Oblates of Saint Benedict

Oblates of Saint Benedict
SAINT MARTIN’S ABBEY
December 2013
Volume 2 Issue 18
A Letter from the Oblate Director– Brother Edmund Ebbers, O.S.B.
As we approach Advent, I believe it timely to write about "gifts" or "talents”. To me this topic is appropriate
for a number of reasons: Advent and Christmas is the season we normally think about gifts for family and
friends. Christians usually think about the gift God the Father gave, Jesus. Christians have been blessed with
the best of all gifts, the Son of God who came to redeem humanity. The scriptures let us know the value of our
talents. These talents and gifts must be shared with others before they can be counted as having been invested
and thus have value. No talent has value unless it has been put to use, invested. This year, at the Oblate Congress in Rome, the Abbot Primate spoke to the importance of labor, labora. The Benedictine motto is Ora
(reading) et Labora (labor). When we read the Holy Rule, we see St. Benedict's emphasis on the balance of the
word and labor. Even monks and nuns have difficulty with managing the balance of these two disciplines. I
intend to have a couple conferences/workshops this coming year in taking inventory of the types of works and
how we implement those good works. Oblate Bene Reece, St. Martin's oblate representative at this years Congress will start us off by giving a presentation on the Congress of this past October.
To deepen our relationships with our Father, I believe it vital to outwardly share our gifts and talents with
others. A talent or gift not shared has little value. We know the parable about the rich man who decided to go
away for a time and left his talents in the hands of trusted friends. Two of the three people invested wisely with
great returns, but then there was one who hid the talent and had nothing more to give on the return of the rich
man. Although we suspect the talent of the parable was monetary, there are other talents. The talent of management, food production and preparation, construction, mowing a lawn, digging post holes, mending a fence,
getting food to the needy, helping the sorrowing, cleaning someone's house, giving company to a homebound
person, just to name a few. There are numerous ways of sharing our talents. At our March 2nd meeting we
will compile a list of talents and at our July 13th meeting we will consider how these talents can be used for
the good of others.
Another part of using our talents is being humble of heart and giving thanks to God for the gifts. With talents
come greater responsibility for proper management of time and talent. My confessor/spiritual director
frequently reminds me of my collective talents. If these talents are abused or misused, St. Benedict says the
monks ought to be reprimanded or the talent be taken away. In the monastery there are some checks and
balances but for those of you living alone or in families, you have to develop your own checks and balances.
There is also the matter of honestly looking at what talents you are using on a day to day basis asking yourself
if your talent, sharing needs to be above and beyond the work you are already doing. Only you can decide the
worth of your talent, but St. Benedict gives us a hint on this. He says that the craft of a monk should be less
than that which is offered in the market. I understand this to mean we should not over-value our worth. We
ought not ask for more than is necessary when considering a cost for our services. Charity must be first in
sharing our talents. So let us see what we can do this Advent to put a smile on someone’s face as we share our
talents with others.
Oblate Holidays Bazaar will be held December 8th to raise needed funds for the Oblate Program
functions .If anyone has a tent or tents that would cover an area of 15x6 or larger, that we could borrow please
contact Br. Edmund ASAP .
The items we donate should be something that we have made or represents our life's as oblates. Many of you
are crafty people, so here is an opportunity to contribute your wares. Please attach the value of the each item.
These items may be dropped off in advance inside the Atrium of the Abbey Church with the name, Br. Edmund on it, so the items gets to the Director OR you may bring items by the tables for display before Mass on
the 8th.
I appreciate your contributions to make this a success.
OBLATE Opportunity to Contribute
Kindly read Julie Upton's letter below. The on-line survey on oblates will take you little time to fill out. The
more oblates who fill out the survey, the more accurate the information will be.
As you might have read in the American Monastic Newsletter, I am engaged in a research project on
oblates for the American Benedictine Academy. The theme for the convention to be held this coming summer
is “Benedictine Monasticism: The Past Receiving the Future.” To that end I have been charged to survey oblates around the country and analyze the data so that we have more than anecdotal evidence with which to
continue the conversation between tradition and new expressions of the Benedictine charism.
Would you be willing to have your community’s oblates participate in this research project? The survey is online so even if you do not have a database of oblates’ email addresses, you could include the link below in a Newsletter or other correspondence you might have with them and I could get the data that way.
If you are willing to have your oblates participate and you communicate with them by email, would you invite them to participate in the online survey at http://irsurveys.stjohns.edu/S11/AmericanBenedictine/
If you would prefer for me to contact them, just send me the email addresses and I will be happy to do
that. I am contacting all the Oblate directors in the United States and Canada with regard to this project with
the hope that we will have a strong sense of the oblate community.
Thank you for your help and hope that I can also count on your community’s prayers for this project.
I look forward to hearing from you soon about participation in the project.
Regards, Julie
Prayer Requests
For Oblate Steve Gallagher, Oblate Bruce Tenney, Oblate Judy Shinke, Oblate Bill and Barbara Lagreid.
Professor Dr. Steven Fulton and Professor Kathryn Porter both recovering from serious health issues.
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Oblates of Saint Benedict
December 8th — Oblate Recollection Sunday — December 8th
Join us for Mass in the Abbey church at 11AM. Buy your lunch in the student cafeteria.
At 1:30 PM Oblate Gavin Machutchin in the Abbey Church.
If you are hard of hearing please sit up front. If need be, you can take a chair and sit under the
speaker in the atrium. People with hearing problems hear very well at this location - you just can't
A Work of Human Hands Sale
This is a sale that will feature handcrafted items made by artisans and farmers in low income regions and non
profit organizations in Thurston County.
This is the first time St. Martin’s will be participating. Come volunteer to help or just come and shop.
The profits from this event help people purchase necessities such as food, medicine and education and support
local non profit organization such as St. Martin’s Abbey Oblate program.
When: Saturday Dec 7th after the 5 pm Mass and Sunday Dec 8 from 8 am to 1 pm
Where: St. Michael Parish Gathering space 1208 11th Ave SE Olympia
Presented by Beyond Just Faith
Cash and Check only
Want to help contact Benedetta Reece 360-292-7143 or Breece@saintmichaelparish.org
BOOKS ON THE SHELF
Pleading, Cursing, Praising. Conversing with God through the Psalms By Irene Nowell, OSB.
Reaching for God. The Benedictine Oblate Way of Life By Roberta Werner, OSB.
Maverick Mark . The Untamed First Gospel
By Bonnie Thurston
Prayer as Night Falls: Experiencing Compline By Kenneth Peterson
Volume 2 Issue 18
Page 3
ABBOT’S REFLECTION by Abbot Neal Roth, O.S.B.
All my life I have disliked noise. I have never been able to study or
compose an essay or homily with a radio on producing background
music. Everywhere I go, at the shopping malls or at various professional offices, there is soft music in the background. I see people running on our campus with earphones tuned into some iPod or other
electronic device. I think we are a nation of people who do not like
silence. Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta wrote: "We need to find
God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness." Silence in
one's spiritual life is important and as followers of the Rule of BeneImage found at thecatholicspirit.com
dict, we need to be aware of that. By reason of Benedict's long experience in seeking God, and in the guidance of souls, he gives much importance to silence. In
fact, he devotes a whole chapter on silence (Chapter 6 of the Rule), and he places it between
the chapters on obedience and humility and refers to silence in at least five other parts of the
Rule. I think Benedict was referring to the habit or disposition of silence and not necessarily
total silence. Even in the monastery we do not observe total silence!
Benedict was not simply concerned with the material aspect of silence or the absence of noise.
Speaking is not condemned. He is not suggesting that those who follow the Rule learn sign
language, but something much deeper. He wants those who strive to follow the Rule to avoid
misuse of the tongue which can effectively destroy charity, peace, and someone's reputation.
He is also concerned that there is the possibility of following God more closely in prayer when
there is peace and quiet. If silence in our lives does anything, it should dispose us to better
relationships within our community of family and friends. Benedict also wants us to love silence meaning control of the tongue, avoiding evil speech, jokes and laughter at someone's expense. Crude and cutting remarks are never acceptable.
One follows Benedict's Rule as an aid to seeking God and to do God's will. Healthy speech
and laughter is fun and relaxes one's community. Our speech and humor ought not to deter
someone's peace and harmony much less hurt them.
As Benedictines, we are all called to silence, at appropriate times, in our lives. We can all learn
to treasure the absence of unnecessary noise out of respect for those around us. But most important of all, our silence will enable us to listen to the voice of God.
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Oblates of Saint Benedict
In the Beginning...by Father Gerard Kirsch, O.S.B.
July 1, 1954 found candidates for the novitiate formally introduced into the monastery to begin their eight day retreat . . .
Father Ansgar Hallen (1902-1985), pastor of Sacred Heart,
Lacey, was doing apostolic work in the Nisqually reservation .
. . The Benedictine Sisters of the area were having their
annual retreat at St. Martin's from Abbot Cuthbert Goeb of
Assumption Abbey (N. Dakota) . . . On July 12, Mr. H. I.
Magladry and Abbot Raphael Heider (1903-1971) went to
Longview and Vancouver, Washington to interest Jersey own- Image found at theholidayspot.com
ers in the dairy project at Saint Martin's . . . On July 13, Brothers Boniface Baggenstos (1889-1958),
Norbert Nicklaus, and Louis Bond began the project of slaughtering and dressing 525 roosters, using a
mechanical feather picker built by Brother Francis Hehn (1881-1966) . . . On July 24, Matt Sand, later
Father Peter (1924- 1981), completed a visit of several days at Saint Martin's and returned to his home in
eastern Washington. The 470 windows of the Main Building were being painted.
The opening of the school year in September 1954, with 300 in the college and 200 in the high school, saw
Father Meinrad Gaul (1907-1984) take over the duties of student chaplain, succeeding Father Philip
Bagan (1905-1992), who had been chaplain since September 1947. Father Meinrad took over Room 210 in
the Main Building, which became both chaplain's office and center for alumni affairs . . . Father Andrew
McHugh was made prefect at Anselm Hall, with Father Dunstan (1921-1981) at Benet Hall and Father
Richard Cebula (1916-2004) in the Main Building. Among parish changes, Father Philip became
assistant at Visitation, Tacoma, Father Anselm Lenzlinger (1899-1960) assist at Queen of Angels, Port
Angeles, Father Denis Purcell (1902-1967) weekend assistant at Sumner and Our Lady of Lourdes,
Wilkinson; Father Bertrand Trautman (1918-1972) chaplain at Saint Placid Priory; Fathers Marcel
Berthon (1899-1975) and Eugene Kellenbenz (1917-1982) weekend assistants at Holy Rosary, Tacoma and
Fathers Sebastian Ruth (1875-1958) and Felix Wirth (1913-1984) weekend assistants at Visitation,
Tacoma.
On August 15, 1954 Frater Maurus (Richard) Keller made his solemn profession of vows and received
clerical tonsure and the four minor orders immediately thereafter. He was ordained subdeacon on September
18. His brother James (the future Father Kenneth) was invested as a novice on July 11, 1954, following
graduation in May from Saint Martin's College; and two younger brothers Charles and Michael would attend
Saint Martin's College in the 1960's. Two sisters subsequently became nuns: Margaret (Sister Petra, of the
Sisters of Social Service) and Yvette (Sister Hilda OSB of Saint Benedict's, Minnesota) . . . Under the date of
fourth of August 1954, Saint Martin's High School was approved for training Korean War veterans under the
GI bill, one of whom at the time was Patrick Cunningham, later Father Kieran (1925-2005).
Volume 2 Issue 18
Page 5
From the Hill... by Boniface V. Lazzari, O.S.B.
During the time I lived in Madrid, my principal residence was the Seminario Conciliar on the Calle San
Buenaventura. For three years, I shared this very large building in the heart of Old Madrid with Spanish
priests and seminarians, a small community of religious who were in charge of the housekeeping, some
workmen and a community of Marist Brothers, whose population changed each semester or so. Even though
we lived next door to San Francisco El Grande, the church from which the Franciscans were said to have set
out for America, I usually attended Mass either in the large seminary church or in the brother’s private chapel.
During Advent, I particularly enjoyed the hymn which stated that la Virgen espera and that the time is muy
cerca. The Virgin is waiting for the Blessed Event that is very near.
As you read this, Advent will be muy cerca and with it the Marian feast of the Immaculate Conception. On 8th
September we mark the feast of Mary’s birth, and on August 15th, celebrated her Assumption. This 15th
August, the monastic community had extra cause for celebration: ABBOT NEAL ROTH received the first
profession of vows of FATHER MARION NGUYEN in the presence of the monastic community and many
friends and family member of the newly professed. FATHER GERARD KIRSCH, Novice and Junior
Master, gave the occasional homily, and BROTHER AELRED WOODARD and the monastic schola
provided appropriate music. BROTHER MARK BONNEVILLE was Master of Ceremonies. The flowers
decorating the sanctuary were white larkspur, yellow sunflowers and red long-stemmed Freedom Roses.
FATHER MARION’S principal assignment is working with FATHER KILIAN MALVEY in the
University’s Benedictine Institute, whose mission is to raise awareness of our Catholic Benedictine values.
Welcome, and ad multos annos!
The first concert for the current Abbey church events season, pianist Alexandra Le, was a popular success.
FATHER JUSTIN MCCREEDY attended and brought J. Chris Jensen, years ago Frater Christian, as his
guest. FATHER CLEMENT PANGRATZ is a regular at the concerts, and BROTHER MARK had as his
concert guests his parents, of Vancouver Washington. ABBOT NEAL, another regular, was absent. During
October he was away frequently on a series of business trips. At the time of Ms. Le’s concert, he was
conducting a formal Visitation oat Saints Gregory’s Abbey in Oklahoma.
This writer was elected to a three year term on the University’s Board of Trustees in early October. This is
somewhat a déjà vu experience, as total time served on the board over three years adds up to about
twentyfive years! Ex officio board members are: ABBOT NEAL, Chancellor, FATHER ALFRED HULSCHER,
Secretary, and FATHER BEDE CLASSICK, Treasurer. Elected members, in addition to this writer, are:
BROTHER AELRED, and FATHERS KILIAN and JUSTIN. Except for the ex officio members, terms
are for three years.
BROTHER AELRED continues his musical activities, and late in November will sing in a concert he is
producing in honor of the centennial of the birth of British composer Benjamin Brittin … FATHER PETER
TYNEN has many assignments in the Abbey and University, and in his little spare time is becoming an expert
in Frisbee golf, playing the course recently installed on campus.
As Advent approaches, we await with the Virgin the Blessed Event of Christmas.
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Abbey Church Events
8:00 p.m. SATURDAY 25TH JANUARY
BRIAN ASAWA—Countertenor
JAY ROZENDAAL Piano
8:00 p.m. SATURDAY 22nd FEBRUARY
FABIO BIONDI Violin
KENNETH WEISS Harpsichord
8:00 p.m. SATURDAY 5TH APRIL
PETER KOLKAY Bassoon
ALEXANDRA NGUYEN Piano
Events are not ticketed and seating is generally unreserved. Doors open on hour prior to starting time. Freewill
donation in support of Abbey Church Events is suggested.
Opportunity to grow, experience, and learn.
On November 9th Saturday 9:00AM-3:00PM Kenneth Peterson will present, Liturgy of the Hours
In the last fifty years, there has been a renewed interest in the daily Prayer of the Church, also known as the
Divine Hours or “fixed-hour prayer”. The workshop will focus on how to pray the Liturgy of the Hours of the
Roman Catholic tradition; it will also explore the history of the Divine Hours and look at many other resources
available for daily prayer.
Kenneth Peterson has sung Compline at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, Seattle, for almost fifty years. He became an oblate of St. Placid Priory in 2010. His book, Prayer as Night Falls: Experiencing Compline, is being
published by Paraclete Press. Ken Peterson will have a book signing on Sunday, November 10th, from
11:45am-12:30pm on his book Prayer as Night Falls: Experiencing Compline. All proceeds will go to St.
Placid Priory. If you go to Facebook and look under St. Placid Priory, Ken has a You Tube preview of his
book.
To attend please register by November 1st Cost is $50. Bring a sack lunch.
To register call The Priory Spirituality Center 360-438-2595 email spiritualityctr@gmail.com
Send $25 or $50 to: The Priory Spirituality Center/500 College St NE/Lacey WA 98516.
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GREATEST COMMANDMENT by Oblate Bill Lagreid
When a scholar of the law asks Jesus, “Teacher, which
commandment in the law is the greatest?” Jesus answered,
“You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with
all your soul and with your entire mind. This is the greatest
and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall
love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the
prophets depend on these two commandments”
Without love of neighbor, the love of God remains a sterile
figment of the mind, and without love of God, love of
neighbor may end up in a vague humanitarianism that does not usually last, especially when faced
with prejudice and presumption.
Image found at www.kuzen.us/wallpapers/
We, oblates are challenged in our daily lives to live by these two great commandments, but how
do we do that, while we are experiencing loss of employment and world wide upheaval, that affects
everyone’s daily life?
We do it one prayer, one person, one kindness, one understanding moment at a time. St Paul
says that each of us has a special gift from God, one kind for one of us and quite a different one for
another.
We know from observation and experience that every individual is different from every other in every
conceivable way. We are called as oblates to be open to our gifts and differences and are called to
offer ourselves to serve however, wherever and whomever we can and to share God’s presence in
our own daily lives with others.
Recommendation: Re-read Chapter Four: Saint Benedict’s Rule: Guidelines for Christian and
monastic good practice.
Please stay in touch. Send in your Oblation renewals and donations. This helps us keep our records up to date and reminds
you of your commitment to the Benedictine way of life.
Contact Oblate Director:
E-mail: br_edmund@stmartin.edu
Phone: 360-438-4457
Editor: Oblate Patricia McClure
E-mail:Ravenwings@comcast.net
Contributions welcomed
Correspondence:
Brother Edmund Ebbers, O.S.B.
St. Martin’s Abbey
5000 Abbey Way SE
Lacey, WA 98503
Mark your Calendars
2014 Oblate Recollection Sundays
March 2, 2014 Oblate Bene Reece on the Oblate Congress. Followed by, What ways can I live out the Labora of being a Benedictine Oblate?
May 4, 2014 Presentation by Father Marion Nguyen, OSB
July 13, 2014 Annual Picnic with discussion on How we can carry out the labora of being a Benedictine Oblates.
Aug. 9, 2014 Oblate Retreat DVD presentation by Br. Joachim on Labora and Br. Jeremiah on monastic
poverty and simplicity.
Sept. 7, 2014 Presentation by Sr. Laura Swan, OSB.
Dec. 7, 2014 Presentation by Br. Aelred Woodard, OSB
Good Works
Gardening and Wood:
Lambert Lodge: 1pm to 3:30pm.
Would you join us in a day of potluck and
work to spruce up our retreat lodge and
grounds. Contact Brother Edmund for details.
March 15, 2014
Oct. 18, 2014
Saturdays 1:00pm to 3:30pm
When rosary making isn’t in session come join us in
the dirt.
Wood workers are needed for piling, cutting, loading,
delivering. This project of wood goes to those who
need warmth, the low income. We need your help to
keep this community service going. Please call Br.
Edmund,360-438-4457, in advance to check on location of work.
If you arrive early you are welcome to join us for
noon prayer and lunch.
Rosary Work.
Saturdays, 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm.
Meet in the Guest dining room of Old Main.
Rosary makers and twine cutters are needed. Our rosaries
go to the military and missions.
Nov. 2, Dec. 7.
2014
Jan. 11, Feb. 8, March 1, April 5, May 3, June 7, July 12, Aug. 2,
Sept. 6, Oct. 4, Nov. 1, and Dec. 6.
FOOTFALLS BEFORE DAWN by Father Benedict Auer, O.S.B.
“Miserably cold, the temple before dawn, Still and lonely, few monks to be seen.”
Gido Shushin, Zen Poet.
Before dawn, the darkness is crisp.
The October moon is blue.
I stand outside an hour before prayer,
And exhale my breath into the ghostly soul,
and watch the frost clings to the roses,
knowing at sometime it will kill,
not just cover the roses.
The fog is twirling
throughout the valley,
even in the jet blackness of dawn
I can see it curl around the pines
that make up the forest.
I step inside the church
into a different kind of ebony,
And sit in silence before the alter,
knowing others will begin to show,
the reader first,
other early birds,
and even though I will not be able to see them.
I will know their presence by their footfalls.
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Image found at the photographer blog. January photowalk
snow
BLESSED SILENCE by Oblate J.J. Nugent
I have been thinking about silence. Rather I have been
talking about silence. Er, more accurately: I have been
talking in my mind about silence. I had a minor stroke
and lost my ability to talk. My prognosis is excellent and I
have already made significant progress in five days.
Imagine me not being able to talk! I’m sure it has been a
great relief to some people, although a temporary one.
Losing the faculty of speech for a while was a shock and
an inconvenience, but then I realized it could be a blessing. I talk too much even to God. I don’t listen to other
people and God enough. Even when I’m not filling the air
with words, I am often thinking what I am going to say before the other person has had their say! This is selfish,
and I must stop now.
So as my recovery speeds along, I am taking the time to
really listen. I am listening to my family and friends.
Hopefully they will appreciate it. Even more importantly, I have begun to use silence. The kind of
silence where I give total control to our loving God, and he does the talking or sometimes he just
lets me rest in His peace and quiet.
Oblate Garments for Purchase: We continue to have Jackets and Polo shirts and the St. Benedict
patch medallions available. Also, the 2014 Calendars are now available for $10 donation. The
Oblate Directories are still available as well. Check out the Gift table on Oblate Sundays.
Do you know someone interested in developing a deeper prayer life through the Benedictine Way? Encourage
and or bring them along to the days of Recollection and other oblate activities. All are welcome.
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W
E
L
C
O
M
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Novice Thomas Erickson, Br. Edmund, Michele Makinson, Abbot Neal, Xiomara Grace.
Missing from photo Natalie Vavrek.
Br. Edmund, Oblates Robert St. Clair, Pama Mendiola, Chichi Nwgnkwo, Hioko Higuchi, Abbot Neal.
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