Some News Items

Spring is such a beautiful time of the year that I find myself continuously wanting to take pictures. Yet, the pictures do not really do justice to the natural beauty that is there.

ENCOUNTER WITH GOD'S CALL: This past weekend from Saturday afternoon until today (Monday) after Mass and lunch, the seminary hosted about 125 young men who came to see what seminary life is like. This event is called "Encounter with God's Call." They come from many dioceses and from many places. Usually vocation directors from the various dioceses accompany the young men who come. Many of our new students each year are men who attended one or more of these weekends.

ABBEY TRAILS: Saturday we had our annual so called Abbey Trails. It includes both a run and a walk. Again this year we had a large group in both divisions. Many of the younger ones doing the run, and many young and old alike doing the walk. Awards are given for each age group as well as the over all winners.

FATHER ANTHONY SHIDLER, O.S.B. Father Anthony moved over into the St. Stephen Health Care Center last week. Father Anthony will be 89 years old in August but has been very active, attending all our prayer, and working as porter for half a day each day. But, due to hip replacement surgery some years ago he is finding it more and more difficult to get around. He is gradually settling in to his new way of life.

Weekend work: This past weekend I again helped in a couple of parishes. On Sunday morning about 5:30 AM I left for Leon, Iowa where I celebrated Mass at 8:00 AM and then went on to Chariton, Iowa and celebrated Mass at 10:30 AM. I always enjoy doing this pastoral work but I do come back quite tired.


THE WEATHER: The weather has been great. Most days have been sunny and relatively warm. Farmers are out in the fields planting corn. So it seems like spring is upon us.

Oblates and other readers who would like to view more photos of the oblate retreat last weekend as well as other oblate pictures, click here.

If you would like to read more about the REVISED GRAIL PSALMS, translated by Abbot Gregory and other monks of Conception Abbey, go to the Conception Abbey web site, click here. And then on the left side of the screen click "news."

God bless you.

SPRING IS HERE AND IT IS WONDERFUL AND A BLESSING

After a cold and difficult winter spring has now arrived it seems -----------
and now on most days the temperature has been up into the 70's and even into the 80's a few days. That is one of blessings of living in a part of the country where we have the different seasons. You enjoy the beautiful days so much more I think. While the winter was very cold and we had a lot of snow now we can enjoy the beautiful flowers, green grass etc. all the more.















The Triduum days and Easter were a beautiful time at Conception. We had a sizable group of guests with us and even more for the Easter Vigil which we began at 4:30 AM on Sunday morning. It ended about 7:15 AM. That is such a beautiful three days and very meaningful for Christians who celebrate on those days our salvation and redemption.

I celebrated Mass at Clyde for the older and infirm Sisters at Our Lady of Rickenbach during Holy Week. This week I am the celebrant for the Clyde community Masses in their main chapel. The Sisters are preparing to renovate their monastery and so are in the process of moving into other housing, primarily their other monasteries or in their guest facilities. So this Wednesday will be the last Mass in their main chapel until after the renovation -- probably a couple of years. They will have Mass in the Rickenbach chapel during that time.

Revised Grail Psalter approved:
Word was received this past week that the Holy See has given its recognitio to the revised edition of the Grail psalter. Abbot Gregory and other monks worked on that for a long time. In the future this translation is to be used in all liturgical texts in the U.S.A. and perhaps in other English speaking countries. We are proud that it is being published under the name of Conception Abbey.

Almost forty oblates were here for the retreat this past weekend. It was given by Father Pachomius who did a great job. To see some pictures from the retreat days click here
and then go to the album "oblates 2010."

Blessings and peace to each of you.
Fr. Kenneth

HOLY WEEK AND SACRED TRIDUUM AT CONCEPTION ABBEY

Today on Passion or Palm Sunday we begin that all important week that we call Holy Week. The last days of the week we call The Sacred Triduum. How do we celebrate this week at Conception?

PALM SUNDAY: We try to have the blessing of palms some place other than in the church. This morning it was cloudy, cool and quite windy so we went into the first floor of St. Michael Hall and had the blessing in a large room there.
Usually if the weather is o.k. we have the blessing outdoors in the front of St. Michael Hall as you see in the picture to the right. We begin a little earlier than on a normal Sunday but still it is usually about 12:00 noon when we finish, Reading the account of the Passion of course takes extra time. On Palm Sunday the Abbot reads the words of Christ, the Prior reads the narrator part and the Subprior the part of other speakers.

HOLY THURSDAY: The Triduum does not begin until the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper at 5:00 PM for us at the Abbey. Our morning schedule is the same as for all days with Vigils at 6:00 AM, Morning prayer at 7:15 AM. However, on this day we have a Penance Service or Service of Reconcilation for the monks, seminarians and guests at 11:00 AM. Usually about eight confessors are assigned to be available at various places in the basilica for confessions. After the noon meal on this day we do not have any more recreation until Sunday after the Easter Vigil. We try to keep a spirit of silence during these days. At the evening Mass which begins at 5:00 PM, the Abbot washes the feet of 12 people. At the end of Mass the hosts that were consecrated for Good Friday are carried in procession to the tabernacle. Until midnight we have adoration of the sacrament. Then at about 7:00 PM we all gather in the student and guest refectories for an agape meal. Everyone is encouraged to spend some time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament after this until midnight.


GOOD FRIDAY: On this day, which is a day of fast and abstinence, our meals are very simple. We rise about 6:30 AM, eat a light breakfast in silence and then assemble in the basilica for Vigils and Morning Prayer at 7:50 AM. The students and guests join us for this. It takes a little over an hour. We pray daytime prayer at noon, and then have a light lunch. At 3:00 PM we again gather in the basilica for the Good Friday service. This includes readings, including the reading of the Passion according to St. John, a homily, prayers, adoration of the cross, and communion. After a simple supper, we pray compline at 7:15 PM.

HOLY SATURDAY AND EASTER SUNDAY: Holy Saturday is a quiet day as we await the resurrection on Easter Sunday. We pray Vigils and Morning prayer together at 7:50 AM, daytime prayer at noon, and vespers at 5:40 PM. Meals are all eaten in silence as are those on Good Friday.

And then at 4:30 AM on Easter Sunday morning
we gather outdoors in front of the basilica for the blessing of the new fire and lighting of the Easter candle for 2010. The Easter Vigil takes at least two and a half hours or more. It includes the reading of seven Old Testament readings, the blessing of water, the renewal of baptismal promises. In many parishes this is the night when new members enter the Church, are baptized or make their profession of faith. It is a beautiful ceremony. At the end all go forth with joy in their hearts and ALLELUIAS on their lips.

Many guests are usually with us for these days and the seminarians do not leave for vacation until after the Easter Vigil. They are then off all of Easter Week.

Christ is risen, ALLELUIA. A Blessed Easter to each and everyone of you.

Some News Items

Sorry I haven't written on this blog for a while.

Board of Regents: The seminary board of regents met last weekend. This is an advisory board made up of some of the bishops who have students here in the seminary, vocation directors and other priests and lay people. They are an advisory board to the seminary administration but a very important part of the seminary and decisions that effect the seminary.

Open house in St. Stephen Health Care Center: Last Sunday, March 14, we had an open house in our newly renovated Health Center. It was well attended by many people from the area. There are still a few pieces of furniture to arrive yet but, for the the most part, it is completed and of course in use. For anyone who had seen it before the renovation it's hard to imagine it is still the same building.

Weekend pastoral help: It seems there has been a lot of requests for weekend help lately. On the weekend of March 6-7, I went to Montrose and Butler, MO. These two parishes are served by one priest and there are two Masses at each parish so it was a busy weekend and a long drive. Then on Saturday, March 13, I went to St. Joseph, MO where I heard confessions and celebrated the 4:00 PM Mass. On Monday evening, March 15, I went with Fathers Xavier and Peter to the parish at Savannah, MO to help hear confessions at a penance service. This coming weekend, March 20-21 I go to the parish at Cameron, MO for Masses. At this time of year, with Easter coming soon, there are many penance services and frequently the pastors ask for help for these.

Snow is about all gone: As most of you know we had a lot of snow this winter and fortunately it is now just about all gone. The weather warmed up and we have had rain which helped get rid of the snow. However, that means we also have a lot of mud. If you get off of roads and sidewalks, the mud is deep and messy.

I am including some more photos of the Health Care Center, including some from the open house this past weekend.

A good friend, Maryann Ceckowski, sewing
valances for some of the windows.

Some of the people at the open house -- This
photo by seminarian Geoff Brooke

Another busy week has gone by.....

Last week another blogger from this area published on his blog a picture from the summer, green grass and all. I thought to myself that was a good idea. We have had so much cold weather and snow that sometimes it seems that we will never get to spring. So anyway the pictures above should remind us all of how beautiful God makes this land of ours. We will just appreciate it more after this winter. The snow can be beautiful also but by now we are all ready for spring.

It has been a sort of busy week or two weeks for me. Sometimes I wonder if it just seems busy or simply that as I get older I move a little slower. Last Tuesday I had an appointment with my dentist in Maryville. I go to a rather young dentist who just moved into Maryville about a year ago. He is originally from Idaho but went to dental school at Creighton University in Omaha. After practicing in Columbia, MO for a while, he and his wife decided to move to Maryville. He is a very good dentist .

Tuesday afternoon I went to St. Joseph for a visit to the dermatologist. I have been getting what is called the "blue light treatment." I have had a number of growths removed from my face and my head. First they used this treatment on my face and now on my bald head. You have three treatments about a month apart and then go back after a couple months for a follow up. So far it has worked well for me.

The talks we had by Father Paul Turner just after Ash Wednesday were very interesting and informative. When it is finally published it will take me a while to get used to the changes in the Mass. When I was ordained in 1959 we still used Latin in the Mass and other sacraments. There have been many changes since that time.

Two of our priest monks were out in parishes this week giving parish missions. Father Prior Daniel was at Hitchcock, Texas and Father Patrick was at Nixa, Missouri (close to Springfield). Both returned home on Wednesday or Thursday.

This Saturday I go to Maryville MO for the Saturday evening Mass and confessions. Our Father Martin is pastor at Maryville but he has two funerals on Saturday so needs some help that evening. Next weekend I go to Montrose and Butler, Missouri for the regular Sunday Masses. That is about 180 miles from Conception.

This weekend our guest facilities are filled with meeting groups and retreatants. The largest group is the Mid-America Medieval Association (MAMA). About a hundred or more will be here for their conference. Brother Thomas is a member of this association.

A number of students have been showing up at the St. Stephen Health Care Center not feeling well. Some have the flu and some have colds. A few of the monks have also been in bed with similar symptoms.

If you live in the area remember the OPEN HOUSE IN THE ST. STEPHEN HEALTH CARE CENTER on Sunday, March 14, 2:00-4:00 PM.

A reminder to check out the Conception Abbey web site and the oblate section of that site.

And also my photos on the web.
To view photos that have appeared on my blog click here.