Volume 37, Nr. 2a, June 2007 Richardton, ND 58652
Regularly, I skim the Benedictine website’s “What’s New” page*. I do this because it delights me to see the breadth of influence and activity that is going on to continue and further the gifts of Benedictine monastic life and service on the international scene.
These notices are a sampling: a cause for beatification of 36 martyrs
of the Benedictine Mission in North Korea; Jean Mabillon, OSB’s, 300th
anniversary of death this year, a reminder that he has been called the Galileo
of historical
scholarship; election of an American Sister from Norfolk, Nebraska to prioress
at St. Scholastica Peraminho Priory, Tanzania; an Olivetan appointed to the
Roman Curia; an abbot made bishop in Sri Lanka; Benedictines visit the Ecumenical
Patriarch of Constantinople.
One example of huge changes and transitions communities are courageously making
is noted from St. Martin Monastery in Rapid City, SD, where they have successfully
sold monastery and land.
The entries describe opportunities that illustrate how rich is our heritage and how constant is the effort to articulate it and spread the influence of Benedictine values. See the website and/or archives for conferences on five continents. Notice the topics and themes engaging learning and listening to further monastic conversatio.
Pope Benedict chose Abbess Vera Lúcia Parreiras Horta, OSB, of the Benedictine Monastery of Salvador, Brazil, to be part of the Fifth Conference of the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean. While in Brazil, the pope stayed at a Benedictine monastery. Good PR anyway you look at it!
Upholding tenets of the Rule to practice social responsibility is going on all over the globe. Numerous Benedictine communities and individual members have registered support for Torture is a Moral Issue, the statement of conscience by the National Religious Campaign Against Torture. Schweiklberg Abbey has been creating electricity by water power for over 75 years. In 2000, celebrating their centennial, the monks of Münsterschwarzach Abbey set as a goal the reduction of CO2 emissions of the monastery by 100%.
These examples are encouraging
to me as the work of preparing the 2008 convention proceeds. The hope and vision
I laid out in my presidential address were developed
around the title Monastic Spirituality: Tending Mind & Heart. One focus
of the convention will be on Thomas Merton’s life and legacy and how
we can find both inspiration and pathways for our ongoing monastic vision,
especially in American culture today. In shaping the convention, these quotes
have given me new energy:
Merton . . . began strongly to see the true monk as the marginal person. To
be a contemplative was always to be an outlaw because to be contemplative successfully
is to step outside of all laws and structures. You realize that prayer takes
you beyond the law. When you are praying you are, in a certain sense, an outlaw.
There is no law between the heart and God. There is no reason for contemplative
monasteries to exist if you are not able, in a contemplative monastery, to
develop a different kind of consciousness from that experienced outside. Not
that the outside is bad, but I mean you specialize in a certain kind of awareness.
. . . If there is no special advantage in our kind of life, if you don’t
get any special fruit from it, there is no point to it really. The fact that
we just say prayers is not a sufficient justification. I think we have to be
deeper people in a certain way. Not just deeper in the sense that we are much
wiser than everybody else, but there has to be a deeper experience of life.
Our education should lead to that deeper experience (Victor A. Kramer, ed.
The Merton Annual Studies in Culture Spirituality and Social Concerns,
vol.
14, 2001, pp. 186, 170).
Hopefully, Convention 2008 will further our education and invigorate our spiritual practice. Be sure that August 7-10, 2008, at Yankton, SD, is on your calendar!
Theresa Schumacher, OSB
President, American Benedictine Academy
St. Benedict’s Monastery, Saint Joseph, MN
<tschumacher @ csbsju.edu>
*Send items for inclusion in “What’s New” to
the Webkeeper (info @ osb.org). To Richard Oliver OSB, thanks from the Benedictine
world!
Still they come. And the giving is hardly one-sided! Those who responded to the questionnaire resounded with humble gratitude for all they have received from those outside their monastic communities. One abbot said it best when he said succinctly, “I don’t think any monastery in the world ever got started and kept going without lay help of a wide variety of kinds.” They cherish us as a people and hold sacred our monasteries, but I am not too sure we have come genuinely to realize or appreciate this. The symbiotic bond we form with our guests goes beyond what good we can give one another. What might God be trying to give both monastics and guests (for want of a better word for those not committed members of the community) that will continue to sustain us both well into the future? That was at the root of all my questions.
How many questionnaires did you send out?
I sent out 155 questionnaires to a varied group of communities: men’s, women’s, and mixed; large and small; Catholic and ecumenical; more actively engaged Benedictines and Cistercians; etc. So far I have received 61 responses, mostly well annotated. (I did indicate in the accompanying letter that I would grant greater forgiveness to those who return their questionnaires late than to those who do not return them at all, so there is still time for more responses!) I have only begun to compile the answers and will publish summaries in the upcoming American Monastic Newsletters. I’m grateful for the monastic studies grant money from the American Benedictine Academy for the printing and postage to send it out. It was a good investment in conversation starters!
We
have survived as followers of Benedict because we have held to the essentials
as we have adapted through the ages. We are in an age of rapid adaptation
and these questionnaires have revealed some interesting adaptive associations
that
have expanded our communities in some ways even as we appear to diminish
in others.
AMN welcomes Sister Lynn as the new canon law columnist. Sister Lynn, of Sacred Heart Monastery in Cullman, AL, is both a civil and canon lawyer. She is a partner in the law firm of Knight, Griffith, McKenzie, Knight & McLeroy, LLP, in Cullman and also serves in various capacities in the tribunal of the Diocese of Birmingham and on the council of the Federation of St. Scholastica.
(Disclaimer: Since being asked by the editor of this newsletter to begin writing the canon law column, this is the second column I have submitted. Curiously, neither of the first two columns is per se on canon law topics. The first was a tribute to the former canon law columnist, Dan Ward, OSB. This issue is on a civil law issue. However, the editor asked me to address this issue’s topic because of possible similar situations facing other monasteries. Rest assured that, in the future, canon law will become the topic of this “canon law” column!)
Be careful about consenting to having your building(s) designated as historic landmarks! The Benedictine Sisters at Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, KS, learned this the hard way when, in 2005, they requested a permit from the City Council of Atchison to demolish their 83-year-old Administration Building. While the Administration Building itself was not designated as a historic landmark, an adjoining building, St. Cecilia’s, had been so designated some years ago.
The City Council, on a 3-2 vote, denied the sisters’ request after submission to the State Historic Preservation Officer, as required by Kansas law. According to the city, this denial of the demolition permit was to protect the historical integrity of the adjacent historic landmark and its environs on the sisters’ property. In response, the sisters filed a lawsuit in a Kansas state court stating that the City of Atchison had unreasonably denied their demolition permit under the Kansas Historic Preservation Act, thereby violating the sisters’ state and federal constitutional rights. The case was “removed” to federal court at the request of the city.
Thereafter, both the city and the sisters filed motions with the federal judge asking him to rule in their favor based on what had been presented to the court. Ultimately, the United States District Court for the District of Kansas ruled partially in the sisters’ favor on the basis of the free exercise of religion clause of the First Amendment to the US Constitution. The federal court held that the Kansas Historic Preservation Act, as applied to the sisters’ property, unduly burdened the sisters’ religious beliefs. The court cited what the sisters had said through their lawyer, and which was not contested by the city, “Part of [the sisters’] religious philosophy requires that such property and other holdings be administered justly so that [the sisters] will be able to witness publicly to the evangelical poverty each member has promised in her commitment to monastic life.”
The sisters had waited 17 months from the time they first requested the demolition permit until the federal court ruled. Because the federal court ruled only partially in their favor, there had to be further negotiations between the sisters and the city to reach an agreement on the demolition permit. Demolition began on May 1, 2007, but they had first requested their demolition permit in October, 2005. This federal court win was by no means a “shoo-in” for the sisters and there are some lessons to be drawn from their experience in this case.
First of all, as indicated above, before consenting to having any of your monastery’s property designated as a historic landmark, be sure to understand the laws that govern such a designation and its consequent effects, both short and long term. Don’t count on what a person from the historical society tells you. Get a legal opinion. The sisters in this case had been told at the time of their agreeing to the historical designation that it would in no way harm their rights as property owners. What requirements do your state law and/or historic designation contract provide? What benefits are there to such a designation? What limitations will it impose on the use of the designated structure and what limitations will it impose on surrounding monastery property? Is the designation for an indefinite term, so that the designation binds not only the monastic leader consenting to the designation but all succeeding leaders? Are there exceptions to the limitations? If so, what must be shown to have the exception or exemption recognized so that other uses may be made of the property? If, after considering all of those possible effects, you do decide to agree to such a designation, there are some other factors to consider in the use of the designated building and surrounding property.
After trying many different uses for the Administration Building after their college had moved to another location, the sisters found themselves with a huge (171,000 square feet in all!) building sitting idle, yet which still required upkeep and maintenance. It had not been used for a full year since 2001, yet they still had to pay for insurance and upkeep. It was a financial drain on the community and it was at least unpleasant facing an unused, deteriorating building on their monastery grounds. I believe that the past uses that the building had were certainly a factor, though unstated, in the court’s finding that the 1st Amendment free exercise of religion clause was implicated. Most of the past uses had some connection to the sisters’ religious purpose. So another lesson is that the use of such property should have a nexus to the religious purpose of the monastery. In that way, the 1st Amendment will be invoked successfully.
For more information on the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica and their struggles to be allowed to use their own property as they see fit, go to: <www.mountosb.org/adminbuilding/courtdecision031507.html>.
Lynn McKenzie, OSB
Sister Lynn would like to invite readers to submit canonical topics
of interest that they would like to see addressed in this column. Contact
her at <slm
@ knight-griffith.com> with
subject line: “AMN canon law column topic.”
Recent monastic elections include the following newly elected:
Prioress Donna Marie Chartraw, OSB, Queen of Angels Monastery, Mt. Angel, OR
Prioress Patricia Crowley, OSB, St. Scholastica Monastery, Chicago, IL
Prioress Christine Ereiser, OSB, St. Joseph Monastery,
Tulsa, OK
Abbot Michael Liebl, OSB, Mount Michael Abbey, Elkhorn, NE
Prioress Jacinta Conklin, OSB, St. Joseph Monastery, St. Marys, PA
Reelected
to continue in leadership include the following:
Prioress Cecilia Dwyer, OSB, St. Benedict Monastery,
Bristow, VA
Mother Betty Pugsley, superior of the Community of Jesus, Orleans, MA
American Benedictines are also active in leadership in the wider world. Sister
Rosann Ocken, OSB, a Tutzing Missionary Benedictine, previously of Immaculata
Monastery in Norfolk, NE, has been chosen prioress of St. Scholastica’s
Monastery in Peramiho, Tanzania. Abbot Christopher M. Zielinski, OSB Oliv,
of Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey in Pecos, NM, has been named vice-president
of the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church and vice-president
of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaelogy.
The manuscripts of the Abbey Library of St. Gall, Switzerland, are now available online, with high-resolution digital images of over 57,000 facsimile pages. The regularly updated site currently has 144 complete manuscripts, including the musical manuscripts, as well as manuscript descriptions and many search options. Free access is at www.cesg.unifr.ch, in German, French, English and Italian.
* * * * * *
Sisters aged fifty-five and younger from the Federation of Saint Scholastica gathered in Atchison, KS, in February to devote themselves to penetrating the meaning of the Rule of Benedict and their future as women religious.
Sixty-seven sisters from the Federation were able to attend, representing sixteen monasteries across the United States and Mexico. For some of those attending, the meeting was a renewal of previous relationships from formation days or past gatherings; for others it was the first time to meet sisters in their age group outside of their own monasteries.
Energized by the sharing with their peers from other monasteries, the sisters prayed, played and talked away the weekend. They looked at the future, reflected on the past, and sought to define the values of Benedictine life. From the perspective of their present realities, the group shared the joys of the communal life and the common challenges they face. Six sisters from different monasteries with varied backgrounds made formal presentations on the hope they find in facing the future of Benedictine life in the 21st century. Ideas were processed in discussions that were grouped by age as well as in mixed-age groups. Some had been in community for more than thirty years while others had only recently made their first profession. Wisdom was shared, hope was encouraged and new bonds were formed as the sisters listened to each other with the ear of their hearts.
* * * * * *
The International Prayer for Peace Day Steering Committee honored eight International Peace Award winners at its celebration at the FDR Memorial on The National Mall in Washington on March 18. Awards for National Prayer, Praying for Peace, Acting in Peace and Living with Peace – Together, and Media, in addition to two Fallen Military Service People and Honorable Mentions were presented by Rev. James Wiseman, OSB, of St. Anselm’s Abbey and Catholic University in Washington. Among the honorees were two Benedictines, Brother John Mary Lugemwa, OSB, and Sister Antoinette Traeger, OSB, and an oblate. The Praying for Peace Award went to English Benedictine Oblate Adrian Wright (who has taken private vows) for his faithfulness to prayer and faith in God’s peace despite crippling pain. His smile never dims despite 18 operations. “No matter what is thrown at you, work, anger, cancer, osteoarthritis,” you just keep smiling, he says, and for 20 years he has brought those smiles and kindness to others. He lives in Downham Market, in Norfolk, UK.
Brother John Mary Lugemwa, OSB, from Uganda was recognized for his work with Uganda Rural Fund, Hope Integrated Academy and Global AIDS Awareness. He is a Benedictine brother at Mary Mother of the Church Abbey, Richmond, VA. He is only 27 years old, but his fire burns brightly. His mission is the thousands of orphans of HIV/AIDS who confront seemingly insurmountable odds in his native Uganda, and in neighboring Kenya and Rwanda. The young survivors of Rwanda’s genocide have also been taken under his wing. He and his staff are responsible for setting up orphanages and building schools and training centers in East and Central Africa.
Honored for “Living with Peace -- Together, without regard to race, color or creed” was Sister Antoinette Traeger, OSB, of Queen of Angels Monastery in Mt. Angel, OR. Sister Antoinette has been a Benedictine for over 60 years. She has dedicated her life to God as a Benedictine woman, serving as the administrator of the Benedictine Nursing Center, the administrator of the Shalom Prayer Center, and prioress of her monastic community. When she retired from that post, she became the oblate director at Queen of Angels and retreat master at Shalom Retreat Center on the campus. She leads the Spiritual Direction Ministry Program. In these capacities, she has brought the heart of peace to countless numbers.
* * * * * *
“Religion & Ethics Newsweekly,” a national show produced by PBS network,
featured the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration during its March 30
show. The PBS crew, which included national award-winning journalist Betty
Rollin, visited the sisters’ monastery in Clyde, MO, for two days to
learn more about monastic life and the community’s century-long history
of altar bread production. Highlighted was the sisters’ discovery of
a low-gluten altar bread for those who are unable to eat regular wheat hosts.
The episode can be seen on: www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics.
* * * * * *
The 49th general chapter of the American-Cassinese Congregation met at St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison, Kansas, from June 17 to 22. Prior James Albers was the coordinator for the General Chapter, working with Abbot President Timothy Kelly, officials of Benedictine College, and the monks of St. Benedict’s Abbey. St. Benedict’s had hosted the 30th General Chapter in 1950 and also the chapter in 1929.
There are 20 independent houses in the American-Cassinese Congregation. Each superior (abbot or prior) and a delegate, elected by the respective houses, attended the chapter. Participants joining the Atchison monks for noon and evening meals in the abbey, ate at the dining room tables which had been built by monks of Atchison for the 1950 general chapter.
Presentations were made by Father Columba Stewart and Father Thomas Acklin on monastic virtue, with an emphasis on human sexuality. Two officers of Praesidium, Inc., of Arlington, Texas, discussed their process of accreditation for religious institutes as these groups seek to meet standards for prevention, to respond appropriately to accusations, and to supervise those guilty of sexual misconduct.
In addition to general business and financial decisions, there was a review of viability data. Father Gordon Tavis of Saint John's Abbey has developed a computer program to assist the congregation and individual houses in measuring viability, using data provided by each community concerning membership and finances.
Sessions were led by Abbot President Timothy Kelly, assisted by his council. Abbot Timothy was reelected at the meeting to serve a second six-year term and each council member was reelected to serve another three-year term. Council members are Archabbot Douglas Nowicki (St. Vincent, Latrobe, PA), Abbot Claude Peifer (St. Bede, Peru, IL), Abbot Hugh Anderson (St. Procopius, Lisle, IL), Father Thomas Acklin (St. Vincent, Latrobe) and Father Dan Ward (Saint John's, Collegeville, MN).
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