Dear Friends,
Often retreatants ask us monks to bless medals of St. Benedict, or crosses, rosaries, statues, etc. Such religious articles are an expression of our faith; they remind us of God’s loving, caring and protecting presence with us, and also of the saints as our heavenly friends and intercessors. Therefore, for us Christians, religious items are not mere charms or objects with magic power to bring us good luck or better health.
On the front side of the St. Benedict Medal, we see a statue of the saint holding in his hands a cross, the symbol of our faith in Christ, and his Rule for monks. On the margins of the medal, we find Latin words that can be translated as, “May we be strengthened by his presence in the hour of our death!” Benedictines have always regarded St. Benedict as a special patron of a happy death.
The reverse side of the medal shows a cross inscribed with initial letters of Latin sentences that can be rendered as, “May the holy cross be my light! May the dragon (Satan) never be my guide!” The initial letters written around the perimeter, representing Latin words, are a firm rejection of Satan: “Be gone Satan! Never tempt me with your vanities! What you offer me is evil. Drink the poison yourself!” The medal, worn on our body or kept in our house or car, is an expression of our readiness, with the help of God’s grace and through the intercession of St. Benedict, to reject the power and the deceptions of Satan. Please visit our Medals page for purchasing blessed St. Benedict Medals of various sizes and designs. - The arches in the concourses at St. Benedict Center hint at the medal; each one has a circular opening with a cross in it.
St. Benedict Center Roof Damage
We have improved our Wi-Fi at the Center; it is now available everywhere in the building. - The flat roofs of St. Benedict Center need to be replaced. They are already beyond their expected life span of twenty years. Over time the roof’s rubber membrane, exposed to the hot sun and to the cold of winter, contracts and pulls away from its surface causing leaks to occur more and more frequently. Most urgent is the replacement of the roof above the original guest wing by the lake because ceiling leaks can render guest rooms unusable until they are fixed. The cost of replacing the flat roof of this guest wing is estimated to be $100,000. We need your help with covering this expense. Thank you in advance for your generosity!
Fr. Joel Macul, OSB.
From our monastery, I can report that our former prior, Fr. Mauritius Wilde, was asked to become prior at the Benedictine study house of Sant’ Anselmo in Rome, Italy. Fr. Joel Macul was appointed as his successor. Fr. Joel was previously the abbot of St. Paul’s Abbey in Newton, New Jersey. Check out our Prior Joel's web page to learn more about him.
Fr. Thomas Leitner, OSB.
Administrator
St. Benedict Center
St. Benedict Center