NORTH AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF BENEDICTINE OBLATE DIRECTORS
NAABOD
Newsletter
September 2012
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Greetings Oblate Directors,
In just a couple of weeks, the season of autumn will be upon us. The seasons help us to mark the passage of time. We remain in extreme draught here in the southeastern corner of South Dakota. Just a week ago, we had two days in a row at 106 degrees. However, the past couple of days have been milder with highs only in the 80s.
The school year has begun and the last holiday weekend (Labor Day) is behind us.
I have been busy working on our 2013 Biennial Meeting. Our theme is:
"Living the Benedictine Charism Faithfully in the World." We
have three excellent speakers: Fr.Terrance Kardong, OSB, Assumption Abbey,
Richardton, ND; Sr. Coleen McGrane, OSB, Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual
Adoration, Clyde, MO; Sr. Thomas Welder, OSB, Annunciation Monastery,
Bismarck, ND.
I have been working on our registration fees. I am waiting for one more
piece of information. Fr. Meinrad has been most helpful in providing me
with information from our NAABOD archives.
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I have included a new book in our 'ongoing formation' link. The book contains selections from her Hildegard of Bingen's Scivias retold in ‘plain English’ by a Carmelite nun, Elizabeth Ruth Obbard. The book as an introductory text for someone who wants to read Hildegard’s more theological writing (rather than the music, the food, medicine, etc.) but doesn’t want to dive right into the Scivias itself. So, the audience probably isn’t Benedictine monks or nuns, but more likely Benedictine oblates or others who have a more general interest.
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NAABOD Regions
Region 1 – Northwest – western Canada, Washington, Oregon, northern California, Idaho, Wyoming, and northern Utah
Region 2 – Southwest – central and southern California, Hawaii, Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico
Region 3 – North Midwest Plains -- central Canada, North Dakota, northern South Dakota, northern Wisconsin, and Minnesota
Region 4 –Central Midwest Plains -- southern South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Colorado, and Missouri
Region 5 – South Midwest – Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas
Region 6 – Midwest Woodlands – southern Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Kentucky.
Region 7 – Great Lakes – eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania
Region 8 – Northeast – eastern Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, Washington DC, Maryland, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island.
NOTE: I think this group further subdivided. Would someone please provide me with this information? Thank you.
Region 9 – Southeast – North Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, Bahamas, and Puerto Rico.
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Region Meetings
Sister Antoinette Purcell has arranged their Regional meeting: Dates are Nov. 4-5, 2012 at Our Lady of Grace Monastery.
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Please take a moment to visit our web site: www.naabod.org
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I'd like to call your attention to the online course that Benet Hill
Monastery Scripture Program is offering beginning this fall. "Walking
with Benedict: Hospitality."
"Gail Murphy, Director of Scripture Study at Benet Hill Monastery
has posted on her blog an invitation to the online course on Hospitality
with Scripture and the Rule of Benedict. This is a wonderful opportunity
for oblates, especially those who live at a distance from the monastery
to participate in the opportunities available at Benet Hill.
http://walkingwithbenedict.wordpress.com/
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Please continue send me information re: books, workshops, websites that would benefit NAABOD and it membership. Also, try to get your region meeting scheduled.
Blessings & Peace,
Sr. Bonita Gacnik,
NAABOD President
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CONGRATULATIONS
There
are without a doubt many in our monastic communities who celebrate jubilees
each year. At this time we wish to acknowledge Fr. Meinrad
Brune, Oblate Director at St. Meinrad Archabbey for the 50 years
of priesthood, and Sr. Bonita Gacnik of Sacred Heart Monastery
in Yankton for 25 years of monastic profession. Each celebrated this summer.
Those are two I know about. Congratulations to them and those others whom
I do not know about.
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CONDOLENCES
Marie
F. Morlino, mother of Fr. Paschal, passed away
on August 16, 2011. She was 93 years of age. We extend our sympathy and
prayers to Fr. Paschal, VP of NAABOD, member of Saint Vincent Archabbey
and pastor of St. Benedict Parish in Baltimore.
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NEW
DIRECTORS
There
has been a turnover of oblate leadership at a number of monasteries recently.
We are aware of the following changes. Fr. Mark Stengel replaces Br.
Mel Stinson as Oblate Director for Subiaco
Abbey, Subiaco, AR. Raoul Viguerie
replaces Fr. Henri Capdeville as Oblate
Director for Holy Trinity Monastery in St. David, AZ. Sr. Karen Nykiel replaces Sr. Benita Jasurda
who has served Sacred Heart Monastery in Lisle, IL as Oblate Director.
Br. Nathaniel Grossmann replaces Fr. James Murray as Oblate Director
for St. Bede Monastery in Peru, IL.
Dick
Laraja replaces Mary Ann Jamison as Oblate Director for
Community of Jesus in Orleans, MA. Margie Palazzolo
replaces Sr. Veronica Daniels as Oblate Director for St. Gertrude
Monastery in Ridgely, MD. Sr. Laureen Virnig replaces Sr. Helene
Mercier as Oblate Director for St. Benedict Monastery in St. Joseph,
MN. Jim Bartol and Terryl
Ann Johnson serve as Associate Directors to Sr. Catherine Nehotte
for St. Paul Monastery in St. Paul, MN. Sr. Gertrude Rolfes
replaced Sr. Jeanne Giese as Oblate Director for Mother of God Monastery
in Watertown, SD. Effective January 1, 2012 Sr. Sarah Schwartzburg
will replace Sr. Jeanne Frances Dolan as Oblate Director for Benedictine
Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in Clyde, MO.
We
want to welcome all new Directors and to thank all of you who are leaving
a post to which you have given years of loving and dedicated service.
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NEW
ADDRESS
Sr.
Agnes Knapik, Oblate Director for Queen of
Heaven Monastery in Warren, OH sent a notice of a new address for
the monastery. It is: 169 Kenmore Ave., N.E., Apt. 301; Warren, OH 44483.
Phone is 330-856-1813; Fax is 330-856-9528.
REGIONAL
NEWS
Oblates
of St. Walburga Monastery in Elizabeth, St.
Mary’s Abbey in Morristown, and Newark Abbey, all in NJ, gathered at St.
Walburga Monastery on May 7 for the annual Joint Oblate
Meeting. Jeanne Mindingall, Oblate of St. Walburga’s spoke on “The Eucharist as Sacrifice: Toward
a Contemporary Appreciation.”
FOLLOW-UP
TO JULY CONFERENCE
By
now, all paid members of NAABOD should have received the following items
as follow-up from the July conference at St. Meinrad.
If you have not received the following, please let me know:
1. Copy of the revised constitution
Minutes of July 2 and 5 business meetings
Financial report for 2009 conference
Financial report for fiscal years 2009, 2010 and first six months of 2011
Small groups’ responses following conference speakers—ideas for local
action
After
the minutes were sent out we received word of a correction that needs
to be made. The Election Committee was served by Sr. Charlotte Lee of
Bristow, VA and Sr. Phyllis Hunhoff of Yankton,
SD. Sr. Patricia Kirk served on the Nomination Committee with Fr. Paschal
but was not present at the meeting in July.
Thank
you, once again, to the planning team for the conference and the many
volunteer oblates of St. Meinrad, Monastery
Immaculate Conception, and Our Lady of Grace Monastery who assisted on
site during the meeting. Evaluations showed there was much appreciation
for all your work!
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IN
REMEMBRANCE
Due
to the fact that my email was not working properly and I did not receive
many names of the deceased Directors and Oblates who died since July 2009
for the memorial service this July, I would like to post the list of all
the names in November. If you would be so kind as to send them to me again
at antoinette_46107@yahoo.com I will try to make up for
what we missed.
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2013
CONFERENCE
We
have yet to secure a site for the 2013 conference. The date will somewhat
depend on what we are able to work out with the site in terms of availability.
If your monastery has a facility on campus that can house and provide
conference space for about 100 people please contact me ASAP. As host
Director there is an expectation that you would be part of the planning
team along with other directors and oblates from your region.
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RESOURCES
Be
sure to check out the tab on the web site for Ongoing Formation as we
have added some new resources that have come to our attention.
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WORLD
CONGRESS
The
following is an excerpt from a report sent by Joyce Collins, Oblate of
St. Vincent Archabbey who served as a consultant
for the Third World Congress.
MONTSERRAT INTERNATIONAL CONSULTATION
Presentation by Joyce Collins to Latrobe Oblates
May 2011
In
this brief presentation I’d like to inform you about the suggestions that
were offered by the members of the international consultation (in Montserrat
in October 2010) for the next World Oblate Congress (in Rome in October
2013) and what Benedictine values I discerned through this experience
in Montserrat. After consideration of the topics given by participants
in the 2009 Congress and our own discussions, we achieved a working title
for the next World Congress: “Obsculta: Benedictine
Oblates Listening in the World”. Practical suggestions included individual
transportation from the airport, snacks for early arrivals, more free
time, and the liturgy in Latin with readings and homilies in other languages
with written translations available if possible. This committee plans
to meet again at Douai Abbey in Great Britain in early 2012 and probably
to tele-conference in mid-December 2011. The Benedictine value
of listening to everyone, even the youngest, (even those from other cultures?)
was brought home to me in hearing the suggestions for topics from the
14 countries represented on the committee. And as usual traveling meant
for me, a re-assessment of myself and an effort to be ever ready for continuing
conversion.
The
“genius” of committee members from 14 different countries was obvious
in the many suggestions for workshop topics and speakers. We were asked
not to divulge speaker suggestions, but some suggested topics for workshops
were: Oblates in marriage and the single life, Oblates in the future,
Elderly ‘shut-in’ Oblates, Gregorian Chant, Living the life of an Oblate
in the world, Oblates at work, Listening in the family, St. Benedict’s
life, Obedience, Music and Dance, Humility, Oblate identity, Meditation,
Witnessing formation, Levels of silence, Youth, Oblates and their monastery
or community.
The
Abbot of Montserrat spoke to us as we toured the monastery one evening,
saying, “Many who come here as tourists, leave as pilgrims.” There is
a power in this awe-inspiring place that points to the eternal. It is
easy to imagine dedicating one’s life in the vow of stability to this
breath-taking monastery nestled into the side of a mountain with a view
of the world of valleys before it. This monastery sits on the lap of a
doting parent who knows the importance of allowing the vision of freedom
to her child. Our conference was that. Under the auspices of our “parent”
Abbot Primate we were directed to this remarkable place and asked for
our opinions for a future congress. Although only there for three days
and coming as strangers, many of whom spoke different languages, we left
a family—one young participant hugged me on leaving, saying, “Now
I have a mother in Pittsburgh.”
Blessings & Peace,
Sr. Bonita Gacnik,
NAABOD President
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Contributions for this newsletter and web site are welcome. Please send these to:
Bonita Gacnik, OSB
1005 West 8th Street
Yankton, SD 57078
FAX: 605-668-1487
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