Alumni Reunion and other news

The annual Conception alumni reunion was held this past Friday and Saturday. My understanding is that about 90 alumni attended. The college class of forty years ago in 1969 had a very good turnout for their reunion. I had been the prefect for most of them at some time while they were here. It was good to see them again. I always refer to those 1960's as turbulent years in the Church and also in our society. I always say that during those years everyone seemed to want something different, everyone wanted change, but not many of us knew exactly what we wanted. A number left the monastery in those years and the same thing happened in most religious communities and in the diocesan priesthood.

The Eucharist was celebrated at 4:30 PM on Friday with Bishop Anthony Milone, an alumnus and retired bishop of Great Falls-Billings in Montana as celebrant and homilist. He now lives in Omaha which is where he served as priest before being appointed bishop. At the conclusion of Mass Mr. Fred Meyer was given the alumni award for distinguished service. Fred went to school here from 1934-36. He lives in the state of Washington and was not able to be here because of his age and health. His younger brother, who lives in Iowa, accepted the award in his name.

Last weekend when I was filling in for the pastor at Brunswick, MO where I was born and raised, I got to see my great great nephew and nieces who were born on my birthday on July 7. There were originally quadruplets but one of the boys died the second day after they were born. The other three just recently were released from the hospital and are now at home. Each of them now weighs 5-6 pounds. I am putting a photo of them here on my blog with their great-great uncle. I have to admit I was a little nervous holding three babies at once but very proud of them.

Brody, the boy, is in the center with
his sisters Emery and Gracie on the
left and right.

Next weekend, October 2-4, we have an oblate retreat here. It is being given by Karen Ceckowski, pastoral associate for our Prayer and Ministry Center.

Especially if you are an oblate be sure to always check out our web site and oblate site located on our Conception Abbey web site. Click here

Progress on Renovation of Infirmary

Renovation on the 2nd floor of the infirmary.
On the left side is the nurses station.

2nd floor renovation

This very brief movie shows the renovation of
the sun porch. Primarily larger windows.

The infirmary renovation continues to go forward. We still hope to be able to move back there before Christmas. It will be a big change. The entire building will be central air-conditioned and heated. Each room with have available computer connection, antenna for T.V. and telephone availability. Maybe I will be able to move in when it is completed. I doubt that time has come yet.

This very brief movie shows the new main
entrance on the south side of the infirmary

We have continued to have very nice weather for this time of the year. Nights have been cool and daytime highs about 80 degrees. Farmers have not been harvesting yet as the crops were planted late and they are just not dry enough yet to havest.

We have this summer and fall almost completed putting all our electrical lines on campus under ground. An electrical company from St. Joseph has been doing that and I think they are planning on the switch over now in early October. It will be great to get all those overhead lines down and not have poles breaking on campus when there is a wind or ice storm.

Want to get this on line. God bless each of you and enjoy the nice fall weather.

Don't forget to check out the Conception Abbey web site -- click here and for the oblate blog, then click on "oblates' on the left side of your screen.

NEW MEMBERS IN COMMUNITY

Brother Paul signs his profession document on the Gospel book
after he made solemn vows on August 23, 2009

Brother Maximilan with Abbot Gregory and Brother Bernard
after taking simple vows on August 15, 2009

Abbot Gregory and Brother Bernard with the
four new novices who entered the novitiate
on August 14, 2009. Left to right: Novice
Craig Thomas, Novice Eric Huard, Br. Bernard,
Abbot Gregory, Novice John Bosco and Novice Samuel Backus/

The past couple of weeks have been a time of special blessings for the Conception Abbey community. Four new novices entered the novitiate and one made simple vows and one made solemn vows. Continue to pray for vocations and for the perseverance of those who have been sent to us by God. For more about vocations at Conception Abbey click here.

School has started and we have an enrollment of 116 diocesan students. This is up again from last year so that is encouraging. They too of course need your prayers so they will persevere.

Work on our renovation of the infirmary continues to make good progress. We hope to be back there by about Christmas time. A company is also working to put all our electric lines on campus underground. At least the ice storms won't be able to break the lines on campus when this work is completed.

Oblates reminder: The next oblate retreat is the weekend of October 2-4, 2009. It is on the spirituality of icons and will be given by Karen Ceckowski. Be sure to make your reservation.

Many blessings to each of you.

Death of Abbot James

Abbot James and Fr. Regis (pushing wheelchair)
Taken a few years ago.

When I returned from Washington, D.C. on August 3, I was informed already at the airport that Abbot James had been taken to the hospital in St. Joseph that morning by ambulance. We stopped to see him and he was still in the emergency room. After staying at the hospital for about an hour we came on home as the nurse said they would probably keep him overnight. Later in the afternoon the hospital called and told us he had a perforated bowel and probably a tumor. The surgeon called me a little later and asked me to come down since I was designated as his agent on his living will and durable power of attorney. Both the surgeon and his regular doctor suggested that we not do surgery as they thought he might not even make it through surgery. So on Tuesday we brought him home, again by ambulance, and put him on hospice care. On Wednesday morning about 4:10 AM when the nurse went in his room to give him some medicine for pain, he was dead. We are thankful he did not have to suffer for a long time

The funeral for Abbot James was on Saturday morning at 10:30 AM. The church was pretty well filled and a number of priests were here for the funeral, including Archbishop Jerome Hanus, O.S.B., our former abbot and now Archbishop of Dubuque, Iowa, Bishop Rober Finn, our own bishop, Abbot Bonaventure retired Archabbot of St. Meinrad Archabbey, Abbot Gabriel from St. Benedict Abbey in Massachusetts, Abbot Barnabas and Abbot Owen (retired) from St. Benedict Abbey, Atchison, KS. Abbot James was a good friend of many people and greatly loved by those of us in the monastic community. If you would like to read the eulogy given by Father Daniel at the wake service on Friday evening, or the homily given by Abbot Gregory at the funeral Mass or the obituary notice, please go to the Conception Abbey web site:
www.conceptionabbey.org and then click on "news" on the left side of the screen.

Fr. Kenneth in front of George Washington's home at Mount Vernon

For more pictures of this visit go to: http://kennethosb.smugmug.com/gallery/9222100_3dxSs

As I mentioned I returned last Monday from visiting good friends in the Washington, DC area. It was a delightful trip and I had a wonderful visit with Mike and Angie Ryan. Mike was a classmate of mine in the seminary and we spent the novitiate together and three years of temporary vows. So we have been friends for 55 years or more. I always enjoy Washington and we were also able to visit the home of Thomas Jefferson and the home of the fourth president, James Madison. I enjoy history and especially American history so all this was very interesting. On this trip I was able to visit the home of three of our first four presidents -- George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. I missed the second president, John Adams, who was from Massachusetts.

Our four postulants are on retreat this week as they prepare to enter the novitiate on Friday, August 14. Also, on retreat are Novice Adam, who will make first profession of vows on August 15, and Brother Paul, who will make solemn vows on Sunday, August 23.

Until the next time be assured of my prayers.

What's going on?

Infirmary renovation as walls start to go up.
Taken July 25, 2009

It has indeed been a while since I last wrote on this blog. Summer seems to be a more difficult time to do such things so today, on Saturday, I thought it was time to say "hello" again. This weekend I am not out in a parish. Last weekend I went to Marceline and Brookfield, MO to celebrate four Masses. Both of these towns used to have their own pastor but due to the shortage of priests they are now united, although Brookfield does have a Sister as pastoral administrator of the parish.

In the last couple of weeks I have spent a lot of time working on pictures from my 50th anniversary celebration. I put together a couple of DVD's that I could send to family. I enjoy doing these sort of things but it does take time.

My cousin who was a priest, died a few weeks ago. He was 71 years old but died after having a massive stroke. His name was Father Henry Reichert, a priest of the diocese of Jefferson City, MO. Brother Blaise and I went to his funeral at Tipton, MO where he was pastor. He also was taking care of two parishes -- the one at Tipton and also the one at California, MO. He was from a family 16 children and he is the first one to die. He grew up in the Brunswick area just a couple miles from where I grew up.

This coming week on Thursday, July 30, I will fly to Washington, DC. I have a good friend there and he and his wife did not come to my 50th celebration but wanted to send me money to fly out to see them for a few days. So I am looking forward to that. I have been to Washington, DC before but always enjoy it as there is so much to see there.

Right now I am also going through a lot of dental work on my teeth. I have neglected seeing a dentist for a number of years and now I guess I have to make up for that. As you get older you wonder if you are going to get your money's worth out of the work they do on those teeth.

Work on the infirmary continues as you can see on the picture up above. There are also a number of other projects going on this summer which we hope to complete before school begins again.

For those who are interested in seeing more photos of my jubilee celebration or of the oblate "pray and work" weekend, go to my photo site: http://kennethosb.smugmug.com/

Until the next time God bless all of you.

Fr. Kenneth