Abbey Christmas Past, page 4 The Collegeville-China Connection, page 7 The Sesquicentennial Is Coming! page 10 The Church of Saint James, Jacobs Prairie, page 12 Saint John’s and the American Benedictine Academy, page 14 Robert Koopmann, OSB, Master Musician, page 16
The Altar of the Former Abbey Church Decorated for Christmas
Contents Pages 4-6
Cover Story
Abbey Christmas Past by David Klingeman, OSB —photo by Baldwin Dworschak, OSB
Features 7 The Collegeville China Connection by Douglas Mullin, OSB
12 The Church of Saint James, Jacobs Prairie by Daniel Durken, OSB
16 Robert Koopmann, OSB, Master Musician by Daniel Durken, OSB
10 The Sesquicentennial is Coming! by William Skudlarek, OSB
14 Saint Johnʼs and the American Benedictine Academy by Richard Oliver, OSB
26 Making The Saint Johnʼs Cross by Paul Richards, OSB
11 Report on the Congress of Abbots by Abbot John Klassen, OSB
Departments 3 From Editor and Abbot 18 The Abbey Chronicle 20 Vocation News
Photos credits: Abbey Archives, Bahama Catholic, Greg Becker, Monica Bokinski, Thomas Coval, Daniel Durken, OSB, Baldwin Dworschak, OSB, Brett Hendrickson, Hill Monastic Manuscript Library, Fran Hoefgen, OSB, Kris Isaacson, Robert Koopmann, OSB, David Manahan, OSB, Doug Mullin, OSB, Robin Pierzina, OSB, Verenice Ramler, OSB, Alan Reed, OSB, Joachim Rhoades, OSB, Paul Richards, OSB, Saint James Church, Nicholas Thelen, OSB, Hugh Witzmann, OSB 22 Abbey Missions: Bahamas and Japan 24 Strengthening Foundations
Editor: Daniel Durken, OSB Copy Editor and Proofreader: Dolores Schuh, CHM Designer: Pam Rolfes
The Abbey Banner Magazine of Saint John’s Abbey Volume 4, Issue 3 Winter 2004
27 Spiritual Life Back Cover: Three Seasonal Books
The Abbey Banner is published three times annually by the Benedictine monks of Saint John’s Abbey for our relatives, friends and Oblates.
Circulation: Ruth Athmann, Cathy Wieme, Mary Gouge
The Abbey Banner is online at www.sja.osb.org/AbbeyBanner
Printer: Palmer Printing, St. Cloud, Minnesota
Saint John’s Abbey, Box 2015, Collegeville, Minnesota 56321. 320-363-3875
Member Catholic Press Association
FROM EDITOR AND ABBOT
EMMANUEL by Daniel Durken, OSB
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here is one word that sums up the message of Christmas and the New Year. The word is EMMANUEL. It means “God is with us.” Only in Matthewʼs Gospel (1: 23) is EMMANUEL found in the New Testament. Good Jew that he was, Matthew picked up the word from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. Just when king and people were convinced that God had deserted them at a time of impending destruction and death, Isaiah promised that a child named EMMANUEL would soon be born. Before the child grew up the crisis would be over and God would still be with them. “Perfect!” thought Matthew. The newborn child of Mary, this Jesus would deliver everyone from a more pervasive enemy than Isaiah faced, namely, sin. Jesus is our new EMMANUEL. He is truly “God with us!” Later in the same gospel Jesus reconfirms this name when he tells his disciples, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (18: 20). His name is still EMMANUEL for he is with us. The last words of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel reaffirm this name. Just when we think Jesus will leave his disciples he tells them, “Behold, I am WITH you always, until the end of the age” (28:20). Jesus remains EMMANUEL, God with us. What a powerful and exciting name is EMMANUEL! What a pity that there is not one Catholic church in the whole of Minnesota named EMMANUEL Church! We prefer the names of obscure saints like Columbkill, Clotilde, Eloi, Finbarr, Gall, Hedwig, Kevin and Wendelin rather than a thoroughly biblical name like EMMANUEL. Let me recommend that EMMANUEL become our mantra for the New Year. EMMANUEL is more than a name. EMMANUEL is a prayer, the renewal of our faith, hope and love of our God who is not against us, not above or beyond us, not far away from us. In Jesus God is with us. In fact, Jesus is more than with us. Wonder of wonders, Jesus is God WITHIN us!
Terrorism and the Birth of Jesus by Abbot John Klassen, OSB
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errorism is a symbol of the inhumanity of our world. Our world is decidedly different today because we can see “everything.” In the past, violent tragedies could be ignored because they were not visible. In the nineteenth century, the Red Cross was founded when photography allowed people to see the tragedies that occurred in other parts of the world. However, today we suffer from visual overload. We see too much. Violence is served up to us in living color, twenty-four hours a day. It is important to note that the past ages were not less inhuman than ours. Whole groups of people could die from plague, starvation or environmental catastrophe and very few of the world’s people would ever learn about it. And wars of ethnic cleansing have happened throughout human history. In the face of this situation, we experience disorientation and confusion. What are we to do? Pessimism begins to close us in on ourselves. Every thought begins with ourselves, our community, our family. Even if a door to possible healing action is open, to us it seems closed. We lose our capacity to view the world with compassion. In this season of Advent and Christmas, we celebrate the love and compassion of our God for the very world we live in. In the gift of the Son to the world, God does not disengage from the suffering and inhumanity of our world but moves toward it. Jesus, newborn son of Mary and Son of God, stands for humanity, for compassion and for reconciliation. Jesus does not turn away from the inhumanity of his own time but brings the message of the Reign of God to it. As his followers we have a role in the legitimization of a vision of peace, a vision of compassion, a vision of humanness in our world. It is a vision that may be very small, like a child, but be brought to its full development by the Spirit of God to something beyond our imagining.
I wish you all a MERRY EMMANUEL! The Abbey Banner Winter 2004 page 3
FEATURE The main altar of the former abbey church (now the Great Hall) at Christmas, c. 1955
Abbey Christmas Past by David Klingeman, OSB (with special thanks to Patrick McDarby, OSB)
Mellow memories abound of the celebration of Christmas at Saint John’s
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hristmas celebrations over the centuries have focused on family gatherings highlighted by long-loved traditions to commemorate the birth of Jesus. Likewise, monks of Saint John’s Abbey have ushered in the Christmas Season with unique traditions. Chrysostom Schreiner, OSB, vicepresident of the university before his pioneer missionary work in the Bahamas, introduced the first Christmas tree for students in 1886. The few students who remained on campus during Christmas vacation were treated to a celebration provided by the monks. The school paper, The Record, of 1926 gives this description:
gloom soon lifted through the cheerful work of Pirmin Wendt, OSB, and Roland Kapsner, OSB. On Christmas Eve a program took place in the auditorium where a richly adorned Christmas tree was set up. Music solos were followed by songs of the monastery choir. Some of the nevergrow-old Christmas songs were sung in chorus.”
“Eighteen students remained on campus (while all the others were busily engaged in packing and scattering in all directions). But the Students pause to pose for a picture after decorating their Christmas tree in 1918.
page 4 The Abbey Banner Winter 2004
FEATURE In the monastery a typical Christmas for many years looked like this: By December 23 the abbey was all but emptied of priests. The Christmas parish assignment roster for 1956 listed the names of seventy priests sent to churches as close as Avon, Minnesota, and as distant as Thorp, Wisconsin, and included ten parishes in Saint Paul, nine in Minneapolis. Pre-Christmas days were hectic. Young monks trudged through the woods to gather branches for wreaths and to select and drag fifteen-foot pine trees up flights of stairs to be decorated in various recreation rooms. The abbey schola had extra rehearsals. A German holiday tradition inspired a Christmas Eve experience. In Germany children were not allowed to see the decorated Christmas tree until Christmas Eve. While the children were kept occupied elsewhere the mother decorated the tree and placed presents under it. When all was ready, a bell was rung and the children bolted into the living room to see the tree and open their presents. This Christmas Eve surprise was likely background for the Saint John’s tradition. After serving the Christmas Eve supper the novice monks returned to their quarters which had been kept Advent barren. As they trudged up
A 1961 festive Christmas meal with ice sculpture by Roman Paur, OSB
the stairs to the novitiate area, the strains of Silent Night emanated from their dark recreation room where the community had gathered around a Christmas tree decorated in their absence. Surprise! Added to the unexpected excitement was the opportunity for novices to speak with professed monks, something they were not allowed to do in pre-Vatican II days. This “Christmas Surprise” ended in 1966 and was replaced with the community assembling in the novitiate for dessert, caroling and a chance to inspect the simple rooms of the novices.
The visit to the novitiate was followed by a program of speeches, carols, an original play composed and directed by a creative monk and instrumental solos and duets. The liturgical part of the Christmas celebration had begun in the late afternoon with the chanting of Solemn First Vespers. The abbot, deacon, subdeacon and cantors were dressed in festive vestments. The abbey chronicle of 1917 noted that this was the first year First Vespers of Christmas was sung in its entirety. The celebration of Midnight Mass at Saint John’s dates back to 1869. At noon on Christmas Day a festive dinner was served with specially prepared dishes along with homemade wine. As the community left the dining room, the treasurer stood at the door with a cigar box in one hand and a box of candy bars for the monks to select from in the other. The chronicle of 1904 noted that each monk received “a package of candy, nuts, some apples and a bottle of wine.” Christmas caroling was a popular pastime in Christmases past. Following the morning Mass and breakfast, a (continued)
Junior monks perform a Christmas play in 1963.
The Abbey Banner Winter 2004 page 5
FEATURE Monk musicians accompany a 1978 Christmas sing-along.
a tambourine to lead the singing of The Twelve Days of Christmas. The rendition of the FIVE G-O-L-D-E-N RINGS verse was loud and long enough to make even Scrooge smile.
group of high-spirited carolers visited the campus infirmary to cheer up any patients and then moved on to the Collegeville suburb of Flynntown to carol at the homes of abbey employees. A group went to the kitchen after dinner and exchanged German carols with the German Franciscan Sisters who had prepared the delicious Christmas meals. The 1960s ushered in a new postChristmas celebration. Late in De-
cember when poinsettias began to wilt and the air was cleared of incense, the community held a Christmas celebration that brought back monks who were pastors or chaplains. The celebration provided an opportunity to catch up on abbey news and visit with members not often seen. Following a festive meal and dessert, monks gathered around a piano to belt out favorite Christmas carols. The grand finale came when a confrere picked up
David Klingeman, OSB, is the abbey and university archivist. Patrick McDarby, OSB, is the editor of Confrere, the monastic community’s monthly newsletter.
NOTE: Readers are invited to access the 2004 live broadcast of Saint John’s Abbey 11:15 p.m. Christmas Concert and Midnight Mass at www.saintjohnsabbey.org/info/ broadcasts.html, or choose “Broadcast Services” under the heading “Prayer” in the menu on the left of the website. Links to the Christmas liturgy of 2002 and 2003 are also available.
Collegeville Christmas Weather by Bradley Jenniges, OSB, abbey weather monk
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aint John’s weather observations go back to 1892. The whitest Christmas was in 1996 with 17 inches of snow, succeeded by a brown one in 1997. One of the coldest Christmases was in 1968 with a low temperature of –27 degrees. On Christmas Day, 1982, the mercury rose to +5 degrees, the highest temperature in over a week of frigid cold that included a low of –35 on December 19 and a high of only –20 on December 23. On Christmas Day, 1922, the temperature rose to a record high of 46. + page 6 The Abbey Banner Winter 2004
A toboggan slide on the slippery slope of Lake Sagatagan in the 1920s
FEATURE Chinese graduates of Saint John’s University and the College of Saint Benedict honored Thomas Thole, OSB, at a reunion in Hong Kong in November 2003. Father Tom, wearing a red tie, is front and center in the first row. At his left is SJU president, Dietrich Reinhart, OSB.
The CollegevilleChina Connection by Doug Mullin, OSB
East is East and West is West and the twain do meet!
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he contrast between Collegeville and China could not be more pronounced. Collegeville is a Midwest area of 2,950 people during the school year, situated on 2,600 acres of forest, lakes, lawns and asphalt with less than 150 years of existence. China is a Far East land of more than a billion people, sprawled over 3.6 million square miles with five thousand years of continuous civilization. Yet their connections are strong and stable.
The Collegeville-China connection began with the 1929 arrival of Aidan Germain, OSB, at Saint Benedict’s Priory in the city now called Beijing. Father Aidan joined the faculty of Fu Jen Ta Hsueh, the Catholic University of Peking. The priory and university were founded by Saint Vincent Archabbey several years earlier at the request of Pope Pius XI. Aidan was followed by two other Saint John’s monks, Terence Carroll, OSB, and Basil Stegmann, OSB. Beginning with only twentythree students, in four years the university was officially recognized by the Chinese government and enrollment increased to more than a thousand. Nonetheless, the depression-struck American Benedictine monasteries were unable to support the school financially. In 1933 the Holy See transferred responsibility for the university to the Society of the Divine Word and the Saint John’s monks returned home.
Brother Doug stands between Fathers Joseph Xia (l.) and Martin Wu at their graduation from Saint John’s School of Theology•Seminary in May 2003.
In 1941 Japanese troops occupied China, forcing Americans to leave Fu Jen. This was followed
by the 1950 Communist takeover of Beijing. Two years later Fu Jen was annexed to Beijing Normal University and Fu Jen ceased to exist. But hope never dies in China. In 1954 the Fu Jen Alumni Association in Taiwan proposed that the university be reestablished there. Pope John XXIII supported the request and the university was approved by the Taiwan Ministry of Education in 1963. To endorse the establishment of this resurrected Fu Jen, St. Vincent Archabbey founded Wimmer Priory in Taiwan in 1964. When Thomas Thole, OSB, became adviser for international students at Saint John’s, new connections emerged. Students from Hong Kong quickly developed an appreciation for Tom’s fatherly care. By the early 70s Saint John’s enrolled more than two dozen students from Hong Kong. The relationships he built continue to be a strong component of the current Collegeville-China connection. In November 2003, Hong Kong alumni/ ae of Saint John’s and the College of Saint Benedict honored Tom who received a Presidential Citation from Dietrich Reinhart, OSB. (continued) The Abbey Banner Winter 2004 page 7
FEATURE Sisters Teresa Ma (l.) and Pauline Yu flank Abbot John Klassen. The plaque says, “Peace be within your walls” (Psalm 122:7).
In 1980 the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s initiated summer China study programs under the direction of Baulu Kuan, OSB. By fall of 1988 a semester study abroad program at Southwest China Normal University in Beibei (Sichuan Province) was initiated by Sister Baulu and Cyprian Weaver, OSB. To date over two hundred students have participated in this program. This year nineteen CSB/SJU students continue the connection. Every year a number of CSB/SJU grads return to China to teach English through Maryknoll’s volunteer service program. This year nine CSB/SJU grads were accepted into this program. But it is more than students who have been impacted by their China experiences. After working with the program for four years, Father Cyprian accepted an invitation in 1993 to teach in the medical college and open a graduate school of medicine in the reincarnated Fu Jen Catholic Univerpage 8 The Abbey Banner Winter 2004
sity. Cyprian continues his work at Fu Jen where he is acclaimed as an excellent and dedicated scholar, monk and priest. Another connection is focused on developing leadership for the Church in mainland China. For the past ten years, Saint John’s Abbey and School of Theology•Seminary have supported students in the “Training of Chinese Seminary Teachers and Formators Project” of Maryknoll. In this program Maryknoll works with Chinese bishops to identify priests and sisters to do advanced theological studies in the United States and Europe to prepare them for teaching in Chinese seminaries and religious formation programs. More than a dozen eager learners have gone through this program. Timothy Kelly, OSB, Abbot President of the American Cassinese Congregation of Men Benedictines, has been especially supportive of Chinese students at Saint John’s and even after
they move on for further studies, leadership and ministry. Abbot Timothy serves on the Board of Directors for the China Bureau of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and is a founding member of the Benedictine China Commission. In the fall of 2003 I traveled with Sister Baulu on the annual Benedictine Study Tour of China. A project of the Benedictine China Commission, this tour introduces participants to the past and present work of Benedictines in China and explores possibilities for future efforts there. Participants are introduced to traditional Chinese culture including art, history, philosophy and religion. In Beijing I reconnected with Matthew Zhen and Anthony Yao who had become good friends while studying liturgy at Saint John’s. These two priests were generous and gracious hosts as they took time away from their busy schedules in seminary lead-
FEATURE ership and their work on the national liturgical commission. Baulu and I visited Beijing Normal University, now the premier university in China for teacher education. I was invited to lecture on my own research on teacher development to about thirty graduate faculty and students. They were incredibly kind and gracious, giving us a huge banquet after the lecture.
Cyprian Weaver, OSB, teaches at Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan.
We were also invited to be the first foreign speakers to address the three hundred plus faculty and students of the newly opened Fu Jen Educational Training Center, established by the mainland Alumni Association of the old Fu Jen University. Finally, I was privileged to lecture on “Religion in American Life” as part of the Mid-East Research Institute and College of International Cultural Exchange at Northwest University in X’ian. I spoke to over one hundred enthusiastic students and
faculty members who seemed to have an endless reservoir of engaging questions that convey their deep interest in religion and American life. One notable site we visited is the little village of Saint Benedict which grew up near a former Trappist monastery. During the Cultural Revolution, the Chinese government changed the name of the village to the Chinese word for “Progress” but the villagers would have no part of it. In addition to keeping the name “Saint Benedict” for their village, they have maintained steadfast joy in their faith, devotion and hospitality. They were overjoyed to welcome two traveling Benedictines. Doug Mullin, OSB, associate professor of education at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University, is pursuing theological studies in our School of Theology•Seminary in preparation for ordination to the priesthood.
Parishioners of Saint Benedict’s Church, Saint Benedict, China, welcome Brother Doug (in bright blue jacket) and Sister Baulu Kuan, OSB (with camera).
The Abbey Banner Winter 2004 page 9
FEATURE The first Benedictine building on the Mississippi at Saint Cloud, 1856
The Sesquicentennial is Coming! by William Skudlarek, OSB
1856 - 2006 = 150 Years
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t the evening meal in the monastic refectory, table reading is prefaced by the announcement of a significant event that happened on that date in the history of Saint John’s. On May 20 this year the reader announced, “Today we commemorate the arrival in 1856 of the first Benedictine monks in Saint Cloud.” Which is to say, the 150th anniversary of the beginning of Saint John’s is now less than two years away! This spring Abbot John Klassen, OSB, and Brother Dietrich Reinhart, OSB, president of Saint John’s University, appointed a Sesquicentennial Board, co-chaired by Patti Epsky, executive assistant to the president, and William Skudlarek, OSB, administrative assistant to the abbot. Their charge is to pull together the work already done by the initial Sesquicentennial Task Force and a Planning Committee, to do further planning and to oversee the implementation of all the events and activities that will com-
page 10 The Abbey Banner Winter 2004
memorate the past 150 years and look forward to the future.
individuals and interesting incidents from our past and present.
Some major decisions have already been made. The sesquicentennial will officially begin on April 5, 2006, the 150th anniversary of the departure of the five pioneer monks from Saint Vincent’s Abbey, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, to Minnesota. The celebration will end on November 10, 2007, the 150th anniversary of the opening of Saint John’s Seminary, as the school was then known. The abbey’s principal celebration—a solemn Eucharistic liturgy and a picnic for friends and neighbors—is scheduled for June 24, 2006.
Sesquicentennial events will focus not only on the history of Saint John’s but also on what we are now and what we hope to become. They will point to Saint John’s as a place of excellence, service, community and spirituality in the modern world. They will show that this is an ecumenical place, a welcoming community and a Central Minnesota good neighbor. Finally, the events will honor our monastic partners, the women of Saint Benedict’s Monastery.
Hilary Thimmesh, OSB, professor of English, has created a prospectus for an anniversary book and gathered a group of twelve authors who are writing historical essays on significant periods, people and apostolates of our 150-year history. The publication will feature a wide selection of photos (archival and contemporary) and numerous sidebars highlighting significant
The completion of The Saint John’s Bible, scheduled for 2007, and the anticipated dedication of a new Abbey Guest House in 2006 or 2007, will highlight the forward-looking character of the celebration. William Skudlarek, OSB, is the administrative assistant to Abbot John Klassen and professor of homiletics at Saint John’s School of Theology•Seminary.
FEATURE
Report on the Congress of Abbots by Abbot John Klassen, OSB
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“Globalization: Phenomena, Opportunities and Challenges”
very four years the abbots (or administrator) of all Benedictine monasteries, the abbot presidents of all twenty-one Benedictine congregations and the priors of dependent houses gather in Rome for the Abbots Congress. There are 260 monastic communities in the world and approximately 200 of their leaders were at this meeting from September 21-28, 2004. Abbesses of women Benedictine monasteries and representatives of Benedictine women’s congregations were also present. The focus of this year’s congress was “Globalization: Phenomena, Opportunities and Challenges.” Keynote speakers were Herr Norbert Walter of the Deutsche Bank and Professor Andrea Riccardi, one of the founders of the Sant’ Egidio community in Rome.
Both speakers alluded to the disorientation and confusion caused by the rapid changes in the world, accelerated and directed in unpredictable ways by technological advances and the eruption of violence. The dissolution of the Soviet empire in 1989 brought hope that we would be moving into a new era of peace. Instead, there are now twenty-eight open wars and eighteen “frozen” ones. But there are positives that come from globalization: the free movement of goods and services, the diversification of societies and cultures, the more complete awareness of tragedies and blessings in our world. Both speakers urged that monastic communities stay engaged with the dilemmas and blessings in our world.
Two-hour workshops were available to the participants. Topics included: ecumenism, financial management, liturgical questions, new monastic communities, leadership and non-ordained abbots, sexual abuse, abuse of power, the monastic response, precarious communities, lay communities and movements, formation, Oblates, ecology and inter-religious dialogue. Participants had opportunity for a day trip to Subiaco, Monte Cassino or Norcia, important Benedictine sites. We also had an audience with Pope John Paul II at Castelgandolfo. Finally, the Congress was an occasion for leaders to get to know each other, to exchange stories, to find out what is working and what is not. For this first-timer, it was well worth the time and energy. The Abbey Banner Winter 2004 page 11
FEATURE The Church of Saint James, Jacobs Prairie, 1854-2004
The Church of Saint James, Jacobs Prairie by Daniel Durken, OSB
For 150 years this Benedictine parish has remained small in size and large in faith.
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n the summer of 1954 Saint James Church of Jacobs Prairie, Minnesota, commemorated the celebration of the first Mass offered there a century earlier. In his congratulatory letter to parishioners Bishop Peter Bartholome of the Saint Cloud Diocese used an adjective that best describes this special place. Twice he referred to the “little parish” of Saint James. The third time he redundantly called it a “small little parish.” Unlike the mustard seed of Jesus’ parable that was the smallest of all the seeds but became the largest of plants, Saint James Church has remained a “little parish.” If you blink on Stearns County Highway 2 between Saint Joseph and Cold Spring you will miss the fieldstone-faced church with rectory and parish hall set off the road behind cemetery and groomed lawn. But do not let physical size deceive you. This place is large in tradition and faith. page 12 The Abbey Banner Winter 2004
Here in the fall of 1854, the premier missionary of this territory, Francis Xavier Pierz, celebrated Mass on three occasions in the homes of the first settlers: Michael Fuchs, the Jacobs brothers (Nicholas and Theodore after whom the place was named) and Chris Koch.
a Breviary, vestments for Mass, candles, crucifix, altar wine for two weeks, altar breads; in fact all that was needed; moreover, some linens and—snuff. This baggage weighing some sixty pounds was fastened to the end of a substantial stick; this was slung over the shoulder and
With the arrival of the Benedictines to the Saint Cloud area in May, 1856, newly ordained Bruno Riss, OSB, was assigned to the parish of Saint Joseph with missions in Jacobs Prairie and Richmond. He was the first of some forty-three Benedictine pastors to serve Saint James Church. Years later Father Bruno recounted the ways of the walking missionary in those days: Whenever we set out on a trip we stowed away in the fathomless depths of a carpet sack, one altar stone, a Missal, a book of Gospels,
Bruno Riss, OSB, first pastor, 1856-57
FEATURE against grasshopper infestations. Bruno reported, “God heard us who were weak and helpless against such small insects. In the early days of June a brisk northwest wind set in and carried a whole cloud of the little fiends with it to other climes. One week later a southwest breeze carried off the rest. We were saved.” Anna Maria Brunner, first child to be baptized, August 5, 1856, at Jacobs Prairie
we plodded over hills and through swamps, in every season, exposed to biting cold and vexatious mosquitoes, from station to station for six-to-eight and occasionally twelveto-fifteen miles a day. Such was pioneer missionary life. The life of the laity was no less strenuous. Bruno’s arrival in mid-August was accompanied by a devastating invasion of grasshoppers that devoured the grain fields. Months of misery plagued the settlers who had little or nothing to begin with and still less after the grasshoppers had scoured the land. One year later four area pastors proposed a solution: parishioners would vow to make an annual procession on July 4 and September 6, the feast days of Saints Ulric and Magnus, venerated in southern Germany as patrons
The Quilt Auction at the Celebration
Other crises soon developed. The first log church was destroyed by fire in 1858 and soon replaced by a second chapel which in turn was replaced by a third and larger structure in 1864 which in turn was leveled by a tornado in 1894 only to have the fourth church burn down in 1930. The fifth and present church was built that same year and still stands solid. An addition to this fiery sequence occurred when the parish house burned down in 1984. Yet another critical condition arose in August of 1862 when Indian uprisings threatened the area. Blockades were erected at Saint Joseph and Richmond and seven feet high earthworks established defense lines. Panic and precautions were short-lived, however, and by October the situation had returned to normal. If the parishioners of Jacobs Prairie ever dreamt that their parish would one day be more than just a prairie, that dream was dissipated as a brew-
“The Singing Nuns,” Saint James’ parishioners who entertained at the Sesquicentennial Celebration, June 12, 2004
ery, flour mill and granite industry flourished in nearby Cold Spring. Thus Saint James Church remains a “small little parish.” The St. Cloud Visitor of June 10, 2004, reports that “Modern members of St. James are comfortable with their modest parish size and take pride in and relish the quality of parish life if not quantity of parishioners.” The parish is described as “close-knit and family-like with a good variety of young and old.” One parishioner said, “We’re small, but that’s what I like about it.” Mathias Spier, OSB, the current pastor, sets the parish population at 102 families. Father Mathias had plenty of help to organize the parish’s Sesquicentennial Celebration last June. He credits the very active parishioners for their ability and willingness to pitch in and get both worship and work done in an inspiring fashion. In a parish where the turnover of pastors has been unusually frequent, the stable eleMathias Spier, OSB, ment has been present pastor, 2002the laity who planted their families, their crops and their faith deep in the soil of Jacobs Prairie. Daniel Durken, OSB, is the editor of The Abbey Banner. The Abbey Banner Winter 2004 page 13
FEATURE The Board of Directors of the American Benedictine Academy: l. to r. Ramona Fallon, OSB; Adel Sautner, OSB, executive secretary; Cyril Drnjevic, OSB; Rosemary Rader, OSB, past-president; Richard Oliver, OSB, president; Theresa Schumacher, OSB, vicepresident; Simeon Thole, OSB
Saint Johnʼs and the American Benedictine Academy by Richard Oliver, OSB
“. . . a non-profit association whose purpose is to cultivate, support and transmit the Benedictine heritage within contemporary culture” —the Academy’s mission statement
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everal monks of Saint John’s Abbey played pivotal roles in the foundation and development of the American Benedictine Academy (ABA). Its predecessor, the National Benedictine Education Association (NBEA), founded in 1917, had outlived its role as a “coordinating agency for the educational work” of Benedictine institutions.
Abbot Alcuin Deutsch, OSB, originator of the ABA in 1947
Alcuin Deutsch, OSB, fifth abbot of Saint John’s, was never enthusiastic about this association. He proposed as page 14 The Abbey Banner Winter 2004
a successor to the NBEA “an organization with a different scope and objective, one that would serve as a medium of contact and stimulation among American Benedictine scholars.” Since the early 1920s Abbot Alcuin was familiar with the scholarly publications of the Bavarian Benedictine Academy. He presented his idea of an American Benedictine Academy to the leadership of the American Benedictine Congregation. On December 30, 1947, seventeen abbeys enthusiastically approved the final revision of the Academy’s statutes.
vice-president by the executive board of reigning abbots. In the beginning there were three classes of membership: educationally qualified, ordained monks who had voting rights; qualified women monastics and lay people; all professed members of contributing communities. Membership grew from 315 in 1949 to 415 in 1954. After the Second Vatican Council (1965) all members received full voting rights. Membership dropped from 785 in 1970 to 91 in 1976. A thorough re-organization of the Academy with a new constitution was effected in 1978. Current membership numbers 314.
Final authority of the Academy was vested in the abbot-president of the American Cassinese Congregation, at that time Mark Braun, OSB, Saint Gregory’s Abbey, Shawnee, Oklahoma. At the constitutive assembly, Martin Schirber, OSB, Saint John’s professor Martin Schirber, OSB, of economics, was apfirst vice-president of pointed the Academy’s first the ABA, 1947
Publications of the Academy began in 1948 with the ABA Newsletter, giving information about sectional and board meetings plus items of general Benedictine interest. This publication was succeeded in 1987 by the American Monastic Newsletter, edited by Judith
FEATURE Sutera, OSB, Saint Scholastica Monastery, Atchison, Kansas, and sent to members three times a year. Benedictine Studies was a more ambitious publishing project of scholarly monographs that eventually included nineteen issues. The Academy sponsored the following significant studies: A Benedictine Bibliography by Oliver Kapsner, OSB, appeared in 1949-50 with subsequent editions. Worship and Work, the history of Saint John’s by Colman Barry, OSB, was published in 1956. Come, Let Us Worship by Godfrey Diekmann, OSB, appeared in 1961.
Paschal Botz, OSB, first director of the Benedictine Institute of Sacred Theology (BIST), 1957
lishment of “a spiritual life institute for Benedictine Sisters.”
The American Benedictine Review, a scholarly periodical, began publication in 1950. Colman Barry, OSB, professor of history and president of Saint John’s University, became editor in 1961 and improved the design and reputation of the award-winning journal to which dozens of Saint John’s monks have contributed articles.
The following summer the Benedictine Institute of Sacred Theology (BIST) opened under the direction of Mary Anthony Wagner, OSB, Saint Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph, Minnesota, at the College of Saint Benedict with sixty Sisters participating. By 1963 there were 96 students from 32 motherhouses in 22 states, Mexico and Canada. The next year the program received accreditation to grant the master’s degree and was subsequently incorporated into the School of Theology•Seminary at Saint John’s.
Responding to the appeal of Benedictine prioresses in 1957 to make serious theological studies available to women monastics, Paschal Botz, OSB, professor of theology at Saint John’s, was appointed director of the program. The Sacred Sciences Section of the ABA proposed the estab-
Besides organizing a biennial convention, the Academy provides financial support for monastic learning and research projects through an annual Monastic Studies Award. The Academy cooperates with the Alliance for International Monasticism to provide scholarships for monastic students
from around the world to participate in the academy’s conventions. Ten monks of Saint John’s are current members of the Academy. Richard Oliver, OSB, and Simeon Thole, OSB, serve on the executive board. Benedictine Oblates and lay people have increasingly become members of the Academy. Membership is ecumenical and online application is available at the Academy’s website: www.osb.org/aba/ Richard Oliver, OSB, webmaster for the Order of Saint Benedict, was installed as the Academy’s president on August 15, 2004.
Richard Oliver, OSB, president of the ABA
Early Christian World Program Saint John’s School of Theology•Seminary under the direction of Michael Patella, OSB, associate professor of theology, is sponsoring a study tour, May 10-June 3, 2005, to visit places in Turkey, Greece and Rome which nursed our faith in its infancy. Sites to be visited include Galatia, Macedonia, Tarsus, Istanbul, Antioch, Ephesus, Athens, Corinth and many more. For complete information contact Linda Schreiber at 320-3633154 or lschreiber@csbsju.edu. Mary Anthony Wagner, OSB, director of BIST and Dean of School of Theology•Seminary
The Abbey Banner Winter 2004 page 15
FEATURE
Robert Koopmann, OSB, Master Musician by Daniel Durken, OSB
God gave us music that we might pray without words.
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visitor to the studio of Father Robert (or Father Bob) gets the immediate impression that keyboards are a vital part of his day. The five keyboards that are present include not one but two pianos (so he can play along at times with his piano students), a synthesizer, a computer and a typewriter. All five keyboards are privileged to know the touch of the flying fingers of this fifty-eight year old master musician. Robert began his association with the piano keyboard at age six when his mother and aunt, both good pianists, introduced him to the musical instrument that was to play such an important role in his life. He soon began taking piano lessons from a Franciscan Sister at Saint Edward’s School in Waterloo, Iowa. An important factor in Bob’s musical development was his mother’s page 16 The Abbey Banner Winter 2004
support and encouragement. She practiced with him daily. His father was also musical, playing the clarinet and guitar. By the time Bob was twelve years old, he came to realize, “I am pretty good at this.” His mastery of Clementi’s “Sonatina in D” was a turning point in the discovery of this talent.
at Saint John’s of concert pianist Willem Ibes and the director of Saint John’s Men’s Chorus, Gerhard Track, the choice was easy. He was also considering studying for the priesthood, but opted for a major in piano performance and music education. After graduation in 1968, Robert earned the Master of Music degree at
Sister Arnold, OSF, an accomplished pianist, helped Bob develop his musical talent through high school. He says, “I was good enough then that my peers considered my playing ‘cool’ and did not harass me.” He had ample opportunities to perform both classical and pop music, the latter giving him the chance to improvise. When it came time to choose a college, Robert visited the College of Saint Thomas and Saint John’s University. Because of the presence
Ten-year-old Robert at the keyboard
FEATURE of Musical Arts in 1976. Returning to Saint John’s he taught full time, chaired the music department and took summer theology classes. He completed his seminary courses and was ordained in 1981.
So many notes!
the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Here he played professionally with the Milwaukee Symphony and at a summer musical repertory theatre. Staying in touch with several Saint John’s classmates, several of whom had become monks of the abbey, Bob seriously considered returning to Collegeville to explore the vocation of a monk and priest. He enjoyed the exuberance of the monks at their work as well as the beauty of the place. “This is when ‘The Call’ came to me,” Bob reminisces. “I wanted to try the Benedictines first. If that didn’t work out I could do something else.” He was able to cancel the contract he had made to teach at Saint Norbert’s College, DePere, Wisconsin, and entered the novitiate in the fall of 1970, making his first profession of vows the following year. After beginning priesthood studies and teaching parttime for a year, Robert began doctoral studies in music at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, and graduated with the Doctor
Robert currently gives piano lessons, teaches first year symposium and honors courses in music, and is the abbey’s music director and organist. He has been a faculty resident in student housing since his ordination and delights students and monks at sing-alongs and pop concerts. He gives concerts from Daytona Beach to Duluth and from Nassau, Bahamas, to Salzburg, Austria, Port Elizabeth, South Africa and at Benedictine monasteries in Tanzania. He has recorded three CDs: Robert Koopmann Piano Recital (1994), The Second Piano Recital (1996) and Sacred Improvisations (2004). When asked if there is a tension between his musical and monastic life, Robert reflects, “At times, yes, but never a doubt. I appreciate the community support I receive. Learning new music is like lectio divina, sacred reading. As I play the music slowly, my heart-strings begin to respond.
Robert’s CD of sixteen piano improvisations on hymns, spiritualities and chants (e.g., “Deep River,” “Precious Lord,” “Adoro te devote”) may be purchased at the Abbey Web Store: www.saintjohnsabbey.org/store under the heading “Fine Arts and Music.” $15 plus $2.50 shipping plus Minnesota state tax of 6.5%.
There is a transcendent aspect to the experience as the music becomes a part of me and I become part of the music.” A plaque in his office epitomizes Robert’s love of music and its performance: Bach gave us God’s word. Mozart gave us God’s laughter. Beethoven gave us God’s fire. God gave us music that we might pray without words. Daniel Durken, OSB, is an editor and writer for Liturgical Press.
Robert entertains students with “My Old Red Hen” at a Concert on the Tundra in September 2004.
The Abbey Banner Winter 2004 page 17
THE ABBEY CHRONICLE Winter sits and waits for spring. Misery loves company.
Whatʼs Up? The Abbey Chronicle by Daniel Durken, OSB
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ampus air conditioners got little use this summer. Only twice did thermometers register in the 90s—94 on June 7; 92 on July 21. Chilly days in August brought lows of 42, 46, 48, and 49. But September and the first half of October treated us to weeks of warm, sunny days with cloudless skies. By mid-October crisp and cloudy days, honking geese making a V-line south and purple martins abandoning their lakeside apartments assured us that it was time to move on. September 2004
A mother guards her son’s stuff on moving-in day.
■ The tenth day enrollment figures for the university are 512 first year students and a total of 1,871. Total undergraduate enrollment decreased by approximately 2% at both CSB and SJU. Both institutions had anticipated and budgeted page 18 The Abbey Banner Winter 2004
Autumn arrives in Collegeville; winter to follow. for fewer students. The School of Theology•Seminary has 139 students, one less than last year. Saint John’s Preparatory School numbers 310 students in its middle and upper schools. ■ Saint Benedict’s Rule stipulates that “If the community is rather large, some brothers should be made deans to take care of their groups of ten” (chapter 21). The deanery system at Saint John’s Abbey was initiated during the tenure of Abbot Jerome Theisen, OSB (1979-92). Deans were appointed for groups according to living arrangements or by work assignments. The community agreed to restructure deaneries into intergenerational groups. For one experimental year groups will meet monthly to discuss topics suggested both by the abbot and by community members. ■ From late September through early October the campus was marked by a one-mile path entitled “Walk Through Time— From Stardust to Us.” Eighty-eight panels pictured and described the 4.6 billion years of the earth’s development with each foot of the Walk representing
one million years. The final panel gives cause to ponder: “Infinite gratitude for the past. Infinite joy in the present. Infinite commitment to the future.” October 2004
Apples by God; bowl by Neal Laloo, OSB
■ After last year’s bumper crop of 250 bushels of apples from the abbey orchard, this year’s crop was less than paltry. John Hanson, OSB, George Primus, OSB, and volunteers picked only about thirtyfive bushels of the crisp, tart fruit.
One of the “Walk Through Time” panels
THE ABBEY CHRONICLE November 2004 ■ Neal Henry Lawrence, OSB, 96, monk and priest, Navy veteran, diplomat, teacher, poet, scholar and beloved missionary to Japan, died November 3 at Holy Trinity Monastery, Fujimi, Japan. His obituary will appear in the spring 2005 issue of The Abbey Banner.
A hand-carved Nativity scene from the Bahamas
■ This year’s abbey Christmas card features a hand-carved wood relief scene (11 x 15 x 2 inches) done by an unknown wood carver in the Bahamas. This image was chosen to honor the ministry of monks of Saint John’s Abbey in the Bahamas since 1891 and to note the formal transfer of governance of Saint Augustine’s College to a lay board of directors in May, 2004. ■ John Elton, landscape manager, and members of the Grounds Crew attended to the needs of trees on campus. A tree specialist determined that many trees have been planted too deep and secondary roots emerge to obtain oxygen and moisture. These secondary roots wrap around the main roots and endanger the tree’s existence. Workers cut off the secondary roots and created a bowl that was well watered and filled with wood chips to better hold moisture.
Rev. Carl Wilkens, recipient of 2004 Dignitas Humana award
■ This year’s Dignitas Humana Award was bestowed on Rev. Carl Wilkens on October 18. The award, sponsored by Saint John’s School of Theology•Seminary, is given to those who strive to advance the human dignity of all persons. Rev. Wilkens is recognized for remaining in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide of the Hutu and Tutsi tribes that resulted in the deaths of 800,000 men, women and children. Prior to the presentation, the documentary Ghosts of Rwanda was shown. The film presents scenes of the massacre of victims and is an indictment against the Security Council of the United Nations and the administration of the United States for their failure to intervene in this crisis.
Neal Henry Lawrence, OSB
Remember our loved ones who have gone to their rest: Harvey Botz Msgr. Stanley Bourassa Bertha Brinkman William Buck Marilyn Douvier Sr. Mary Joseph Hastreiter, OSF Bernadette Koetter Margaret Leuthner Cecilia Miller Leslie Rivers Mary Sinderman Sr. Witrada Sperr, OSF Richard Tavis
A tangle of secondary roots
Bring them and all the departed into the light of your presence, O Lord. The Abbey Banner Winter 2004 page 19
VOCATION NEWS Brother Joseph with his mother Joan
Joseph Schneeweis, OSB, Professes Vows
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he cross invites us to serve the Church and our world.” With these words of his homily, Abbot John Klassen, OSB, gave context on September 14, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, to Brother Joseph’s public commitment to the Benedictine way of life. Joseph, 40, is the son of James (deceased) and Joan Schneeweis of Melrose, Minnesota. His academic background includes the Bachelor of Science degree in secondary social studies education and Master’s
degrees in library and information science, philosophy and divinity. Joseph’s work experiences are as varied as his education. He was substitute teacher, swimming instructor, lifeguard and swimming/track coach in his home town; school librarian and dormitory monitor at Saint John’s Preparatory School, Collegeville; a Peace Corp teacher and trainer in Guatemala and Swaziland; librarian at Louisiana State University; and a facilitator of “base communities” and catechism teacher in a Dallas, Texas, parish. For nine years (1993-2002) Joseph
participated in the formation program of the Jesuits. During this time he worked in managerial positions in Catholic Worker facilities in Houston, Texas, Tijuana, Mexico, and Chicago. He served as a Jesuit formation assistant and librarian at a college in Zimbabwe, a university chaplain at Loyola University, New Orleans, and a catechist in a Massachusetts parish as well as in his hometown parish. Joseph is now teaching world history at Saint John’s Preparatory School.
Andrew Coval Continues Formation Program
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ndrew Coval, 26, the son of Thomas and Marie Coval of Philadelphia, was invested as a novice during community Evening Prayer on September 10. His preparation for living the monastic life continues under the supervision of JP Earls, OSB, director of formation. Andrew’s siblings include a fascinating variety of brothers. He has a twin brother, Chris, two younger adopted brothers of Afghanistan origin, two older foster brothers originally from Vietnam and another foster brother from Sudan. page 20 The Abbey Banner Winter 2004
After graduating with degrees in philosophy and pre-medicine from Emory University, Atlanta, Andrew worked with Mexican youth under the direction of a Dominican community in Chicago. He also spent three months in a guest program at the Trappist abbey in Conyers, Georgia. At the Easter Vigil of 2001 he was admitted into full membership in the Catholic Church. Andrew earned the master’s degree in systematic theology at Saint John’s School of Theology•Seminary in 2003 and participated in the sum-
Novice Andrew Coval
mer Monastic Experience Program. He taught religion in an Episcopalian high school in Alexandria, Virginia, and then completed the three-month candidacy program in preparation for his entrance into the novitiate.
VOCATION NEWS Ryan Radmer, at left, and Robert Kirsch, second from right, with students of Saint Benedict’s Prep School
Two SJU Grads Join Saint Johnʼs Benedictine Volunteer Corps Johnnies teach at Saint Benedict’s Prep School, Newark, New Jersey
UPDATE ON 2003 VOLUNTEERS
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ollowing his year of service in 2003-04 at Colegio San Antonio Abad, Humacao, Puerto Rico, Quinn Martin was baptized and received into the Catholic Church at Saint Johnʼs Abbey in early June, 2004. His consideration of this step during his years at Saint Johnʼs was confirmed by the example of the Benedictines of Abadia de San Antonio Abad. Quinn is pursuing a Masterʼs degree at Seattle University in a program for educating underprivileged students. After his year at Saint Benedictʼs Prep, Newark, New Jersey, Nick Banks is studying at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, for the Masterʼs degree in library science with an emphasis on making available and presenting information to minority groups. SJU alumni interested in joining the Saint Johnʼs Benedictine Volunteer Corps should contact Paul Richards, OSB, at 320-363-3007 or prichards@csbsju.edu.
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obert Kirsch and Ryan Radmer, 2004 graduates of Saint John’s University, have joined the Saint John’s Benedictine Volunteer Corps (SJBVC) and are teaching at Saint Benedict’s Prep School in Newark, New Jersey. Initiated by Paul Richards, OSB, subprior of Saint John’s Abbey, SJBVC provides Johnnie alumni the opportunity to join in the work and prayer of a Benedictine community. A two-week orientation program at Saint John’s introduces volunteers to the monastic routine and the basic principles of the Rule of Saint Benedict. They are then assigned to a Benedictine community that offers them meaningful work plus food, lodging, a small monthly stipend and access to needed transportation. Volunteers are expected to spend thirty to forty hours a week in the work of the host monastery. They also pray with the community once or twice a day and join the community for at least one meal a day. Robert Kirsch, 21, of Fargo, North Dakota, is a political science major and intends to enter law school. Originally excited and nervous about
the prospect of working in an inner city high school, Robert is enjoying the challenge of teaching American history and coaching debate and mock trial. Ryan Radmer, 23, of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, majored in English. He wanted to do something different after graduation and attended Brother Paul’s presentation about this volunteer program. Though he initially left the room after the presentation, Ryan decided to return to talk further with Paul and take the plunge. He is tutoring students, coaching lacrosse and serving as a teacher’s aide. Saint Benedict’s Prep School in Newark was established by Benedictines in 1868 when they arrived in this city to minister to German immigrants. With a seventh through twelfth grade student population of 575 and a faculty of 65 (of which seven are monks of Newark Abbey), the school’s eleven-month calendar includes a mandatory five-week summer session. Black students account for 67% of the enrollment, white students 10% and Hispanics 23%. The spirit of the school flows from its motto: “Whatever hurts my brother hurts me.” The Abbey Banner Winter 2004 page 21
ABBEY MISSIONS The roof of the rectory of St. Agnes Church on Grand Bahama was blown off.
Hurricanes Batter Bahamas
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xcept for uprooted trees and bushes, Saint Augustine’s Monastery and College escaped major damage from Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne which roared over the Bahamas in early and late September. Other parts of Nassau and especially the Family Islands were not as fortunate. Archbishop Patrick Pinder of Nassau reflects on the extensive damage of the ferocious storms in his letter to the Catholics of the Bahamas. He writes in part: “This hurricane was unique in that it affected almost every island in our archipelago. I had the opportunity to travel to some of the islands and see first hand some of the wreck and ruin left behind in the wake of Hurricane Frances.
“One does not easily forget the images of destruction. There were the roofs stripped away and entire homes which collapsed under the persistent hammering of the wind. One does not soon forget the sight of homes still standing but with the entire interior, including walls, furniture and all personal belongings, destroyed by storm surges. “These are the images of devastation I saw. These are images of lives severely disrupted. The scale of destruction was such as I have never known to take place in our Bahamian community before. What is required of us is nothing less than a full scale national response.
The roof top from one of the classrooms at Mary Star of the Sea School, Freeport, Grand Bahama. Many of the classrooms suffered damage from floodings.
page 22 The Abbey Banner Winter 2004
“Some have speculated that this natural disaster was God’s judgment upon us. I suggest that we rather think in terms of the opportunity that
Holy Saviour Church, Cockburn Town, San Salvador, received severe damages. Shingles were blown away. The middle section of the stained glass window above the altar was blown out in addition to two doors and other windows.
this disaster provides for us to rediscover some basic community values. This is a time for us to seek out relatives and friends to share what little we have with those who have even less. Let us go forward with the firm conviction that our gracious God does not abandon us in times of trouble.” Readers who wish to contribute to the Nassau Archdiocesan Hurricane Relief Committee should write to: Bahamas Mission of Florida, Inc. / Attention: Msgr. Preston Moss / P.O. Box N8187 / Nassau, Bahamas. Photographs on this page come through the courtesy of Paula Strachan-Reckley, coordinating editor of Bahama Catholic.
ABBEY MISSIONS Mount Fuji, the most revered of all mountains in Japan
Facts about Fujimi by Kieran Nolan, OSB
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“Whenever, wherever, good tasting water, Fujimi.”
n 1999 the monks of Saint Anselm’s Priory in Tokyo moved to Holy Trinity Monastery in Fujimi, a town of 15,000 located at the very center of Japan’s island of Honshu. Fujimi is 120 miles southwest of Tokyo in the foothills of the Japanese Alps, some 3,000 feet above sea level. East of the town stands tall and majestic Mount Fuji, the most revered of all mountains in Japan. Fujimi is especially known for its fresh mountain air and since 1926 has been a center for rehabilitation of tuberculosis patients. A 200-bed hospital and a nursing home for 150 serve the area. Recreation areas feature mountain climbing, skiing, hang gliding, mountain biking and golfing. The town is a cool summer retreat from the heat of urban centers. The summer place of former Japanese prime minister Inukai is two minutes from the monastery and features a beautiful all-season garden. Fujimi is also noted for its fresh mountain-grown vegetables, buck-
Overlooking Fujimi
wheat noodles and yogurt, ice cream, fresh milk and especially its good drinking water. The water supply protective covers, seen all over town, have the following words written in ENGLISH: “Whenever, wherever, good tasting water, Fujimi.” This good tasting water is put to excellent use in the production of Japanese whiskey and rice wine or Japanese saki. The major industrial center in Fujimi is the Seiko Epson laboratories with over a thousand employees in computer research. Other industries include tomato juice canning and camera factories.
also in the planning stages. A tension exists between maintaining agriculture and developing industry. A hopeful sign of the Saint Joseph’s Catholic continuaChurch tion of those “good ol’ days” is reflected in the unique Onbashira (Worthy Pillars) Festival celebrated every seven years. The fall 2004 issue of The Abbey Banner described this celebration of transporting logs from the mountain to the Shinto shrine at nearby Lake Suwa.
In Fujimi one can find a Shinto shrine, a Buddhist temple, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, United Church of Christ chapel, a Lutheran church and retreat center and, of course, a Benedictine monastery. There is a strong educational system in Fujimi that includes an A Shinto Shrine agricultural school and In this context an art school. the seven Benedictine monks of Holy Trinity Monastery carry out their daily Future plans for connecting Fujimi routine of worship and work. with the rest of Japan requires the development of a linear motor car capable of going 500 kilometers/390 miles an hour and that will be expected to make the 120-mile trip to Tokyo in one hour. An industrial park is
Kieran Nolan is a member and former prior of Holy Trinity Monastery, Fujimi, Japan.
The Abbey Banner Winter 2004 page 23
STRENGTHENING FOUNDATIONS Vincent James (second from rt.) and members of his staff with model of abbey guest house
New Architect, New Design for Abbey Guest House by Alan Reed, OSB
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he fall 2004 issue of The Abbey Banner informed readers that the initial design of the new abbey guest house by Japanese architect Tadao Ando was incompatible with the budget. The monastic community therefore hired the Vincent James Associates Architects (VJAA), a Minneapolis-based firm, to continue working with the abbey to build a retreat and guest facility. Vincent James has been a member of the abbey’s design committee since 2001 and was one of the finalists originally considered by the guest house committee. He and Jennifer Yoos, his wife and business partner, and their team have begun the design process by first exploring efficiency models and then moving toward imaginative ways of working with those schemes. An early conceptual model of the building is based on simple rectangular forms interacting with each other in ways that respond well to the program and relate to the Breuer architecture of the campus and to the guest facility’s glorious setting overlooking Lake Sagatagan. A preliminary model was presented to the monastic community page 24 The Abbey Banner Winter 2004
on September 7 and a refined model was revealed on October 12.
Orleans. Mr. James also teaches at Harvard Design School.
The conceptual design for the guest house involves a three level, L-shaped building housing public spaces and guest rooms attached to a rectangular retreat wing set into the hill below the upper forms. The scheme offers minimal invasion of the site, clear organization of the different kinds of spaces in the guest house and views of the lake from each of the visitor’s rooms.
The guest house committee, the senior council and the monastic community thoroughly discussed the new design. On October 19 the community overwhelmingly approved the conceptual design. The hope is to begin construction of the building in the fall of 2005. Alan Reed, OSB, is the curator of abbey and university art.
Mr. James’ firm has won six awards offered by the American architecture profession, four consecutive Progressive Architecture awards and two National American Institute of Architects (AIA) Honor Awards. The firm’s work has been published widely including a monograph on the extraordinary design of a house in northern Wisconsin. VJAA is working on student centers for the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, and Tulane University, New The architect’s conceptual drawing of the entrance to the new abbey guest house
STRENGTHENING FOUNDATIONS L. to r.: Manuel Cely, OSB; James Harmon, OCSO; John Mary Lugemwa, OSB; Benedict Fischer, OSB; Matthew Rios, OSB; Robert Sum, OSB; Austin Cadiz, OSB
Visiting Student Monks Enrich the Abbey by Doug Mullin, OSB
They are monks of promise for the church and their home communities.
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or many decades Saint John’s Abbey has been enriched by visiting student monks from around the world. They share in our prayer and common life as they pursue study programs at Saint John’s University and the School of Theology•Seminary. Many of them are able to come to Saint John’s in part because of the forty percent tuition scholarship they receive from the abbey. This year our visiting student monks are: • Austin Cadiz, OSB, 30, Our Lady of Montserrat Abbey in Manila, Philippines. He is pursuing the MA in monastic studies. After completing his studies this spring he will return to his community to work in formation. • Manuel Cely, OSB, 33, Monasterio Benedictino de Tibati in Bogota, Colombia. Now in his fourth year of studies towards the MDiv degree, Manuel was ordained a deacon this past June and will complete his studies this December and be ordained to the priesthood. He hopes to work in his community’s
schools and possibly in the formation program. • Benedict Fischer, OSB, 31, Assumption Abbey, Richardton, North Dakota, is pursuing the MA in theology with the intention of being ordained to the priesthood and teaching or working in a parish. • James Harmon, OCSO, 52, Holy Cross Abbey, Berryville, Virginia, since 1999, where he worked with fruitcake production and sales in this Trappist community. He is studying for ordination to the priesthood. • John Mary Lugemwa, OSB, 25, Mary Mother of the Church Abbey, Richmond, Virginia. Originally from Masaka, Uganda, John Mary is working towards the BA with majors in computer science and philosophy. He plans to study theology and canon law in Rome to prepare himself to serve as a priest and teacher.
fornia, is originally from Manila, Philippines. Matthew completed the MA degree in theology and was ordained to the diaconate last August. He will finish his studies for the priesthood in December and return to Valyermo to work in formation and liturgy. • Robert Sum, OSB, 43, is from Saint Procopius Abbey, Lisle, Illinois. He began graduate theological studies in 2001 and was ordained to the diaconate early this year. After his ordination to the priesthood next summer Robert hopes to work in liturgy and music within his community and its schools. Doug Mullin, OSB, is associate professor of education and a student in Saint John’s School of Theology•Seminary.
• Matthew Rios, OSB, 41, Saint Andrew’s Abbey, Valyermo, Cali-
The Abbey Banner Winter 2004 page 25
FEATURE
Making The Saint Johnʼs Cross by Paul Richards, OSB
“Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim!”
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s announced in the fall 2004 issue of The Abbey Banner, the first edition of The Saint John’s Cross is now available for purchase by the public. Since early September a production team of monks and lay people has been busy producing this handsome cross designed by the late Frank Kacmarcik, OblSB, using wood from the abbey’s forests. The production process begins at Saint John’s Woodworking Shop where Gregory Eibensteiner, OSB, manager, selects the white oak and maple wood from stock on hand. The wood is then planed, jointed and cut into blocks measuring 1 3/8 inches x 1 3/8 inches x 6 3/4 inches. Each cross requires eight of these pieces. The process continues at the Cold Spring studio of KC Marrin, master woodworker and organ builder, who supervises the re-
maining steps. The wood is cut into the required shapes and sanded. A stain made of vinegar, water and steel wool is brushed onto the pieces to obtain the desired black color. The pieces are again sanded and then assembled and glued together. More sanding and staining follow, together with an oiling and final buffing. Thin brass rods that help to delineate the cross are inserted into maple wood strips. These maple wood pieces are then glued to the oak wood arms of the cross. The small piece at the base of the cross is glued in place. Finally, a hole for hanging the cross is made. Each cross is numbered and dated as part of the initial run of 750 crosses. The entire process takes about three hours.
dictines Simon Bischof (“work boss” and driver between Collegeville and Cold Spring), Hugh Witzmann, Paul Richards, John Hanson, Andrew Goltz and Finian McDonald along with Kathy McDonald and Rea Rinn. This 14 inches x 16 inches cross is priced at $140 plus $11 for shipping and handling. Orders may be placed at saintjohnsabbey.org/store or by calling 320-363-3865 or by writing to The Saint John’s Cross, P. O. Box 2015, Collegeville, MN 56321.
The production team thus far includes BeneKC Marrin (l.) and Simon Bischof, OSB, assemble The Saint John’s Cross.
page 26 The Abbey Banner Winter 2004
SPIRITUAL LIFE Illumination: “Madonna and Child” from a 15th century French Book of Hours, courtesy of the Hill Monastic Manuscript Library. The scene is from Revelation 12:1-6.
Sleepers, Wake! by Eric Hollas, OSB
Advent wakes us and proclaims that our lives are pregnant with possibility.
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n a world headed every which way but on the path to God, Advent is a wake-up call. It’s an invitation to stir from sleep and consider what really matters in our lives—even if that involves just a touch of anxiety.
For centuries the biblical readings that introduce the Advent liturgies have shaken Christians to their very bones. They have generated fanciful notions of the end-times when Jesus will return to rule a kingdom that will never end. But prior to his coming, signs in the moon and stars will usher in cataclysmic events that have allowed Christian imaginations to run wild. Some expect an enormous war—Armageddon—which will rock the Middle East. Others envision the four horsemen of the Apocalypse sweeping across the sky, showering horrors on the doomed and salvation on those who recognize Jesus Christ. Still others long for the rapture, in which the saved will be snatched from the ranks of the damned. And yet another variation of this theme promises that the exile of Palestinians from Palestine and the return of all Jews to Israel will hasten the glorious reign of Christ. Apocalyptic thinking has cropped up regularly in Christian history, and
yet it has never claimed a lasting foothold among Catholics or mainline Christians like Lutherans and Episcopalians. The reason it hasn’t is because our shared sense of history reminds us how often Christians have looked to the skies to find Jesus Christ, only to discover that he was already in their midst. Whether in the New Testament community or in the year 1000 or at other moments of unbearable stress, some have longed for the sudden appearance of Jesus Christ to set things right. The apostles expected the imminent return of Christ. The same conviction animated those who watched as the bravest among them suffered martyrdom. Whenever Christians have been unable to find a way out of terrible challenges, they have joined in the simplest of prayers: “Come, Lord Jesus!” Most of us go for long stretches without reflecting much on our lives because getting through the day is about all we can handle. But Advent wakes us and proclaims that our lives are pregnant with possibility. Advent teaches that we should neither despair about life nor see the signs in the moon and the stars and the world as
forces that will inevitably crush us. Rather, in Advent we see Jesus coming—dimly at first—but ever more intensely as Christmas nears. Yet it is easy for us to be caught up in the chaos of creation. Like a leaf in a stream, we can be sucked into an ocean that overwhelms us. But Advent cautions us not to be weighed down or swept away by the cares of this life. Rather, we must take hold and open ourselves to new life and to all its potential. We must be standing ready to see Jesus when he comes. If we are really alert, we will discover that he has been with us all along. Eric Hollas, OSB, is Saint John’s senior associate of Arts and Cultural Affairs.
For future dates and topics of Benedictine Day of Prayer go to www.saintjohnsabbey.org/slp and click on “Day of Prayer” or call 320-363-3929. The Abbey Banner Winter 2004 page 27
Gift Ideas that Captivate, Inspire and Renew A Year of Sundays focuses on the gospels proclaimed during the liturgical year that begins on the First Sunday of Advent in 2004 and continues through the Feast of Christ the King in November 2005. CV0-8146-2689-0 Paper, 80 pp., 4 x 5 1/8, $2.00; 30 or more copies, $1.00 each* (Asterisk indicates discount price available only on “no-returns” basis.)
Designed to help people celebrate the season of Lent, Not by Bread Alone may be used by individuals for daily private reflection and prayer. A six-part exercise is offered for every day of the Lenten season. CV0-8146-2989-X Paper, 96 pp., 4 x 5 1/8, $2.00; 50 or more copies, $1.00 each* (Asterisk indicates discount price available only on “no-returns” basis.) For more great gift ideas call 1 - 800 - 858 - 5450 or visit us at www.litpress.org and click on the Advent-Christmas featured resources.
Get answers to such intriguing questions as when was Christmas first celebrated? How did December 25 become the official date for Christmas? When did Christmas music first appear? Who was the real St. Nicholas and how did he become one of the most famous of all Christian saints? The story of the origins of Christmas is not well known but it is a fascinating tale. It begins when Christmas did not exist and finishes when Christmas had become an integral part of Christian life and Western culture. A great book for anyone interested in the origins of this blessed season. CV0-8146-2984-9 Paper, 160 pp., 5 3/8 x 8 1/4, $11.95
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