Altar + Home
Post-Camp Recovery Mode
I had been running around with the high school staff members since Thursday morning when they arrived. There were 20 of them this year, a great turnout of young men who came ready to serve and help out wherever needed. I dread the planning work that goes into putting together a weekend youth camp. But,…
Companion Camp Craziness
Since Thursday morning, my life has been dedicated to the success of this Companion Camp weekend. So far it is going really well, we had a variety of games last night. We already had an epic water balloon fight and will race on the 72 foot inflatable obstacle course more this afternoon. Please pray for…
Companion Camp Kicks Off
The Companion Camp High School Staff arrived this morning. Let the games begin. It is my 10th year being involved in our annual Companion Camp. Many of those years I have served as the Camp Director, which is where I find myself again this year. It is an exhausting and time consuming weekend, but very…
Demolition: Part Two
The demolition work inside the monastery is progressing quickly. Br. Maximilian braved the dust and took these pictures of the working being done during the past week. For the monks, who would see these rooms and hallways on a daily basis, it is quite a surprise to see the extent of the demolition work. It…
Demolition: Part One
The past two days have been really windy, but this is nothing special around the Abbey, where 24 wind turbines turn daily. But, there has been a lot of dust blowing in the air from the demolition work done inside the monastery and near a surrounding building. Crews continue to remove old walls and flooring…
Happy Father’s Day
Happy Father’s Day! A special word of thanks goes out to all fathers. Our fathers have a strong and formative role in our lives from an early age. We also recognize others who have had a paternal influence and formed us into the people we are today. As the foster father of Jesus Christ, St. Joseph…
Honey from the Comb
Br. Anselm is the monastery’s bee keeper. It was not something he ever thought he would do, but it is just something that he got into a few years ago. He appreciates the work outside, which is a pleasant break from his usual assignment of teaching philosophy. He now has five beehives. I suited up alongside…
Photo of the Day: 1 Year Anniversary
The monks of Conception Abbey started posting a “Photo of the Day” beginning on June 4, 2013. A year has past, and the photos have become very popular on our Facebook page, where they are featured. Here are some from the past year.
In Bloom
Many vibrant colors around campus of the flowers in our gardens. “We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We…