Conception Abbey
Monks and the Seminary
Classes in the seminary began on Monday and we have 99 seminarians this year. The summer certainly went by quickly but the monastic community too is ready for another academic year. There are 25 monks involved in some aspect of seminary formation, which might include serving as a professor, chaplain, spiritual director, or other member…
Mary: Our Hope and Our Comfort — Conception Seminary College
For today the Virgin Mother of God was assumed into heaven as the beginning and image of your Church’s coming to perfection and a sign of sure hope and comfort to your pilgrim people. (Preface for the Assumption, Roman Missal, Third Edition) Mary is our hope and our comfort! As we celebrate the Solemnity of […]…
Solemnity of the Assumption
Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. For the monks, it is a special feast day for another reason. Many of the monks professed vows on this day, including me. Today is actually my 10th anniversary of profession. Here is a list of the monks who celebrate the…
Des Moines
For the past two weeks, I have been filling in for the pastor, Fr. Aquinas, at the Basilica of St. John in Des Moines, Iowa. Fr. Aquinas has been taking these days away for vacation. I was able to help out at this beautiful parish last summer as well. It is one of the highlights…
In Flight
A few evenings ago, I took to the skies with the aerial drone to capture some beautiful pictures of campus. The generous rains have kept everything nice and green. Br. Etienne used the camera to take pictures of the drone in the air. It’s a pretty awesome invention. Enjoy the pictures!
Monastic Recreation
During these beautiful summer months the monks go outside after supper as a community. Many times we simply sit outside or walk around the sidewalk and enjoy one another’s company. It is a time to relax, let the food digest, before we return to the Basilica for Compline, our final prayer of the evening. Here…
Picturesque II
The past few weeks have been very busy. I helped out with the Companion Camp Reunion, then departed for Wichita and Oklahoma City to visit a monastic vocation guest and attend the priesthood ordination as the seminary representative for alumnus John Paul Lewis. The monks have 14 days of vacation each year, so I spent…
Summer Flowers
Recently, I made a quick loop around campus with the goal of capturing some nice summer pictures. I wanted to see what kinds of colors were around and see what else I could find. Below: A picture from Br. Etienne.
Glass Work
I was back in the stained glass shop last week working on a couple of projects. I paused from the windows that I am working on in the monastery in order to work on a personal project. I made a design for the half circle window opening in my monastery room. The top of most…
Companion Camp Reunion
A Benedictine monastery and a seminary college is an important place for high school boys to visit. A positive experience at such an impressionable age, even if only for the weekend, lends the opportunity to strengthen a young person’s faith and help cultivate and sustain their relationship with God. I know this because I have…