Saint John's Abbey Vocations

NCYC (National Catholic Youth Choir) has recently returned to campus for their two week summer program. I and a sister from the Monastic Community of Saint Benedict in Saint Joseph, joined the high school aged students for lunch and then spoke about vocations and answered questions. This was an exceptionally gifted group of young people that were a joy to spend time talking about God’s call in our life!

Above is a picture of the larger portion of the group.

The first picture is the calm, well-behaved “look” and the second gives way to the kind of energy this group has at their disposal!

For the next six days the choir will be touring the upper midwest sharing their music.
God’s blessings upon them! Peace, bpv

It is not unusual for the monastery to send Junior monks off to one of our dependant priories simply to broaden their appreciation one of our most foreign apostolates. In this case Fr. Nickolas Becker, OSB who has just been accepted for final vows is visiting our community in Fujimi, Japan. Here he is being greeted by monks Tada San, OSB on the far left and Simose San, OSB on the far right.

We trust Fr. Nickolas will have an excellent time appreciating the wonderful Japanese Benedictine hospitality!

Peace, bpv

Not for three moths, let alone nine

could Mary conceal His presence-

Nor was Joseph kept in the dark

before His eruption like the morning star

at midnight breaking in winter-

He dazzled both shepherds and wise men:

We twelve were all blinded-three years-

till flesh failed to veil Him, even from us,

in a calm stilled sea, and on one mountain top.

How then could we conspire to cover Him

with heavy human robes- bury Him

in puny feudal powers?  Him

whose setting the sun mourned,

whose light death could not extinguish?

He burst out of that grave, propelled

by resurrection- casting us all before Him

by the blaze of his uprising.

Every year about 35,000 Catholics show up at the Anaheim Convention Center in Orange County, California. The Liturgical Press, The Saint John’s School of Theology/Seminary, Little Rock Scripture Study and Saint John’s Abbey Vocations all join the many other Catholic organizations that take part in the convention hall. Below is a picture of the School of Theology-Seminary which was right next door to Abbey Vocations. The work is wonderful – meeting so many people but at the same time being on your feet from 8 am until 5 pm can be exhausting as well! I was able to pass out some 3000 + magnets one by one to interested people!

Peace, bpv