R THE RICHMOND AVEN Spring 2017 Mary Mother of the Church Benedictine Abbey 12829 River Road Richmond, Virginia 23238 Keeping the Vision Alive Building Something Beautiful for God By Father John Mary Lugemwa, O.S.B. In his book, Man s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl reflecting on his time in the Auschwitz Nazi concentration camp where he witnessed men dying daily, remarks that, they died less from lack of food or medicine than from lack of hope, lack of something to live for. For Frankl, what kept him alive was the hope that one day he would be reunited with his wife and family. The energy and enthusiasm with which we share our big vision with you, and the resilience of this small band of Brothers in Richmond are rooted in the same kind of hope that Frankl graphically illustrates the trusting hope that God will send holy men to us and our community will continue to thrive, while making an imprint on the faith landscape of the Catholic Church in Virginia as the Benedictine monks have done for over 150 years. In 2015 the monks embarked on a journey to trace the story of the monastic community, capturing the vision of our founders, which forms the cornerstone of our strategies for charting a course into the future. Had they not dared to dream big, had they succumbed to internal and external forces that threatened their existence, this community would not be here today. Why should we? When the monastery was built in 1911, the monks and boys high school shared space on less than three acres of land in downtown Richmond. Envisioning growth of the school and the monastery, the monks acquired a 50-acre plot of land along the historic James River in the beautiful countryside of Goochland County. Their vision was three-fold: a) Relocate the monastery to the Goochland complex and temporarily occupy the already existing building, which was once a minor seminary; b) Reunite the monks with the students by relocating the high school to the Goochland complex; c) Construct a new monastery overlooking the river so the monks could free up space for the school to grow. See Page 2: The Vision Artist s depiction of the future monastary and retreat center as envisioned from a vantage along Route 288.
From Page 1: The Vision In 1994, the monks moved to Goochland. In 2013, the school relocated to the Abbey campus, satisfying the first two components of the vision. Today we enthusiastically share with you the fruits of this two-year journey of refueling hope that has kept this place alive. We invite you, our friends, to pray and dream big with us as we take the last path to completing our vision. This is a presentation of our grand vision; it is a long-term project, planning for the future. In order to make this beautiful project a reality, we understand there is a lot of work to do before we can break ground: a) grow the monastic community with new vocations; and b) mobilize a sizable amount of financial resources. We are men of faith and hope, believing that with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). Since the time of Saint Benedict (in the sixth century), monks have taken pride in building and enhancing centers of education, culture, spirituality and hospitality. During the Middle Ages, towns sprang up around monasteries since they were the only places where one could receive a quality classical education or acquire trade skills. Additionally, the monks provided crafts and produce to the townspeople. Of course, the monastery was also a place to receive faith formation and spiritual nourishment. Our vision is a reflection of the desire to continue this rich monastic tradition in Richmond. Since becoming an autonomous Abbey in 1989, the monks have dreamed of a big vision that encapsulates the ideal of a traditional monastic setting. This vision calls for a new monastery in a serene and peaceful rural setting, a monastic chapel, and a retreat center with a Catechetical Institute for ongoing faith formation and evangelization. Aerial view from the James River, depicting nature trails, Stations of the Cross, and a grotto. Artist s rendition of the new monastery and retreat center, as viewed from the entranceway. 2 The new monastery is designed to house 25 monks and monastic guests. Additionally, the facility includes an infirmary for elderly monks, library, formation classrooms, administrative offices, and various other supporting spaces for monastic activities. The monastery building also houses a full-scale cafeteria serving monks and retreat center guests. The chapel will seat 100 people with an adjacent adoration chapel seating 20 people set apart for guests seeking to spend time with Our Lord in prayer and adoration. The Retreat Center and Catechetical Institute will cater to Catholics and the Christian faithful. It will overlook the scenic James River and house 12 conference rooms seating between 16 and 640 people (with a total combined capacity of 1,015 people). The upper levels of the retreat center will have sleeping quarters for 100 beds for overnight guests. There are also 13 handicap-accessible suites for overnight guests and a gift shop. Nature trails will lead guests and monks to Stations of the Cross, a Marian Grotto, picnic area and James River access, as well as scenic woodlands around the Abbey. Despite the rise of secularism, there is a significant movement of people seeking to deepen their faith. This is evident in the number of young people and adults who participate in retreats, faith seminars, Bible studies, parish prayer groups, and the increasing number of Oblates worldwide. People are yearning for spiritual nourishment to counter the secularism of the world. We want to respond to this need and be a place where that thirst for faith will be quenched. Will you join us on this exciting journey to build something beautiful for God and for the salvation of souls? Pope Francis reminds us, an authentic faith always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow better than we found it, (Evangelii Gaudium, 183). We would be happy to share more details about this project and our vision. Please feel free to contact us by email frjohnmary@richmondmonks.org or call 804.708.9653.
Celebrating Holy Easter with Joy By Abbot Placid Solari, OSB Few people are likely to associate joy with Lent. St. Benedict does, however. In chapter 49 of the Rule, entitled The Observance of Lent, he twice makes reference to joy--the only times the word occurs in the Rule! Quoting St. Paul, he tells the monks that we are to offer something above the usual measure of our abstinence in food or drink with the joy of the Holy Spirit (RB 49.6, cf. I Thess. 1:6). He then instructs the monks: Let each one deny himself some food, drink, sleep, needless talking and idle jesting, and look forward to holy Easter with joy and spiritual longing (RB 49.7). We can get so caught up in the effort of the practices we impose on ourselves for Lent that we sometimes forget that we are preparing ourselves to be partakers of the Lord s Easter victory. When he says that the life of a monk ought to be a continuous Lent (RB 49.1), St. Benedict is reminding us that one comes to monastic life who truly seeks God (RB 58.7), who wishes to use the labor of obedience to return to God from whom he departed through the sloth of disobedience (RB Prol. 2), who wants to be changed from a sinner to a saint. He outlines this process at the conclusion of the Prologue to the Rule: Never swerving from his instructions, then, but faithfully observing his teaching in the monastery until death, we shall through patience share in the sufferings of Christ that we may deserve also to share in his kingdom ( RB Prol. 50). Thus Lent has a note of joyful anticipation. The liturgy of the Easter Triduum, which are the most solemn days in the life of the monastery and in the life of the larger church, seeks to bring to life each year the awesome events of our salvation. The only Mass celebrated on Holy Thursday is the evening Mass of the Lord s Supper, recalling that Supper Jesus shared with his disciples at which he gave us the surpassing gift of the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. This is followed by an evening of prayerful watching, keeping the Lord s words to his disciples: Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test (Mt. 26:41). On the night the Lord was betrayed, we acknowledge the part our own infidelities have played in his betrayal. On Good Friday, at the Liturgy of the Lord s Passion, Mass is not celebrated. Rather Jesus himself, in his dying on the cross, is the sacrifice of that day, and Communion is received from the Eucharist consecrated the night before at the Mass of the Lord s Supper, since Jesus has left us this Sacrament to make present his dying and rising until he comes again. Holy Saturday is, as it were, an empty day. It is the one day of the year when Shroud of Turin Center The Center promotes an awareness and understanding of the Shroud of Turin and conducts research into its origins. There are periodic multimedia presentations featuring images of the Shroud. Contact: Bryan Walsh at 804-977-4820 Mass is never celebrated. There is a great sense of anticipation and waiting, as the Lord rests in the tomb after his great contest with Death. Finally, during the night from Saturday into the Easter dawn, the church s liturgy explodes with joy, for this is the truly blessed night, worthy alone to know the time and hour when Christ rose from the underworld. The church is filled with the light of the Easter fire, and we renew the vows of baptism. The Easter celebration will continue for fifty days until Pentecost, surpassing by ten days the length of Lent. Thus the liturgy itself bears witness to the truth of the Apostle s words: Where sin has abounded, grace has all the more abounded. This is the joy that St. Benedict anticipates. This is the joy that can make of our Lent a joyful hope. Divine Mercy Sunday On April 23rd, 2017 Divine Mercy Sunday will be celebrated at the Abbey. Mass: 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Reconciliation: 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm; Video feature: Divine Mercy 101: 1 p.m. Rosary: 2 p.m. Divine Mercy Chaplet: 2:45 p.m. Call 804-708-9654 for more information. Spiritual Getaway / Retreat Opportunities Are you looking to get away for a few days to renew and regenerate yourself? The Abbey offers space for individual retreatants, couples, or small groups of up to 6 people. Guests are welcome to join the monks for daily prayers and Holy Mass. Call Br. Jeffery at 804-708-9673 or email brotherjeffery@richmondmonks.org 3
Vincent: A Brother among Brothers By Blake Smith, BCP Class of 2019 Brother Vincent, a monk at Benedictine who will take his final vows in one year, has a quite a story to tell. His journey to Benedictine was not what most people would expect. It was a path with several curves, but those curves are what helped him finally decide upon Benedictine. Brother Vincent grew up near the New Jersey shore in a town called Point Pleasant Beach. There, he grew up, went to school, and built many memories. Brother Vincent lived in a large family. He had three older sisters, two parents, a dog and a cat. He was the youngest in the family, which helped make him learn how to become a man. Vincent developed a tight relationship with God from the beginning. He was born and baptized Catholic, and he believed in attending Mass every Sunday as every good Catholic should. Brother Vincent said, the practice of holy communion has always stuck with me. Brother Vincent s relationship with God led him on a path that only God could. Welcome Father Michael New Monk alights at Abbey The Richmond monks welcomed Father Michael Naughton, O.S.B. with open arms. Father Michael hails from Saint John s Abbey, in Minnesota, the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes! He ll be focused on helping out the community and the school, saying Mass and being a wise presence in our midst. Here he is seen administering a blessing during a recent Mass at the school. Vincent was an athlete during his school days. His interest in athletics has carried over to today, where you can find him at many Benedictine sporting events, cheering on the Cadets. After graduating from college, Vincent joined the Air Force, where he served for five years as a military policeman, while being stationed in places such as Panama and Turkey. The most pivotal moment of my life was when I joined the Air Force, he stated. Following his service with the Air Force, Brother Vincent tried to minister; however, it didn t go as he planned. He ended up moving back to his home in Jersey. He had a desire to be a better Catholic. Brother Vincent said, I felt as if God was calling me to rediscover my old Catholic identity. After much research, he decided to pursue becoming a priest. However, priesthood was not a part of God s path for him. While it was a difficult realization for Brother Vincent, he never lost his faith. He later felt that God was calling him to become a monk. Brother Vincent then visited Benedictine because he knew it was a special type of monastery. Once he visited, he loved it and wanted to pursue life as a monk. After spending three years as a monk, he decided to explore other options. While exploring other options, he was quickly drawn back to Benedictine. He believes that his role in life is to be a Benedictine monk. Brother Vincent plans to spend the rest of his life at Benedictine because he loves being a Brother and influencing people s lives. Today, Vincent provides a strong presence at the school. He is a eucharistic minister at the student Masses, has jumped into lunch duties and even assists the maintenance crew. He does all of that in addition to his duties in the monastery and his ongoing formation as a junior monk. 4
Small in a Big Monastic Family By Father John Mary Lugemwa, O.S.B. We, the Benedictine monks, pride ourselves in having an autonomous existence in our beautiful monasteries around the world. This canonical autonomy is rooted in the vow of stability, which is unique to Benedictines as prescribed by our Father Saint Benedict: When he is to be received, he comes before the whole community in the oratory and promises stability, fidelity to monastic life, and obedience, (RB 58:17). St. Benedict envisioned a monk committing his whole life to a monastery where he takes his solemn vows. Benedict calls the monastery a school of the Lord s service (RB Prologue: 45). It is indeed a training ground for life-long service. Unlike the Jesuits, Franciscans or Dominicans, the Benedictines do not have assignment transfers from one monastery to another. To embrace stability is to plant oneself in this place, with this group of Brothers (celebrating their strengths and accepting their shortcomings), in the mission of this community essentially, a rootedness in the here-and-now until God calls us home. Entertaining no fantasies of transfer to escape the grinding realities of your community, stability calls for the radical exercise of the virtues of perseverance, patience and acceptance, as well as hope, all rooted in the dedication to the monastic vocation in service to God. Stability may appear to be counter-cultural in a society that is increasingly mobile: where the norm is constant shifting from job to job, career to career, location to location, and sadly indeed, from spouse to spouse. With this stability and autonomy, one may wonder if monks of one particular community live in a sheltered world in isolation from other monks, let alone in a disconnect from the rest of humanity. Not at all! Despite our autonomy, we are blessed to belong to a very large and diverse Benedictine family spanning the globe. On a local level, Mary Mother of the Church Abbey is a member of the American-Cassinesse Congregation, a family of 19 independent monasteries in North America. We trace our roots from the mother house at St. Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, established by German monks in 1846. Our monastery is one of the youngest houses, founded in 1911 along with an allboys military high school in Richmond, becoming independent from Belmont Abbey, North Carolina, in 1989. However, the first monks came to Richmond in 1861 to staff a local parish and founded several other churches in the diocese. Besides our common charism rooted in prayer, liturgy, stability and hospitality--as guided by the Rule of St. Benedict--each monastery takes on diverse apostolates in responding to the needs of the local church. These range from operating high schools, colleges, universities, seminaries, printing presses and retreat centers to performing parish ministry and farming. In the canonical spirit of autonomy, each community ensures its own viability in terms of vocational recruitment, governance of the monastery, developing future leadership, stewardship of apostolates and supporting temporal goods, as well as financial management. To foster collaboration and mutual support, as well as oversight, the Congregation elects an Abbot President who is assisted by a Council of Abbots and monks from member monasteries. In June 2016, Father John Mary and Abbot Placid represented our community as delegates to the 52nd General Chapter of the American-Cassinese Congregation held at Belmont Abbey. At the General Chapter, Abbot Elias Lorenzo, OSB, a monk of St. Mary s Abbey, New Jersey, was elected as new president along with a council of four monks from other communities. The Abbot President and his council facilitate periodic canonical visitations of each monastery to assess the health of the community and to offer commendations and recommendations on community life, liturgy, finances, leadership and other aspects of monastic life. In times of urgent need, the congregation may step in to offer assistance. For instance, in our situation, the Abbot President stepped in to appoint a series of canonical administrators, monks of other monasteries, to serve in Richmond after Abbot Benedict suffered a stroke in 2002. The Abbot President also visits communities regularly as a gesture of fraternal support and accompaniment on the monastic journey. As most of our communities continue to see a gradual decline in their number of monks, more than ever, it is becoming crucial to collaborate in a mutually beneficial way. At the time of my entry into monastic life in 2001, there were 1,046 monks in the 19 houses of the American-Cassinese See Page 6: The Big Monastic Family 5
RTHE RICHMOND A V E N Published by the monks of MARY MOTHER OF THE CHURCH BENEDICTINE ABBEY 12829 RIVER ROAD RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, 23238-7206 804-784-3508 www.richmondmonks.org From Page 5: The Big Monastic Family Congregation; today we number only 697. Following the 2016 General Chapter, our Fr. John Mary was asked to join a committee of six monks from large, medium and small communities to examine various models of collaboration. The first gathering took place at St. Mary s Abbey at the end of January 2017. Some ideas of collaboration include sharing documents on formation, vocation promotion, liturgy, and other aspects of monastic life on an online platform; a summer workshop for formators; short gatherings of novices from different communities to capitalize on talents existing across monasteries; encouraging monks to visit other monasteries such as participating in annual retreats at other monasteries among others, with the goal of raising awareness of our common identity and the diversity we celebrate in monastic practices. Every year, abbots and priors come together for a workshop to discuss and share insights on various matters pertinent to monastic life. This February, Father John Mary joined the team at Prince of Peace Abbey at Oceanside, California. The group of more than 30 abbots and priors was a representation of a much larger Benedictine family. Participants came from various other Congregations in North America such as the Swiss-American Congregation, the St. Ottilien Missionary Congregation and the Subiaco Congregation, in addition to American-Cassinese and some small independent groups. Likewise, every three years, we get together with our sisters, the Prioresses of the Benedictine monasteries of women in North America, to strengthen the bonds of fraternal charity among male and female monastics in our region. Is God Calling You? Consider joining a vibrant and diverse community of men, Brothers and Priests, dedicated to a life of prayer and work following the Rule of Saint Benedict. Our monks are engaged in education, retreats, pastoral care and social outreach. Contact the Vocations Director Vocations@Richmondmonks.org 804-708-9653 www.richmondmonks.org On a global scale, the Benedictines are organized under a Confederation whose leadership is the Abbot Primate based at our international pontifical college of Sant Anselmo in Rome. The confederation unites monks of 21 Congregations with membership of more than 8,000 monks who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. The Abbot Primate ensures communion between member congregations. In September 2016, Abbot Placid represented our community at the Congress of Abbots in Rome during which Abbot Gregory Polan, OSB of Conception Abbey, Missouri was elected as the new Abbot Primate succeeding Abbot Notker Wolf, OSB of Germany. Also at the Congress, which convenes every four years, were the Prioresses making for a representation of the more than 16,000 Benedictine sisters and nuns from around the world. The International Commission of Benedictine Women (CIB) is a family of 61 congregations and federations. While we treasure our unique and autonomous existence, we embrace and celebrate the diversity of a large global family of sons and daughters of Saint Benedict dedicated to a life of ora et labora (prayer and work), with vibrant apostolates transforming lives and preparing souls for the Kingdom of God. Abbot Gregory Ninety Years Young Birthday salutations to both Father Adrian and Brother David. The two long-time members of our Abbey each marked a special birthday this year, joining the list of nonagenarians. Both of our brothers are still spry and active in our community. Both make their way around the school and its grounds on a frequent basis. Please stop by and congratulate them for their nine decades on this earth. 6