Altar + Home
Labor Day Weekend
It was a warm Labor Day Weekend in Missouri. Saturday morning I was at Viking Lake with the students from the Newman Center at Northwest Missouri State. We had Mass, then spent a few hours swimming and going out on the boat. Several of the priests from the Abbey take turns on the weekends celebrating…
Donor Thank You
On Sunday we invited our donors and benefactors to join us for Mass, a banquet, and an open house and tour of the newly renovated monastery. Many local friends from around the Abbey were also invited to take a look at our new house. The Basilica was completely filled with guests as we extended our…
Novice Eric Becomes Brother Luke
August 15- After spending one year in the novitiate, where he discerned and tested his vocation to monastic life, Novice Eric professed first vows in the presence of family, friends, and his monastic brothers. It was a powerful ceremony as Abbot Gregory bestowed upon Novice Eric the name “Luke”, under the patronage of the Evangelist…
A New School Year with New Leadership
We officially welcomed Fr. Brendan Moss, O.S.B. (St. Meinrad Archabbey) and Fr. Pat York (Diocese of Wichita) to the Conception Seminary community. Fr. Brendan was installed as President-Rector in a very beautiful and joyful ceremony on Sunday. He was joined by family, friends, monastic confreres of St. Meinrad, and the Conception community. Fr. Pat takes…
Seminary Orientation
The new seminarians arrived and are slowly getting accustom to campus. As the new freshmen chaplain, I have the privilege of living on the residence floor with 26 freshmen. Yes, it is good news…numbers are up, with total enrollment at 108. This news is a great cause for hope in the Church. The freshmen seem…
A Touch of Beauty
Campus is looking nice these days, plenty of beautiful colors. The seminarians return, so that will keep many of us plenty busy. Enjoy the colors!
Open Hearts, Open Doors
These past few days have been filled with God’s many blessings. On August 14, Novice Adam Haake, a priest of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, who has discerned a call to monastic life at Conception Abbey, is testing that call in the novitiate. During this one year period of discernment, he will pray and…
One Week
In just one week the new seminarians will be arriving at Conception Seminary College. Those monks directly (and indirectly) involved with their formation are making preparations during these last days. Just this morning I sat in on a meeting planning the arrival of the freshmen class, which I will oversee this year. We have 26…
Summer Projects
The new students arrive for seminary orientation in less than two weeks. There are many small projects to complete before then. I was recently appointed as chaplain to the Freshman class, so this year I will reside in St. Michael’s Hall with the incoming Freshmen. The chaplain quarters needed a little work, so Postulant Adam…
On a Mission
I have been substituting at the Basilica of St. John in Des Moines, Iowa for the past couple of weeks and will be here through the end of the week. When the pastor, Fr. Aquinas Nichols, takes his summer vacation, usually one of our monks is asked to staff the parish. In recent years Fr.…