“Boniface Wimmer: An American Abbot,” a special commemorative exhibition of artifacts owned and used by Saint Vincent founder Boniface Wimmer, will be featured by The Saint Vincent Gallery from Friday, October 30 to Sunday, December 13 in honor of the 200th anniversary of his birth. Admission is free and open to the public.

An opening reception will be held in the Gallery on Thursday, October 29 from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

The exhibit includes Wimmer’s prayer books, pectoral crosses, pontifical rings, crozier, and snuff boxes (including one from Tiffany and Company); his gold pen, various hand-written letters and diaries, and handwritten letters from King Ludwig I of Bavaria will also be included. There will be gifts from King Ludwig on display, as well as gifts given to Saint Vincent over the years by various members of the Royal Wittlesbach of Bavaria and made of fine porcelain from the Schloss Nymphenburg Porcelain Factory. An added feature of the exhibition is a display of photographic portraits of Wimmer and his 10 successor archabbots of Saint Vincent Archabbey, including the current archabbot, the Rt. Rev. Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B.

The Saint Vincent Gallery is located on the third floor of the Robert S. Carey Student Center at Saint Vincent College and is accessible to those with physical challenges.

Gallery hours are noon to 3 p.m. and 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and noon to 3 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The Gallery is closed on Mondays.

Further details are available at www.stvincent.edu/gallery or by contacting the Gallery at 724 805-2197.

All Souls (Benedicine Influence)

 

A few pictures from around the Archabbey (a friend of our Br. Maximilian, OSB did a beautiful job in carving the Abbey Seal into a pumpkin).  Also, you can see the beautiful colors in the leaves changing around the Monastery.

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From: http://www.fisheaters.com

31 October and 1 and 2 November are called, colloquially (not officially), "Hallowtide" or the "Days of the Dead" because on these days we pray for or remember those who've left this world.

The days of the dead center around All Saints' Day (also known as All Hallows') on November 1, when we celebrate all the Saints in Heaven. On the day after All Hallows', we remember the saved souls who are in Purgatory being cleansed of the temporal effects of their sins before they can enter Heaven. The day that comes before All Hallows', though, is one on which we unofficially remember the damned and the reality of Hell. The schema, then, for the Days of the Dead looks like this:

October 31: Hallowe'en:   

unofficially recalls the souls of the damned. Practices center around the reality of Hell and how to avoid it.

November 1: All Saints':

set aside to officially honor the Church Triumphant. Practices center around recalling our great Saints, including those whose names are unknown to us and, so, are not canonized

November 2: All Souls': 

set aside officially to pray for the Church Suffering (the souls in Purgatory). Practices center around praying for the souls in Purgatory, especially our loved ones

The earliest form of All Saints' (or "All Hallows'") was first celebrated in the 300s, but originally took place on 13 May, as it still does in some Eastern Churches. The Feast first commemorated only the martyrs, but came to include all of the Saints by 741. It was transferred to 1 November in 844 when Pope Gregory III consecrated a chapel in St. Peter's Basilica to All Saints (so much for the theory that the day was fixed on 1 November because of a bunch of Irish pagans had harvest festivals at that time).

All Souls' has its origins in A.D. 1048 when the Bishop of Cluny decreed that the Benedictines of Cluny pray for the souls in Purgatory on this day. The practice spread until Pope Sylvester II recommended it for the entire Latin Church.

The Vigil of, or evening before, All Hallows' ("Hallows' Eve," or "Hallowe'en") came, in Irish popular piety, to be a day of remembering the dead who are neither in Purgatory or Heaven, but are damned, and these customs spread to many parts of the world. Thus we have the popular focus of Hallowe'en as the reality of Hell, hence its scary character and focus on evil and how to avoid it, the sad fate of the souls of the damned, etc.

How, or even whether, to celebrate Hallowe'en is a controversial topic in traditional circles. One hears too often that "Hallowe'en is a pagan holiday" -- an impossibility because "Hallowe'en," as said, means "All Hallows' Evening" which is as Catholic a holiday as one can get. Some say that the holiday actually stems from Samhain, a pagan Celtic celebration, or is Satanic, but this isn't true, either, any more than Christmas "stems from" the Druids' Yule, though popular customs that predated the Church may be involved in our celebrations (it is rather amusing that October 31 is also "Reformation Day" in Protestant circles -- the day to recall Luther's having nailed his 95 Theses to Wittenberg's cathedral door -- but Protestants who reject "Hallowe'en" because pagans used to do things on October 31 don't object to commemorating that event on this day).

Some traditional Catholics, objecting to the definite secularization of the holiday and to the myth that the entire thing is "pagan" to begin with, refuse to celebrate it in any way at all, etc. Other traditional Catholics celebrate it without qualm, though keeping it Catholic and staying far away from some of the ugliness that surrounds the day in the secular world. However one decides to spend the day, it is hoped that the facts are kept straight, and that Catholics refrain from judging other Catholics who decide to celebrate differently.

For those who do want to celebrate Hallowe'en, customs of this day are a mixture of Catholic popular devotions, and French, Irish, and English customs all mixed together. From the French we get the custom of dressing up, which originated during the time of the Black Death when artistic renderings of the dead known as the "Danse Macabre," were popular. These "Dances of Death" were also acted out by people who dressed as the dead. Later, these practices were moved to Hallowe'en when the Irish and French began to intermarry in America.

From the Irish come the carved Jack-o-lanterns, which were originally carved turnips. The legend surrounding the Jack-o-Lantern is this:

There once was an old drunken trickster named Jack, a man known so much for his miserly ways that he was known as "Stingy Jack," He loved making mischief on everyone -- even his own family, even the Devil himself! One day, he tricked Satan into climbing up an apple tree -- but then carved Crosses on the trunk so the Devil couldn't get back down. He bargained with the Evil One, saying he would remove the Crosses only if the Devil would promise not to take his soul to Hell; to this, the Devil agreed.

After Jack died, after many years filled with vice, he went up to the Pearly Gates -- but was told by St. Peter that he was too miserable a creature to see the Face of Almighty God. But when he went to the Gates of Hell, he was reminded that he couldn't enter there, either! So, he was doomed to spend his eternity roaming the earth. The only good thing that happened to him was that the Devil threw him an ember from the burning pits to light his way, an ember he carried inside a hollowed-out, carved turnip.  

Model of a Monk (RIP Br. Lambert, OSB)

Brother Lambert Berens, O.S.B., a monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey, died Thursday, October 29, 2009. He was the son of the late Peter and Sophia (Randerath) Berens, was born in Lieck (now Heinsberg–Lieck), Germany, on July 4, 1913. He was one of ten children. His brothers and sisters are: Hubert Berens of Heinsberg–Lieck, Anna Zimmermann, of Heinsberg, Peter of Heinsberg, and Barbara Hennen of Heinsberg–Unterbruch. Three of his brothers: Brother Othmar Edmund Berens, O.S.B., Joseph, and Heinrich, and two sisters, Gertrude Lisges and Maria Dombrowe, are deceased.

He received his education in Kirchoven. He made simple profession of the monastic vows on February 11, 1932 at the Benedictine monastery in Ilbenstadt, Germany.

In May, 1939, the Gestapo ordered the Ilbenstadt monastery suppressed, or closed. The monks were told to leave. Brother Lambert was sent to the Benedictine Monastery Kornelimünster in Aachen.

In 1939, he was forced to leave his monastery and serve in the German Army. He was first sent marching to Paris, but when the city capitulated his outfit was marched to the south of France and then marched back to Germany in 1940. Later, when Germany invaded Russia in June of 1941, his troop was sent near Leningrad, where he was wounded. He was wounded a second time during a battle near Shisdra, Russia, in 1942, and a few months later was wounded yet a third time near Leningrad. Finally, in 1943, he was sent back to France, where his outfit executed maneuvers but engaged in no active battles.

On the third day of the Allied invasions in June of 1944, Brother Lambert was taken prisoner and sent to the P.O.W. camp at Ortley, England, and then later to the P.O.W. camp at Fort DuPont, Delaware City, Delaware, where he remained for a year before he was shipped back to a transfer camp in Attichy, France in 1945. He became a free man in January 1946 when he was returned to Bonn, Germany.

Brother Lambert returned to a post–war Germany that was confusing. He returned to his hometown and found his family all well, but his original monastery Ilbenstadt, shut down in 1939, was not reopened. So he returned to the Kornelimünster monastery in 1946. In 1956 he transferred his stability to Saint Vincent Archabbey. He became an American citizen in 1959.

At Saint Vincent, Brother Lambert was in charge of the greenhouse and truck garden (1952–64, and 1965–69). He also worked at Saint Benedict Priory, the Archabbey's missionary apostolate in Brazil (1964–65). From 1969 to 2001 he worked in Saint Vincent Library processing and repairing books, and in his spare time helped maintain the grounds of the Archabbey. In the fall of 2001 he began assisting in the Saint Vincent Archabbey Development Office until his death.

At the library, Brother Lambert prepared books to be added to the collection, prepared items for binding and checked returned items. He also examined the collection to identify Saint Vincent authors, alumni authors, Benedictine authors and Saint Vincent imprints, among other duties. He also conducted an inventory of the entire collection every four to five years and was the only known person to have handled every book in the library.

Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., said “Brother Lambert has been a great inspiration to the entire Saint Vincent community—young and old—his faithful perseverance in prayer and his steadfast commitment to his assigned responsibilities provided a wonderful example of what it means to be a faithful servant.”

In the fall of 1999 Brother Lambert received the Presidential Medal of Honor as part of the Saint Vincent Founders’ Day celebration. College President Father Martin R. Bartel, O.S.B., praised Brother Lambert for his many years of devoted service to Saint Vincent, noting that “throughout his life he quietly served as a model of humble devoutness. His hard meticulous work and dedication to whatever task is assigned him, provide an example to be emulated by both Benedictine and lay colleagues alike. To those that know him well and/or work with him, he is the personification of the Benedictine motto, Ora et Labora (prayer and work).”

The body will be received at 7:15 p.m. Saturday, October 31, in the Elizabeth J. Roderick Center of Saint Vincent Archabbey. Viewing will be held from 7:15 to 9 p.m. Saturday and from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, November 1 in the parlor of the Roderick Center. A Vigil Service will be held at 7:15 p.m. Sunday in the Archabbey Basilica. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B., at 2:30 p.m. Monday, November 2 in the Archabbey Basilica. Interment will follow in the Saint Vincent Cemetery.

Prayer Request

In your charity, please play for the repose of the soul of our Br. Lambert Berens, OSB who died this morning.  Br. Lambert was a beloved confrere, extremely hard worker, and dedicated monk. 

Saints of God, come to his aid! Come to meet him, angels of the Lord! Receive his soul and present him to God the Most High. May Christ, Who called him, take him to Himself; may angels lead him to Abraham's side. Receive his soul and present him/her to God the Most High. Give him eternal rest, O Lord, and may Your light shine upon him forever. Receive his soul and present him/her to God the Most High. Let us pray: We commend our brother, Lambert to you, Lord. Now that he has passed from this life, may he live on in Your presence. In Your mercy and love, forgive whatever sins he may have committed through human weakness. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles (October 28)

From: saintvincentarchabbey.org

Eph 2:19-22; Ps 19:2-5; Lk 6:12-16

"Imparts knowledge"

The heavens declare the glory of God because they display the beauty of God. The bright blue sky on a crisp autumn day delights the eyes, and even the grey and cloudy days invite calm and meditation. Indeed the voice of the heavens is the wind, the very breath of God, and the thunder, the very voice of the LORD. The very sky just by being what it is declares the glory of God. The firmament is bright with the moon, the sun, stars, rainbows, meteors, comets, galaxies, clouds, and the aurora borealis. Such beauty stops us and demands our loving gaze. When we behold the LORD's handiwork, how can we stop from singing? The lover of creation, who becomes the lover of the Creator, can no more stop singing than the fire can stop burning. Indeed, we join the silent and noisy rejoicing of all creation: "Blessed be God who pours out the word to day, and imparts knowledge night after night." Every creature declares, proclaims, and pours out a word of praise and wonder for the mystery of God’s beauty seen in all his handiwork. Indeed, we who listen with the heart hear the word of praise on the lips of brother sun and sister moon. Indeed, all creatures of our God and King invite us to join in their silent melodies. We listen so carefully that not a discourse or a voice is not heard. It is the company of friends gathered around the Word Made Flesh, Jesus the LORD, who continue his discourse and his words in the Scriptures and in the Oral Tradition of the Church. Indeed, it is their voice that resounds to the ends of the world and their message through all the earth. These Apostolic Witnesses have given what only they could give. An eyewitness and an ear witness to the good news of Jesus the Christ. This is the good news every generation has longed to hear. The good news every people have needed to hear. The good news is the Father reaching out to embrace the whole world through his two arms, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Indeed, the Father holds us close to his own heart and summons each one of us to eternal intimacy, face-to-face with the Creator of Heaven and earth. This same apostolic witness is the only good news we have to offer people of our generation and our community.

We celebrate two of the Twelve, Saint Simon and Saint Jude. They are named in today's gospel as disciples who were called to a further commitment and mission as apostles. These faith filled followers were sent to be faithful witnesses in the word and in the blood. Like most of earliest believers these two gave everything up in sacrifice with the Great High Priest, Jesus Christ. We, too, are called to such radical witness. We are no strangers to the mysteries of Christ. Indeed, we have shared in his dying and rising. The Holy Spirit has transformed our fear to faith; our witness is unashamed and on occasion even bold. We are not sojourners in the Church. Indeed, we have signed on the dotted line. We are no strangers to the mysteries of Christ. Indeed, we have shared in his dying and rising. The Holy Spirit has transformed our fear to faith; our witness is unashamed and on occasion even bold. We are not sojourners in the Church. Indeed, we have signed on the dotted line. We are at home in the Body of Christ; our life doesn't make sense anymore without Christ and his Church. As Saint Paul tells his beloved Ephesians, we are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. Notice the use of the less demanding word "holy ones" in the new translation. Why is saint so unfamiliar to us? Are we not called to be saints? If only saints, angels, and God dwell in the heavenly kingdom, where do we fit in? We are not angels, and we are not God, so we must be saints. Yes, those who make it to heaven from the human race are called saints, and that sanctity begins here and now. We have been built upon the solid foundation of the Apostles and prophets; Christ Jesus himself is our capstone. Through him, with him and in him, we are growing together into a holy temple, a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Indeed, the LORD God, Almighty, is at home in us and among us. Through our community the LORD welcomes his distant and unfamiliar children to come and realize his love and tender mercy. This is our apostolic witness, first community then preaching and celebrating the mysteries of Christ the LORD. This is how we are fellow citizens with Saint Jude and Saint Simon.

From the Gospel of Saint Luke we learn that Simon was called a Zealot and Judas the son of James was called Jude. Perhaps Simon was called a Zealot because he was a member of the party of the Zealots who were willing to cause the Roman oppressors as much trouble as they could, even to the point of violence. On the other hand Saint Simon the Apostle could have been called a Zealot because before he started following the Lord Jesus he was a member of this revolutionary movement. After meeting the Lord Jesus he had another agenda and another zeal all together. He was struck with the lightning of meeting Christ the Lord, and it changed everything. Now, he put away the sword and took up the word, the only weapon fit for the Kingdom of God. Perhaps Judas the son of James was called Saint Jude the Apostle by early church tradition because his name reminded everyone of the other Judas, who became a traitor. Saint Jude was no traitor; he was willing to do what Judas Iscariot was not willing to do. He was willing to take the morsel offered at the Last Supper and become what he ate, the body and blood of Christ. Saint Jude accepted the service of washing dirty feet just as Christ had washed his. Judas Iscariot did neither. His attitude echoes another traitor who shattered the eternal liturgy with his announcement, NON SERVERUM, "I will not serve." No wonder he name is changed in the tradition. Today we remember and celebrate the Apostles, Saint Simon and Saint Jude, who were chosen by the Lord Jesus after carful thought and a nighttime of prayer to the Father. These Twelve he called to himself and sent forth to proclaim to the ends of the earth, "Jesus is LORD!" Are our voices one with this apostolic witness? Are we willing to shed our comforts, attachments, luxuries, and even our blood to give witness to our Lord and Savior?