Rome
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.…
Nature, Up-close and Personal
I had a good response from the blog posting of our Br. Etienne’s macro photography, so I decided it was worth posting more. He takes some amazing detailed shots of flowers and insects, and it reveals a certain beauty in ways that the human eye isn’t normally able to see. Enjoy!
Out in the Summer Heat
It is been a busy week and I have not been able to get these pictures up sooner. As these warm summer days continue, the work outside the monastery goes on. The sidewalks are looking very nice and will serve the monks and our guests well for many years to come. On the south side…
Pave the Way
Workers were focusing their efforts on the south side of the monastery Monday morning and afternoon, where they are putting in a concrete patio area and continuing to finish the sidewalks around campus. Their work, however, was abruptly suspended due to an impressive rainfall that lasted most of the afternoon and into the evening. …
Outside the Monastery
Plenty of work has been going on inside the monastery, but there is still a lot of work that needs to take place outside and around the building. The old concrete stairs on the west side of the monastery were demolished in order to put in new ones. Br. Etienne recently took some amazing macro…
Monastery Blessing
June 25– We hosted our Benedictine friends from Missouri and Kansas for the blessing of the monastery. Abbot Gregory presided over the brief ceremony which took place in the monastery chapter room. It included a greeting, singing of a Psalm, reading, hymn, and blessing of the newly renovated monastery with holy water. Afterwards the Benedictine…
Behind the Cloister Door
We’re back in the Monastery! The monastic community made the move on Monday, June 15th. While much of the work occurred on that day, there is still plenty of moving and cleaning going on. Everyone is adjusting well to a familiar environment with a completely new look. Workers still roam the hallways giving necessary attention…
Companion Camp 2015
We are in the midst of our annual Companion Camp. I camp for 6th, 7th and 8th grade boys. We also invite high school boys to come and be a part of the camp staff. There are many activities throughout the weekend to keep the campers occupied. We also want them to have a positive experience…