Assumption Abbey Michael

The Wise Men have arrived at the Creche.

2012-01-12T09:28:00.002-07:00

Epiphany celebrates the introduction of Jesus to the Gentiles, in the form of the Wise Men or 3 Kings. This Nativity Set was recently repaired and repainted. The Wise Men and the camel all look great.

Br. Thomas

2012-01-12T09:17:00.002-07:00

The first week of the year we were blessed to have a visit by Br. Thomas of Einsiedeln Abbey of Switzerland. This is the Abbey where our founder, Vincent Wehrle, was from. Br.
Thomas is spending the year studying at St. Meinrad's in Indiana. Here are a few pictures of him (one with a picture of Bishop Wehrle).

Chrismast Creche in the Church

2011-12-29T15:36:00.002-07:00

A few pictures of our Christmas Creche in the church. We know that this set was in the church prior to the bankruptcy of 1924 according to Br. Victor and may have been purchased in the early 1910s. This past year, the parish raised funds to repair and repaint the figures. Here are a few pictures of the renewed Nativity figures. The pictures do not do justice to how good they really look.

Christmas gathering with the Sisters of SHM

2011-12-29T15:31:00.002-07:00

On December 28th we had our annual Christmas gathering with the sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery. We start the evening with prayer (obviously, the best way to monastics to start anything) at Vespers followed by a meal. After this, we gather in our community room for visiting and games. Sr. Patty reported that the pinochle players were on their best behavior. I'm not so sure that this could be said for our Trivial Pursuit players of Sr. Phoebe, Br. Basil, Br. Bertrand, and Br. Alban. However, a good time was had by all.

Christmas Cheer

2011-12-29T15:27:00.003-07:00

Christmas day is spent at our wonderful liturgies and other communal festivities. However, clean-up still needs to be done! Here are a few pictures of our clean-up after our Christmas dinner and also gathering in the community room for dessert and chat.

Christmas preparations

2011-12-29T15:25:00.003-07:00

Br. Alban leads the monastic crew is preparing food for the day - brunch and supper. Here are a few pictures of monks setting tables.

Desert.

2011-11-26T09:04:00.001-07:00

Br. Bertrand did pecan and pumpkin pies for desert on Thanksgiving. Here are few pictures of monks gathered after supper. I do have to add that we do more than just eat - simply is a good time to take some pictures!

Thanksgiving preparation.

2011-11-26T09:00:00.001-07:00

On Thanksgiving, the cooks have a day off. Br. Alban leads the monks in cooking for brunch and supper. Here are a few pictures. Br. Jacob and Br. John Pat worked on the salads. Abbot Brian, Br. Basil, Fr. Jerry, and Br. Gregory set the tables. Br. Bertrand whipped up some great pies for desert. A thanks-filled day for all.

All Souls

2011-11-05T14:46:00.002-06:00

Starting on All Souls, we bring out our Book-of-the-Living. This contains the names of all the deceased monks of the Abbey, deceased family and friends of the current monks of the Abbey, and deceased friends and relatives of friends of the Abbey. This book remains in the sanctuary of the church for the month of November. Here are a few pictures.

All Saints

2011-11-05T14:44:00.002-06:00

We get out the relics for the Solemnity of All Saints on November 1st. Here are a few pictures of a couple of them.

Br. Aaron Jensen

2011-11-05T14:36:00.003-06:00

Br. Aaron died on October 27, 2011 after a long battle with emphysema. He was a wonderful and holy monk and we miss him. One of his primary jobs was librarian at the Abbey. He organized the library after the closing of the school and knew our rather extensive collection in-depth. He was extremely well read, especially in the areas of monastic history, English history, and the American Civil War. He also loved reading about anything to do with naval history. He composed music for our Divine Liturgy, was one of our organists, and was also on the senior council and other committees over the years. A very kind man, he was a listener of the greatest capacity.

St. Benedict with tree.

2011-10-28T14:48:00.002-06:00

Here are a few pictures of our statue of 'St. Benedict of the Plains' with a fall tree. My photo does not really capture the beauty of the tree with its fall colors. Oh well.

Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude

2011-10-28T14:41:00.002-06:00

Today is the Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude. Little is known about them after Pentecost. According to 'Butler's Lives of the Saints', one tradition holds that they were both martyred in Persia on the same day. Their relics were moved to St. Peter's in Rome in the seventh or eight century. St. Jude is often pictured with a fish, while St. Simon is often pictured with a club. In our church, St. Jude has the club and St. Simon is holding a saw (or something like that). St. Jude is best known as the saint that we pray to for lost or hopeless causes; maybe because his name is so close to Jude Iscariot so few wanted to pray to him. Here are a few pictures from our church.

Visitors

2011-10-26T10:36:00.002-06:00

Last week we had a couple young men from Spirit of Life Parish of Mandan spend 2 days here, along with their Director Of Religious Education, Tony. They were able to get in a tour, work, prayer, and some snacks. We invited them to a Vocation Meeting and they gave us some good feedback about what they would look for in an advertisement and where they look for information. Here are a few pictures.

Raku Firing of Potter

2011-10-15T08:46:00.002-06:00

Br. Llewellyn and a few local potters are doing a raku firing. They have wrapped their pottery in tin foil (looks like some hefty baked potatoes on the grill) and placed them in the old incinerator behind the power house. They will try to get the temperature up to about 600 degrees. Here are a few pictures of their preparations.

New Boiler

2011-09-29T14:32:00.002-06:00

Last year we began to raise money for a new replacement boiler. Well, on Wednesday it arrived. Had to get a crane to unload it from the semi. Here are a few pictures.

visit to Fr. Stephen

2011-09-29T14:26:00.002-06:00

On Monday, a group of monks (a mass of monks, one could say) took a trip up to visit Fr. Stephen in Mandaree. Br. Jacob was kind enough to take the camera along, so here are a few pictures.

Petunias.

2011-09-29T14:23:00.001-06:00

One of the dedicated parishioners takes care of the flowers around the statue of the Blessed Virgin in front of the church. This time of year, the flowers tend to be at their best. Here are a few pictures of the purple petunias.

Squash and Pumpkins

2011-09-29T14:21:00.003-06:00

On Saturday, we were able to bring in the squash and pumpkins. Here are a few pictures taken on Friday before picking. A few were good sized, but many were small.

Potato harvest

2011-09-29T14:15:00.001-06:00

Last Friday, monks were out in the garden working on the potato harvest. Br. Louie and Br. Jacob were on the potato picker and the rest of us were picking. A pretty warm day for this time of year. A good crop; for which we are very thankful. Br. Placid decided he was the King of the Potatoes since he was able to ride on the trailer taking the potatoes to the root cellar. It sounds much better in German.

Donor Appreciation

2011-09-14T10:10:00.003-06:00

On Sunday, September 11th, we invited some of our donors in for a Donor Appreciation Day. We started off with noon prayer and then lunch. Following this, we had a short presentation showing the ways they have helped us over the past years. This was a small way for us to say "thank you" to our benefactors for all of the help they have given us. A few pictures taken just prior to the meal.

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

2011-09-14T10:04:00.003-06:00

September 14th is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. In Latin, the feast is called the 'Exaltatio Sanctae Crucis' - literally, raising aloft of the Holy Cross. September 14th (according to Wikipedia) marked the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem in 355. This church was built over the site on which St. Helena found the original cross in 326. The pictures are of the main crucifix in the church and the cross carved in the ends of our choir stalls.

Orchard, part I

2011-09-12T14:27:00.002-06:00

A few pictures from our orchard taken last week. Featured are grapes, pears, and apples. Not such a great year for apples, but the pears and grapes were awesome.

Orchard, part II

2011-09-12T14:18:00.002-06:00

A few more pictures.

Feast of St. Pope Gregory the Great.

2011-09-03T15:13:00.002-06:00

September 3rd is the Feast of St. Gregory the Great (c.540-604). He holds a place of honor with the Benedictines because he (though there are some differing opinions about this) wrote the 'Life of St. Benedict'. He lived about 50 years after St. Benedict and might have been a monk himself. He is one of 3 saints who have both a window and a medallion in the church. The other two are St. Ambrose and St. Augustine. Here are a few pictures of the window and the medallion.

Folding and Stuffing.

2011-09-03T15:09:00.002-06:00

A few times a year we send out a mailing sharing some spiritual insights to those on our mailing list. We call this mailing a 'White paper'. Monks do the actual folding of the flying and putting them in envelopes (though a local company puts the addresses on the envelopes). This activity takes place for a couple of evenings between supper and Vespers. Here are a few pictures of hard working monks.

Fr. Denis

2011-09-03T15:05:00.002-06:00

A neat picture of Fr. Denis. It looks as if he is praying, but he actually is getting ready to deal a game of solitare. St. Benedict does tell us to begin each good work with a prayer, so this picture just shows that Fr. Denis is a good monk. Monks, especially Prior Basil, will join him and try to 'help' him out.

Annual Business Meeting.

2011-08-24T11:02:00.002-06:00

We have a business meeting every year in which the monastic community goes over our financial status, listens to reports from various departments, and elects members to the senior council. Here are a few pictures taking during breaks in the action.

Picking and snapping beans.

2011-08-24T10:58:00.001-06:00

Though the beans were late in producing, they have been going gang-busters. Here are a few pictures of Br. Louie and Matthew (one of our volunteers) picking and snapping beans.

Rug Hookers.

2011-08-24T10:52:00.004-06:00

The Rug Hookers were here in the early part of August. Of course, when we tell people, monks tend to state, "oh, the hookers were here and, boy, are they a lot of work for us". To see folks' first reactions are worth it! The Rug Hookers spend a week working on projects and learning some new techniques. Here are a few pictures.

Summer Volunteers

2011-08-24T10:46:00.002-06:00

We had 2 young men volunteering at the Abbey over the summer. Matthew was here from June through August and Jacob was here in the early part of August. They helped out in the garden, the lawns, the library, and other places where needed. It was good to have them here, but tempting to hide car keys as the time approached for them to leave. Here are a couple of pictures of them working.

The Assumption.

2011-08-24T10:43:00.003-06:00

August 15th is the Feast of the Assumption and our patronal feast. So a day of good liturgies and prayers to our Blessed Mother. The pictures are from the statue of the Assumption that is located at the front of the church.

Feast of St. Bartholomew

2011-08-24T10:39:00.002-06:00

August 24th is the Feast of the Apostle and martyr, St. Bartholomew. He is one of the 'quiet' apostles that we know little about. One tradition stated that he was flayed in Armenia - hence, he is the patron saint of tanners. This feast is a good reminder to be thankful for all of those quiet folks who life a faithful life and are examples for all of us. The pictures are from the medallions in the upper west nave of the church.

Memorial of St. Dominic.

2011-08-24T10:36:00.002-06:00

August 8th was the memorial of St. Dominic (c.1170-1221). He was the founder of the Order of Preachers, more commonly known as the Dominicans. The pictures are from the stained glass window in the west nave of the church.

Garden update

2011-08-01T10:43:00.004-06:00

Here is a zucchini hiding in the leaves. You know the old story about how August is the only month when folks in North Dakota lock their car doors - so friends and neighbors can't load their extra zucchini in their car!

The onions are looking quite good this year.

A picture of the potato area.

The squash and pumpkin patch.

A kohlrabi ready for picking.

A few updated pictures of the garden. With all of the rain this year, has been both an up and down gardening season. Crops such as the kohlrabi, onion, radishes, and peas have been great. Our tomatoes appear to have some type of blight - and a neighbor told me that hers have the same problem. Our peppers are also pretty pathetic (there is no other word that can be used).

In terms of berries on the prairie - not a good year either. No June berries or Nanking cherries. I took a walk yesterday and the chokecherries are pretty sparse. Hopefully, we have enough juice saved up from last year.

Of course, we still praise and thank God for all of the goodness that continues to be given!

Br. Victor.

2011-07-25T09:34:00.002-06:00

On beloved confrere, Br. Victor Frankenhauser, 91, passed away on July 15, 2011. He was our oldest living monk, having entered the monastery in 1938 and made his vows in 1939. He grew up in Richardton and starting helping out and washing dishes when he was 13 (in 1933) while a student at the school. As Abbot Brian stated in his homily at his funeral Mass, Br. Victor was probably the best known monk of the Abbey due to his many years of being Guest Master, Tour Guide, and phone answerer. In fact, he continued to put in 2 hours a day at the Information Desk until just a few months before his death.

2011-07-25T09:29:00.001-06:00

This is Br. Victor's napkin ring - made out of a cow's horn and one he used continuously since 1940. These pictures did not come out in order, so the note about this napkin ring is on the bottom of the pictures!

When a monk dies at the Abbey, for 30 days we leave a place setting with candles out for them.

This is the poem that goes with the place setting.

The card about Br. Victor's napkin.

Summer Volunteer

2011-07-25T09:23:00.002-06:00

We have a volunteer helping us out this summer. His name is Matthew and he is from Minot. He is working on a horticulture degree and has been a great help with trimming, mowing, and gardening. The pictures are of him trimming the vines around our north porch.

Lawns.

2011-07-01T16:19:00.002-06:00

Since the grass keeps growing, monks need to keep mowing. A few pictures of Fr. Terrence and Br. Basil helping to keep our grounds beautiful!

Dill processing

2011-07-01T16:15:00.001-06:00

Br. Louie and Fr. Denis processed some of our dill on Friday. This dill was harvested from the current potato patch - where the dill was planted last year. They are cutting and then freezing it.

Flowers

2011-07-01T16:02:00.002-06:00

The flowers have been terrific this year and wanted to share a few pictures. These are from Schnell Hall, the garden near the kitchen and also the library.

Boy Scouts.

2011-06-14T10:12:00.003-06:00

On Saturday, we had 4 Boy Scouts (and 2 mothers) here for the afternoon. They attended Mass, had lunch, went on a long tour, petted one of the cats, raked grass clippings from a lawn for the garden, ate a few cookies, and joined us for Vespers. They are working on a Catholic merit badge and this was one of their activities. They have been busy helping with sandbagging in Bismarck, so this was something different for them. Great kids and it was a joy to have them with us! A few pictures of the day's activities.

Walkers.

2011-06-14T10:00:00.003-06:00

On Friday, we had five walkers join us for the day and evening. All are former North Dakotans who wanted to re-experience the essence of the state. They began their walk at the North Dakota/Montana border with the goal of reaching Bismarck. Assumption Abbey was the half-way mark. We enjoyed listening to their experiences over meals and it was a joy to have them for the day.

Br. Anthony ordained to Diaconate.

2011-06-14T09:51:00.004-06:00

On Thursday, June 2 Br. Anthony was ordained to the diaconate with Bishop Zipfel presiding. This was the last day of our community retreat and a good way to wrap things up! Here are a few pictures.

Tulips

2011-05-27T10:55:00.001-06:00

A few pictures of the tulips in the garden next to the kitchen.

Rhubarb.

2011-05-27T10:53:00.002-06:00

Just a few pictures of the rhubarb - from early May.

Sunken Earth

2011-05-27T10:47:00.003-06:00

Br. Placid noticed areas of sunken earth in our pasture (to the west and north of the main monastery buildings). This was probably caused by all of the heavy snow on those hills facing to the north. Pretty interesting; the power of snow!

West Entrance to the Cafeteria Building.

2011-05-27T10:38:00.002-06:00

We (okay, real professionals) have been redoing the west entrance to the Cafeteria Building. The old steel doors were rusting out and the glass was still single-pane. Needless to say, in the winter the entrance stays pretty cold and in the summer it remains pretty warm. Here are a few pictures of the workers putting in the new frames and windows.

Easter Decorations in the Church.

2011-05-27T10:32:00.003-06:00

Here are some pictures that I have not yet gotten around to posting of some of the Easter decorations in the church. I have included some pictures of the flowers, the Easter Candle (designed by Br. Alban), and the main crucifix. I knew I had to get these up before Pentecost!

Easter Eggs.

2011-05-17T08:16:00.003-06:00

Here are some pictures of Fr. Sebastian, Br. Louie, Fr. Denis, and Br. Nicholas coloring Easter eggs. Sorry that I am behind on updating pictures, but we have been involved in doing some computer changes and this blog was not working!

Easter Open House.

2011-04-16T15:24:00.003-06:00

A few pictures of the Easter Open House held today (Saturday). A good time had by all!

High School Choir Competition.

2011-04-16T15:17:00.002-06:00

On Thursday we had 400+ high school students here from the southwestern part of the state participating in a choir competition. Large groups sang in the church while smaller groups sang in various and assorted places at the Abbey (library, cafeteria, St. Joseph's Chapel, and Schnell Hall). The Catholic Daughters from Richardton did a great job of preparing a meal. A few glitches early on, but the Richardton-Taylor school students and faculty really helped out. A few pictures of the event (mostly of the meal, I guess I only took a few of choirs!).

Fr. Gary clothed as a Novice.

2011-04-07T08:34:00.002-06:00

On Tuesday, March 29th, Fr. Gary was clothed as a novice at Assumption Abbey. He completed his 6 months of postulancy and will be a novice for a year and a day. This is a time of continued prayer and reflection about becoming a monk at Assumption Abbey. A blessing for Fr. Gary and a blessing for the community of Assumption Abbey.

New growth.

2011-04-07T08:27:00.001-06:00

Here are a few pictures of new plant growth. It is amazing how plants will spring up once the snow bank has receded. This was a pretty hefty snowbank located outside the kitchen door. The tulip is on the side of the library building.

Icicles.

2011-04-07T08:23:00.001-06:00

A few pictures of icicles after our most recent blizzard a few weeks ago.

Colorado College visit.

2011-03-26T09:10:00.002-06:00

This past week, we had 2 students and 1 professor here from Colorado College in Colorado Springs. The women students and professor stayed at Sacred Heart Monastery. Classes on monasticism and spirituality were given in in the mornings and the students worked in the afternoons. Some of the tasks they participated in were: moving tables and filing cabinets, making beds in Schnell Hall, putting up electric fencing, feeding cows (also watching the birth of a cow), and starting some reupholstering of chairs. It was great to have them here and we really enjoyed their visit. Here are a few pictures of the students at work.

Scrap-bookers for a weekend.

2011-03-26T09:05:00.003-06:00

This weekend, we have a group of scrap-bookers here. They have all kinds of machines and paper - and turn them into good memories. Here are a few pictures.

Ash Wednesday.

2011-03-12T08:48:00.002-07:00

Last Wednesday was, well, Ash Wednesday. At the Abbey, we have a day of silence, prayer, and reflection. Abbot Brian gave two wonderful conferences on humility - using the steps of humility from the Rule of St. Benedict. All of our meals are taken in silence, also. Finally, we give to the Abbot our 'bona opera' - good works. These are practices we undertake during Lent to bring us closer to Christ. The pictures are of the ashes we use during the Mass.

The Presentation of the Lord.

2011-02-08T14:59:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, February 2nd was the Presentation of the Lord. This is when Mary and Joseph bring the infant Jesus to the Temple where they meet the elders Simeon and Anna. At Mass, we bless a sample of the candles we will use in the coming year. Here are a couple pictures of the candles prior to Mass.

Table reading.

2011-02-08T14:53:00.002-07:00

We have just completed a book on women mystics at table reading (which takes place in the evening at supper). The book is titled "Enduring grace: living portraits of seven women mystics" by Carol Lee Flinders. The women that were covered included: Julian of Norwich, Catherine of Sienna, Theresa of Avila, Catherine of Genoa among others. The author offered a very sympathetic understanding of these women and their search for God. A good book.

Meal Prayer.

2011-02-08T14:45:00.003-07:00

Here is our new meal prayer. Still a few poinsettias in the dining room!

A Soap Opera?

2011-01-28T13:47:00.002-07:00

Br. Bertrand has a number of talents; one of them is handcrafting soap. He has been doing this for a couple of years now and is always coming up with interesting ideas. A crew (of one) from one of the local TV stations came our earlier this week for an interview. Here are a couple of pictures with Br. Bertrand and Cliff Naylor who did the filming (and is also a good friend of the Abbey).

Ice Lanterns.

2011-01-14T09:03:00.004-07:00

Br. Bertrand made some frozen ice lanterns for Christmas. These were placed outside on either side of the passageway to the dining room. He froze colored water in plastic ice-cream buckets. Initially, he placed candles in them, but the wind kept blowing them out so he found some small electric lights that worked great. Very festive!

Epiphany.

2011-01-14T08:56:00.001-07:00

Yes, I am aware that Epiphany was a couple of weeks ago, but am just getting to these pictures. These are of the creche in the church. The camel is one of my favorites, but the picture did not turn out so well and she/he was behind the other figures.

Ice at the power house.

2011-01-14T08:48:00.002-07:00

Saw this interesting layer of ice on the roof of the power house on Thursday. With our up and down temperatures, we get some interesting formations.

New Meal Prayer.

2011-01-14T08:45:00.001-07:00

Well, we are back to Ordinary Time and have a new meal prayer.

Christmas decorations in the church.

2010-12-30T15:27:00.002-07:00

Here are a few pictures of the Christmas decorations in the church.

Br. Mauritius.

2010-12-30T15:20:00.003-07:00

Over the Christmas holidays we were blessed to have Br. Mauritius Honegger of Einsiedeln Abbey stay with us for a week. He is studying Pastoral Theology at St. Meinrad's Abbey in Indiana this year and got to know our Br. Anthony who is also studying there. Br. Mauritius showed lots of patience, good humor and wit while answering all of our questions over the week about various aspects of his Abbey. Einsiedeln Abbey is where our founder, Bishop Vincent Wehrle, was from so it was nice to have this connection continue. He also (Br. Mauritius not Bishop Wehrle) jumped right in and helped us with a wine shipment one day. He is pictured standing next to Our Lady of Einsiedeln and with some of our monks. Yes, it was good to have him as a guest with us.

Christmas Evening.

2010-12-30T15:10:00.003-07:00

A few pictures of monks Christmas evening. So many of my pictures are of monks eating and being in community - which is a good thing, but not the only thing we do - only because I do not tend to take pictures of us while we are at prayer! Christmas day is one of the 2 days of the year when we delay our morning prayer - the other is Thanksgiving. After supper, monks join together in the community room for desert (a nicely rich tripe made by Br. Llewellyn) and conversation.

Meal Prayer for Christmas.

2010-12-30T15:06:00.003-07:00

Here are a few pictures of our meal prayer for Christmas. Br. Alban tries to use a different set of creche figures every year and this scene is just below the meal prayer.

O Antiphons.

2010-12-18T09:38:00.003-07:00

On December 17th, we began singing the O Antiphons. These are sung with the Benedictus (at morning prayer) and the Magnificat (at evening prayer) until December 23rd. These are beautiful and haunting songs all addressing Christ my his various names (wisdom, Lord, seed of Jesse, etc.). The picture, if you can see it, is of the music from the anitphon, O Dawning Day.

2010-12-18T09:24:00.002-07:00

Last Monday evening, the Richardton-Taylor High School held their Christmas concert in the church. The choir sang and the band played - all under the direction of the most-talented Miss Barb Gress (she does such a great job!). A good crowd came on a cold night. Refreshments followed the concert in the dining room.

Scenes of Snow.

2010-12-10T09:05:00.002-07:00

Here are a few pictures taken last Sunday of the snow around the Abbey.

Feast of St. Ambrose.

2010-12-10T08:57:00.004-07:00

Tuesday, December 7th was the Feast of St. Ambrose (c.340-397), the bishop of Milan. He was one of the four original Doctors of the Church along with St. Augustine, St. Gregory, and St. Jerome. He is often pictures with bees and is the patron of bee keepers, candle makers, and stone masons. We have two images of him in the church. The medallion is in the west nave and the stained glass of St. Ambrose is in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.

Christmas Open House at the Abbey.

2010-12-10T08:47:00.002-07:00

Here are a few pictures of our Christmas Open House at the Abbey last Saturday. The Gift Shop and Wine Cellar were open for business. In addition, we sold some home-baked bread, home-made marmalades and apple butter, apples from our orchard, and we even gave away some of our extra squash.

New Meal Prayer.

2010-12-10T08:38:00.002-07:00

Here is our Advent meal prayer - above our Advent candles. As you can tell, we are now in the 2nd week of Advent. Also a few pictures of lightening the 2nd candle last Saturday night.

Advent Wreath.

2010-11-28T10:13:00.002-07:00

We have an Advent wreath in our dining room and it was blessed by Abbot Brian and the first candle lit on Saturday evening after Vespers.

St. Catherine of Alexandria

2010-11-28T10:03:00.004-07:00

The pictures are of the medallion of St. Catherine of Alexandria whose feast day was November 25th. She was the daughter of nobles and vowed her life to Christ. A king(?) wanted to marry her and when she refused he sent 100 of the best philosophers to change her mind about being a Christian. All of the philosophers were converted and the king had their tongues torn out. The king then had a wheel of torture made, but an angel came and wrecked it. Finally, the king cut off her head. The story ends with an angel taking her body to Mt. Sinai. The famous monastery of St. Catherine was founded near that area. St. Catherine was also one of the saints that spoke to St. Joan of Arc.

Thanksgiving.

2010-11-28T09:52:00.003-07:00

We had a really nice Thanksgiving at the Abbey. This is one of the 2 days of the year we have the opportunity to sleep a little bit later than usual in that our morning prayer was at 7:30 rather than our usual 6:30. Br. Alban prepared brunch and then gathered a crew of monks to help make a festal supper. So a good day of leisure (except for Br. Alban!) and fellowship and the joy of being thankful. The pictures are of brunch (so I didn't have to remember to take pictures the rest of the day).

Feast of St. Gertrude.

2010-11-20T08:46:00.003-07:00

November 16th was the memorial of St. Gertrude (1256-1302) known as St. Gertrude the Great. She was a mystic of the 13th century and a nun of the great monastery, Helfta. Gertrude entered the community at the age of 5 and may have been an orphan. At age 25 she had a significant spiritual experience which changed her life. Her writings 'Legatus divinae pietatis' or 'Revelations' consist of 5 volumes. (from 'Butler's Lives of the Saints'). The pictures are of the window located in the west nave of our church.

2010-11-20T08:37:00.002-07:00

November 1st was the Solemnity of All Saints (okay, I am a bit behind). Lots of good liturgies for the day. Here are some pictures of our reliquaries which we bring out for All Saints. The Feast of All souls is the next day and we pray for all of the dead.

2010-11-20T08:33:00.002-07:00

I had been get our latest meal prayer up (that we have been using for a couple of weeks). Advent will be here soon and we will get another prayer.

Hard Working Monks.

2010-10-30T09:38:00.002-06:00

Here are a couple of pictures that were taken one morning of Fr. Lawrence and Br. Basil. Fr. Lawrence is our faithful mail-monk who gathers the mail and then distributes it. Of course, while he waits he reads. On the day the picture was taken, he was reading up on St. Paul's Letter to the Philippians. The other pictures are of Br. Basil, our Prior and morning telephone operator.

St. Simon and St. Jude.

2010-10-30T09:27:00.003-06:00

Last Thursday was the Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude. The pictures are of their images on the medallions in the abbey church. Both are mentioned in the lists of the apostles, but little is known of them after the New Testament. The Eastern tradition is that St. Simon died in Edessa, while the Western tradition holds that they went to Persia and were martyred on the same day. St. Simon is traditionally depicted holding a fish and St. Jude is pictured holding a club or ship (from 'Butler's Lives of the Saints').

Meal Prayer.

2010-10-30T09:21:00.002-06:00

We've been praying a new meal prayer for a couple of weeks. Usually forget to snap a picture of it until we are ready for the next one. Br. Alban did some fall decorating, too, so wanted to show that.

Feast of St. Gall

2010-10-16T09:59:00.003-06:00

Today is the Feast of St. Gall (c. 550-640). He was actually Irish and accompanied St. Comgall and St. Columban on missionary trips to Europe. They arrived in what is now, Switzerland about 610 - being kicked out of various areas now and again. When Columban went to Italy, Gall remained. A famous monastery, St. Gallen, was founded on the site of one of his hermitages; which later included a famous library and an early Rule of St. Benedict. This picture is of St. Gall and a bear. The story is that St. Gall was praying when the bear attempted to attack him. St. Gall told him to bring wood for the fire and, one of the stories says, they lived together for the rest of their lives.

Quilters for the weekend

2010-10-16T08:47:00.002-06:00

Last weekend we had a busy group of quilters here. A few pictures to show you how busy they were and how very, very creative.

Marian Eucharistic Congress

2010-10-09T09:18:00.002-06:00

Br. Jacob, Fr. Benedict, and Br. Aelred attended the Marian Eucharistic Congress last weekend in Fargo. The Abbey had a table for vocation material at this event. Here are a few pictures.

Fall pictures.

2010-10-09T08:35:00.003-06:00

A few pictures of fall around the Abbey.

Oblate Weekend.

2010-10-09T08:26:00.001-06:00

In late September we hosted our annual fall weekend for our oblates. Fr. Valerian gave conferences on prayer. This pictures are from a reception that was held on Saturday evening - yes, a good time was had by all!

More Garden Produce.

2010-09-18T13:50:00.002-06:00

Pears from the orchard.

A colorful squash.

Cucumbers.

A few more peppers.

A few of the melons from the garden.

Snow!

2010-09-18T13:42:00.001-06:00

We had a dusting of snow on Friday evening. Here are a few pictures from early Saturday morning before it all melted.

New Meal Prayer.

2010-09-18T13:37:00.002-06:00

We have a new meal prayer that we say prior to our meals. This prayer is located in our dining room, obviously.

Feast of St. John Chrysostom.

2010-09-18T13:31:00.002-06:00

Monday, September 13th was the Feast of St. John Chrysostom (347-407). He was known for his preaching, and hence, was given the name 'Golden Mouth' or Chrysostom. The medallion is from the Abbey church; 1 of 4 Doctors of the Church which are located in the rear of the nave.

Feast of St. Pope Gregory the Great.

2010-09-06T09:43:00.003-06:00

Friday, September 3rd, was the Feast of St. Pope Gregory the Great (c.540-604). He is important for us Benedictines because he wrote "The Life of St. Benedict" which is part of his "Dialogues". This is the only information that we have about St. Benedict. Thus, he is pictured in 2 places in the church: a window in the south nave and a medallion in the upper nave.

Icon Blessing.

2010-09-06T09:25:00.003-06:00

Br. Llwewllyn has been writing a triptych icon for the past few years. On Sunday, August 29th, he invited 150 people (and monks) for a blessing of the icon which is located in our dining room. He gave an overview of the icon; what each section means. There were also some great musical entertainments. Here are a few pictures of the blessing.

Garden Produce in the Cooler - I

2010-08-28T10:01:00.003-06:00

choke cherries

Choke cherries
Beans
Beets

Carrots

Here is a snapshot of what our back cooler held from the garden last week (and the next group of pictures). The choke cherries are not really from the garden, but from the pasture. Yes, we are blessed with all kinds of goodness.

Garden Produce in the Cooler - II

2010-08-28T09:48:00.002-06:00

Cucumbers

Zucchini

Onions

Potatoes

Pickled beans

Finished bathroom!

2010-08-28T09:43:00.001-06:00

Some pictures of the newly finished bathroom near the sacristy. Nice to have it completed!

Pickles - Round One....

2010-08-23T09:04:00.003-06:00

Here are a few pictures of the pickles made by Br. Louie. Our cucumbers have been growing like crazy and we will (fortunately) get more pickles made.