Monastery News
A Typical Day in the Office
Yesterday afternoon I traveled 45 minutes to St. Joseph, Missouri to attend the St. James School Vocation Day. I represented the monks and monastic life on a panel which included a diocesan priest, a religious sister, and a married couple. We had three sessions: the first included 1st and 2nd graders, then 3rd-5th graders, and…
Monastery Clothing Drive
Postulant Eric is spearheading the efforts for a Monastery Clothing Drive. It is a great opportunity to support to the poor and needy in the area and recommit ourselves to living out the simplicity of life that we profess as monks. The sign hangs on the main bulletin board in the monastery and the clothing…
Home Sweet Home
Sunday evening we pulled into the drive at Conception just before 10:30pm. It was a long and arduous journey from Mundelein, Illinois, particularly due to the duration of the drive (close to 8 hours) and the unpleasant weather. I led the group, driving in the car, followed by two vans and a suburban full of…
The Day in the Windy City
I celebrated Mass on my secondary feast day (Conversion of St. Paul) for the group who traveled along with the Conception Seminary team and served as “Fans” or “Cheerleaders.” We had planned to leave St. Benedict’s Abbey and catch a 10:45am train from Fox Lake to Chicago, but missed it by minutes. So, instead, we…
Monastic Road Trip
On Thursday afternoon, two seminarians and I traveled to Ames, Iowa, on the campus of Iowa State University, to have Mass at the St. Thomas Aquinas Student Center. I celebrated and preached at their Thursday Night Liturgy. It was nice to see a good turnout even in the midst of the bitterly cold weather. The…
Meet Fr. Victor
Date of profession (simple vows): August 15, 2005 Ordination Date: May 16, 2013 Place of Birth: Kinsley, KS High School: Kinsley HS, Arkansas City HS (Arkansas City, KS) College & Degree: Conception Seminary College – liberal arts Post-graduate work/Theology: Catholic University of America (Washington, DC) – M.A. Biblical Studies; St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology…
Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children
Today marks the 41st anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision on January 22, 1973, which legalized abortion nationwide. This day has had tragic consequences for our nation and perpetuating a “culture of death.” In all the Dioceses of the United States of America, January 22 is observed as a particular day of prayer…
Tuesday Evening Haustus
The schedule in the monastery for Tuesdays after Vespers changes a bit from the typical day. After prayer, the monks occasionally have a community conference, which is usually given by the Abbot. Then we have what we call, “Haustus.” Haustus comes from the Latin verb (Haurio, Haurire, Hausi, Haustus) meaning “to draw up” or “drink.”…
Seminary Sports
It was in the mid to upper 40’s today, which in January seems warm. The freshmen and sophomores in the college play team sports twice a week, on Monday and Wednesday afternoon. When I was a junior monk, I facilitated Team Sports for three years. Now, Br. Justin is in charge of organizing games for…
Question & Answer
We had about 15 kids here on retreat from Kansas City for the weekend. This morning before Mass, I, along with two seminarians, facilitated a question and answer panel for the group. The kids were pretty tired and a bit quiet during the session (as young people usually are before noon), but they listened attentively…