Six Days at the Monastery — July 2018

My visit to St. Anselm Abbey in New Hampshire — from Sunday afternoon July 8 through Saturday afternoon July 14 — had several purposes:

1. Be present for the solemn monastic profession (final vows) of Brother Ignatius Membrino, O.S.B.
   
    Bro. Ignatius prostrates while the Litany of Saints is chanted.
   
    At the altar signing his vows.
   
    Chanting a verse from the Psalms invoking God's support.
   
    Leaving the sanctuary at the end of Mass, followed by the priests.
   
   With Father Mathias, prior, Abbot Mark, and Father Peter, subprior.
   
   With Father Mathias, prior, Abbot Mark, and Father Peter, subprior.
   The abbot had introduced us when I was visiting in late June, 2014, and Ignatius was a novice about to take simple (temporary) vows. I returned for that vow-taking in early July.
2. Go on retreat, away from the internet and my usual routine. I brought the book Glorious Holy Spirit, by Fr. Cedric Pisegna, C.P., to read and reflect on. It has sixteen chapters, so I could complete by reading the first chapter on Sunday evening and three every day through Friday. I had a second book, World without End, based on interviews by a Belgian television host with Fr. Thomas Keating, O.C.S.O. I had begun it on my trip to Colorado in April and thought it would be good to dip into at times when I wasn't reading Fr. Pisenga's book.
3. See the novice Bro. Aloysius, O.S.B. take his simple vows and give him an icon of St. Aloysius.
4. Celebrate the Feast of St. Benedict, July 11, at the monastery.
5. Visit with the monks.
6. Prepare for the homily I was scheduled to deliver on July 15 at 7:30 a.m. Mass.

Beyond these there were a couple of bonuses which I hadn't known about in advance.

1. Four jubilees were celebrated on Tuesday, July 10. Two of the monks had taken their simple vows 70 years ago, July 2, 1948: Fr. Cecil Donahue, O.S.B., and Bishop Joseph Gerry, O.S.B. (Bishop Joseph is a former abbot of the monastery and was bishop of Portland, Maine, from 1989 until 2004.) Brother Isaac Murphy, O.S.B., professed simple vows 25 years ago, in 1883. Fr. Mathias Durette, O.S.B., prior of the monastery, was ordained a priest in 1993. The four jubilees were honored at Mass that morning at 11:00, followed by a reception and lunch in the student center.
2. On St. Benedict's Day, the community's postulant, Louis Franciose, was received as a novice, clothed with a monastic habit, and given the name Basil. The reception took place in the chapter room of the monastery in a private ceremony, which was followed by a special lunch in the courtyard.
   
   Jubilarians Father Cecil and Bishop Joseph at the lunch following the reception of Bro. Basil as a novice.
   
   Brothers Titus, Aloysius, Basil, Francis, and Dunstan. Aloysius and Francis are in simple vows; the other three are novices.

So it was a very full week.

I recommend clicking the photos to enlarge them.

To be continued.