Abbey Magazine Fall/Winter 2020

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ABBEY MAGAZINEFrom the Abbey ArchivesBy Karen Mand, St. Norbert Abbey Librarian and Archivist14The first Belgian farmerssettled in the Town of Unionin Door County, Wisconsin,in 1856 and built the firstchurch in 1860. In 1893 BishopMessmer of the Green BayDiocese wrote to the Abbey ofBerne in Holland and arrangedfor Norbertine priests to takecontrol of these Door CountyBelgian churches, in part tocombat the influence of JosephRene Vilatte, who was drawingpeople away from the CatholicChurch to his “Old CatholicChurch.”The abbot sent Fr. BernardH. Pennings, Fr. Lambert J.Broens, and a lay brother,Brother Servatius, all of whomdeparted Holland on November1, 1893. Fr. Pennings was at St.Mary of the Snows (Delwiche)until 1898. That same year, theNorbertines took over St. JosephParish in West De Pere torescue it from financial trouble.From there was laid the foundationfor the present abbey, St.Norbert High School, St.Norbert College, ArchmereAcademy, and the other schoolsand daughter abbeys (Daylesford, Pennsylvania; and Albuquerque,New Mexico) in theU.S.In 1902, the group of priestsbecame known as the Priory ofWest De Pere. Fr. Pennings wasofficially named abbot in 1925and St. Norbert Priory becamean abbey independent of BerneAbbey. The priests outgrewthe abbey at St. Norbert Collegeand broke ground on thepresent-day St. Norbert Abbeyin East De Pere in 1956.It was said of Abbot Penningsthat:“… whoever has observed him,especially of late, acknowledgesthat he is a prudent, adroit andresolute man” (Fr. Van Heertum,circa 1900).He had a democratic way ofgoverning, always consultingwith confreres in making adecision. He kept meticulousrecords of all expenses, asevidenced by the number ofledgers that exist in the abbeyarchives. He was firmly rootedin his faith and had a specialdevotion to St. Joseph.Karen Mand is the St. NorbertAbbey librarian and archivist.Previously, she worked in thelibrary at St. Norbert College formore than 40 years. Mand holdsa degree in library science fromHoly Family College in Manitowoc,Wisconsin.
15↑ Delwiche, Door County 1898.Fr. Pennings is second from the right.← Fr. Pennings’ certificate of U.S. citizenshipEVER ANCIENT, EVER NEW1121 – Norbert of Xantenfounds the Norbertine OrderToday: St. Norbert Abbeyremains faithful to hismessage in the creation ofour updated web site atwww.norbertines.org.| From the Abbey Archives
Page 1 and 2: ABBEYMAGAZINEby St. Norbert AbbeyIS
Page 3 and 4: FEATURESTHE MURALS OFSAINT NORBERTA
Page 5 and 6: Letter from the AbbotDEAR FRI
Page 7 and 8: 900 th Jubilee PrayerOf the f
Page 9 and 10: Jerry Turba, abbey photograph
Page 11 and 12: A TEACHER OF DISCIPLINEUN MAE
Page 13 and 14: 01. Represents the womb ofMar
Page 15 and 16: As guests of St. Norbert Abbe
Page 17: 13| Saints & Blesseds
Page 21 and 22: Early Letters Homefrom Hollan
Page 23 and 24: FRATER AQUINAS DANNY ALLENFRA
Page 25 and 26: 02. Jubilee Masses at Norbert
Page 27 and 28: FATHER ALFRED ALOYSIUSMCBRIDE

Abbey Magazine Fall/Winter 2020

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