Bishop blesses new abbot
Benedict Neenan blessed as the new abbot of Conception Abbey
Abbot Benedict Neenan, OSB was blessed as the tenth abbot of Conception Abbey by the Most Rev. Bishop James V. Johnston of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph on Sunday, January 15, 2017. Surrounded by his brother monks, family, friends, employees, and guests Abbot Benedict graciously received this sacramental blessing, the final step confirming his role of Abbot and spiritual father of the monks of Conception Abbey. The blessing of an abbot is a special sacramental of the Roman Catholic Church and is traditionally officiated by the local bishop. Having been elected by the monastic community on November 27, 2016, he became abbot immediately upon acceptance of the office.
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Abbot Benedict Neenan, OSB was blessed as the tenth abbot of Conception Abbey by the Most Rev. Bishop James V. Johnston of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph on Sunday, January 15, 2017. Surrounded by his brother monks, family, friends, employees, and guests Abbot Benedict graciously received this sacramental blessing, the final step confirming his role of Abbot and spiritual father of the monks of Conception Abbey. The blessing of an abbot is a special sacramental of the Roman Catholic Church and is traditionally officiated by the local bishop. Having been elected by the monastic community on November 27, 2016, he became abbot immediately upon acceptance of the office.
In his homily, Bishop Johnston instructed the monastic community and those gathered to seek God continually. “Ultimately, to seek God is the purpose and goal of every vocation, but in a special way the monastic vocation. To seek God in your prayer, work, and life together in order to praise, reverence, and serve Him, and through this cooperate in the work of your salvation and the salvation of others.” Johnston continued his homily with further instructions for the monks who will now live under a new abbot and for Abbot Benedict in particular as he assumes this new role.
Following the homily, Bishop Johnston officiated the Rite of Blessing of an Abbot. The Rule of St. Benedict makes reference to such a rite, witnessing to a custom already present by the sixth century. The local bishop examines the new abbot as to his intentions and adherence to orthodox belief and teaching (cf. Rule of St. Benedict 64.4). The bishop then invokes a solemn blessing upon the abbot to confirm him by grace to the charism of his ministry. He invests him with the pontifical insignia of office: the ring, miter, and crosier. In doing so, the Bishop renews and confirms the bond of communion between the monastic community and the local church.
In the church community that makes up the Benedictine Monks of Conception Abbey, the abbot has a central vocation. St. Benedict states that, as head of the monastic community, he stands in the place of Christ (The Rule of Saint Benedict 63.13). He thus fulfills a three-fold office of spiritual father, teacher, and steward.
Following the Eucharistic celebration, Abbot Benedict welcomed the various abbots of other monasteries who came for the blessing and Abbot Primate Gregory Polan, the titular head of the Benedictine Order and a monk of Conception Abbey. Abbot Benedict also addressed Bishop Johnston, promising a continued close relationship with the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph.
Abbot Benedict continued his remarks with an outline of his three most important tasks as abbot. “My first and primary job is to assist my brother monks on their lifelong journey of seeking God, and my second task is to train my successor. My third job, and that also of the entire monastic community, is to encourage more young men to discover this way of seeking God that is beautiful, profound, effective, and worth a lifetime. It’s not that we need monks, but that they need to be monks; these men are being called by God to live a beautiful life dedicated to His service in the Church, and it’s my responsibility to help these men find this call.”
Following the ceremony, a reception was held in the guest refectory where Abbot Benedict was able to greet and thank the many people who came for the blessing.
Posted in Monastery News