cousin of our family died there Thursday night, November 10.  So some of our family decided to drive up for the wake service on Sunday evening.  My sister in law, Vera, my nephew, Kenny, and my niece, Janet, and myself went up for this.  We returned on Sunday evening.  Kind of a tiring trip but I'm glad we went.  It was good to see many of the relatives again.  

Beatrice (Bea) Clavin in the chair with

my sister in law when they visited her in

September, 2011

This picture dates back to the late 1960's.  I had taken my Dad

and Mother and my Uncle Tony and Aunt Marguerite to Omaha

to see their nephews and niece.  Above in the picture are in the back

row:  my mother, Aunt Marguerite, Uncle Tony, Geraldine (a niece)

and my Dad.  In the front row are:  Richard, Fr. Kenneth, John, Herbert and Bill.

The boys in the front row are all nephews of my Dad (except for me) and

Aunt Marguerite.  Their sister Rose lived in Omaha and died of cancer

in 1947.

The weekend of November 19-21 was also the fall Encounter With God's Call.  Two of these are held each year -- one in the fall and one in the spring -- to allow young men in high school or college to experience seminary life for a few days.  About sixty attended this weekend.  

This weekend we also had our annual drama production.  This year they did the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat.  It was a delightful production and well done by the students here in the seminary.  Brother Cyprian was the director.  

A picture of the guest house taken just this morning,

Tuesday, November 15, 2011.

SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS AND COMMEMORATION OF FAITHFUL DEPARTED

Today as I write this blog it is the Solemnity of all Saints.  Since it is a holyday of obligation, we do not have classes and our lay workers are given the day off as a holiday.  We follow the Sunday schedule with Mass at 10:30 AM.  I myself was out in a parish, St. Munchin Parish at Cameron, MO from Saturday afternoon until today late morning.  I had three Masses on Saturday evening and Sunday and then two for the feast of All Saints. I like to remember that today we are celebrating not only the feast of those saints who are officially canonized, but all of those who are now with God in the Kingdom of Heaven.  We pray and hope that includes many who we have known in this life -- parents, family members, confreres etc.

Tomorrow, November 2, is the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed.  So while today we celebrated those in heaven, tomorrow we will remember those still on the way to the fullness of the Heavenly Kingdom.  I think both days are important for those of us still here in this life as we remember those who have gone before us.

The weather has continued to be lovely for this time of the year.  Tomorrow (Wednesday) they are predicting some rain and even the possibility of a little snow.  We need the rain but most of us agree, the snow can hold off a while yet.

 Brick work on the north side of the new guest house is about done.

Work on the roof continues making progress.

On the left alumnus Fr. Ron Hart and a friend Fr. Damian
Visited here October 28-30, 2011.  Both are from
diocese of Joliet, IL  Fr. Hart was here in school
1962-65 

Alumni Fr. Jim Baird and Fr. Chris Renner, both alumni from
the Archdiocese of Denver.  Fr. Renner 1984-86 and Fr. Baird 1983-87.
Both were here on retreat.

God bless each and everyone of you.  

NEW PARKING LOT, SOCCER & VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT AND OTHER NEWS

The weather outside is getting cooler and the days are getting shorter while the nights get longer. We are definitely well into fall and we can all look forward to winter.  Last weekend, October 7-9, we had a good oblate retreat.  About forty five oblates were present for the retreat.  We covered the last six degrees (or steps) of humility from St. Benedict's Rule.  I gave the conferences and then on Sunday the last conference was given by Paul Tarro.  He and his wife made their final oblation on Saturday.  He spoke on the book:  BAREFOOT DISCIPLE, Walking the Way of Passionate Humility, by Stephen Cherry.  The oblates appreciated his comments on the book and the approach to humility.  I hope all of you who are oblates and who have the use of a computer and e-mail were able to see the photos I sent to you from the weekend retreat.  

This weekend the Seminary Board of Regents were here for one of their twice a year meetings.  Yesterday, Friday, we had our commmunity Mass at 5:00 PM with Archbishop George Lucas, from Omaha, as celebrant.  Today Mass was at 7:30 AM with Bishop James Johnston, bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau as celebrant.  

This weekend is also the annual soccer and volleyball tournament for the seminary.  Seminarians from other seminaries in this part of the country come to take part in the day.  It is a tournament affair and the winner receives a trophy.

This fall we had a new parking lot built just to the south of the Health Care Center.  It is primarily for staff members who work in that building as well as guests who come to visit residents in the building.  Brother Placid and his helpers have been landscaping and it is looking very nice.  Most of the flowers we had in that area continue to bloom as you can see from the photo below.

Meanwhile work continues on the new guest house.  I was over this morning to take some more pictures.  I will only post one of those pictures here today.  If you are an oblate you can probably see all of the pictures since I have put them all on a Picassa album.  They have already begun laying bricks on the north (back) side of the building.

In the past week we had a couple of deaths of people who some of you might remember.  Mr. Raymond Schuster died over a week ago.  He was the brother of our Father Philip Schuster and was over 90 years old.  He worked most of his life in education and lived most of his adult life in the Conception and Maryville area.

Last Monday some of us attended the funeral of Mrs. Mary Lou Schieber.  For about fifteen years she was our nurse (RN) in our infirmary.  She had been ill for some time. 

Blessings on all of you readers of this blog.

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