THE ABBEY BANNER - St. John's Abbey

Volume 7 • Issue 2 • Fall 2007 

THE ABBEY BANNER 

Magazine of Saint John’s Abbey 

Saint John’s Prep 

Celebrates 

Sesquicentennial 

Finale, 4 

Monks’ First 

Family 

Weekend, 7 

Saint John’s 

mission to the 

Ojibwe, 9 

Petters Pavilion 

Blessed, 13 

Saint John’s 

Arboretum 

marks tenth 

anniversary, 15 

The Tornado 

of 1894, 17 

Profession and 

Ordination 

Jubilarians, 18 

Abbey Cemetery 

offers burial 

options, 20 

Meet a Monk: 

Dan Ward, OSB, 22

Contents 

Saint John’s Abbey and Prep School 

November 10, 1857 

Features 

7 

No strangers at monks’ first 

Family Weekend 

by Daniel Durken, OSB 

9 

Saint John’s mission to the 

Ojibwe of Minnesota 

by Doug Mullin, OSB 

13 

Pavilion blessed, Eucharistic 

devotions stressed at dedication 

Departments 

3 From Editor and Abbot 

24 The Abbey Chronicle 

The Abbey Banner 

Magazine of 

Saint John’s Abbey 

Volume 7, Issue 2 

Fall 2007 

15 

St. John’s Arboretum marks 

tenth anniversary 

by Ryan Kutter 

17 

The Tornado of 1894 

by William Skudlarek, OSB 

18 

Sixteen Profession and 

Ordination Jubilarians 

by Richard Oliver, OSB, and 

Brennan Maiers, OSB 

26 Vocations 

Editor: Daniel Durken, OSB 

ddurken@csbsju.edu 

Page 4 

Cover Story 


prepares to celebrate 

Sesquicentennial Finale 


28 Obituaries: Vincent Tegeder, OSB, 

Linus Ascheman, OSB, 

Angelo Zankl, OSB 

Copy Editor and Proofreader: 

Dolores Schuh, CHM 

Designer: Pam Rolfes 

Circulation: Ruth Athmann, Cathy Wieme, 

Mary Gouge 

Printer: Palmer Printing, Waite Park, 

Minnesota 

Member Catholic Press Association 

20 

Expanded Abbey Cemetery offers 

burial options 

22 

Meet a Monk: Dan Ward, OSB, 

urban and social hermit 


THE COVER 

The Prep School academic building 

is focused on the front cover air view 

taken July 31, 2007. 

31 Banner Bits 

35 Spiritual Life 

NOTE: Please send your change of address to: Ruth Athmann at rathmann@csbsju.edu or P.O. Box 7222, 

Collegeville, Minnesota 56321-7222 or call 800-635-7303. 

The Abbey Banner is published three 

times annually (spring, fall, winter) by the 

Benedictine monks of Saint John’s Abbey for 

our relatives, friends and Oblates. 

The Abbey Banner is online at 

www.sja.osb.org/AbbeyBanner 

Lee Hanley and Thomas Gillespie, OSB 

Saint John’s Abbey, Box 2015, Collegeville, 

Minnesota 56321

The Need to Read 


The start of another school 

year always excites me 

even though at my age the 

academic adage has changed to 

“reading, writing and arthritis.” 

But I was hardly excited to come 

across some sad statistics on the 

state of reading in the United States: 

• Annually $78 billion are spent on alcohol, $37 billion 

on cigarettes, $6 billion on pet food and $1.7 billion 

on textbooks. 

• 58% of the adult population never read another book 

after high school. 

• 42% of college graduates never read another book. 

• 80% of families did not buy or read a book last year. 

• 57% of new books are not read to completion. 

When Saint Benedict writes about “The Daily Manual 

Labor” in his Rule, he seems more concerned to provide 

time for reading than for working. He uses work-words 

such as labor, duties and harvesting eleven times and reading-words 

such as read, books and study fourteen times. 

Monks were to read two to three hours daily. 

He also has one or two senior monks do some monitoring 

while the brothers are reading to see that no one is 

wasting time or engaging in idle talk to the neglect of his 

reading. He does not order that kind of supervision of the 

brothers’ work. 

I encourage you to order a contemporary guide to good 

books—the Fall 2007 Catalog of Liturgical Press. For your 

free copy call 1-800-858-5450 right now or order a copy 

online at sales@litpress.org. If you can’t find a readable 

and appealing book in the eighty-two pages of this catalog, 

I will send you a free copy of Waiting in Joyful Hope, 

Daily Reflections for Advent and Christmas 2007-2008 by 

Jay Cormier. 

Congratulations to David Paul Lange, OSB, whose 

article “The Christ Figure” in the spring 2006 issue 

of The Abbey Banner won the first place 2007 

Catholic Press Association award in the Best Essay category 

for religious order magazines. The judges’ critique said, 

“Using crisp, clean writing, Lange takes the reader right 

along into his process of giving the Lord a body and ends 

with an image not soon forgotten by readers.” + 

He must increase, 

I must decrease 

by Abbot John Klassen, OSB 

FROM EDITOR AND ABBOT 

We are blessed at Saint 

John’s with powerful 

religious symbols. 

The Breuer church is surely one 

of them with its powerful focus 

on the altar. Another is Christ in glory in the Great Hall. 

Finally, in the baptistery of the church we have the artistic 

presentation of John the Baptist by Doris Cesar. 

In this bronze sculpture John is tall and thin. Many 

people in this country wish they could be so. This is where 

a faithful diet of locusts and wild honey takes you—protein 

and carbohydrates. No fats and no pasta. I wonder 

what John the Baptist’s metabolism would do with a Big 

Mac and a large order of French fries. 

For the prophet John this commitment to simplicity is 

part of being ready to hear the word of God and proclaim 

it. It is not an idiosyncratic gesture, a manifestation of his 

large ego. It is the kind of discipline it takes to be a good 

athlete, or a dancer, or any other work that requires exquisite 

focus. John’s asceticism has everything to do with 

hearing and seeing God clearly in any situation. This can 

only occur because he is not invested in his own comfort, 

or in the way things are. 

I don’t want to romanticize John the Baptist. We know 

he was martyred by King Herod because he refused to be 

silent. In our day we need men and women who live by 

strong principles, who are willing to risk for the sake of 

Christ, and for the sake of the poor and disenfranchised. 

John reminds us that it takes personal and communal 

discipline to live for Christ and for the gospel. For the 

sake of concreteness, let me name some of them: personal 

prayer, fasting, silence, reflective reading of scripture, 

reading good theology and serious literature. 

We want to say with John the Baptist, “He must increase, 

I/we must decrease.” There is a wondrous, joyful 

outcome to being like John the Baptist. We see firsthand 

Christ at work in our world. This is a source of joy and 

hope. + 

The Abbey Banner Fall 2007 page 3

SESQUICENTENNIAL 

Saint John’s Prep School prepares to celebrate 

the Finale of the Sesquicentennial 


“There was poverty everywhere; a poor and miserable house; 

poor and scanty food; poor and bad lights.” 

(Abbot Alexius Edelbrock, OSB, one of the first Saint John’s students) 

The late August arrival of new 

and returning students to the 

Collegeville campus is a rite of 

passage to behold. Roads and walkways 

are clogged with pickup trucks, 

SUVs, trailers, U-Hauls, campers and 

cars, all bulging with the essentials 

for the academic enterprise—computer, 

TV, stereo, CD tower, play station, 

refrigerator, microwave, stuffed 

chair(s), couch, clothes, exercise and 

sports equipment, wall posters, cell 

page 4 The Abbey Banner Fall 2007 

phone, snacks and beverages. 

It is unimaginable what the first five 

students brought with them when they 

arrived on November 10, 1857, at the 

seventy-five-foot-long wooden shack 

on the west bank of the Mississippi to 

begin school at the original Saint John’s. 

There is no record of their belongings, 

but Anthony Edelbrock, one of the original 

five who became Abbot Alexius, 

reminisced thirty years later about what 

he discovered when he got there: 

The 1891 Prep Latin 

2 class: The student 

in the front row, second 

from left, is Henry 

Deutsch, the future 

Abbot Alcuin Deutsch, 

OSB (1877-1951), 

fifth abbot of Saint 

John’s Abbey. The 

teacher is Demetrius 

Juenemann, OSB. 

Abbey Archives 

The College regulations were 

read to us. We had to rise at 

5 o’clock, say our morning 

prayers, attend daily Mass, then 

study and 7 o’clock breakfast, 

i.e., a cup of coffee—if such it 

could be called—and dry bread, 

no butter or molasses or sugar 

there. After breakfast free for 

one half hour, at 8 o’clock classes 

began and lasted until eleven; 

then dinner, a watery black

soup with plenty of bread in it. 

After soup came potatoes and 

meat, then bread. Our drink was 

water. After dinner, free time 

until one o’clock, then classes 

resumed. At three we received 

a piece of dry bread. This, with 

fresh water, was relished with 

a gusto. From 4 to 6 we had 

to study, at 6 o’clock supper. 

The first dish was again the 

indispensable soup, the rest 

usually as at noon. From 7:30 

to 8:30 study time, then night 

prayers and to bed. 

The above reference to College 

regulations is a bit of an exaggeration. 

In February and March of the 

following year (1858) the school was 

chartered by the Minnesota Territorial 

Legislature and the Territorial 

Governor as “Saint John’s Seminary, 

the first Catholic institution of higher 

education in Minnesota.” But it would 

Prep study hall, now the offices of Institutional Advancement 

have been 

closer to the 

truth if the 

place had 

been identified 

as an 

elementary 

school or at 

best a high 

school or 

minor seminary. 

The five 

original students 

were 

young teenag- The 1894 student refectory 

ers. Anthony 

was just two months past his 

fourteenth birthday when he and his 

classmates moved into the shanty that 

also housed the five pioneer monks 

and the two Rothkopp brothers who 

thought they owned the property. 

With this humble beginning it is 

altogether fitting that the finale of 

our twenty-month Sesquicentennial 


celebration take place at Saint John’s 

Preparatory School on November 

10, 2007. The Prep School traditionally 

commemorates this date with 

its annual Legacy Dinner. Hundreds 

of alumni/ae, benefactors, regents, 

monastics and friends are expected to 

attend this special occasion. 

A highlight of the celebration will 

be the presentation of the Armor 







A musical interlude on the path to the 

Stella Maris Chapel 

of Light Award to Dan and Linda 

Marrin, the first time a couple has 

been so honored. Dan, 1964 alumnus, 

and Linda, chair of the Board of 

Regents, have been national co-chairs 

of the successful Comprehensive 

Campaign. Surpassing its $15 million 

goal, the campaign will help support 

student scholarships, faculty salaries 

and development, and the expansion 

of physical facilities such as the construction 

of the new Bede Hall that 

will provide space for the music and 

middle school programs. 

Prior to this climactic celebration, 

several earlier Prep sponsored 

events will provide the drum roll to 

the major event. On Sunday, October 

Austrian chefs prepare mouth-watering Austrian cuisine at the 

Oktoberfest Gasthaus. 


7, the annual Collegeville Colors 

will be presented. With the generous 

assistance of Thomas Kroll and Sarah 

Gainey of the Saint John’s Arboretum, 

this family festival unfolds along the 

trail through the woods to the Stella 

Maris Chapel on the south shore of 

Lake Sagatagan. A tribute to the awesome 

autumn splendor of the Saint 

John’s forest, the afternoon features 

presentations of art, song, poetry, 

drama and a sample of the 100 gallons 

of homemade bouja from the recipe 

of the Schellinger family. 

Thanks to the generous 

support of 1955 Prep alumnus 

Don Hall, the chapel is 

being renovated to make it 

a truer place of pilgrimage 

and devotion. 

On October 12-13, 

the annual Oktoberfest 

Gasthaus will open its 

doors in Sexton Commons 

for a sumptuous dinner 

of genuine Austrian cuisine 

prepared by authentic 

Austrian chefs flown in for 

the occasion. The menu 

features such items as 

Schweinebraten mit Serviettenknoedel 

and Sachertorte mit Schlagsahne. 

English translations 

accompany 

the German names. 

Serving begins at 

5:30 p.m. each day 

and reservations 

may be made by 

calling 320-363- 

3317. 

The final 

jewel in the 

Sesquicentennial 

crown is the 

publication of a 

100-page history of Saint John’s Prep 

School. This first history of the school 

is researched and written by Cindy 

Peterson, Prep librarian, and Sean 

Dwyer, Spanish teacher. 

Similar to Jesus’ familiar parable 

of the mustard seed, Saint John’s 

Preparatory School began with a faculty 

of one (Cornelius Wittmann, 

OSB), a student body of five, and a 

facility that lacked electricity, plumbing, 

central heating and a telephone. 

A brimming barrel of bouja from the 

Schellinger family recipe 

Who would have thought that this 

miniscule seed would take root, 

grow, blossom and bear the fruit of a 

century and a half of academic rigor 

and spiritual growth? The pioneer 

Benedictines knew that their mission 

was to humbly plant the seed and 

water it. But it is God who causes the 

growth. So from the beginning it is 

God who is glorified in all things. + 

Daniel Durken is a 1947 graduate of Saint 

John’s Preparatory School. 

Saint John’s Prep

Daniel Durken, OSB 

are family” was the 

theme of the abbey’s “We 

fi rst Family Weekend, 

June 23-24. The blessings our monastic 

family shared with our biological 

families helped us complete our Sesquicentennial 

celebration. More than 

700 parents, siblings, nieces, nephews 

and in-laws came to be with their son/ 

brother/uncle-monk for a day or two 

of friendship, food and fun. 

Saturday and Sunday events included 

children’s games, tours of the 

Abbey Guesthouse, Petters Pavilion, 

Abbey Church, fi re station, garden, 

and wetlands of the Arboretum, and 

the extraordinary exhibit of The Saint 

John’s Bible at the Hill Museum & 

Manuscript Library. On the weekend 

that honored our patron, Saint John 

the Baptist, families sang Evening 

Prayer and celebrated the Eucharist 

with the monks. A Saturday evening 

buffet dinner and a Sunday afternoon 

cookout satisfi ed the hungry. 

An Entertaining Variety Show 

“There are no strangers here. We 

are all family.” Thus did Master of 

Ceremonies David Paul Lange, OSB, 

A festival of family, friends, food and fun 

introduce the Saturday evening variety 

show that brought the opening day 

to a rousing fi nale. 

Robert Koopmann, OSB, pianist 

extraordinaire, opened the show with 

the spirited “Kitten on the Keys” 

along with the words and music of 

the ditty, “My Old Hen.” Novice Dan 

Morgan, OSB, played two haunting 

melodies on his unique uilleann pipes. 

Jake and Sam Kruger, Saint John’s 

students, did juggling acts that combined 

skill and concentration. 

Paul Vincent Niebauer, OSB, 

reached back into his pre-monastic 

days as a circus clown 

and brought forth an 

amazing fi re-eating 

performance closely 

monitored by Bradley 

Jenniges, OSB, decked 

out in his assistant fi re 

chief gear. 

A sextet of monks sang 

“Home Sweet Home,” 

believed to be the fi rst 

piece sung by the Benedictine 

pioneers. The 


The family of David Paul Lange, OSB, 

at the Family Weekend dinner in the 

Great Hall 

No strangers 

at monks’ 

first Family 

Weekend 


audience joined wholeheartedly in 

such favorites as “Clementine” and 

“When Irish Eyes Are Smiling.” The 

piece de resistance of the program 

was a 36-minute video, a Sesquicentennial 

tribute to the abbey, produced 

by Simon-Hoa Phan, OSB. 

Just Horsing Around 

For me personally, the unforgettable 

experience of the day was the Horse 

and Wagon Tour of the Woods. My 

sister-in-law Joleen and I along with 

the 96-year-old father of Stephen 

Beauclair, OSB, and other members 

of his family hopped on the wagon 

Members of the family of Stephen Beauclair, OSB, 

after horsing around in the woods 



Richard Oliver, OSB 

Janet Niebauer 


pulled by four powerful Percherons 

for the 2:30 tour. We clippety-clopped 

up the back road and past the Sugar 

Shack where maple syrup is produced. 

Over the undulating terrain we went, 

admiring the tall trees and swatting 

mosquitoes until we reached a fork 

in the road. The horses wanted to 

go right. The driver reined them to 

the left, up a hill, and down where 

the trail ended in the tall grass of a 

swamp. We were stuck and lost. The 

horses could not back up the wagon 

and one of them actually laid down 

on the job for a time. The wagon had 

to be unhitched so the horses and the 

carriage could be turned around. 

Robert Koopmann, OSB, entertains 

on the piano at the Variety Show of the 

Family Weekend. 

Paul Vincent Niebauer, OSB, and his 

fiery performance 



Joleen’s cell phone alerted those 

waiting for the 3:30 tour that we 

would be considerably late. As a 

campus security offi cer guided us 

back, concerned relatives were told 

that we were just “horsing around in 

the woods.” During Evening Prayer 

that soon followed this escapade we 

prayed Psalm 33 that reads, “A vain 

hope for safety is the horse; despite 

its power it cannot save.” Our wagonload 

of wanderers had good reason to 

disagree. Our horses knew where they 

were going. We did not. 

Smaller family members could 

bounce around in a castle. 

Sixty members of the family of 

Simon Bischof, OSB, made up the 

largest contingent of relatives. Families 

of Stephen Beauclair, OSB, Don 

Tauscher, OSB, Fintan Bromenshenkel, 

OSB, Roger Kasprick, 

OSB, Hugh Witzmann, OSB, and 

James Phillips, OSB, also had sizeable 

sibling counts. 

It is generally agreed that this 

Monks’ Family Weekend is well 

worth repeating. + 

The team of horses turns around from 

a dead-end-trail in the woods. 

Dan Morgan, OSB, on the unique uilleann pipes 

Sharon Beauclair 

Richard Oliver, OSB


Saint John’s mission to the 

Ojibwe people of Minnesota 

was initiated in 1878 when 

Aloysius Hermanutz, OSB, began 

a remarkable fi fty-one-year tenure 

on the White Earth Reservation. In 

cooperation with the Sisters of Saint 

Benedict’s Monastery, this ministry 

grew to include industrial schools 

for boys and girls at Saint John’s and 

Saint Benedict’s, and the mission on 

the Red Lake Reservation. 

In addition, a total of forty-four 

mission outposts, Mass stations, or 

parishes were set up in and around 

these reservations. This ministry was 

the full time assignment at one time or 

another for over sixty-fi ve monks, and 

ended for Saint John’s in 2000 when 

Julius Beckermann, OSB, concluded 

his twenty-fourth year of service at 

Saint Mary’s Mission on the Red Lake 

Reservation. 

White Earth Mission 

Saint John’s service to the Ojibwe 

occurred early in the history of the 

monastic community and with very 

little planning. In the fall of 1878, 

Bishop Rupert Seidenbusch, OSB, 

Saint John’s fi rst abbot and then Vicar 

Apostolic of Northern Minnesota, 

asked Abbot Alexius Edelbrock, 

OSB, to assume responsibility for the 

church at White Earth because the 

diocesan priest who was serving there, 

the colorful but not very savvy Father 

Ignatius Tomazin, would be moving to 

Red Lake. 

On October 22 the community 

unanimously approved the bishop’s 

request. Within a week Abbot Alexius 

made an unannounced trip to the parish 

house of the pro-cathedral in Saint 

Cloud to tell the twenty-three-year-old 

Aloysius of his new appointment as 

FEATURE 

Center of top row: 

Abbot Alexius 

Edelbrock, OSB, 

second abbot, 

and Aloysius 

Hermanutz, OSB, 

first Saint John’s 

missionary to the 

Ojibwe at White 

Earth in 1881 

Saint John’s mission to the Ojibwe people of Minnesota 


Perhaps the monastics who served the Ojibwe people 

received the greatest benefits from this mission. 

Indian missionary for White Earth. 

A week later Aloysius and Alexius, 

along with Sisters Lioba Braun, OSB, 

and Philomene Koetten, OSB, from 

Saint Benedict’s Monastery, were on 

their way to White Earth. 

Tough Early Years 

The early years were especially 

tough for the missionaries. Aloysius 

began working long hours chopping 

wood and studying the Ojibwe 

language. The fi rst winter was especially 

cold. The -46 degree temperature 

did not keep the Ojibwe people 

from fi lling the church for Mass that 

fi rst Christmas, even though the wine 

froze in the chalice and fi re had to be 

brought to the altar to warm Aloysius’s 

hands. A week later the school 

burned down and Aloysius froze his 

scalp so badly trying to put out the fi re 

that all his hair fell out. 



FEATURE 

With perseverance the missionaries 

made great progress. In three months 

Aloysius was able to preach and hear 

confessions in the Ojibwe language, 

much to the delight of the people. 

Church membership grew and within 

a few years new land was acquired. 

Abbot Alexius secured funds for 

building a new church (with a day 

school in the basement) and rectory 

(which also served as a boarding 

school for orphans). Eventually a convent 

and boarding school were added. 

Since 1983 Saint Benedict’s Mission 

at White Earth has been under the 

direction of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate 

Fathers. 

Industrial Schools 

In the fall of 1883 a Catholic nun 

unexpectedly arrived at White Earth 

to fetch twenty-fi ve Ojibwe girls to be 

educated at an Indian boarding school 

in Milwaukee for which the government 

had contracted to pay that school 

$167 apiece. The federal Indian policy 

sought to assimilate Indian children 

into the dominant Euro-American 

culture and society by educating and 


socializing them away from their 

families and traditional culture. 

The policy was a failure from the 

start and fortunately short-lived. It is 

now recognized that the plan would 

have amounted to cultural genocide. 

While there were undoubtedly many 

good intentions and even positive 

results for the children who attended 

these schools, if these schools had 

been successful in their primary 

purpose, the loss of native cultures 

and identities would have been a great 

evil. 

The nun from Milwaukee left White 

Earth without any students because 

she was unable to convince Aloysius 

or the Ojibwe parents of the value 

in having the children so far from 

home. Abbot Alexius began to think 

that Saint Benedict’s Monastery, Saint 

John’s Abbey, and the White Earth 

mission itself could run boarding 

schools. Parents would support the 

schools because the children would be 

much closer to home, and the schools 

would be operated by Benedictines 

whom the parents had come to know 

Saint Benedict’s Mission School, 

White Earth, Minnesota, 

dedicated in 1892 

and trust. Government contracts for 

boarding schools at Saint Benedict’s 

and Saint John’s were secured the next 

year (and White Earth a year later) 

and the children started coming. 

The school at Saint John’s began 

with fi fty boys from White Earth, 

under the direction of Chrysostom 

Schreiner, OSB. In the spring of 

1886 the girls’ school at Saint Benedict’s 

burned to the ground and was 

rebuilt with bricks and labor provided 

by Saint John’s. Despite many good 

intentions and much hard work on the 

part of the monks and sisters involved 

with these schools, the government 

funds which at best were never 

enough to cover the expenses were 

reduced over time and eventually cut 

off altogether. Both schools closed in 

1896. 

Red Lake Mission 

After leaving White Earth in 1878, 

Father Tomazin moved to Red Lake, 

but within fi ve years he was forced to 

leave Indian ministry altogether. After 

Tomazin left, Aloysius traveled there 

from White Earth to make pastoral 

visits several times a year and was 

very well received by the Red Lake 

people. In 1884 Chief Little Thunder 

sent a letter to Abbot Alexius with the 

signatures of 112 Red Lake Ojibwe 

requesting that he be allowed to stay 

with them permanently.


It was not until 1888 after Abbot 

Alexius had secured an initial agreement 

for funding from Mother/Saint 

Katherine Drexel and the support of 

the monastic chapter that Thomas 

Borgerding, OSB, and Simon 

Lampe, OSB, began their missionary 

work in Red Lake along with Sisters 

Amelia Eich, OSB, and Evangelista 

McNulty, OSB, from Saint Benedict’s 

Monastery. 

The mission at Red Lake, which 

grew to include a boarding school and 

a large farm with a prize Jersey dairy 

herd, continues today with a parish 

and elementary day school under the 

pastoral leadership of the Crookston 

Diocese. 

Epilogue 

The mission to the Ojibwe of Minnesota 

is a rich yet humble part of 

Saint John’s heritage. While many 

leaders of the Ojibwe communities 

served by Saint Benedict’s Monastery 

and Saint John’s Abbey have spoken 

highly of their Benedictine education, 

it is perhaps the monastics who served 

the Ojibwe people with open hearts 

and minds who received the greatest 

benefi ts from this mission. 

Newly ordained Doug Mullin, OSB, 

is associate professor of education at 

Saint John’s University. 

Father Thomas Borgerding, OSB, (top left) and a First 

Communion class at the Red Lake Mission 

The Ojibwe Character 

FEATURE 

Missionaries often stated that they found much with which 

to compliment the Ojibwe character, especially intelligence, 

memory, and spiritual maturity. Historian William Watts 

Folwell writes in his study of the Ojibwe: “The Indian was 

intensely, even devoutly, religious.” The Ojibwe were admired 

also for their generosity and for the honor with which 

they gave and kept their word. They lived their lives in 

harmony with the natural elements and intuitively expressed 

gratitude to their Creator: “Miigwech!” (thank you) for the 

berries, the fi sh, the seasons. 

-- from Full of Fair Hope: A History of St. Mary’s 

Mission, Red Lake, Minnesota, by Owen Lindblad, OSB 

A pow wow at St. Mary’s Mission, Red Lake, Minnesota 



FEATURE 

All photos on this page, except the eagle, courtesy of the 


Thomas Borgerding, OSB, veteran missionary 

to the Ojibwe of Red Lake, with (l. to r.) Brothers 

Placid Stuckenschneider, Elmer Cichy, William 

Borgerding and Michael Laux. All except 

William are deceased. 

Benedictine Sisters before the altar of the church at 

the Red Lake Mission in the mid-1950s 


The Red Lake Mission today 

Sister Valois Barthel, OSB, tends the clothing 

dispensary at the Red Lake Mission. 

Photos.com

Pavilion blessed, 

Eucharistic 

devotions 

stressed at 

dedication 


Adictionary defines “pavilion” 

as “a part of a building 

projecting from the rest.” 

Those few words hardly do justice 

to the newly completed structure 

that does indeed project from the 

Abbey Church. The question remains, 

“What’s it for?” 

The Petters Pavilion, made possible 

by the generous support of Thomas 

Petters in honor of his parents, Fred 

and Rosemary, includes: 

• the expansion and acoustical 

improvement of the abbey’s 

Chapter Room for meetings; 

• a bride’s room and a groom’s 

room for wedding preparations; 

• men’s and women’s rest rooms; 

• an elevator for access to the 

lower and upper levels of the 

church; 

• a new entrance to the east side of 

the church. 

Several hundred guests joined the 

monastic community for the blessing 

of the pavilion on May 6, 2007. 

After brief remarks by Abbot John 

Klassen, OSB,Thomas Petters and 

architect Vincent James, Rosemary 

Entrance to the Petters Pavilion 

Petters read from the prophet Ezekiel 

who describes the new temple built to 

replace Solomon’s temple destroyed 

by the Babylonians. 

A blessing prayer, the sprinkling of 

spaces with holy water and a special 

blessing for the large medallion of 

Saint Benedict that is the centerpiece 

of the Chapter Room completed the 

ceremony. Monks and guests processed 

into the Abbey Church for the 

singing of Evening Prayer, followed 

by dinner in the Great Hall. 

Reflections on 

Eucharistic devotions 

It was originally planned that the 

redesigned Blessed Sacrament 

Chapel would also be ready for 

dedication at this time. A lecture 

on Eucharistic devotions by Kevin 

Seasoltz, OSB, professor of theology 

at Saint John’s School of 

Theology•Seminary, was planned 

to conclude the occasion. Even 

though the chapel was not ready, 

Father Kevin gave his lecture after 

the dinner. 

FEATURE 

Pointing out the sometimes tense 

relationship between liturgy and 

popular devotions, Kevin stated, 

“Perpetual adoration can easily lose 

its foundation in the celebration of 

the Eucharist and be seen apart from 

it, often with exaggerated promises if 

one participates, as though the value 

of the Mass itself is somehow limited 

even though it is the celebration of 

the perfect sacrifice of Jesus.” 

Thomas Petters, lead donor, speaks 

at the dedication of the pavilion. 

The Abbey Banner Fall 2007 page 13 


Richard Oliver, OSB

Lee Hanley 

FEATURE 

Carefully examining early, medieval 

and contemporary developments 

of Eucharistic devotion apart from 

the Mass, Kevin observed that “many 

eucharistic liturgies do not provide 

people with either time or space for 

silence and stillness. Hence many 

people yearn for the peace and quiet 

that contemplation in the presence of 

the reserved sacrament can provide.” 

Thus the need for the reservation 

of the Eucharist in a suitable space 

designed for individual devotion. 

Kevin Seasoltz, OSB 

Fred Petters, father of Thomas, stands in the link 

between the Pavilion and the Abbey Church. 


Kevin concluded, “We do well, 

however, to remember that no 

liturgical spaces, no symbols or ritual 

practices, even those that are an integral 

part of the liturgy itself, exhaust 

the infinite riches of God’s real presence 

everywhere and always in Jesus 

Christ and through the power of the 

Holy Spirit.” 

Lee Hanley 

Benedictine medallion provides focus behind the 

speaker’s stand. 

Kevin’s presentation is published in 

the September, 2007, issue of Worship 

magazine. A copy may be ordered 

for $6.50 plus mailing fees by calling 

Liturgical Press at 1-800-858-5450. + 


This stairway links the two floors of the pavilion. 

Lee Hanley

FEATURE 

The plaque honoring Paul 

Schwietz, OSB, founder of 

the Saint John’s Arboretum 

Saint John’s Arboretum marks tenth anniversary 

by Ryan Kutter 

The Arboretum encompasses over 2500 acres including the lakes, woods and prairie 

that surrounds the campus, but not the campus itself. 

Adecade of dreaming and 

planning for an arboretum 

at Saint John’s preceded 

its 1997 founding that made Paul 

Schwietz, OSB (1952-2000), the Paul 

Bunyan of tree planting and prairie 

burns. Ten years later, monastics, 

staff and students continue the work 

of maintaining trails, creating educational 

experiences and answering 

inquiries. 

The root of the Saint John’s Arboretum’s 

educational outreach has 

been the pre-K-12 environmental 

curriculum. The program that initially 

brought one hundred students to the 

area now gives five thousand young 

people a hands-on instruction as well 

as a marvelous opportunity to wonder 

as they wander over the water and 

through the woods. 

A significant task for the Arboretum 

staff is to provide time and place for 

high school students to experiment in 

this living laboratory. Finding ways to 

stabilize student education and transportation 

funding has become a high 

priority for the Arboretum’s advisory 

council and staff. Although a larger 

percentage of elementary students 

have access through transportation 

grants secured by the Arboretum staff, 

these funding sources remain tenuous 

as the priorities of grant-providers 

change. 

Another plan of the staff is to make 

available a more fully integrated life 

of stewardship, incorporating elements 

beyond biology, geology and 

the traditional sciences of nature 

education. For example, collaboration 

with the Saint John’s Pottery Studio 

The Arboretum 

could demonstrate responsible use 

of local resources and their artistic 

expression. Exposing students to an 

insect lesson on the prairie followed 

by a study of the butterfly illuminations 

of The Saint John’s Bible would 

enhance the search for spiritual meaning 

in the surrounding creation. 

Significant support for the 

Arboretum’s flourishing programs 

comes from individual and family 

memberships. Members receive 

the quarterly newsletter, Sagatagan 

Seasons, and announcements of programs 

such as watercolor classes, 

snowshoe hikes and bird watching 

sorties. The current membership of 

six hundred has surpassed its goal of 

five hundred by 2010. Abbey Banner 

readers interested in subscribing to an 

Arboretum membership should email 


FEATURE 

arboretum@csbsju.edu or call 

320-363-3163. 

Monks, students, visitors walk into 

the woods to sit on fallen logs and 

read Bible verses or Shakespeare to 

each other, to God and creation, each 

piece of which can teach a holy mystery. 

For students on the boardwalk 

gazing at a frog and for those who 

take time from their duties on campus, 

there are moments of wonder 

and a vision of life and heaven that 

persists on earth through continued 

good work. + 

Ryan Kutter is a 2003 graduate of Saint 

John’s University, a former Arboretum 

employee and current Arboretum member. 

Friends, ice cream and maple 

syrup drizzle at the Arboretum’s 

Maple Syrup Festival 


Autumn leaves in the Arboretum 

Sarah Gainey, assistant director of the Arboretum, 

speaks to a group of young students. 

Taking a walk on the Boardwalk of the Arboretum 

The kiosk of the Arboretum 

All photos on this page courtesy of The Arboretum



The tornado of 1894 

devastates Saint John’s 

by William Skudlarek, OSB 

Abbot Bernard sees the destruction and says, 

“Alles ist verloren, all is lost!’ 

June 27, 1894, was a very warm 

day in Collegeville. At around 

eight in the evening my grandfather, 

Joseph Skudlarek, had gone 

down to the lake to cool off after finishing 

work in the kitchen. He arrived 

from Poland in 1891 at age sixteen 

and had gotten a job at Saint John’s. 

As he walked along the shore of the 

Sagatagan, he noticed a funnel cloud 

in the distance. Never having seen 

anything like it, he watched in fascination 

as it drew closer. Luckily, one of 

his companions knew what it was and 

got him to take cover before it came 

ashore, smashing into and shattering 

hundreds of windows in the recently 

completed quadrangle, 

The wreckage of the cattle barn 

The destruction of the powerhouse, butcher 

shop and another building 

destroying many of the 

shops, and virtually 

leveling the newly constructed 

power plant 

and cattle barn. 

Miraculously, no one 

was injured or killed. 

The Indian students in 

the Industrial School 

had retired for the night 

in their dormitory. 

Some monks rushed 

through the dormitory 

and led the boys out 

seconds before the tornado hit. 

The material damage, however, 

was overwhelming. Abbot Bernard 

Locknikar, who was elected four 

years earlier, could only 

look on the devastation all 

around him and sob, “Alles 

ist verloren, All is lost.” 

A few days later, writing 

about the disaster in Der 

Wanderer, Abbot Bernard 

said, “Wherever I turn my 

eye, I see nothing but desolation 

and destruction . . . 

Only God knows how long 

it will take us to recover 

from this catastrophe. And 

yet, we should not complain. 

We must thank God 

. . . because it could have 

been so much worse. In 

many places people lost 

their lives; He spared all 

here. . . And what has been 

FEATURE 

The badly damaged south wing of the Abbey 

destroyed will, with the help of God, 

be built up from the ruins.” 

Indeed, all the buildings were 

rebuilt in an incredibly short time. 

By September 6, the opening day of 

school, new structures were up and a 

third floor had even been added to the 

badly damaged South Wing, the section 

that now houses the Health and 

Retirement Centers and the novitiate. 

But the stress was too much for Abbot 

Bernard. He died two months later, on 

November 7. 

My grandfather left Saint John’s 

to begin farming near Avon and to 

become a rural mail carrier. He died 

in 1976 at age 101. Seventeen years 

earlier I entered the monastery, spending 

my year as a novice on the floor 

that had been added to that South 

Wing in the summer of 1894. + 

William Skudlarek, OSB, is administrative 

assistant to Abbot John. 


Abbey Archives

JUBILARIANS 2007 

Sixteen monastic profession and ordination 

jubilarians celebrate 735 years of service to 

abbey and church 

by Richard Oliver, OSB, and Brennan Maiers, OSB 

MONASTIC PROFESSION 

70 YEARS 

William 

Borgerding, OSB 

For thirty years 

Brother Willie was 

the herdsman, first of 

the abbey’s Holstein 

dairy cattle and 

then of the Jersey herd at St. Mary’s 

Indian Mission, Red Lake, Minnesota. 

For the next thirty-five years he was 

known as the “Night Abbot” for his 

duties as the campus night watchman. 

“Brother Willie’s Pub” in the student 

center is named in his honor. 

60 YEARS 

John Patrick 

McDarby, OSB 

Father Patrick taught 

prep school and college 

English classes 

for forty-three 

years and chaired 

the university’s English department. 

He served on the chaplains’ team for 

Saint Benedict’s Monastery and is the 

abbey’s education facilitator. As editor 

of Confrere, the abbey’s in-house 

newsletter, he expresses his love of 

language by explaining an esoteric 

“Word of the Month.” 

Don Talafous, OSB 

After assignments in 

the Bahamas and the 

Bronx, Father Don 

took up work at Saint 

John’s as professor of 


theology, faculty resident, and college 

and alumni chaplain. He continues his 

popular writing in a quarterly letter to 

a thousand alumni, his daily reflections 

on the abbey’s home page (www. 

saintjohnsabbey.org/reflection) and his 

two volumes of Homilies for Weekdays 

published by Liturgical Press. 

50 YEARS 

Allan Bouley, OSB 

Father Allan is 

professor of theology 

and liturgical 

studies at Saint 

John’s School of 

Theology•Seminary. 

He also briefly taught 

at Illinois Benedictine College, Lisle, 

Illinois; Luther Seminary, St. Paul, 

Minnesota; and Catholic University 

of America, Washington, D.C. He 

has served as the abbey’s director of 

liturgy and is a charter member of the 

North American Academy of Liturgy. 

Brennan Maiers, 

OSB 

Father Brennan 

served as pastor of 

Minnesota parishes 

in Cold Spring and 

St. Paul and in the 

Bronx, New York. He moved into 

chaplaincy work at several monasteries 

of Benedictine women and at the 

Duluth Federal Prison Camp. He now 

is assistant abbey archivist, daily dispatcher 

of abbey cars and recorder of 

the abbey chronicle for Confrere. 

25 YEARS 

Geoffrey Fecht, 

OSB 

Before his ordination 

Father Geoffrey 

held the university 

positions of associate 

campus minister and 

director of residential 

programs. As a priest he was associate 

pastor and pastor of churches in 

Hastings, Freeport and Saint Cloud, 

Minnesota. He served the monastic 

community as prior and chaired 

the Abbey Guesthouse and special 

events committees. He is currently the 

abbey’s director of development. 

Columba Stewart, 

OSB 

Executive director of 

the Hill Museum & 

Manuscript Library 

and university 

vice president for 

programs in religions 

and culture, Father Columba 

is involved in microfilming ancient 

manuscripts in Lebanon and Armenia. 

He served as director of monastic 

formation and chair of the abbey liturgy 

committee. He teaches monastic 

history in Saint John’s School of 

Theology•Seminary. 

Jonathan Licari, 

OSB 

Ordained for the 

Duluth diocese, 

Father Jonathan later 

joined the abbey 

and taught theology, 

chaired the undergraduate theology

department and served as prior of the 

monastic community. He was pastor 

of the Collegeville parish and the 

last Benedictine pastor of Holy Name 

Parish, Medina, before its transfer 

to the Archdiocese of Saint Paul- 

Minneapolis this past summer. 

Dennis Beach, OSB 

Brother Dennis 

served the prep 

school as English 

teacher, academic 

dean and director 

of the study abroad 

program at the 

Austrian Benedictine Abbey of Melk. 

He now teaches in the university’s 

philosophy department. He chairs the 

abbey’s peace and justice committee 

and is active in the St. Cloud Sister 

City Organization with Tenancingo, El 

Salvador. 

PRIESTHOOD ORDINATION 

60 YEARS 

Paul Marx, OSB 

After a decade at 

the prep school as 

prefect, teacher 

and coach, Father 

Paul studied sociology 

and founded 

the university’s sociology department. 

The pro-life movement became his 

passion and he established the Human 

Life Center at Saint John’s and Human 

Life International at Gaithersburg, 

Maryland. Pope John Paul II named 

him “Apostle for Life” for his tireless 

defense of pro-life issues. 

Stanley Roche, OSB 

Father Stanley taught 

English at the prep 

school and was 

its dean. He then 

became a U.S. Army 

chaplain, serving in 

Korea, Germany, 

Thailand, Vietnam and the Netherlands 

and at various state-side bases. His 

many military medals include the 

Bronze Star and the Vietnam Service 

Medal. Retiring as an Army colonel, 

he served several Minnesota parishes 

and a retirement community. 

50 YEARS 

John Kulas, OSB 

Father John taught 

German classes for 

almost five decades. 

He helped set up the 

laboratory for the 

modern and classical 

languages department 

which he chaired. He was the director 

of junior monks. His claim to fame 

came on the three occasions he presided 

and preached before President John 

F. Kennedy at Mass in a Washington, 

D.C., church. 

Corwin Collins, 

OSB 

Father Corwin taught 

religion, Spanish 

and social studies, 

coached hockey and 

was dean of students 

at the prep school. 

He was headmaster of Benilde High 

School and co-principal of Benilde- 

Saint Margaret High School in St. 

Louis Park, Minnesota. He then served 

as associate pastor and pastor of parishes 

in Detroit Lakes, St. Joseph and 

Albany, Minnesota. 

Don LeMay, OSB 

Father Don served 

the university and 

abbey for more 

than forty years as 

teacher of Gregorian 

chant and theology, 

director of admissions, 

director of planned giving, vice 

president of institutional development, 

senior stewardship officer and deliverer 

of Saint John’s Bread to friends 

JUBILARIANS 2007 

and benefactors. He received the 1999 

Father Walter Reger Distinguished 

Alumnus Award. 

Alberic Culhane, 

OSB 

“My life is in ruins” 

describes Father 

Alberic’s work as 

field supervisor of 

archeological digs 

in Israel and Jordan. 

Other assignments include professor 

and chair of the department of theology, 

director of the Scripture Institute 

for Clergy, faculty resident, chair of 

the corporate committee on design, 

acting university president, executive 

assistant to the president and editor of 

Saint John’s Abbey Quarterly. 

25 YEARS 

Jerome Tupa, OSB 

Presently university 

chaplain and director 

of campus ministry, 

Father Jerome 

taught French and 

founded and directed 

student study abroad 

programs in Chartres and Cannes. 

He is best known for his paintings 

of personal pilgrimages to the 

California missions and Rome and on 

the road from Paris to Saint James of 

Compostella. These paintings and his 

reflections are published in three volumes. 

Priest jubliarians were recognized and 

blessed by the community on June 7 

at the celebration of Mass during the 

community retreat. 

Monk jubliarians renewed their vows 

and were honored during Mass on July 

11, the Feast of Saint Benedict. + 

Richard Oliver, OSB, is the web master of 

Saint John’s Abbey. He is grateful to Brennan 

Maiers, OSB, assistant abbey archivist, for 

the collection of biographical data. 



FEATURE 

Responding to increased 

requests from families, 

Oblates, employees, alumni 

and friends, Saint John’s Abbey now 

offers options for burial in its newly 

expanded cemetery overlooking 

Lake Sagatagan. The highly mobile 

character of today’s society often 

means that individuals and families 

can claim no specifi c geographical 

area as a permanent home. The abbey 

cemetery provides just such an identifi 

able and permanent resting place 

for loved ones. 

The abbey cemetery, located on 

County Road 159 several hundred 

yards south of Emmaus Hall (former 

seminary) and just off the west shore 

of the lake, is being expanded to 

include a new 1.3 acre area that will 

provide burial space for friends of 

Saint John’s. 


A view of the Abbey Cemetery, Lake 

Sagatagan and the Stella Maris chapel 

Expanded Saint John’s 

Abbey Cemetery offers 

burial options 

The new space is south of the 

existing cemetery that was plotted in 

1875-76. It will cover the space once 

occupied by the parish grade school 

and a small section of the present 

apple orchard. This new area will 

provide 1,000-1,500 burial plots and 

cremation niches. The program has 

been operational since September 1 

and will be fully in place by November 

1 of this year. 

A new feature of the expanded 

cemetery will be a columbarium 

court, consisting of a series of walls 

in which 11” x 11” x 15” niches will 

serve as repositories for the cremated 

remains of the deceased. Cremation 

was permitted in 1963 by the Congregation 

of the Doctrine of Faith and 

the permission was incorporated in 

the 1983 revised Code of Canon Law 

(# 1176.3) and in the Order of Christian 

Funerals. The Catechism of the 

Catholic Church states, “The Church 

permits cremation, provided it does 

not demonstrate a denial of faith in the 

resurrection of the body” (# 2301). 

The expansion, enhancement and 

making available the abbey cemetery 

for persons other than monks 

and parishioners are intended to 

establish a new monastic ministry or 

apostolate for Saint John’s. Added to 

the abbey’s educational, publishing, 

pastoral and missionary apostolates, 

the new cemetery is the obvious way 

for the community to fulfi ll one of 

Saint Benedict’s tools for good works: 

“Bury the dead” (Rule, 4:17). 

This ministry will ensure proper 

interment, memorialization and perpetual 

care for those loved ones whose 

life is changed, not taken away. The 

income from this ministry will help 

support Saint John’s Abbey and its 

ministries. 

For further information please view 

this website: saintjohnsabbeycemetery.org. 

Or call 320-363-3434. +

Josie Stang has been appointed 

manager of the Abbey Cemetery. 

For the past eleven years Josie has 

served the prep school as associate 

director of admission and financial 

aid coordinator. She and her husband 

Ron are the parents of three 

girls and a boy. 

Looking west with the columbarium in the 

foreground 

This map shows the current abbey and parish cemetery at the 

top with the new expanded area at the bottom. The shore of Lake 

Sagatagan is at the right. 

This is the stairway from the new section of the 

expanded cemetery to the abbey/parish section 

with the columbarium at the right. 

FEATURE 

A view of the new section of the cemetery 

with traditional in-ground burial plots 


Nardyne Jefferies 

FEATURE 


Meet a Monk: 

Dan Ward, OSB, 

Urban and Social Hermit 


“If you want work well done, select a busy man: the other kind has no time.” 

(Elbert Hubbard) 

In his Rule, Saint Benedict describes 

hermits: “They have 

come through the test of living 

in a monastery for a long time and 

have passed beyond the fi rst fervor of 

monastic life. Thanks to the help and 

guidance of many, they have built up 

their strength and go from the battle 

line in the ranks of their brothers to 

the single combat of the desert” 

(ch. 1). 

With the words “single” and “desert,” 

Benedict confi rms our traditional 

image of the hermit who lives alone, 

if not in a desert then on an almost 

inaccessible mountaintop. Describing 

Father Dan as an “urban” and a 

“social” hermit seems to create a new 

oxymoron by combining incongruous 

concepts. Yet these two adjectives 

describe his current situation where 

incongruity gives way to ingenuity. 

Serving as the executive director 

of the Legal Resource Center for 

Religious (LRCR) in Silver Spring, 

Maryland, since 1999, Dan is surrounded 

by the traffi c and trappings 

of the nation’s capital. However, he 

lives alone in a house in a relatively 

quiet suburban neighborhood. 

Taking Time to Pray 

Obedient to Benedict’s basic principle 

that “nothing is to be preferred to 

the Work of God” (Rule, ch. 43), Dan 

prays Vigils and Lauds of the Liturgy 

of the Hours and does lectio/refl ective 

reading from 7 to 8 a.m. each day. He 

invites his house guests to join him. 

He prays Midday Prayer at his offi ce 

and Vespers when he returns home in 

the late afternoon. 

Each Sunday Dan joins the Caldwell 

Hall Faith Community on The Catholic 

University of America campus for 

the Eucharist and frequent theological 

discussions. In a further effort to 

maintain the Benedictine balance of 

prayer and work, he does not take 

work home with him. This monk does 

not fi nd time for prayer. He takes time. 

Working at the Legal 

Resource Center for 

Religious 

Once in his offi ce the whirlwind of 

work begins. The mission of LRCR 

is to integrate civil and canon law, 

and the spirit of religious life; provide 

legal education and consultation for 

Catholic religious and their professional 

advisors; identify trends and 

take action on legal issues affecting 

religious communities. 

This mission is accomplished by: 

• publications on income tax 

matters and a guide to federal 

assistance along with a quarterly 

newsletter and the Center’s 

website, www.lrcr.org; 

• telephone and email consultation 

services by staff attorneys; 

• an annual national seminar to 

discuss current civil and 

canonical issues.

A tribute to Dan’s contributions by 

Sister Lynn McKenzie, OSB, appeared 

in a recent issue of the American 

Monastic Newsletter: “Dan’s work on 

behalf of Benedictines is almost legendary. 

He has given sound canonical 

advice to many a monastic leader as 

well as been a compassionate adviser 

to individuals. He is frequently invited 

to religious communities to advise 

them on their constitutions and policies. 

Dan is always affable, practical, 

pastoral, knowledgeable and fun.” 

The Social Side 

Well aware that “all work and no 

play” also makes monks dull people, 

Dan complements the solitary style 

of his hermitage with the social side. 

He frequently opens his house to 

confreres and friends who visit the 

Washington area for learning and leisure. 

He enjoys preparing nutritious 

meals not tainted by processed foods. 

He introduces visitors to the excellent 

Metro transportation system of the 

area and suggests must-see sites. 

Attorney, Professor, Author 

This multi-tasking monk who just 

turned sixty-three grew up in northeast 

Minneapolis, attended Saint John’s 

prep school, university and seminary, 

made his initial commitment to the 

monastic way of life in 1965 and was 

ordained in 1971. He earned graduate 

degrees in canon and civil law from 

The Catholic University of America 

and the University of Iowa. 

Dan taught political science and canon 

law at Saint John’s, served as assistant 

to the university president and 

secretary to the Saint John’s Corporation, 

and is a twenty-one year member 

of the Council of the Abbot President 

of the American Cassinese Congregation 

of Benedictine Men. He has a 

Dan and the LRCR staff: l.to r., Nardyne Jefferies (secretary); 

Pat Nash (administrative assistant); Sr. Lynn Jarrell, OSU, 

(canon lawyer); Donna Sauer (civil lawyer) 

Dan’s good neighbors, Deacon Harry and Jean Davis, and his 

suburban home in Silver Spring, Maryland 

current leadership role in the study 

of the corporate structure of Saint 

John’s Abbey and University and is 

the chair of the board of the ecumenical 

women’s monastery in Madison, 

Wisconsin. In addition to publishing 

numerous journal articles on monastic 

and canonical topics, Dan has just 

co-authored with Sister Lynn Jarrell, 

OSU, Civil and Canonical Procedures 

and Documents in the Administration 

of a Religious Institute and Society of 

Apostolic Life. 

Up, Up and Away 

FEATURE 

Dan would probably win fi rst 

prize at the abbey for accumulation 

of frequent fl yer miles. He is in the 

air almost more than on the ground, 

traveling more than 67,000 air miles 

during the fi rst half of this year. 

His hermitage is very often high 

above the traditional one on that 

inaccessible mountaintop. But Dan 

Ward, urban and social hermit, is 

eminently accessible. + 

Daniel Durken, OSB, is editor and writer 

for Liturgical Press and was Dan Ward’s 

novice master in 1964-65. 



THE ABBEY CHRONICLE 

A purple clematis climbs a campus wall. 

By the end of July summer had 

turned consistently hot and 

dry, enough to create drought 

conditions in parts of Minnesota. 

Frequent sprinklings kept much of 

the Collegeville campus green but 

local corn fields shriveled in the heat. 

Then the “World’s Worst Weather” 

feature in the August 1st Minneapolis 

Star Tribune reminded us that it could 

be much worse. The previous day the 

temperature in Baghdad was 120˚ of 

dry heat. But oppressive humidity 

from the Persian Gulf had boosted 

the apparent temperature in Dhahran, 

Saudi Arabia, to 144˚. So what are we 

complaining about? 

April 2007 

■ The music department of 

our two colleges celebrated the 

Sesquicentennial with the production 

of a one-act opera, The Three 

Hermits, on April 19-22. Based on 

the delightful story of Leo Tolstoy, 

the opera celebrates the humility of 

three old hermits who don’t know the 

Lord’s Prayer but know how to run 


What’s Up? 

The Abbey Chronicle 


“I should like to enjoy this summer flower by flower, 

as if it were to be the last one for me.” 

(Andre Gide) 

over the water. Peregrine 

Rinderknect, OSB, sang 

the part of the Captain of the 

ship. William Skudlarek, 

OSB, and Robert 

Koopmann, OSB, played the cello 

and organ respectively in the 

orchestra. 

Tapping a sugar maple tree at the 

Arboretum’s Maple Syrup Festival 

The Arboretum 

■ The maple syrup season collected 

3,675 gallons of sap from 965 taps, 

producing 116 gallons of sweet, 

lip-smacking syrup. The sugar concentration 

of the sap was higher this 

year (2.7%) than average (2.0%). 

Walter Kieffer, OSB, the project’s 

chief consultant and spiritual advisor, 

composed and prayed a blessing 

on the opening day of tapping 

the trees. Over 600 people attended 

two maple syrup festivals. 

■ Two new greenhouses mean earlier 

and later homegrown produce. 

A 600-square foot “Hoop House” 

provides a month of additional growing 

time in the spring and fall. A 

1,824-square foot, year-round useable 

greenhouse gives master gardener 

John Elton space to start and 

hold flowering plants and shrubs. St. 

Raphael Retirement Center director 

Judith Welter encouraged Bruce 

Wollmering, OSB, gardening coordinator, 

to build and plant three boxes 

on the south sun porch of the center 

to provide residents with fresh vegetables. 

The help of several Oblates 

This “Hoop House” will extend growing 

season by two months. 

A year-round greenhouse to start and 

hold flowering plants and shrubs 


Daniel Durken, OSB

is greatly appreciated as they spend a 

day or two helping in the abbey produce 

garden. 

May 2007 

■ The College of Saint Benedict 

graduated 469 seniors while 472 

students, including 29 from the 

School of Theology•Seminary 

received diplomas from Saint John’s 

University. Saint John’s Prep School 

graduated 61 students. 

■ The billboard at the Saint John’s 

exit ramp onto I-94 east has a new 

message: the 

2007 Division III 

National GOLF 

Championship 

won by Saint 

John’s golf 

team. The team 

finished twelve 

strokes fewer 

than runner-up 

University of 

LaVerne of 

California in 

the 23-school 

competition. 

Congratulations! 

Saint John’s national 

championship golf trophy 

■ The bi-annual abbey rummage 

sale was held in the Warner Palaestra 

on May 18-19. Coordinated by Paul 

Richards, OSB, this event gives confreres 

a chance to answer their petition: 

“This is the prayer of the monk: 

Three young girls check out a 

keyboard for sale at the bi-annual 

abbey rummage sale. 



Help me get rid of my junk.” The 

sale generated $1,600 for the missions 

of White Earth and Red Lake, 

Minnesota. 

June 2007 

■ The community retreat, given by 

Irene Nowell, OSB, adjunct professor 

of theology in Saint John’s School of 

Theology•Seminary and member of 

Mount Saint Scholastica, Atchison, 

Kansas, focused on the theme, 

“Praying the Psalms.” Sister Irene, 

who prays the psalms daily, gave 

inspiring presentations that were a 

product of her heart and head. 

Irene Nowell, OSB 

■ Billed as “The Prior’s Last 

Hurrah,” a visit to the Carlos Creek 

Winery in Alexandria, Minnesota, 

concluded the laudable custom of 

Prior Raymond Pedrizetti, OSB, 

to sponsor occasional excursions. A 

dozen monks sipped samples, toured 

the facility and agreed that its products 

were of good vintage. 

Prior Raymond’s Last Hurrah 


■ Novitiate candidate Johnnie 

Senna of San Francisco and three 

participants in the annual Monastic 

Experience Program are identified 

THE ABBEY CHRONICLE 

Four men experience monastic 

life. 

in the accompanying photo above: 

l. to r., Karl Gardner of Bradenton, 

Florida; Jeremiah Sauber of Atlanta, 

Georgia; Senna; and Andrew Minkler 

of Stockbridge, Massachusetts. They 

were introduced to Benedictine life 

through daily prayer, work, meals and 

recreation with the community. 

July 2007 

Thomas Gillespie, OSB 

■ A busload of confreres joined 

the Monastery of Saint Benedict’s 

community on July 4 to celebrate 

the arrival in Minnesota 150 years 

ago of the first Benedictine Sisters. 

Beginning in the community cemetery 

with a tribute to pioneers and predecessors, 

the program continued with 

the Eucharist and concluded with a 

picnic supper. Once again there were 

generous reasons for gratitude. 

■ Five area mayors published a 

Proclamation that reads in part: 

“WHEREAS: For 150 years the 

daughters and sons of Benedict and 

Scholastica . . . have served in a spirit 

of sacrifice, with wisdom, courage 

and vision, to influence the cultural 

and religious life of Minnesota and 

the Midwest. NOW, THEREFORE 

BE IT RESOLVED, that we, as the 

area mayors of the Cities of St. Cloud, 

St. Augustine, Sartell, Sauk Rapids 

and Waite Park, do hereby proclaim 

that July 11, 2007, the Solemnity of 

Saint Benedict, shall be observed 

as CENTRAL MINNESOTA 

BENEDICTINES DAY.” + 



VOCATIONS 

Joseph professes his solemn vows 

before Abbot John. 

The millennium-old details of 

Saint Benedict’s ritual for 

receiving brothers into the 

monastic community were carried out 

at the solemn profession of vows of 

Brother Joseph on July 11, the feast 

day of our founder and patron. In 

the presence of Abbot John Klas- 


Joseph Schneeweis, OSB, 

professes solemn vows 

“He comes before the whole community in the oratory and 

promises stability, fidelity to monastic life and obedience.” 

(Rule 58:17) 

sen, OSB, the monastic community, 

family, friends and colleagues, Joseph 

made his lifelong commitment to the 

vows of stability, the monastic way of 

life and obedience. 

Joseph, 44, is the son of James 

(deceased) and Joan Schneeweis of 

nearby Melrose. Following in the 

footsteps of his teacher parents, he has 

taught an array of classes from swimming, 

catechism for Hispanics and 

English as a second language to physical 

education and world history—the 

Doug Mullin, OSB, 

ordained to the priesthood 

“Because he is a priest, he must make 

more and more progress toward God.” 

(Rule 62:4) 

Culminating several years of 

discernment over the integration 

of the priesthood into his 

life as a Benedictine monk, Father 

Doug was ordained by the Most Reverend 

Richard Pates, auxiliary bishop 

of the Saint Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese, 

on August 4. Doug, 52, is the 

son of Delbert and Mary Ann Mullin. 

He grew up in Bloomington, Minnesota, 

and made his initial commitment 

to monastic life in 1979. 

Doug has an impressive list of 

teaching assignments, scholarship, 

and administrative services in education. 

Prior to his academic duties in 

the university, he taught grade six and 

was principal at Saint Mary’s Mission 

School, Red Lake, Minnesota. 

He then taught mathematics and was 

dean of students at Saint John’s Prep 

School. 

With graduate degrees in religious 

education, school administration and 

educational leadership, he is associate 

professor in the education department 

of the university, teaching mathematics 

pedagogy, and a faculty resident 

latter at Saint John’s Prep School the 

past three years. His classrooms were 

located in Guatemala, Swaziland, 

Mexico, Zimbabwe, Louisiana, Texas, 

Massachusetts and Minnesota. Prior to 

his entrance into the novitiate of Saint 

John’s Abbey, Joseph was a member 

of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). 

This fall Joseph will live in Italy to 

study languages for a year before pursuing 

the licentiate in monastic studies 

at the International Benedictine College 

of Saint Anselm in Rome. + 

Father Doug concelebrates his ordination 

Mass with Bishop Pates. 

in campus student housing. He has 

served as chair of the education 

department and completed a six-year 

term as subprior of the monastic community. 

At the suggestion of Abbot John 

Klassen, OSB, that he prepare for the 

priesthood, Doug wrestled with the 

question how the priesthood would 

support his primary commitment as 

a monk. He summarizes his search in 

the article on page 27. + 

Richard Oliver, OSB

Why a monk 

becomes a priest 


Father Doug describes his discernment process that 

led to his recent ordination to the priesthood. 

In 2001 Abbot John Klassen 

asked me to think about being 

ordained. “Ordained!?” I said. 

“I thought I had settled that question 

twenty years ago when I became a 

monk.” 

Abbot John explained, “There are 

two models for discerning this issue. 

The most common is for a monk who 

believes God is calling him to ask the 

abbot for permission to begin seminary 

studies. The abbot seeks counsel 

and responds to the request. In the 

second model the abbot asks the 

monk to consider ordination. Now 

you must decide how to respond.” 

After prayer and consultation I explained 

to Abbot John why I decided 

twenty years earlier that I should not 

seek ordination. 

“First, I believe there is only one 

valid reason for being ordained—to 

be of service to Christ and the 

church. A monk who feels called to 

ordained ministry should be open to 

a parish assignment. I believe that my 

monastic vocation is a call to live in 

community. Also, I love teaching and 

don’t want to give this up to go to a 

parish.” 

The abbot expressed his appreciation 

of my work in the education department 

and added, “I’m not asking you 

to be ordained to serve in a parish.” 

I explained that I work long and 

hard already and I do not want to take 

on more work—especially weekend 

pastoral ministry. 

Abbot John patiently responded, 

“I personally enjoyed doing pastoral 

work on weekends during the summer 

and I think you would, too. But I’m 

not asking you to consider ordination 

just to send you out for weekend assistance.” 

I continued, “I see that two-thirds 

of our community are ordained and 

there isn’t need for another ordination. 

People ask why we have so many 

VOCATIONS 

priests at Saint John’s when they are 

needed in parishes. 

“Furthermore, having so many 

priests gives us a richness that I 

believe is unhealthy. We could have 

a different presider for the Eucharist 

every day for three months. 

This richness allows us to have an 

unhealthy complacency about the 

desperate situation of many parishes. 

Adding more priests for the sake of 

our community would add to the 

problem.” 

“But you are forgetting,” explained 

Abbot John, “that forty-seven of 

our priests are now in their eighties. 

We need some younger ordained 

monks.” 

After more prayer and conversations, 

I fi nally agreed to the abbot’s 

request and began seminary studies 

in 2003. I now recognize God’s call 

to me and seek to respond as generously 

as I can with trust and faith. + 


Monica Bokinskie

OBITUARIES 

Lee Hanley 

Vincent George Tegeder, 

OSB 

1910 – 2007 

Prep School dean, teacher of 

American history with a special 

interest in the Civil War, 

abbey and university archivist, writer 

of obituaries of confreres, weekend 

pastoral assistant, and good 

humored presenter of Collegeville 

characters and events at the monthly 

Administrative Assembly—these 

are some of the contributions Father 

Vincent made during the seventyfive 

years of his life as a Benedictine 

monk and priest. 

Excerpts from a tribute by 

Ed Vogt, SJU ’65 

I first met Vincent in 1961. He was 

notorious for mispronouncing the roll 

at the beginning of class. I remember 

he would go down the list of names 

and we would answer, “Here!” He’d 

call out, “ Barber?” “Here! But that’s 

Berber, Father.” “Cramden?” “Here! 

That’s Cranston.” I’ll never forget 

the day he called out, “Smyth?” And 

the student rolled his eyes and said, 

“Here! But that’s SMITH, Father.” 

We all smiled at Vincent’s pet 

phrases. He would say, “Well, Mr. 

Nadeau, that was a good answer. 


You showed us how to ‘move ahead 

and cover yourself with glory.’ Eh, 

Nadeau?” He never tired of urging us 

to “cover ourselves with glory” in the 

final exam or on some paper. 

I got my love of American history 

from Vincent even though I had been 

bored with it in high school because 

of a teacher obsessed with dates and 

little of significance.—certainly not 

anything that would cover oneself 

with glory, as Vincent offered. 

I owe my later love of the Civil 

War era to him and his Civil War 

Roundtable. As an English major, I 

Vincent, professor emeritus of history 

was tired of the endless battles and 

predictable results that I thought represented 

that conflict. Then one night, 

three classmates invited me to the 

Roundtable meeting, moderated by 

Vincent. I was amazed at how excited 

they all were in discussing battles, 

generals, Lincoln, lost opportunities, 

etc. Thanks to those friends and 

Father Vincent I am something of an 

expert on the War of Secession. 

Father Vincent Tegeder’s career 

stands as a prime example of how the 

personal enthusiasm of a professor 

will never be replaced by mere textbooks. 

May he rest in peace. + 

Avid SJU football fan, Vincent also 

enjoyed milk and a cookie. 

Abbey Archives

Lee Hanley 

Linus Thomas 

Aschemann, OSB 

1948 – 2007 

Brother Linus, 58, director of 

the physical plant at Saint 

John’s for the past sixteen 

years, suffered a massive heart attack 

and died June 27. Dietrich Reinhart, 

OSB, president of the university, commented 

about his novitiate classmate: 

“I will always be grateful for Linus’ 

great care for this campus and all its 

people, for his tenacity and humor, 

for his tangible service of others from 

sunrise to sunset. We have lost one of 

the great ones.” 

The following are excerpts from 

the funeral homily by Abbot John 

Klassen, OSB: 

Born in the small town of Clontarf, 

Minnesota, Thomas was the last of 

ten children. Entering our novitiate, 

he asked for and received the name 

Linus, the immediate successor of 

Peter the apostle but also the cartoon 

figure in Charles Schulz’ comic 

strip “Peanuts.” There Linus amazes 

Charlie Brown and Lucy with his 

philosophical reflections and solutions 

to problems. 

After serving as assistant to university 

president Michael Blecker, OSB, 

Linus was asked by Abbot Jerome 

Theisen, OSB, to become headmaster 

of the Prep School. He reluctantly 

agreed to do it. After all, he was a 

strong introvert and this position 

required him to be engaged with 

crowds at formal events. Sometimes 

he even had to wear a suit. 

At the end of his second four-year 

term as headmaster Abbot Jerome 

suggested he get a degree in administration. 

Linus responded, “I would 

just like to work in the woodworking 

shop.” “Linus, we all want to work 

in the woodworking shop.” 

After earning a Masters in Business 

Administration from the University 

of San Diego, Linus became manager 

of the physical plant. Seldom did he 

have to wear a suit; blue jeans and 

work boots were fine. He had a huge 

capacity for work, for juggling multiple 

projects at different stages and 

letting his creative imagination be 

fully engaged. 

Architect Gregory Friesen e-mailed 

this to us regarding Linus: “Brother 

Linus was one of my favorite people. 

He extended to me respect, trust, and 

OBITUARIES 

friendship. I have worked for governors, 

three-star generals, mayors, 

college and university presidents. No 

one has demonstrated the skill that 

Brother Linus had. He was an exceptional 

individual.” 

Truly Brother Linus was a faithful 

servant, committed to being at prayer 

and Eucharist in spite of the relentless 

demands of his work. He was ready 

for our Lord’s call. May he rest in 

peace. + 

Linus, MBA, from the University of 

San Diego 

Linus’ cap collection is symbolic of the many hats he wore. 




OBITUARIES 


Angelo Gerhard Zankl, 

OSB 

1901 – 2007 

As Saint John’s Abbey 

approaches the conclusion of 

its Sesquicentennial celebration, 

it is altogether fitting that the 

life of Father Angelo, 106, be concluded. 

His contact with Cornelius 

Wittmann, OSB, one of the abbey’s 

founders, made him the bridge that 

connected the entire 150 years of the 

abbey’s worship and work. 

The Abbey Banner already knows 

Angelo. Under the title “Angelo 

Zankl, OSB, Celebrates a Century,” 

the magazine’s initial Spring 2001 

issue featured an article on this 

first monk in the abbey’s history to 

reach one hundred years. The 2004 


and 2005 fall issues carried a short 

report of Angelo’s 103rd and 104th 

birthday celebrations in “The Abbey 

Chronicle.” 

Just a year ago Angelo was pictured 

on the front cover of the Special 

Sesquicentennial Fall 2006 Issue and 

saluted in the article “Angelo Zankl, 

OSB, Living Link of Saint John’s 150 

Years” by Peregrine Rinderknecht, 

OSB. The author concluded: 

The story of 150 years is best told in 

the people who came here and were 

formed by this place and its way 

of life, by prayer and life in common. 

We are blessed to have Father 

Angelo with us as a welcoming and 

gentle man, as a link to the beginning 

of Saint John’s and as a continual 

witness that Bruno Riss [one of the 

founding monks of the abbey] was 

right when he said, “Let the rising 

generation remember that the service 

of God does not shorten life.” 

Most surprised by his remarkable 

longevity was Angelo himself. Lance 

Crombie, SJU ’61, the nephew of 

Angelo at his 

busy desk in 

Saint Raphael’s 

Retirement Center 

Angelo looks for a likely 

subject to photograph. 


Angelo, reported that when he and his 

family visited him for the past eighteen 

years, Angelo’s parting remark 

was always the same: “Please do not 

plan to come back to visit me because 

I will be dead in two weeks.” 

In over sixty years of active 

ministry as theology teacher, dean 

of men, artist, game warden, photographer, 

pastor and hospital and 

convent chaplain, Angelo did not tolerate 

idleness of mind. On his 101st 

birthday Don Tauscher, OSB, asked 

this life-long student, “Are you now 

finished learning and growing?” After 

an extended pause, Angelo leaned 

forward and replied, “Heavens no! 

There is so much yet to learn.” May 

he rest in peace. + 

For the full obituaries of Fathers 

Vincent and Angelo and Brother 

Linus, send a self-addressed, 

stamped, business-sized envelope to 

Abbey Archives, Saint John’s Abbey, 

Collegeville, MN 56321-2015. 

Remember our loved ones 

who have gone to their rest: 

Dorothy Bilheimer 

Josephine Bongiovanni 

Vern Bromen 

John Callahan 

Otmar Drekonja 

Herbert Kelly 

Mary Henry Knese 

Anna Koenig 

Mildred Kramme 

Sr. Margretta Nathe, OSB 

Matthias Rath 

Selma Stalboerger 

Raymond Tauscher 

Lucille Weatherhead 

Francis William 

May they rest in peace.

Abbot Timothy Kelly, OSB, 

re-elected Abbot President of the 

American-Cassinese Congregation 

Timothy Kelly, former abbot 

of Saint John’s Abbey, was 

re-elected for a six-year 

term as Abbot President of the 

American-Cassinese Congregation 

of Benedictine Men on June 22 at 

the General Chapter of the congregation 

held at Saint Benedict’s Abbey, 

Atchison, Kansas. 

As Abbot President, Timothy is 

to promote the authenticity of the 

monastic life of the 900 members of 

the congregation’s twenty monastic 

communities. He conducts the election 

of an abbot, accepts the resignation 

of an abbot, appoints an administrator 

of a community unable to 

choose an abbot and visits that community 

annually. 

Lee Hanley 

Since his July 1st three-year 

appointment by Abbot John 

Klassen, OSB, as rector of 

Saint John’s Seminary, Father Michael, 

52, is concentrating on three 

major aspects of his recruitment of 

new students. 

He also appoints visitators to conduct 

the official review of a community’s 

life every three to five years, 

and observes the financial health of 

each community. He is advised by a 

five-member council and four financial 

counselors. 

Additionally Timothy supports 

the special initiatives of the 

international confederation of 

Benedictines, namely, the Alliance 

for International Monasteries, the 

Monastic Interreligious Dialogue, the 

Benedictine Commission on China 

and the International Association of 

Benedictine Secondary Schools. 

In reporting Abbot Timothy’s reelection, 

Abbot John Klassen, OSB, 

BANNER BITS 


remarked, “The General Chapter 

thereby recognized the excellent 

work that Abbot Timothy has done 

in developing leadership and stability 

within precarious communities, 

working to strengthen the congregation’s 

financial structure, and his 

commitment to Benedictine engagement 

in the international environment. 

We can be very proud of the 

contribution that Abbot Timothy is 

making as Abbot President.” + 

Michael Patella, OSB, appointed 

Rector of Saint John’s Seminary 

■ With the seminary’s 

emphasis on preparing 

monks for the priesthood, 

Michael has begun 

contacting potential 

speakers and facilitators 

for a Collegeville 

conference in the summer 

of 2009 on the subject of 

the monastic priesthood. 

■ He has begun and will 

continue to visit the abbot 

and director of formation of 

Benedictine and Trappist 

communities in this country 

and abroad to acquaint them 

with the seminary’s academic 

program and faculty. 

■ Finally, he has designed 

the summer studies 

with Saint John’s Holy 

Land program to be an 

essential component 

of the seminarian’s 

spiritual formation. 

In addition to teaching classes in 

biblical studies, Michael chairs the 

Committee on Illuminations and Text 

for The Saint John’s Bible and is a 

faculty resident in student campus 

housing. He holds the rank of associate 

professor of theology with the 

doctorate in Sacred Scripture from the 

Ecole Biblique et Archeologique in 

Jerusalem. + 



Raymond and Thomas 

Saint Benedict is concerned in 

his Rule that the appointment 

of a prior may cause problems 

if the prior considers himself a “second 

abbot” and fosters contention in 

the community (Rule 65). But neither 

Abbot John Klassen, OSB, nor the 

community had any such concerns 

when Father Raymond was appointed 

prior six years ago. 

This 77-year-old humble, seasoned 

monk taught philosophy for years, 

served as the spiritual director of 

junior monks, is proud of his Italian 

heritage and his Duluth origin and 

enjoys a glass of wine and a plate of 

pasta. 

Upon relinquishing his duties 

after two three-year terms, Raymond 

looked back on those six year of service 

and summed up his experience in 

three words—diffi cult but gratifying. 

The diffi cult was fi nding priest-confreres 

able to meet the increased demand 

for weekend pastoral assistance 

and hearing confessions. 


Raymond Pedrizetti, OSB, 

completes, Thomas Andert, 

OSB, begins term as 

Abbey Prior 

“The prior is to carry out respectfully what his abbot assigns to him, 

and do nothing contrary to the abbot’s wishes or arrangements.” 

(Rule 65:16) 

The gratifying was the contact with 

community members, especially 

residents of Saint Raphael’s Retirement 

Center and those under supervision. 

He came to appreciate their 

honesty, courage and patience. He 

also enjoyed planning excursions to 

such interesting places as the Charles 

Lindberg Museum in Little Falls, the 

Bernick vintage car collection in St. 

Cloud and the Carlos Creek Winery in 

Alexandria. 

Raymond plans to do a research 

project on the nature of community 

from a religious and philosophical 

perspective. His fi delity to the common 

observance will continue to be 

an example for the community to 

admire and imitate. + 

Administrative appointments come 

as no surprise to Father Thomas 

(or Tom). During his almost forty 

years as a monk and over thirty as a 

priest, Tom, 60, served as assistant 

principal at Saint John’s Prep School, 

president of Benilde-Saint Margaret’s 

High School in Saint Louis Park, 

Minnesota, headmaster of the Prep 

School, founder, director and instructor 

of the Prep School’s German 

Summer Camp, and resident hall director 

and academic advising offi cer 

of the university. He also taught college 

theology and education classes. 

In addition to the day-to-day administrative 

duties of the prior, Tom 

sees his challenge and responsibility 

to help the community decide what 

God wants of us at this time. He will 

devote time and energy to assisting 

members establish a more collective 

community or, as he puts it, “to 

rediscover one another as confreres, 

to do a better job of living together, 

to be actively and visibly present to 

each other, to develop a better sense 

of the whole.” 

May God bless and prosper the 

work of his and our hearts, heads and 

hands. +


After twenty-six inspiring 

years, Paul Richards, OSB, 

52, has retired as founder and 

music director of The Saint John’s 

Boys’ Choir of international acclaim. 

He is succeeded by Andre Heywood. 

In his open letter to members of the 

choir in their 2005-2006 View Book, 

Brother Paul wrote, “In contemplating 

(and praying) about the upcoming 

25-year celebration of The Saint 

John’s Boys’ Choir, I began to count. 

Practices. Performances. Black Socks. 

Ties. Bus rides. Tours. Items left behind 

on tours. Gum wrappers (mine). 

Boys. Oh boy . . . hundreds of graduates 

of The St. John’s Boys’ Choir. I 

began to feel old. It quickly passed.” 

Paul insists that directing the Boys’ 

Choir has kept him young and engaged, 

giving him opportunities to do 

what he never would have done apart 

from the choir. Two signifi cant factors 

in his involvement are the challenge to 

teach and direct good music specially 

Founder of Saint John’s 

Boys’ Choir retires; 

new director hired 

attuned to the voices of youngsters, 

and the opportunity to play a signifi - 

cant role in the social, psychological, 

spiritual and cultural development of 

the boys. 

Paul’s full-time duties as subprior 

(third-ranked monastic superior after 

abbot and prior) will keep him busy as 

he focuses on the continued monastic 

formation of the younger members of 

the community. In addition to advising 

the Boys’ Choir as requested, Paul 

will be engaged in fund raising for the 

choir. + 

Andre Heywood, 24, a native of 

Trinidad, premiered as a singer 

at his grandmother’s funeral when he 

was fi ve years old. He and his family 

moved to Canada when he was 

eleven. The following year he began 

singing with the Amabile Boys’ Choir 

of London, Ontario. For two years he 

conducted the choir. 


Andre recently completed his master’s 

degree in choral conducting from 

the University of Western Ontario in 

London. At age fi fteen he came to 

Saint John’s to sing with the Amabile 

Choir at the America Fest of Boys’ 

and Men’s Choirs. He conducted a 

choir in the 2005 festival. 

A major objective of the new director 

is to maintain the legacy Brother 

Paul has established. This past summer 

he directed the annual Choir 

Camp at Saint John’s for a dozen 

third- to fi fth-grade boys. In October 

the Boys’ Choir will reprieve the opera 

The Star Gatherer with music by 

Stephen Paulus and libretto by Gene 

Scheer. The opera’s world premier 

was successfully performed last year. 

For information regarding dates, 

call 320-363-2588 or e-mail 

sjbc@csbsju.edu. + 



Lay employees retired and remembered 

The following lay employees of 

Saint John’s Abbey and University 

have recently retired: 


Caroline Becker: employed in the 

abbey laundry for the past four years. 

She formerly worked in the offi ce 

at Fingerhut. She looks forward to 

volunteering, traveling, tending her 

garden and fl ower beds and reading a 

book a week. 


David Keller: served for thirty-nine 

years in the Student Accounts Offi ce 

of the university. 


Joanie Ricker: administrative assistant 

to the director at Liturgical Press 


for nineteen years. She will continue 

her hobby of quilting for the Seven 

Dolors Church Bazaar in Albany. 

Lee Hanley 

Joann Symanietz: an eleven-year 

employee on the serving line of the 

student dining room before she was 

assigned to setting tables, serving 

lunch and dinner and after meal clean 

up in the monastic refectory. 


Mary Ann Terwey: fi rst employed in 

1975 by Liturgical Press for four years 

as an order entry clerk. After raising 

her family she returned to the Press as 

a part-time worker for several years 

in the shipping room. For the past 

twelve years she has worked full-time 

in that area. 


Lois Warnert: a nurse at the Saint 

Cloud Hospital for over thirty-eight 

years before coming fi ve years ago to 

St. Raphael’s Retirement Center, the 

care facility for the abbey’s elderly 

and infi rm monks. 


Harold Zipp: served for twentyseven 

years as Saint John’s preventive 

maintenance technician, working in 

the electrical and heating tunnels of 

the campus and maintaining the swimming 

pool. Fishing is a major item on 

his retirement agenda. 

To these employees we repeat the 

words of the master in Jesus’ parable 

of the talents: “Well done, my good 

and faithful servant. Come, share your 

master’s joy” (Matthew 25:21). +

What is Your 

Spiritual Type? 

by Robert Pierson, OSB 

Is there a right way to pray? 

Every now and then in my work 

as a spiritual director I am 

asked the question, “Is there a 

right way to pray?” Sometimes people 

feel that the way they pray is not 

working for them, and they wonder if 

they are doing it wrong. That question 

prompted me to explore different 

prayer styles, and my research led 

me to a wonderful book by Corinne 

Ware titled Discover Your Spiritual 

Type, published in 1995 by the Alban 

Institute. 

Based on a spiritual typology fi rst 

described in A History of Christian 

Spirituality by Urban T. Holmes, Ware 

provides a helpful questionnaire that 

enables the reader to identify which of 

four types of spirituality might best fi t 

their own personal approach to God 

and prayer. 

The four types are the result of 

whether one experiences God through 

thoughts or feelings, and whether one 

images God concretely or abstractly. 

Those who have used this approach in 

understanding their spirituality have 

discovered not only that there are different 

ways to pray, but also different 

ways for us to foster our personal 

growth in prayer, depending on the 

type(s) that fi t us best. 

Another helpful resource that utilizes 

this spiritual types approach can be 

found on a website (www.methodx. 

net) sponsored by Upper Room Ministries 

of the United Methodist Church. 

Here one can fi nd a “Spiritual Types 

Test” designed for young adults that is 

a shorter version of the one Ware provides. 

They also name the four types 

(Sage, Lover, Mystic, and Prophet) 

and provide fun and helpful descriptions 

of each type. At the end of each 

description is a list of people (real and 

fi ctional) who exemplify each type. If 

this approach to spirituality interests 

you, please check out their website. + 

Robert Pierson, OSB, is the director of the 

Abbey’s Spiritual Life Program and the 

newly appointed guestmaster. 

SPIRITUAL LIFE 

Retreat Schedule for 

2007-2008 

We have three group retreats 

scheduled here at the Abbey 

Guesthouse for the coming 

months. 

November 30 to December 2, 

2007—Advent Retreat led by Abbot 

John Klassen, OSB. He will 

address the topic: “The Parables 

of Jesus and the Reign of God.” 

February 29 to March 2, 2008— 

Lenten Retreat led by Father Eric 

Hollas, OSB. His topic will be: 

“The Pilgrim’s Way from Ash 

Wednesday to Easter.” 

May 30 to June 1, 2008—Spring 

Retreat led by Father Nathanael 

Hauser, OSB. His topic will be: 

“The Human Face of God.” 

For more information about 

these retreats, please contact the 

Spiritual Life Offi ce at 320-363- 

3929 or at spirlife@osb.org. 


The Arboretum

Saint John’s Abbey, University 

and Prep School 

PO Box 2015 

Collegeville, MN 56321-2015 

www.saintjohnsabbey.org 

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED 

Nonprofit 

Organization 

U.S. Postage 

PAID 

Saint John’s Abbey

THE ABBEY BANNER - St. John's Abbey

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?