Jan. 3, 1992

Page 1

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News & Herald Western North Carolina

ierving Catholics in

Volume

in the Diocese of Charlotte

1

Number

17

January

3,

1992

New Abbot Elected By Benedictines

^therTime...

At Belmont Abbey Monastery

BELMONT

Benedictine Father

Oscar Burnett was elected abbot Dec. 2 1 by the Benedictine

He

is

their seventh abbot.

Abbot since 1957 is

monks of Belmont Abbey.

Abbey

For 15 years, he was

College.

chaplain at the college.

He

served for six

years as executive director of the Ecumeni-

of Wake Forest University and Belmont Abbey College. Abbot Oscar has served on the Board of Trustees of Belmont Abbey College for cal Institute

Burnett, 65, has been a

monk

and a priest since 1962. His term

for eight years, although he can

elected for another eight-year term.

be

re-

He suc-

many years. As abbot, he now

serves as an

ceeds Benedictine Father Timothy Kelly, a

monk of St. John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minn., who was serving as temporary administrator.

Located 10 miles west of Charlotte,

Belmont Abbey

is

a

1

Roman

15-year-old

Catholic monastery. There are presently 32

Benedictines

at

The abbot leader.

He

Belmont. is

principally a spiritual

helps and guides the monastic

community and individual monks to realize the charism expressed in the Rule of Saint

Benedict, a sixth century guide to monastic

and Christian life. The abbot is father, teacher, shepherd and administrator. all

religious

and temporal

He

supervises

of the

affairs

monastery.

The new abbot

is

a

man

of varied

A native

experience and accomplishment.

of Savannah, Ga., Abbot Oscar graduated

from Sacred Heart parochial and Benedictine Military schools. After a tour of duty with the U.S. II,

Army Air Force during World War

he earned his A.A. degree

State College,

at

and his law degree

at

Emory

University. After practicing law in Savan-

nah for six years, he completed his seminary education at Belmont Abbey. Abbot Burnett has held all major monastic positions of leadership at

Abbey: socius of novices, Bembrock applies a delicate touch to the inner working of one of his clocks. (See

lesuit Father John

Itory

I

on Page 3)

Photo by

JOANN KEANE

Belmont

junior/cleric

master, subprior, formation director, procurator

and

He

recently, service as claustral prior.

mo-

By

Associate Editor

— The

CHARLOTTE ifth

launch

its

Diocese of

observance of the

4

Cathedral Jan.

at

Bishop John brant, will accept

The

Domingo by Spanish

Its

its

makes

re-

religious education or the call to share the faith,

special to the diocese,

third year in a

decade of

says Father Vilkauskas. "It

is

mine how

it

will

be used," he

1

876, sent from the senior

Benedictine monastery in this country, in Latrobe,

St.

Pa The

s

small foundation developed slowly but steadily into an independent monastery.

nurtured at the

same time

college that today bears

its

It

the liberal arts

name, and devel-

oped a significant history of religious, charitable, pastoral, and educational works throughout the Southeast. See Abbot, Page

1

All In

A Knight's Work.

said.

Representatives from several nations at

a sign of the unity of the diocese in receiving

1

)onoghue.

sentatives at the inaugural prayer service as

carry flags

from their native

lountries in celebration of the ethnic diversity of the

now Belmont in

up to the

All parishes are expected to have repre-

me service will

monks of the Order of Saint The first monk came to what is

Catholic

Benedict.

creative resources of local parishes to deter-

990 by Bishop

vangelization as declared in

College.

the pilgrimage

go forth and spread the

nations proclaiming Christ.

vhich begins

the cross

from parish to parish, it will be used to stir and invigorate the spiritual renewal process,

is

Abbey

a monastery of Ro-

are called to do."

As

new

and today serves as a

significance

we

the presentation.

original cross called forth a

all

man

is

Ed

Monroe. "The hope for us in the diocese is that it will signal a new beginning of our need to share our faith, a reminder of what

minder of the call to

vord to

says Father

faith,"

zation and pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in

accompanying Christopher

uid for Christ

"The cross will be a focal point to raise awareness of our

a replica of a cross that

make

Belmont Abbey

Christianity in this diverse

cel-

Columbus. State officers of the Knights of

Columbus will

of the board and as

Vilkauskas, diocesan director of evangeli-

Donoghue, the

planted in Santa

nissionaries

a.m.

1 1

F.

'

in

land.

century of evangelization in the Ameli-

as with a prayer service at St. Patrick

/as

500 years of

also

Richmond, Va. He was dean of students and, for many years, an associate professor at Belmont

CAROL HAZARD

Charlotte will

He

served as an associate pastor at St. Benedict

Church

member

Chancellor of Belmont

prior.

has had responsibility for the

monks, charge of the business affairs of the monastery, and, most

500 Years of Evangelization

ex-officio

Vincent Archabbey

nastic formation of

Diocese To Begin Observance Of

ABBOT OSCAR BURNETT

Armstrong

Catholic faith in the Americas and

the

commemorative

cross, says Father

Vilkauskas.

Although the goal is to encourage evanit is never fully achieved, says

he multi-national quality of Christ's mes-

gelization,

sage.

Father Vilkauskas. Therefore, a diocesan-

After the cross

is

received,

it

will

be

wide reconciliation service

will

be held

at

George Kutcher

Presented to parishes throughout the dio-

ese as a symbolic representation marking

See Cross, Page 3

(1)

and Marvin Wynianco (with saw) of Knights of Columbus Council 770

Charlotte prepare lumber for a

ramp

at the

home

in

of a handicapped person. (See story on Page 3)


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Jan. 3, 1992 by Catholic News Herald - Issuu