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Volleyball Practice
I am coaching the Seminary volleyball team again this year in preparation for our Seminary Soccer and Volleyball Tournament, a.k.a. “The Thunder Cup”. The tournament takes place the weekend of October 18-19 and we invite several other seminaries to travel to Conception, Missouri to compete. Last year, our volleyball team improved immensely on my leadership,…
140 Years of Friendship
This evening, the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration at Clyde, Missouri, invited the monks over to their monastery to celebrate 140 years since their founding. The sisters’ community was founded in September 1874, while Conception Abbey was founded one year before in April 1873. The monks joined the sisters for Vespers at 5:00pm, followed by…
Labor Day Weekend
I was invited to help out with a Catholic young adult gathering at Lake Pomme de Terre, about four hours south of the monastery. When I told people the name of the event, they just started laughing. It was called “Nature’s Call.” I’m sure the original campers had fun with coming up with the title.…
The Art of Lettering
Br. Michael has been doing calligraphy for years. He has attended many workshops, taught classes on the art in the seminary, and giving calligraphy retreats. In early August, Br. Michael, had two calligraphy retreats- one for beginners and one for intermediate students. He weaved in the Benedictine practice of lectio divina into the lettering process.
Funeral for Br. George
Today, the monks of Conception Abbey celebrated the Mass of Christian Burial for our confrere, Br. George. Brother George Strohmeyer, O.S.B., monk of Conception Abbey, died Monday, 25 August 2014. He was 92 years old and had been a monk for 36 years. He was born on 20 June 1922 near Benoit, Wisconsin, to Engelbert…
First Day of Classes
After several days of seminary student orientation, the first day of classes has arrived.
Picture Time
It is picture day and registration for the seminarians of Conception Seminary. The early morning rain did not prevent the photographer from capturing their smiling faces. This morning the men gathered in front of the Basilica in order to take the group photo. Afterwards they took separate pictures based on Diocese or Religious Order. Loud noises…
Beat the Heat
It was a sweltering 90 degrees at the Abbey today. Of course we have seen warmer, and during most summers, we would regard 90 as nothing special, but it has been a cooler summer, so it feels downright hot and humid today. Thunderstorms caused some havoc in the area, mainly with the electricity toward the end…
Back to School
The new seminarians arrived on Wednesday. A small group of the returning seminarians were on hand to offer hospitality and assistance to the new students, as part of the Seminary Orientation Team. The schedule has involved different conferences, introducing students to the various aspects of seminary formation, including academic, character, and spiritual formation. The evening…
Two Men Enter the Novitiate
Eric Kral and Joseph Fussner entered the novitiate today in a ceremony this afternoon in the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Members of the community gathered for this joyful occasion, chanting verses of Psalm 84 as Br. Bernard, the Novicemaster, led the two novices-to-be to the altar, where they made their petition.