Fall 2015 - St. Procopius Abbey

Fall 2015
FALL 2015 • VOL. 10/ NO. 2
ABBOT
THE EDITORIAL BOARD
PHOTOGRAPHERS
E D I T O R / DIRECTOR,
ABBEY ADVANCEMENT
Br. Guy Jelinek, O.S.B.
Fr. David Turner, O.S.B.
Fr. Philip Timko, O.S.B
Fr. James Flint, O.S.B.
Benedictine University
Peter Hoffman
Br. Guy Jelinek, O.S.B.
Mr. Keith Ward,
ROOT Studios/HR Imaging
Mary Kay Wolf
The Rt. Rev.
Austin G. Murphy, O.S.B.
ST. PROCOPIUS ABBEY
5601 College Road
Lisle, Illinois 60532-4463
(630) 969-6410
PROCOPIUS.WEBS.COM
Fr. T. Becket A. Franks, O.S.B.
(630) 829-9253
bfranks@procopius.org
DESIGN
Wolf Design , Inc. /Mary Kay Wolf
wolf6259@comcast.net
ADV ANCEMENT ASSISTANT
Mrs. Joyce Schultz
(630) 969-6410, ext. 252
Advancement@procopius.org
Cover Art: Sadao Wantanabe,
Adoration by the Magi, 1981,
4/100, color dye stencil print,
31-3/4" x 27-1/2"
FROM THE EDITOR
Once again, the National Catholic Development Conference, Washington, D.C.,
awarded to St. Procopius Abbey and Wolf Design their third Lumen Award, in
the category, “Best Publication with a Gift Envelope.”
Many things and many people make possible an award-winning magazine.
Among the many positive factors are:
THE ABBOT AND THE EDITORIAL BOARD: proof-reading, submitting articles and
nominating topics and ideas for future issues.
THE DESIGNER: after she receives all the copy, Mary Kay Wolf whips up her
magic to design a quite beautiful publication. She, too, is named on the plaque
of the award.
THE READERSHIP: close to 13,000 readers receive our magazine.
In December it will be exactly ten years since we began publishing The Clerestory.
Thank you to then junior monk, Br. Eric Pohlman (now Br. Eric at St. John’s Abbey),
for suggesting the title of the magazine. Thank you, Mary Kay, for a wonderful
relationship and for all your God-given skills.
In this issue we highlight some of the abbey’s art and connect it with the exhortation
of Pope St. John Paul II to artists who reflect the creativity and beauty of the Creator.
Take some time to absorb the artwork and the words of a creative pope.
Happy Anniversary! Rejoice with us!
Fr. T. Becket A. Franks, O.S.B.
Director, Abbey Advancement
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The Clerestory Magazine of the
Monks of St. Procopius Abbey
You can assist the monks in their great venture of Christian discipleship!
If you are interested in giving
to the monastic community
there are many options!
They include:
• Cash gifts — You can
make out a check to
St. Procopius Abbey.
• Stock gifts — In making
a gift of stock you may be
eligible for a tax benefit.
• Tribute or memorial
gifts — These honor loved
ones, living or deceased;
their names will be
submitted to the abbey
prayer ministry.
• Matching gifts — Many
companies match or
even double your charity.
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will or trust.
• IRA Rollover — A charitable
rollover from your IRA may
be a convenient way to
make a gift to the Abbey.
Please call to receive more
information about the
potential benefits of
this type
of giving.
St. Procopius Abbey
5601 College Road, Lisle, IL., 60532-4463
Our (Federal ID#) F.E.I.N. is 36-2169184.
We are a tax-exempt institution and listed
in the Official Catholic Directory under the
diocese of Joliet, Illinois. Bequests, etc.,
are deductible for federal estate and gift
tax purposes.
Call the office of Abbey Advancement for
assistance with a donation or for more
information at (630) 829-9253.
Online Giving is now available on the abbey website —procopius.webs.com/giving.
THE RIGHT REVEREND AUSTIN G. MURPHY, O.S.B., ABBOT
Dear Friends
“We know where you live.” Those words usually have ominous overtones! But you could
say it as a simple matter of fact about the Benedictine monks of St. Procopius Abbey.
Benedictines take a vow of stability, which means that they belong to one monastery their
whole lives. So, while there are other Benedictine monasteries in the country, and even in
the State of Illinois, I do not belong to them and I am not going to be transferred to one
of them. Rather, I belong to the monastery here on College Road in Lisle, Illinois. This is
where I and the other monks of St. Procopius Abbey work out our salvation with the help
of God’s grace.
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” — Genesis 1:31
St. Benedict did not want his monks wondering around; instead, he wanted them to stay
put, in order to do the hard work of interior conversion. This stability stands in contrast
to our very mobile society. To be sure, in today’s world there are legitimate reasons why
many must regularly move from place to place. Yet, St. Benedict calls for his monks to be
rooted in a single place, living in a single community, and committed to the day-in-dayout work of conversion. Hence the third word in our motto: Prayer, Work, Stability.
So, here we are. You know where we live. And we are not going anywhere. In the life of
a community, as in the life of an individual person, there are ups and downs, challenges
and triumphs. We stay put, trusting in God’s guidance through it all. And He will guide
us, if we remain faithful to Him. Staying put and sticking it out is, to use the phrase
on the cover of this magazine, the “Great venture of Christian discipleship.” And in
this venture we have the hope that Christ will “bring us all together to everlasting life”
(Rule of St. Benedict chap. 72, v. 12).
Peace in Christ,
Abbot Austin G. Murphy, O.S.B.
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Abbot Austin G. Murphy, O.S.B.
The Clerestory • FALL 2015
ONE
Art
...all men and women are entrusted with the task of crafting their own life: in a certain sense, they are to make of it a work of art, a masterpiece. — Pope John Paul II Letter to Artists
The Church Needs
The artist,
image of God
the Creator
The opening page of the Bible presents
God as a kind of exemplar of everyone
who produces a work: the human
craftsman mirrors the image of
God as Creator.
The artistic
vocation in the
service of beauty
Artist unknown, The Apostle, Sgrafitto on cardboard, before 1970, 24" x 17"
A noted Polish poet, Cyprian Norwid,
wrote that “beauty is to enthuse us for
work, and work is to raise us up.”
The theme of beauty is decisive for a
discourse on art. It was already present
when I stressed God's delighted gaze
upon creation. In perceiving that all he
had created was good, God saw that it
was beautiful as well. The link between
good and beautiful stirs fruitful
reflection. In a certain sense, beauty is
the visible form of the good, just as the
good is the metaphysical condition of
beauty. This was well understood by the
Greeks who, by fusing the two concepts,
coined a term which embraces both:
kalokagathía, or beauty-goodness. On
this point Plato writes: “The power of
the Good has taken refuge in the nature
of the Beautiful.”
Excerpts from the Letter of His Holiness Pope John Paul II to Artists • 1999
To all who are passionately dedicated
to the search for new “epiphanies” of beauty
so that through their creative work as artists
they may offer these as gifts to the world.
“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.”
(Gn 1:31)
ST. PROCOPIUS ABBEY
TWO
The artist has a special relationship
to beauty. In a very true sense it can
be said that beauty is the vocation
bestowed on him by the Creator in the
gift of “artistic talent.” And, certainly,
this too is a talent which ought to be
made to bear fruit, in keeping with
the sense of the Gospel parable of the
talents (cf. Mt 25:14-30).
In becoming man, the Son of God has introduced
into human history all the evangelical wealth of
the true and the good, and with this he has also
unveiled a new dimension of beauty, of which
the Gospel message is filled to the brim.
Georges Rouault, Aimex-Vous Les Uns Les Autres (Love One Another), from the Miserere Series, 1948, aquatint, dry
point and etching, 25-7/8" x 19-7/8"
Sacred Scripture has thus become a sort of
“immense vocabulary” (Paul Claudel) and
“iconographic atlas” (Marc Chagall), from which
both Christian culture and art have drawn. The
Old Testament, read in the light of the New, has
provided endless streams of inspiration. From
the stories of the Creation and sin, the Flood, the
cycle of the Patriarchs, the events of the Exodus
to so many other episodes and characters in the
history of salvation, the biblical text has fired
the imagination of painters, poets, musicians,
playwrights and film-makers. …And what should
we say of the New Testament? From the Nativity
to Golgotha, from the Transfiguration to the
Resurrection, from the miracles to the teachings
of Christ, and on to the events recounted in
the Acts of the Apostles or foreseen by the
Apocalypse in an eschatological key, on countless
occasions the biblical word has become image,
music and poetry, evoking the mystery of “the
Word made flesh” in the language of art.
In the history of human culture, all of this is a
rich chapter of faith and beauty. Believers above
all have gained from it in their experience of
prayer and Christian living. Indeed for many
of them, in times when few could read or write,
representations of the Bible were a concrete
mode of catechesis. But for everyone, believers
or not, the works of art inspired by Scripture
remain a reflection of the unfathomable mystery
which engulfs and inhabits the world.
The artist, image of God the Creator
Marc Chagall (signed), Moise et les Tables de la Loi (Moses and the Tables of the Law), 1962, color lithograph,
25-1/2" x 19-1/2"
Sadao Watanabe, The Calming of the Sea, 1981, 19/100,
stencil print, 23" x 21"
Art and the mystery of
the Word made flesh
The Clerestory • FALL 2015
THREE
Vytas Ignas, Lemaitija — Christ in the Village, 1977, relief print, 7/66, 31-3/4" x 25-3/4"
The artistic vocation in the service of beauty the church needs art
In order to communicate the message
entrusted to her by Christ, the Church
needs art. Art must make perceptible,
and as far as possible attractive, the
world of the spirit, of the invisible, of
God. It must therefore translate into
meaningful terms that which is in itself
ineffable. Art has a unique capacity to
take one or other facet of the message
and translate it into colours, shapes
and sounds which nourish the intuition
of those who look or listen. It does
so without emptying the message itself
of its transcendent value and its aura
of mystery.
ST. PROCOPIUS ABBEY
FOUR
The Church also needs musicians.
How many sacred works have been
composed through the centuries by
people deeply imbued with the sense
of the mystery! The faith of countless
believers has been nourished by
melodies flowing from the hearts of
other believers, either introduced into
the liturgy or used as an aid to dignified
worship. In song, faith is experienced
as vibrant joy, love, and confident
expectation of the saving intervention
of God.
The Church needs architects, because
she needs spaces to bring the Christian
people together and celebrate the
mysteries of salvation. After the
terrible destruction of the last World
War and the growth of great cities, a
new generation of architects showed
themselves adept at responding to
the exigencies of Christian worship,
confirming that the religious theme
can still inspire architectural design in
our own day. Not infrequently these
architects have constructed churches
which are both places of prayer and
true works of art.
Beauty is a key to the mystery
and a call to transcendence. It
is an invitation to savour life
and to dream of the future.
That is why the beauty of
created things can never fully
satisfy. It stirs that hidden
nostalgia for God which a
lover of beauty like Saint
Augustine could express in
incomparable terms: “Late
have I loved you, beauty so
old and so new: late have
I loved you!”
Artists of the world, may
your many different paths all
lead to that infinite Ocean
of beauty where wonder
becomes awe, exhilaration,
unspeakable joy.
The artist and the common good
Source: http://w2.vatican.va/
content/john-paul-ii/en/letters/1999/
documents/hf_jp-ii_let_23041999_
artists.html
Robert Hodgel (signed), Peace Be to You, Christ with the Eleven Apostles after the Resurrection,
1965, relief, 23" x 31-1/8"
Sharon Gill, Icon of St. George, Date Unknown, Byzantine style, tempera on gesso on baltic birch panel, gold and silver leaf, 37" x 28"
the “Beauty”
that saves
The Clerestory • FALL 2015
FIVE
Laudato Si’
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A Benedictine commentary on Pope Francis’s Encyclical Letter by Fr. Philip
Art and the mystery of the Word made flesh
On care for our common home—
that’s the subtitle of Pope Francis’ Encyclical Laudato
si’. The biblical story of creation, which shows the
close interconnection and interrelatedness of all living
things, is abundantly confirmed and illustrated by
science. Since we are part of nature and constantly
interact with it, the current ecological crisis does not
just affect our physical environment, it has human and
social dimensions as well. Chapter 3 of the encyclical
describes the human roots of the ecological crisis.
Industrialized nations have become so enthralled by
the power of technology to dominate and control, that
nature itself is reduced to a resource to be exploited
for profit. People in the industrialized world are
encouraged to believe that advances in technology and
the expansion of unregulated markets will solve all the
planet’s human and environmental ills.
ST. PROCOPIUS ABBEY
SIX
Pope Francis rejects such claims:
“The environment is one of those goods that
cannot be adequately safeguarded or promoted
by market forces. … Is it realistic to hope
that those who are obsessed with maximizing
profits will stop to reflect on the environmental
damage which they will leave behind for future
generations? Where profits alone count, there
can be no thinking about the rhythms of
nature, its phases of decay and regeneration, or
the complexity of ecosystems which may be
gravely upset by human intervention. Moreover,
biodiversity is considered at most a deposit of
economic resources available for exploitation,
with no serious thought for the real value of
things, their significance for persons and cultures,
or the concerns and needs of the poor” (190).
Pope Francis calls for an ‘integral ecology’ that takes
account of all dimensions of the global crisis. The
pope envisions the need to reexamine deeply the
presuppositions of our Western life-style, our place
in the world, and our approach to reality. In his own
words he says:
“What kind of world do we want to leave to
those who come after us, to children who are
now growing up? … When we ask ourselves
what kind of world we want to leave behind, we
think in the first place of its general direction,
its meaning and its values. Unless we struggle
with these deeper issues, I do not believe that
our concern for ecology will produce significant
results. But if these issues are courageously
faced, we are led inexorably to ask other pointed
questions: What is the purpose of our life in this
world? Why are we here? What is the goal of our
work and all our efforts? What need does the
earth have of us? It is no longer enough, then,
simply to state that we should be concerned for
future generations. We need to see that what is at
stake is our own dignity. Leaving an inhabitable
planet to future generations is, first and foremost,
up to us. The issue is one which dramatically
affects us, for it has to do with the ultimate
meaning of our earthly sojourn” (160).
Catholic Social Teaching flows from two starting
points: the worth and dignity of each person and
the common destination of the goods of the earth.
The first problem the pope tackles in Chapter 6 is
the compulsive consumerism of our society, the
extreme individualism and self-centeredness that
result in a lack of concern for others. To combat
these tendencies he urges us to cultivate and practice
“ecological citizenship”— living at peace within
ourselves, with others, with nature and other living
creatures, and with God (210). We need to cultivate
humility and simplicity, gratitude for the things and
opportunities we have, rather than being sad for what
we lack or being driven by a desire to accumulate
more; repentance for the harm we have caused, even
unwittingly, to other persons and to the environment
by our wasteful consumption; a sense of solidarity
and responsibility with and for all living things; an
appreciation of each moment as a gift of God to be
lived to the full; and a contemplative wonder at the
beauty of creation which nourishes the human spirit.
A fruitful alliance between the Gospel and art
“It is not enough to balance, in the medium
term, the protection of nature with financial
gain, or the preservation of the environment
with progress. Halfway measures simply delay
the inevitable disaster. Put simply, it is a
matter of redefining our notion of progress. A
technological and economic development which
does not leave in its wake a better world and
an integrally higher quality of life cannot be
considered progress. Frequently, in fact, people’s
quality of life actually diminishes — by the
deterioration of the environment, the low quality
of food or the depletion of resources — in the
midst of economic growth. In this context, talk
of sustainable growth usually becomes a way
of distracting attention and offering excuses. It
absorbs the language and values of ecology into
the categories of finance and technocracy, and
the social and environmental responsibility
of businesses often gets reduced to a series of
marketing and image-enhancing measures” (194).
iStock © Neneos
Pope Francis also rejects half-measures that bring
no real change:
Much of what Pope Francis describes as ecological
spirituality will be familiar and welcome to those who
know the Benedictine tradition of humility, simplicity,
stewardship, and respectful care for the goods and
products of earth. Pope Francis does not imagine
that the practice of such virtues by individuals will be
sufficient to heal the planet. That will require societal
effort and political will. But the conscious practice of
ecological spirituality will change minds and hearts,
increase awareness, and promote a more wholesome
way of life.
_____________________________________________
Would you like to know more? Laudato Si’ is
available on the Vatican website (http://w2.vatican.
va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papafrancesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html) and can
be read online or downloaded as a pdf. It is also available
from various publishers in hardback, paperback, and
ebook formats.
The challenges facing ‘our common home’ call for
cultural and spiritual reeducation and an individual
and collective conversion. That is the subject of
Chapter 6 of the encyclical.
The Clerestory • FALL 2015
SEVEN
Dear friends of the Abbey, we want to inform you of an important development. Please see the summer
press release below, and keep all involved in your prayers.
Monks Ask Court to Clarify the By-Laws of Benedictine University
Members of Benedictine University File Suit Against Institution’s Trustees
for Denying Rights Guaranteed in By-laws
Monks of St. Procopius Abbey Seek Resolution of Dispute About
Interpretation and Application of Longstanding Governance Principles
June 22, 2015, Wheaton, IL — Seven monks of St.
Procopius Abbey in Lisle, IL, today filed suit against
Benedictine University’s Board of Trustees and the
institution’s current president William J. Carroll in
Illinois’ 18th Judicial Circuit Court in DuPage County.
The Complaint asserts that the Trustees and President
have denied and continue to deny the monks their
rights as Members of the University, including the
right to approve the election of Trustees, the right
to amend and/or approve parts of the University’s
By-Laws, the right to approve the University’s new
president, and the right to have any conflict of interest
disclosed to the University’s Board of Trustees.
The monks are represented in the matter by John R.
Wiktor, M. David Short and David A. Maas, attorneys
in the Chicago office of Reed Smith LLP.
Today’s filing comes on the heels of the Benedictine
Trustees’ June 10 announcement that Michael A.
Brophy, Ph.D., president of Marymount California
University, had been selected as the University’s
next president, replacing Carroll, who announced in
January he was leaving the school’s top leadership role
after 20 years.
Humanism and the Renaissance “Our monastic community has a long tradition of
participating in the governance of Benedictine,” said
St. Procopius’ Abbot Austin Murphy, who is also
Benedictine University’s Chancellor. “The Members’
rights to participate in and to be informed about
significant matters affecting this institution are
detailed in the By-Laws of the University, which is an
Illinois nonprofit organization. Unfortunately, the
Trustees have recently ignored these rights and made
key decisions without involving us. Although for more
than three years, we have tried in good faith to resolve
these issues, the present impasse leaves no viable
option other than to resolve these ongoing disputes
with this legal action.”
Benedictine University was founded in 1887 as
St. Procopius College by St. Procopius Abbey’s
Benedictine monks. The institution changed its
name to Illinois Benedictine College in 1971, and to
Benedictine University in 1996.
The plaintiffs — Abbot Murphy, Prior Guy Jelinek,
Subprior Gregory Perron, Father Thomas Chisholm,
Father James Flint, Father Philip Timko, and
Brother Kevin Coffey — are the Members of
ST. PROCOPIUS ABBEY
EIGHT
Benedictine University, as well as the members of
the Board of Directors of St. Procopius Abbey’s
nonprofit corporation.
According to the Complaint, although the Members
have significant legal rights and an oversight role in
the University’s leadership and governance, including
the election of trustees and changes to the University’s
By-Laws, they were also denied their right to approve
the most recent Trustee re-election in April, and were
prevented from interviewing candidates and voting in
the recent presidential selection process.
“I do not object to the selection of Dr. Brophy as
the next president, but we do strongly object to
the process by which he was chosen. The members
were not even allowed to interview the candidates
for the position,” said Abbot Murphy. “The exclusion
of the Members from this important process is
contrary to our governance policies and this pattern
of behavior by the current Board of Trustees must be
remedied immediately.”
“The Members are perplexed by this situation because
twenty some years ago, our current president, Dr.
Carroll, was elected in accordance with the procedures
set out in the bylaws as we interpret them,” said
Brother Guy. “We’re not sure why the change in
process has taken place.”
The Declaratory Judgment Action asks the Court for
a finding that the monks, in their roles as Members
of the University, have certain rights provided by the
By-Laws which need to be followed and enforced.
Those rights include approving the re-election
of Trustees; approving new Trustees; approving
the election and appointment of the University’s
president; the unilateral right to amend Articles
III and IV of the By-Laws and to approve other
amendments to the By-Laws initiated by the Trustees;
and that current Trustees must disclose to the Board
possible conflicts of interest and past or present
conflicts of interest not previously disclosed.
“We are confident the best interests of Benedictine
University will be served by a court clarifying the
rights and obligations of the monks of St. Procopius
as Members in the governance structure of the
University,” said Short of Reed Smith. “A decision will
provide firmer ground upon which to build a solid
relationship between the Members and Trustees as this
great University moves forward.”
THE PROCOPIAN OBLATE
Abbey Oblate, Christine M. Fletcher, Publishes Two Books
The Artist and the Trinity: Dorothy L. Sayers’ Theology of Work
Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2013
hile best known for detective
fiction featuring Lord
Peter Wimsey, Dorothy Sayers
(1893-1957) was a serious and
accomplished religious thinker
within the Anglican tradition.
Exploring Sayers’ life and thought
as part of her own intellectual
project — “What is woman’s
work?”— Dr. Christine Fletcher,
oblate of St. Procopius Abbey and Associate Professor of
Theology at Benedictine University, offers here a short but
packed study of Sayers’ significance for modern Christians.
In regard to woman’s work — really, human work as
a whole — one articulation of the answer to which
Dr. Fletcher, making use of Sayers thought, arrives at is
as follows:
Sayers sees our vocation in work. Man is homo faber;
he bears the image of God in his ability and desire
to create. This desire is frustrated in the modern
industrial system in which work becomes work to
escape work. We should look to the artists (and others
such as scientists and craftsmen) for work that fits
human nature, which is work that the worker lives to
do. . . . Work should suit the talents of the worker
whether male or female. A right kind of work must be
related not only to the right understanding of the needs
of man but also a willingness to serve and love the
material body of God’s universe. [55-56]
We need beauty so that we do not sink into despair W
Elsewhere, she notes Sayers’ criteria for what makes work
good: “that it makes a product worth making; that it
provides an opportunity for individual initiative and
creativity; that however laborious it may be in detail, it allows
the workers to view with satisfaction the final results of their
labour; and finally that it is of a kind that fits in with the
natural rhythm of human mind and body.” [106]
Along with insights on Peter Wimsey and much else,
Dr. Fletcher provides studies of Sayers’ understanding of
the Trinity in regard to human work and of the relationship
of Sayers’ thought to that of Alasdair MacIntyre. The reader
is left in no doubt about the power and penetration of her
subject’s mind – yet more important, is left with the desire
to know more about, and read more of, the remarkable
Dorothy Sayers.
by Fr. James
24/7 Christian: The Secular Vocation of the Laity
Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2015
C
hristine Fletcher’s 24/7
Christian: The Secular Vocation
of the Laity explores the sacredness
in everyday life. Fletcher’s 24/7
is written for Christians who
want to live out their faith all
day, every day, in all the different
contexts in which they find
themselves. After examining
the dichotomy that developed
historically between religious and secular life, she finds a
basis for a new understanding of lay vocation in the gospels
and the documents of the Second Vatican Council. To assist
Christians in finding their own unique vocations, Fletcher
suggests examining their own personalities, talents, values,
goals, and stages in life. She puts searching for and living
out vocation into the context of the Benedictine traditions of
community and prayer.
Fletcher’s book brings together a number of different sources
into one fairly short accessible book, helpful for those
reflecting on Christian lives in the context of contemporary
ecclesiology. The book is at its best when the author uses
concrete examples from her life to illustrate specific values.
In discussing the importance of Sabbath, a day of rest, she
speaks of the need she discovered, as a parent, for family time
in each other’s presence:
Each of us made a commitment to accept no more than
two evening engagements a week. So what did we do
when we were home? Not much really — we were just
there. Our presence — being in the same room with the
kids even if we are all reading different books or paying
attention to different things — had a different feel than
our absence.
Her emphasis is clear throughout —Christians are not just
called to service in their parishes or on Sundays; Christians
are called to service every day in their workplaces, their
communities, their families, and, of course, their parishes.
by Maureen Beyer Moser
CatholicBooksReview.org
The Clerestory • FALL 2015
NINE
REV. ODILO F. CRKVA, O.S.B.
BORN: February 23, 1926
PROFESSED A MONK: July 11, 1947
ORDAINED A PRIEST: July 26, 1953
DIED: September 29, 2015
The Church needs art
Our confrere, Fr. Odilo
Crkva, died of cancer at
St. Patrick’s Residence,
Naperville, IL, late on
the evening of Tuesday,
September 29. Born in Brtnice,
Czechoslovakia, Francis Crkva was one
of three children in the family of a poor
bricklayer. Though from childhood he
desired to become a priest, the expense
of studying would have put his ambition
out of reach had not Emaus Abbey,
in Prague, offered a scholarship to his
parish so that a devout young man
might be sent to secondary school.
Francis was chosen, but his studies were
complicated by the German occupation
of Bohemia and Moravia in 1939 and,
soon after, the start of World War II.
Toward the end of 1944, the eighteenyear-old was conscripted for forced
labor in a paramilitary organization.
The last months of the war were spent
in construction work as well as clean-up
after raids on Prague and other towns
by Allied bombers. Since the Russian
front was approaching and there were
rumors that young Czechs would be
obliged to join the Red Army, Francis
slipped away from his unit and back
to his village. In the last days of the
war, he helped direct German military
traffic westwards, in a successful effort
to prevent a full-scale battle from being
fought in Brtnice.
With the end of the war, the young man
could complete his studies and then join
the revived Abbey of Emaus, professing
his monastic vows on July 11, 1947. Sent
to Sant’Anselmo for theological studies,
Fr. Odilo avoided the imprisonment
that most Emaus monks suffered when
their monastery was suppressed by the
Communist dictatorship, but he found
himself stranded in Rome without a
community of his own. With the help
of the Holy See and the Benedictine
confederation, he was able to remain
at Sant’Anselmo for more than a
decade. Following his ordination to the
priesthood by Bishop Secondo Chiocca
at the cathedral of Foligno on July 26,
1953, Fr. Odilo worked on licentiates in
theology, Gregorian chant and sacred
composition, all the while guiding
ST. PROCOPIUS ABBEY
TEN
the development of an orchestra at
Sant’Anselmo itself. From 1957-59, he
served as the chaplain of the Benedictine
sisters at Montefiolo. He then accepted
the invitation of Abbot Ambrose
Ondrak to cross the Atlantic and come
to St. Procopius Abbey, where he was
immediately put to work as an organist
for the Divine Office and also taught
such subjects as Latin, Greek, and
Gregorian Chant. In 1968, he officially
transferred his stability to St. Procopius.
Fr. Odilo’s life here was characterized, in
all he did, by regularity and reliability.
What he was assigned to do, whatever
tasks he took on himself, he was there at
the prescribed time, rarely early, never
late. This precision, I must confess, was
insufficiently appreciated. As a young
monk teaching at Benet, I frequently
took the 7:00 a.m. run of the shuttle bus
over to the Academy. A few of us did,
a rather stable number. We might all
have arrived at the “Van,” as Fr. Odilo
termed his conveyance, well before he
did, at about 6:58 or maybe 6:59 and
ten seconds. All there, ready to go. But
we went nowhere, it was unthinkable
that we should, until the signal on the
radio, an unforgettable beep, announced
the top of the hour. Then we went, and
went we did even on occasions when a
certain tardy monk was chasing us down
the driveway. The Van was scheduled
at 7:00 a.m., what is there hard to
understand about that?
But think not that the Adventures of
the Van concluded with the radio beep.
They had but begun. Fr. Odilo had a
gift for speeding up when dull-witted
Americans might slow down, and the
reverse was just as true. Indeed, the
Van would slow to a crawl whenever
a topic compelled his intervention
and he had a remark or experience to
share. What might have been a boring,
commonplace three-minute commute
could easily turn into a ten-minute
roller-coaster with thrilling moments
wondering just how good are the brakes
on a Mack truck. But we always made it
through — today is the Feast of the Holy
Guardian Angels and I wish to extend
full credit — we made it through and
exited the van, some with undue haste,
In July, 2007, Fr. Odilo traveled to the Czech
Republic and spent time in his hometown of
Brtnice where he visited with family friends
and his niece, Maria (with dog). He had the
honor of celebrating the solemnity of
St. Procopius Abbey on Sunday, July 8,
at the public celebration. Seated at Mass in
the Church of St. Procopius (left to right)
are Fr. Odilo, the Most Rev. Diego Causero,
apostolic nuncio to the Czech Republic, and
the pastor of the church, Fr. Frantisek.
as Fr. Odilo wished us well with a
cheery remark such as, “Well, Brothers,
this is as far as I can take you.”
Fr. Odilo continued with his Van
driving for more than thirty years,
bringing all the mail of the Abbey and
the schools to and from the Lisle post
office. Some days this meant carrying
quite a few boxes and bins of mailings.
I don’t think I ever heard him
complain. “I like my job,” he told
me more than once. He pointed out
the importance of getting the mail
to the schools on time, or else all the
secretaries would have nothing to do.
He said much the same about some
of the monks, awaiting his delivery of
the newspapers. Almost never late. I
still remember the morning when an
enormous amount of snow and wind
had made the roads totally impassible:
Fr. Odilo came into choir, knelt before
the Prior, and in an exact application
of Chapter 68 of the Holy Rule, when a
monk is commanded to do impossible
things, he humbly begged permission
not to attempt any trips with the Van.
May he rest in peace!
I have no doubt he made that request
with tears in his eyes. He liked his job
and was relentlessly conscientious
in carrying it out, for a quarter of a
century on his own and then with Br.
Sebastian riding shotgun. I can only
imagine the conversations those two
must have had. Not until 2006, in his
eighty-first year, were the keys to the
Van pried from Fr. Odilo’s hands and
an era came to a close.
Even afterwards, he continued his
labors as associate organist and
secretary to the Abbot for Czech and
German correspondence. Ever an
exemplar of regular attendance at all
community functions, Father “O” (as
he would sign his name in memos on
the bulletin board) to the end of his
life much enjoyed pinochle during
community recreation. Cancer was
discovered about three weeks before
his death and his health deteriorated
rapidly in his final days.
Fr. Odilo is survived by his monastic
community and one niece, Marie
Navratilová, who resides in the
Czech Republic.
The Abbot and Community received his
body on the evening of Friday, October
2, at a vigil service. On Saturday,
October 3, the community celebrated
the Mass of Christian Burial. Interment
followed in the abbey cemetery on the
grounds of Benedictine University. In
memoriam for one month, a lighted
candle burns at his place at table.
Each of his confreres will perform the
necessary suffrages celebrating three
masses for the repose of his soul.
We appreciate your prayers for
the repose of the soul of our confrere,
Fr. Odilo.
Vocations Ministry
by Fr. James
This past August, the Abbey was invaded by high-school
men from two Dominican-run parishes in Ohio. I won’t
deny that I was a bit apprehensive as to the impact of
several dozen youngsters upon the peace of the cloister!
But the day turned out to be a pleasure for all involved.
After a very prayerful Mass in the Abbey Church,
they joined the monks for noon prayer and lunch.
Interestingly for me, many of these fellows were homeschooled, and to judge from them the notion of poor
“socialization” among such students can be consigned to
the realm of fiction. Very comfortable were they talking to monks, and many
of the tables had monks and students chatting until close to 1:00 p.m.
I subsequently took them on a tour of the Abbey building and grounds, and
it was good to see their interest in how a monastery operates in this day and
age, how we continue to maintain even in suburbia such traditional monastic
works as a vineyard, an orchard, and a vegetable garden. Since Abbot Hugh,
our head gardener, was present when we stopped by, they were delighted
to try to assist him by chasing down and expelling a pesky (and voracious)
rabbit within the wire fence enclosing the area. They did their best, a dozen of
the more energetic youngsters running tirelessly in every direction as
the bunny scampered — indeed, there ended up being three rabbits
momentarily smoked out of their hiding (and lunching) spots. At
the end of the day, alas, the rabbits had all evaded expulsion from
the garden! The students were more successful, no doubt, with
the ultimate Frisbee on the front hill with which they finished
their time with us.
Occasions such as this are for me ones of great hope, in regard
to the future of the Church in our land. As to what particular vocation
these young minds have in life, it’s way too early to say, probably for them,
certainly for me! But the joy they clearly have and show in their Catholicism
is grand to experience.
You are welcome to write or call me at: vocations@procopius.org
or (630) 829-9279.
learn more
See the St. Procopius Abbey Video
on our website at procoiups.com or scan this code for
a direct link.
FIND US ON FACEBOOK
Fr. James Flint, O.S.B.
Come and See
Vocation Discernment Retreat Men between 18 and 45 years old are
invited to visit St. Procopius Abbey
Fri., Nov. 20 (4:00 p.m.) to
Sun., Nov. 22 (1:00 p.m.), 2015.
The Creator Spirit and artistic inspiration
in memoriam
monachorum
a lighted candle burned
brightly in front of
a standing crucifix at
his place at table
in the refectory.
This is an opportunity to share the life of the
monks and prayerfully consider whether God
is calling you to the Benedictine way of life.
Participating in the retreat is free, but space
is limited.
Contact Fr. James Flint to reserve a spot
vocations@procopius.org or 630-829-9279
~Fr. James
The Clerestory • FALL 2015
ELEVEN
Abbey Adventures
o u r
g r e a t
v e n t u r e
o f
C h r i s t i a n
d i s c i p l e s h i p .
Photo courtesy of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles
C h r o n i c l i n g
n On September 8, Abbot Austin (far right) concelebrated the ordination Mass
for Bishop Robert Barron, an alumnus of Benet Academy, at the Cathedral of
Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles.
60 YEARS OF MONASTIC
PROFESSION
ABBOT DISMAS (back row, right)
“He credits his military service for
direction, stability and sense of purpose.”
~Fr. Edward
Art must make perceptible…the world of the spirit
BR. RAPHAEL (front row, right)
“Brother has always remained faithful
and committed to his vows.”
~Fr. Anthony
50 YEARS OF ORDINATION
ABBOT HUGH (back row, left)
“Service is the word that captures the
life of this grand old man…”
~Fr. Becket
n This year, Fr. James seemed to be
everywhere. From March 4-7, Abbot
Hugh and Fr. James spent time at
Abadia di San Antonio Abad, Puerto
Rico, for the spring meeting of the
President's Council of the American
Cassinese Congregation. From August
17-21, he preached the annual retreat at
Saint Anselm’s Abbey in Washington,
D.C. And, from October 11-15, he
was part of the visitation team at
St. Anselm’s Abbey in Manchester,
New Hampshire.
n On the solemnity of St. Procopius,
July 4, with his parents in attendance,
the abbot and community invested
Mark Dicosola as a novice. Abbot
Austin gave him the name Br. Elias.
You can view his investiture at
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=ABiBHA-3rL8.
FR. ANTHONY (front row, left)
“For your steadfast monastic observance,
gentle humor, and perseverance in
the face of physical challenges, we
are grateful.”
~Fr. James
40 YEARS OF MONASTIC
PROFESSION
FR. JAMES (back row, center)
“I could always count on his efficiency
and thoroughness.”
~Abbot Hugh
All comments were spoken at the abbey’s jubilee
dinner on June 11, 2015.
ST. PROCOPIUS ABBEY
TWELVE
Pictured (from left), Abbot Austin,
Fr. Julian and Br. Elias.
n As a member of the steering
committee, Fr. Becket participated
in the Benedictine Development
Symposium at St. Benedict’s Retreat
Center, Schuyler, Nebraska, July
19-24. Advancement directors from
Benedictine schools and monasteries
gather every two years to network
and reflect on topics pertaining to
development. Among the many
speakers were Sr. Georgette Lehmuth,
O.S.F., President and CEO of the
National Catholic Development
Conference, Brian Doyle, Editor,
Portland Magazine, University of
Portland, Oregon, and Lee Aase,
Director of the Mayo Clinic Center
for Social Media.
n In August, Br. Gregory began his
doctoral studies in the department
of Religion at Rice University,
Houston, Texas.
n Abbot Austin was a visitator at
Belmont Abbey in Belmont, North
Carolina, from Sept. 13-17.
n We “lost” a monk in early
September. Since 1936, our monastery
had sponsored a “Benedictine Chinese
Mission.” We had a house on the
mainland, but the monks were first
interned by the Japanese during the
war, and then were uprooted again in
1948, as the Communist armies overran
most of the country. Some of our
missionaries remained in the Far East
for awhile, to see what might develop,
and in 1965 we decided to set up a
house on Taiwan.
The one native vocation who came
and persevered in the following decades
was Br. Pius Chen, who proved a hard
worker. He visited us in Lisle several
times in the following decades, making
a positive impression notwithstanding
an understandably imperfect command
of English. When our Fr. Alban died
in 2009, we shut down the priory in
Taiwan, putting into effect a plan
ADVENT
at the
Abbey
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Your responses are appreciated. Thank you.
In Memoriam
schedule
of all of our confreres, relatives,
9:00 a.m. Doors Open
9:30 a.m. Lauds
10:00 a.m. Lectio Divina
11:00 a.m. Sacrament of
Reconciliation
12:00 p.m. Eucharist
12:30 p.m. Lunch
1:30 p.m. Presentation
2:30 p.m. Closing Prayer
and Blessing
friends and benefactors
To help us plan the catering
arrangements, please contact
Fr. Becket at (630) 829-9253 or
bfranks@procopius.org to let
us know that you plan to attend.
worked out previously to turn over
the land to the Sisters of Our Lady of
China, who had already built what
might be the finest hospital on the
island. We could accept our failure to
establish a Benedictine abbey much
easier, knowing that the good work of
the Sisters would be assisted by the use
of our property.
Our plan had included bringing
Br. Pius to the States. However, we
did not account for the finer points of
American immigration law! In trying
to obtain a permanent residence visa,
we ran into an insuperable barrier in
the shape of incomprehension as to
how Br. Pius could be considered other
than indigent, since he had earned
no income for decades. “But he was
a monk, living in a monastery with a
vow of poverty!” So we tried to explain,
but all that came across was “poverty,”
another way of saying indigent.
+ Fr. Odilo Crkva, O.S.B.
+ John McConnell, oblate
Abbey Prayer
& Worship
The monks invite you to join
them for morning and evening
prayer, especially solemn vespers
+ Robert Vilimek, friend
of the abbey
on Sundays. These are the usual
+ Henry L. Vesely, cousin
of Br. Raphael and friend
of the abbey
switchboard at (630) 969-6410
Mass times please call the abbey
or visit procopius.webs.com to
confirm Saturday or Solemnity
times or any other schedules.
So Br. Pius decided to seek to
transfer his stability to a Trappist
house in Taiwan, where he would also
be able to pray and work in his native
tongue. That process was completed
this September 8, the Feast of the
Nativity of Mary. Quite possibly in
God’s Providence the best solution,
no matter what our frustration with
bureaucracy. We certainly wish Br. Pius
a full measure of God’s grace in his
new community!
Mass will always be celebrated
in the abbey church. But all
community daily prayer is held
in the Lady Chapel.
Monday thru Friday
Lauds.............................6:00a.m.
Mid-day Prayer..............12:00 noon
The Conventual Mass......4:50p.m.
Vespers..........................7:00p.m.
Saturday
The “Beauty” that saves
Saturday, December 12, 2015
9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Lauds.............................6:25 a.m.
The Conventual Mass......7:00a.m.
Mid-day Prayer..............12:00 noon
Vespers..........................5:00p.m.
Compline........................7:00p.m.
Sunday
Lauds.............................6:25 a.m.
The Conventual Mass....11:00a.m.
n Abbot Austin and a few of the
monks assisted in the blessing of
the new Daniel L. Goodwin Halll of
Business on Saturday, October 17, on
the campus of Benedictine University.
Solemn Vespers..............5:00p.m.
Compline........................7:00p.m.
The Clerestory • FALL 2015
THIRTEEN
2 The Church Needs Art
6 A Benedictine Commentary
on Pope Francis’s Encyclical
Letter, Laudato Si
8 Monks Ask Court to
Clarify the By-Laws of
Benedictine University
9 The Procopian Oblate
10 In Memoriam Monachorum
11 Vocations Ministry
12 Abbey Adventures
13 Abbey Prayer and Worship
Sadao Wantanabe, Adoration by the Shepherds, 1984, stencil print, 31-3/4" x 27-1/23"
5601 College Road
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Georges Rouault, En Ces Temps Noirs De Jactance Et D'Incroyance, Notre-Dame d De La Fin Des Terres Vigilante (In These Times of Vanity and Unbelief,
Our Lady of Land's End Keeps Watch), 1948, aquatint, dry point, and etching, 25 3/4" x 19 7/8" with frame
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