religious life
Br. Etienne Professes Solemn Vows
Today, in the presence of his family, friends, seminarians, and his monastic confreres, Br. Etienne Huard professed solemn vows as a monk of Conception Abbey. In the ceremony, Br. Etienne made a perpetual commitment to live as a monk of our monastery, vowing obedience, stability, and conversion of life. As you can imagine, this is…
Solemn Vows
Today, in the presence of his family, friends, seminarians, and his monastic confreres, Br. Etienne Huard professed solemn vows as a monk of Conception Abbey. In the ceremony, Br. Etienne made a perpetual commitment to live as a monk of our monastery, vowing obedience, stability, and conversion of life. As you can imagine, this is…
Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe
There is a great benefit to operating a seminary that is culturally diverse. Not only are we able to learn more about other cultures, but we get to celebrate more as well! The diversity of the seminarians are only a reflection of the variety of races and cultures of the people who live in the…
Winter Weather
The white, powdery snow has fallen and given our campus a new look. The sun continues to cast those long shadows across the ground. I bundled up in my warmest clothes and took these pictures on a stroll around campus yesterday afternoon. May we recognize God’s beauty in creation, and God’s goodness in all things.…
A Visit to our Neighbors
I am assigned for the week as the chaplain to the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, in Clyde, Missouri. Each week a different priest from the Abbey is assigned to celebrate the morning Eucharist in their main chapel. It is just a short two-mile drive over to the Sisters’ monastery, but this week the weather…
Immaculate Conception
Today the monks of Conception Abbey celebrate their patronal feast day. Normally celebrated on December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary was transferred to December 9, since in the Church’s Liturgical Calendar, yesterday was the Second Sunday of Advent. Yesterday marks 140 years of the founding of Conception Abbey,…
Snowfall
The monks arose early as usual, but as they glanced out the windows this morning, the ground was white. Snow has fallen at the Abbey. It continued to come down into the early afternoon, making the country roads not too friendly to the traveler. Br. Placid operated the snowplow this morning to clear the driveways…
A Matter of Perspective
Life is about the perspective we take. Enjoy these pictures of the Basilica with a fish-eye lens. The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception is the heartbeat of the Abbey. Here, we gather six times a day to praise God through the Divine Office and the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. This schedule of prayer is…
A Year of Firsts
The priests of the monastery are on a rotation to celebrate the Eucharist for the community each day. In some monastic communities, it is the same priest assigned for the entire week who celebrates Mass. Our custom is that a different priest celebrates Mass each day. Today, Dec. 5, I was the principal celebrant for…
What is a monk?
It is a question that comes up when a non-Catholic family member hears that you entered a monastery. But, then again, the question arises when you visit your home parish and tell the regular Church-goers that you joined a monastic community and are a Benedictine monk. In either instance, the question is posed, What is…