Kathleen Norris to Speak at Saint Benedict Center

On June 16 - 17, 2023, award-winning poet, writer, and best-selling author Kathleen Norris will come to St. Benedict Center, four miles north of Schuyler, and speak on the topic of Discerning What Matters: Embracing a Life of Meaning. On Friday, June 16, at 7:30 p.m. she will give an evening presentation, followed by discussion and sharing.  On Saturday, June 17, she will present from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

What matters most to us in our lives? Why does belief matter? To what do we give our hearts? What is the core message of what we believe—creeds or commitment? To what extent is to believe also “to belove”? The Bible as our collective story matters. How is that story reflected in our daily lives? What is it about the Bible that always seems to address our present moment? Community matters for in it individualism and imperfection meet grace and acceptance. What is our part in the Body of Christ? Place Matters: In what ways is faith set within the physical space of home, church, land and people? We Matter: What does it mean to remain in God’s image and to counter our selfishness by embracing the world and its needs? Kathleen Norris’ presentations will be at once intimate and historical, rich in poetry and meditations, brimming with exasperation and reverence, deeply grounded in both nature and spirit, sometimes funny, and often provocative.

Norris is the author of The New York Times bestsellers, The Cloister Walk, Acedia and Me: A Marriage, Monks and a Writer’s Life, Dakota: A Spiritual Geography, Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith and The Virgin of Bennington.  She also has published seven books of poetry.  Some reviewers have compared her portrait of the world of the monastics in The Cloister Walk to the writings of Thomas Merton. Norris also appears on the DVD and companion book project titled Embracing a Life of Meaning: Kathleen Norris on Discovering What Matters.  Kathleen Norris is a Benedictine Oblate of Assumption Abbey in Richardton, North Dakota. Widowed in 2003, she lives in Honululu, Hawaii. She travels to the mainland regularly to speak to students, medical professionals, social workers, and chaplains at colleges and universities, as well as churches and teaching hospitals. She also serves as an editorial advisor to Give Us This Day. 

The program fee is $70, for Friday only it is $20; for Saturday only it is $50. The early bird rate for both Friday and Saturday (register before May 12) is $60.  On Saturday, lunch is available at the Center for $12.87 (includes tax), if you request it in advance.  Guest rooms are available at St. Benedict Center for the night from Friday to Saturday.  Room and board charges will be added to the program fee.

Retreat on Henri Nouwen at Saint Benedict Center, Schuyler

Henri Nouwen

Wil Hernandez, PhD, Obl OSB, is the presenter of a retreat titled, Coming Home to Our True Self: Reflections on the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen on April 28 - 30, 2023, sponsored by Saint Benedict Center, four miles north of Schuyler. In this retreat, Wil will explore Henri Nouwen's insightful reflections on the Prodigal Son, highlighting the deep love God has for us as his children even as we sometimes struggle to find our way back home into God's embrace. There will be talks, group Lectio Divina (Sacred Reading), as well as Visio Divina (Divine Seeing) exercises based on Luke 15 (Parable of the Prodigal Son), small group interaction, personal solitude, and liturgical prayers.

Wil Hernandez

Wil Hernandez is an international retreat leader, a spiritual director, and the author of Mere Spirituality: The Spiritual Life According to Henri Nouwen (SkyLight Paths Publishing, 2015), as well as of a trilogy on Henri Nouwen published by Paulist Press. All year round he conducts retreats, workshops, and seminars and teaches courses focused on the spirituality of Nouwen in both Catholic and Protestant institutions in the U.S. and abroad through The Nouwen Legacy, an outfit he manages which is dedicated to promoting the enduring legacy of Nouwen (www.nouwenlegacy.com). Wil is the founder and executive director of CenterQuest, an ecumenical hub for the study and practice of Christian Spirituality (www.CQCenterQuest.org). He holds a private practice in a professional office in Pasadena, California, doing counseling, life coaching, and spiritual direction. As an active member of Spiritual Directors International (SDI), he serves on the Editorial Panel of Presence Journal and regularly conducts Nouwen workshops at SDI conferences. Wil is also an active Benedictine Oblate of Saint Andrew’s Abbey in Valyermo, CA.

Please note: Due to unforeseen personal circumstances, Wil Hernandez will now direct this retreat on Zoom. He will not be here in person. The retreat runs from Friday, at 7:30 p.m. to Sunday at noon. You can attend this retreat at St. Benedict Center or from your own home. Register now at www.StBenedictCenter.com or call (402) 352-8819. For those attending in person, the program fee is $70; room and board charges are additional. Total fee for those attending on Zoom: $99.

News Release: Retreat with Richard W. Miller, PhD

Professor Richard W. Miller, PhD, will present a retreat titled, Authentic Hope in an Age of Crisis: Exploration in Pope Francis’s Encyclical Laudato Si’ at Saint Benedict Center, four miles north of Schuyler, on April 15 – 16, 2023. This retreat will focus on the virtue of hope in the face of what the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and other scientific bodies call a ‘human-induced emergency.’ We will reflect on Pope Francis’s Encyclical Laudato Si’ and practice centering prayer. There will be time for individual prayer and reflection, small group dialogue, and Mass on Sunday with the monks. 

Richard W. Miller, PhD, is professor of philosophical and systematic theology and professor of sustainability studies at Creighton University.  He is a contributor to and editor of seven books including God, Creation, and Climate Change: A Catholic Response to the Environmental Crisis (Orbis, 2010), which won a 2011 Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada book award in the faith and science category.  He has been invited to speak around the world on the ecological crisis, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference (COP 22, 2016, Marrakech, Morocco) and the problem of God’s providence and human suffering. Dr. Miller has engaged political figures at the highest level in the United States, including a special assistant to President Obama, and the highest levels in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches. He was awarded (2020) the “Steward of God’s Creation” award from the National Religious Coalition on Creation Care.  This award is bestowed annually on an individual who “exhibits courage and commitment in the keeping of the earth in a heroic, distinguished, and effective manner.”      

The retreat begins on Saturday, at 9:30 a.m. and ends on Sunday after Lunch.  The program fee is $60; room and board  charges are additional. 

Spring Newsletter from Fr. Thomas

Dear Friends,

In our monastery courtyard across the street from the retreat center, we have a beautiful garden fountain. It has several tiers: two smaller bowls on top, a mid-size one at the center, a large one and then a basin below. During our recreation time in the evening, when the weather allows it, we monks sit together in the yard, visit and listen to the gentle bubbling of the fountain.

The fountain has a water reservoir and a stem in which the water rises. The water flows into the first bowl and fills it. It overflows and fills the second bowl. The second bowl overflows and fills the third and so on. The Doctor of the Church, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (c. 1090 – 1153) must have seen such a fountain when he wrote: Those who are wise will see their lives more like a fountain than like a canal. The canal simultaneously pours out what it receives; the fountain, on the other hand, retains the water till it is filled, then discharges the overflow without loss to itself. You, too, must learn to await this fullness before pouring out your gifts. “Do not try to be more generous than God. The fountain imitates the spring. Only when it is saturated with water, it flows to the river and becomes a lake. Do likewise. Start with filling; then pour out” (On the Song of Songs).

This is wonderful advice for our human and spiritual journey. We need times of being re-filled physically, emotionally, and spiritually. A retreat at St. Benedict Center can serve all three purposes. Particularly it can be a time of being replenished with the life-giving water of the Holy Spirit that wells forth in us so that we then can overflow in everyday life with the goodness of God.

Form our monastery I can report that Fr. Anastasius Reiser became the new prior of our monastic community in January. Fr. Anastasius was the abbot of a large Benedictine abbey in Tanzania for eleven years and has now lived with us in Schuyler for a year. Congratulations, Fr. Anastasius, we are happy!

Especially worth noting among the upcoming events of our program schedule is the weekend retreat on June 16 - 17 with best-selling author Kathleen Norris from Hawaii titled, Discovering What Matters: Embracing a Life of Meaning. Through storytelling and poetry, and inspired by the monastic tradition, Kathleen will help us ponder what is truly important to us in our lives. – I am looking forward to seeing you again soon! 

Fr. Thomas Leitner, OSB, Administrator            

Christmas Letter from Fr. Thomas

Schuyler, Nebraska, Christmas 2022
                                   
Dear Friends,

“The root of joy is gratefulness... It is not joy that makes us grateful. It is gratefulness that makes us happy.”                           

These words of Camaldoli Benedictine Brother David Steindl-Rast express a deep truth. "Our eyes are opened to that surprise character of the world around us the moment we wake up from taking things for granted… Surprise is the beginning of gratefulness," he writes. Standing by our lake often helps me to marvel again. St. Ignatius of Loyola considered gratitude to be one of the most important virtues. He said that ingratitude is the root of all sin, because sin is abuse of the gifts God has given us. If we are truly grateful for the gifts, then we will not abuse them. Therefore, I would like to share with you some of God's gifts that I have received during the past year.

Fr. Anselm explains rituals

Thinking of St. Benedict Center fills me with gratitude. It is well occupied again now, almost as it was before Covid. A highlight of our program schedule was a day with Fr. Anselm Grün in June. He gave us guidance and suggestions for good, supporting, religious rituals that we can practice in our everyday lives. – After some personnel changes, we now have a good team of co-workers again. Mark, Patty, and Liz: Your retirement is well-deserved; thank you very much for all the good you have done for us! Linda: May heaven reward you abundantly for your good and faithful service! RIP.

On July 7th we celebrated the Center’s 25th birthday. In a panel discussion, guests shared many wonderful experiences that they had while on retreat. Fr. Prior Joel’s summarizing words in the end were programmatic: “That we accept everyone as Christ is not just a saying on the wall, it is something we live. We let people be who they are; we do not judge. This is what hospitality is and it is absorbed into the culture of monastic life.”

Keynote address by Rev. John Ross

Our permanent and interactive exhibition on The Saint John's Bible continues to give me joy, too. July 17 was also the day of its Grand Opening. As mentioned earlier, The Saint John's Bible is the first handwritten and illuminated Bible in over 500 years, commissioned by a Benedictine monastery: St. John's Abbey in Collegeville, MN. Our Heritage Edition, which we received as a gift from Allen and Vivian Hager, is a fine-art, leather-bound, seven-volume reproduction, whose gold and silver leaf were applied by hand and which in its size and beauty is not inferior to the original. The Rev. Dr. John Ross, Executive Director of The Saint John’s Bible’s Heritage Program, emphasized in his keynote address that we have lost the skill of patient and prayerful reading. The beautiful text of the Bible with its impressive illuminations invites us to do so.  

"Gratitude creates a space of peace in the human heart", P. Prior Joel recently said in a sermon. I wish you gratitude for God's gifts during this Christmas Season, in spite of and even in the midst of difficulties and suffering.  May this gratitude create a space of peace in you! May God bless your Year 2023 abundantly!

See you again soon!

Fr. Thomas

That God Can Arrive: Advent Thoughts from Fr. Thomas

Dear Friends,

Advent means arrival. Does God have a chance to arrive with me this advent? Do I expect God? Do I open my heart for God? In the gospel that we heard on this First Sunday of Advent (Matthew 24:37-44), Jesus reminds his disciples of the time before the Great Flood. All were so busy with eating and drinking, marrying and being married that they noticed the impending disaster only when it was too late.

Advent is a busy time. Throughout the year, we have to do justice to our manifold obligations in the family and at work. During the upcoming weeks, however, we are also meant to write Christmas mail, decorate the home, buy presents and prepare a nice feast! Still the gospel makes it clear to us: All that we do and plan can come to an end at a moment’s notice. There are more important things than what keeps us occupied in everyday life.

Attending a retreat at St. Benedict Center could be one way of making time for God and of opening our hearts to God. All our programs coming up in 2023 are listed on our website now. Please have a look at our retreat schedule.

While visiting our craft show, you may find a few more good Christmas presents. And, stopping by our nativity scenes display, you can get in touch with the true reason for the season. I wish you blessed weeks of Advent! See you again soon!

Fr. Thomas

News Release: Christmas Craft Show

Under the motto, Christmas on the Hill, handmade crafts by over fifty vendors will be for sale at St. Benedict Center, 4 miles north of Schuyler on Highway 15, from November 27 to December 11, 2022.  Shop in a peaceful atmosphere for unique gifts like wall hangings, quilts, Christmas decorations, woodworking, blown glass, homemade honey products, jewelry, and homemade bakery items! Opening times are Monday through Friday, 2:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Final Sunday, Dec. 11, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. The gift shop will be open. 

In addition, there will be an opportunity to view a colorful display of beautiful nativity scenes from all over the world!

There is no admission fee for the craft show and the exhibit.

Fall Newsletter: Fr. Thomas Leitner, OSB

Dear Friends,

Luke Anthology, Donald Jackson with contributions from Aidan Hart and Sally Mae Joseph, Copyright 2002, The Saint John’s Bible, Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

During the Eucharist on Sundays, we hear passages from the Gospel of Luke this year. In the illumination, Luke Anthology of The Saint John’s Bible, artists Donald Jackson, Aidan Hart and Sally Mae Joseph present several of these together. In my prayer with this image, several details drew my eye. The colorful garment stands out that the father holds in hand while running toward his wayward son. The father is ready to embrace his son who has turned away from the pigs that represent the poor choices he has made. The father, with an expression of goodness and mercy on his face, is going to clothe him with the festive garment and to put a ring on his finger as an expression of his dignity as son of this merciful father.

I also feel drawn to the gold of the angels who rejoice about the sheep, lost in a dark place who has been found, and who also joyfully surround the poor man, Lazarus, who rests securely in the embrace of Abraham. Then my eyes wander to the representation of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, which are bathed in that same golden light; and this gives me goose bumps. Can it be that the forgiving love of our heavenly Father even embraces those who have committed these atrocities? Certainly, the red that dominates this whole illumination so strongly also is the color of blood. Jesus did not only tell the parable of the Good Samaritan, he himself became that Samaritan to the point of shedding his blood for a lost and wounded humanity…

On July 17 we celebrated the grand opening of our permanent and interactive display on The Saint John’s Bible. The Rev. Dr. John Ross, Executive Director of its Heritage Program, said in his keynote address: “We have lost the skill of patient and prayerful reading… The opportunity to experience The Saint John’s Bible is to encourage a space for rest, a time to slow down, and an invitation to carry this slower pace into our daily lives.” – Please come to pray with this 21st century hand-written bible and its stunning illuminations, alone or with your group!

On this same day, we marked the 25th anniversary of St. Benedict Center’s opening with a panel of friends sharing their experiences at the retreat center and about ideas on how it can continue to fulfill its mission in the future. – I am looking forward to seeing you again soon!

Fr. Thomas Leitner, OSB, Administrator

Summer Newsletter: Fr. Thomas Leitner, OSB

Dear Friends,
Twenty-five years ago, St. Benedict Center opened its doors! The first overnight groups and private retreatants came in June. On July 11, 1997, the Feast of Saint Benedict, the center, and its chapel was solemnly dedicated. Later in July, Sr. Rosann Ocken, the current prioress of our Missionary Benedictine Sisters in Norfolk, NE, offered the first sponsored one-day retreat titled, Anger: Changing Curse into Blessing. Milestones since then were an addition with 16 single guest rooms, three spiritual direction rooms, and an exercise room in 2005, and the completion of our new permanent displays of The Saint John’s Bible Heritage Edition and on our worldwide missionary work in 2020.

This anniversary fills my heart with much gratitude. The Lord has done such great things at this place in the hearts of so many throughout these years! As a retreat leader, spiritual director, and confessor, I have been privileged to experience the goodness of so many people, their sincere seeking of God, their perseverance in their faith and their strength in dealing with numerous challenges.

At the dedication, our abbot at the time from our German motherhouse, Fr. Fidelis Ruppert, Ph.D., spoke in his keynote address about Benedictine hospitality. Saint Benedict writes in his Rule: “All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ for he himself will say, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” The dignity of the guest is the dignity of Christ. The guests are to be offered food and drink, but they also need nourishment for soul and spirit, which satisfies their hunger for love and acceptance, their hunger for God and peace of heart, their hunger and longing for orientation, and a deeper understanding of life and love. Fr. Fidelis continued, “Saint Benedict’s hospitality should be like an oasis in the desert of life, where people can find spring waters of new life and a place of rest and relaxation in the shadow of God’s presence.”

In St. Benedict Center’s kitchen, we have a very good new team under the leadership of Bradley Weber and Andrew Janousek. Brad worked even as a schoolboy in the kitchen of Mark and Patty who have now retired. – Plus, excellent food for the soul continues to be available here on the hill. Among our upcoming sponsored retreat offerings, I’d like to point you, especially to the weekend about mindfulness, sobriety, and mercy on July 29 – 31 with our former prior Fr. Mauritius Wilde, OSB, Ph.D., who comes to us from Rome, Italy. – I am looking forward to seeing you again soon!

Fr. Thomas Leitner
OSB, Administrator

News Release: Retreat with Father Mauritius Wilde

The Rev. Mauritius Wilde, OSB, PhD, will present a retreat titled, Sober and Merciful: Saint Benedict’s Journey of Mindfulness at Saint Benedict Center, four miles north of Schuyler, on July 29 – 31, 2022. Saint Benedict suggests a way on which we will be able to let go of our “ego” – at least a little bit – and become open to the fullness of life. What he recommends to the Abbot of the monastery, is helpful for all: Sobriety not only of the stomach, but as a basic attitude of mindfulness. How can we courageously let go of thoughts, desires, and emotions, in order to face our own truth? How can we accept the reality of ourselves and become merciful to others? This retreat is an invitation to discover what God has in store for us every day.

Father Mauritius has been a Benedictine monk of Muensterschwarzach Abbey, Germany, since 1985. He studied Philosophy and Theology, and then earned his PhD at Tuebingen University with a thesis on Meister Eckhart. He worked as teacher and educator at the abbey’s high school and, for eleven years, was the director of the abbey’s publishing house, Vier Tuerme Verlag. For five years he was the prior of Christ the King Priory near Schuyler. Currently he serves as prior at Sant’ Anselmo, the Benedictine study house in Rome, Italy. Fr. Mauritius is the author of several books, including Be Yourself: The Call of a Christian (Paulist), and directs retreats regularly. His blog can be found at www.wildemonk.net. For his reflections on the Holy Rule of St. Benedict, listen to Spirit Catholic Radio or visit www.DiscerningHearts.com.

The retreat begins on Friday, at 7:30 p.m. and ends on Sunday after Lunch. The program fee is $70; room and board charges are additional. Register at www.StBenedictCenter.com or call (402) 352-8819.

Rev. Anselm Gruen, OSB to Speak at St. Benedict Center

Schuyler, NE – The Rev. Anselm Gruen, OSB, PhD, one of the most frequently read spiritual authors of our time, will present a one-day retreat at St. Benedict Center, four miles north of Schuyler on Saturday, June 25, 2022. His retreat is titled, Sacred Rituals for Every Day.

People feel a new need for rituals today. This includes religious rituals in communal worship, which we often observe more consciously today, as well as personal rituals that shape our everyday living in the family, in business and in society. Personal sacred rituals help us to experience each day with its special quality and to begin it in such a way that we are embraced by God's blessing. “Rituals are more than habits or routine activities of life. Rituals have a religious meaning. They show us the bigger horizon under which we live, the horizon of God,” Fr. Anselm said. All of the rituals suggested and practiced on this retreat are simple, practical, and require little to no preparation. Father Anselm is a great guide to lead you whether you are experienced at doing such rituals or not.

Father Anselm Grün is Germany’s most well-known monk, a Benedictine of Münsterschwarzach Abbey, a counselor and spiritual advisor, sought-after speaker and retreat master. He is widely respected for his ability to present classic Christian spirituality in a modern context. In his numerous retreats and talks around the world, Fr. Anselm responds to the needs and questions of the people. “It is an important goal for me to interpret Scriptural texts in a way that people understand them,” he said. “As a Missionary Benedictine, I want to proclaim the Christian message in a way that people sense, this is about me, this is not far away from me.” Fr. Anselm’s numerous books, among them, Sacred Rituals for Every Day (Paulist), Images of Jesus (Continuum), Everybody Has an Angel (Crossroad) and Angels of Grace (Crossroad), are international bestsellers. His books have been translated into 35 languages and are especially popular in Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Korea and China. 300 titles are available and over 20 Million copies have been sold worldwide. Fr. Anselm will come to us from Germany for this special event.

The retreat runs from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Guest rooms are available for those who would like to spend the night. The program fee is $ 40. Please bring your own sack lunch. Lunch is available at the Center for $ 12.08 (includes tax), if you request it in advance. Register now by clicking on the button below or call 402-352-8819.

News Release - Henri Nouwen Retreat at St. Benedict Center

The spirituality of the famous priest and writer Henri Nouwen will be the topic of a weekend retreat at St. Benedict Center, four miles north of Schuyler, on April 29 – May 1, 2022, presented by Wil Hernandez, PhD, Obl. OSB, and titled, Everyday Spirituality: Living the Ordinary Extraordinarily.

Henri Nouwen

According to Henri Nouwen, “To live in the present, we must believe deeply that what is most important is the here and now” and, thus, “we must learn to live each day, each hour, yes, each minute as a new beginning, as a unique opportunity to make everything new.” Employing Nouwen’s rich insights into our spiritual life in conversation with the core features of both Benedictine and Ignatian spirituality, we will examine during this weekend retreat more closely how the ordinariness of our daily existence can be lived out extraordinarily when we learn to be truly present in the moment. Wil will also draw from his new book, Accidental Monk and share some of his experiences during his own prolonged retreat in a Benedictine monastery.

Wil Hernandez

Wil Hernandez is an international retreat leader, a spiritual director, and the author of Mere Spirituality: The Spiritual Life According to Henri Nouwen (SkyLight Paths Publishing, 2015), as well as of a trilogy on Henri Nouwen published by Paulist Press. All year round he conducts retreats, workshops, and seminars and teaches courses focused on the spirituality of Nouwen in both Catholic and Protestant institutions in the U.S. and abroad through The Nouwen Legacy, an outfit he manages which is dedicated to promoting the enduring legacy of Nouwen (www.nouwenlegacy.com). Wil is the founder and executive director of CenterQuest, an ecumenical hub for the study and practice of Christian Spirituality (www.CQCenterQuest.org). He holds a private practice in a professional office in Pasadena, California, doing counseling, life coaching, and spiritual direction. As an active member of Spiritual Directors International (SDI), he serves on the Editorial Panel of Presence Journal and regularly conducts Nouwen workshops at SDI conferences. Wil is also an active Benedictine Oblate of Saint Andrew’s Abbey in Valyermo, CA.

The retreat begins on Friday, at 7:30 p.m. and ends on Sunday after Lunch. The program fee is $ 70; room and board are additional.

News Release: Marriage Retreat with Sharon & Dr. Steve Doran at St. Benedict Center

On April 22 - 23, 2022, Deacon Dr. Steve Doran, MD, and Sharon Doran, MA, the teaching director of Seeking Truth Catholic Bible Study, Omaha, will offer a retreat at St. Benedict Center, four miles north of Schuyler, titled, The Beauty of Marriage: Ever Changing, Ever New.

A marriage retreat for couples at every stage of their marital journey. Join Steve and Sharon Doran for a deeper look into the evolving mystery of Marriage. God uses His primordial sacrament in His eternal plan of salvation for all His beloved creatures and entrusts married people to help Him in a unique way. Come and see how God has entrusted you and your spouse to be part of His own redemptive plan through your gift of marriage.

Deacon Dr. Steve and Sharon Doran have been married for 36+ years. They have 5 grown sons/2 daughter in laws and 6 grandkids. Doran’s are the Co-Founders of the international Seeking Truth Catholic Bible Study for the past 12 years. Steve, is a practicing Neurosurgeon and Permanent Deacon who serves as the Bioethicist for the Archdiocese of Omaha. Sharon is a Scripture Teacher, Speaker and certified Spiritual Director in the tradition of St. Ignatius of Loyola. They look forward to sharing their marital journey with other couples on the road!

The program begins on Friday, 7:30 p.m. and closes on Saturday at 4:00 p.m.

Spring 2022 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Once the Prophet Ezechiel had an impressive vision of a whole valley filled with dry, lifeless human bones (Ch. 37:1-14). God asked him, “Can these bones come to life?” Ezechiel, aware of his own powerlessness but filled with deep trust in God responds, “You alone know that.”

Donald Jackson, illuminating this passage for The Saint John’s Bible, presents us with the dry bones of our time. He shows broken glass from terrorist attacks, the eye glasses taken from Jewish people before they were gassed at Auschwitz, and the skulls of other genocide victims of the twentieth century. The junk car points to environmental degradation.

Above all this, however, he depicted the rainbow, representing God’s unconditional faithfulness to humanity. And the little golden squares of God’s working in the world even find their way into the scenario below. If we would look at the whole illumination we would see God’s words written across the bottom: “I will put my Spirit into you and you shall live.”

This Scripture passage and its illumination fills me with hope. We can hold out in prayer to God the victims of war, terrorism, abortion, domestic violence, and environmental destruction, the suffering of refugees and immigrants, etc., and the perpetrators of such injustice. We also can respond to God’s question, “Can these bones live?” with: “You alone know that.” We may trust that God’s Spirit can work even at these places of desolation and that He will show us how we can cooperate with the Spirit bringing resurrection and new life.

A good place for such hope-inspiring prayer is St. Benedict Center and especially our display of The Saint John’s Bible. Please spread the word about it and bring your own group or church for a retreat or just for a tour! Especially worth noting among the upcoming events of our program schedule is the one-day retreat on June 25 with our brother monk from Germany and best-selling author Fr. Anselm Gruen, OSB, on Sacred Rituals for Our Everyday Life. These rituals will help us let our faith shape our day-today living.

At Christ the King Priory, you will see a new face: Fr. Anastasius Reiser came from our motherhouse in Germany, the Abbey of Münsterschwarzach, to be a member of our monastic community. Welcome to Nebraska, Fr. Anastasius! - I am looking forward to seeing you again soon!

Fr. Thomas Leitner, OSB, Administrator

News Release: Retreat on Icons at Saint Benedict Center

On January 28 - 30, 2022, The Very Rev. James L. Secora, will come to St. Benedict Center, four miles north of Schuyler, and present a weekend retreat on, Windows to Heaven: Encountering and Encountered by Jesus in Icons.

Fr. Jim Secora

Encounter and be encountered by Jesus through this ancient means of revelation. It has been said what the written word of Scripture is to the ears, icons are to the eyes.  Learn a brief history of icons and then spend a weekend with scripture and these "windows to heaven."  This is a retreat of both lectio divina and visio divina. Time will be given to presentations of a variety of icons, personal and group reflection.  The Saint Benedict Center invites you to come gaze and contemplate  these "windows" which can offer greater "insight" on your spiritual journey.

Father Jim is a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa presently living in Ames, Iowa.  Ordained in 1975, Fr. Jim's ministerial assignments have included: full-time high school teaching; instructor in the archdiocese's permanent diaconate formation process; chairperson of the archdiocese's worship commission and master of liturgical ceremonies to the late Archbishop Daniel W. Kucera; thirty-three years as parish pastor and presenter at various workshops.  Father Jim is also an Oblate of Christ the King Priory in Schuyler since 2010.  He holds a B.A. from Loras College, Dubuque, IA; a M.Div. from St. Mary's Seminary and University, Baltimore, MD; and a M.Ed. from Boston College, Newton, MA. Praying and reflecting with icons are essential components of Father Jim's prayer and ministerial life. 

Social distancing and wearing a mask is recommended. Friday, 7:30 p.m. to Sunday after lunch.

News Release: Lee Elliot, Father Philipsen to Speak at Saint Benedict Center

On October 23-24, 2021, Lee Elliot, MS, and Father Todd Philipsen will direct a retreat at St. Benedict Center, four miles north of Schuyler, titled, Learn How to Live a Wonderful Life. 

Gain skills to improve your personal, family and business relationships! Research in the field of positive psychology has shown us how to be at peace, enjoy life, and have an exceptional life. Among other things, it helps us to effectively resolve problems and to reduce grudges. Happiness, trust, and resilience can grow. This work has shown exceptional results when applied to the world of work and to our personal relationships. It fits exceptionally well with the teachings of Jesus. Research is showing us how His teachings can improve business results as well as significantly improve our lives and those of the ones we love. This engaging retreat involves interactive learning and will significantly help participants to live an exceptional life!

Lee Elliott, is the Executive Director of the Wonderful Life Project, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in addressing complex, difficult people issues such as building work environments to enhance recruitment and retention of employees. His research interests have focused on an emerging revolution in the field of management: Wisdom-based Management (also known as “positive organizational scholarship”). Lee is a pioneer in this field and has proven its effectiveness in a variety of work settings. Lee led efforts in numerous businesses that resulted in dramatically improved employee recruitment and retention. His work won first in a worldwide competition of employers. For over 20 years, Lee has worked to improve lives at work and at home by teaching the research of positive psychology. William Dendinger, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Grand Island, wrote, “I can fully endorse the Wonderful Life Project. It addresses the spiritual values that lead to happiness.”

Father Todd Philipsen, ordained in 1989, is the pastor of St. Patrick's Parish in Chadron. Lee significantly helped him guide his co-workers during his previous assignment as pastor at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Grand Island.

Social distancing and wearing a mask is recommended. The retreat begins on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. and ends on Sunday after lunch.  The program fee is $60; room and board are additional.  For more information visit www.WonderfulLifeProject.org.

Father Joel Macul, OSB to Speak at Saint Benedict Center

On September 25, 2021, Prior Joel Macul, OSB, will direct a retreat at St. Benedict Center, four miles north of Schuyler, titled, God’s Last Word: Love to the End. The Prophet Hosea’s Embodied Faithfulness.

Fr. Joel Macul, OSB

Participants will spend the day with the Prophet Hosea and hear how Israel’s lack of fidelity to her relationship with her Lord is met repeatedly with God’s willingness to respond to her with forgiveness and reconciliation. In the give and take of this relationship, God’s faithful love remains steadfast. From anger to compassion, Hosea leads us into the mystery of our God. Any time spent with Hosea and the God for whom he speaks should leave us with a profound sense of being loved beyond measure even as we acknowledge that have gone astray. Reading Hosea invites us to take a look where we might mirror this faithful love of God.

Father Joel Macul, OSB, STL, was the abbot of St. Paul’s Abbey in Newton, NJ, from 1997 to 2015. Prior to that, he taught Scripture at Tangaza College and the Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Nairobi, Kenya. He came to the monastery in Schuyler in January 2017 where he serves as prior.

Social distancing and wearing a mask is recommended. - The program fee is $35; lunch is available at the Center for $ 11.23 (includes tax), if you pay for it before the program starts. Register now by clicking the button below or call 402-352-8819.

Fall Newsletter

Dear Friends,

“Unless one learns how to relish the taste of Sabbath… one will be unable to enjoy the taste of eternity in the world to come. It was on the seventh day that God gave the world a soul and the world’s survival depends upon the holiness of the seventh day… Six days a week we wrestle with the world, wringing profit from the earth; on the Sabbath we especially care for the seed of eternity planted in the soul.” These are words of the well-known rabbi, Abraham J. Heschel, from his book, The Sabbath.

Creation, Donald Jackson and Tomlin, Copyright 2003 The Saint John’s Bible, Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota, USA.

The opening illumination of The Saint John’s Bible interprets the first creation story in the book of Genesis (Gen 1:1 – 2:4a). God’s Spirit brought light, order and life to what was formless wasteland at first. The divine presence is indicated by the thin ribbon of gold running through the chaos of the first day and by the golden squares that increase in number from day to day. On the third day, the illumination shows a satellite image of the Ganges Delta in India. God made the water recede and the dry land appear. On the sixth day, we see prehistoric cave paintings from Nigeria and Australia, pointing us to the first human beings. Below on this sixth panel the coral snake appears, indicating the dangers that come with human freedom of choice.

The seventh day is bathed in gold, representing the Sabbath rest of God. God stepped back from the work of creation, rested, and again found it good, very good. We humans need times of rest and reflection, too, times of caring for the seed of eternity planted in our souls. The Christian Sabbath, the Sunday, can fulfill this purpose and, perhaps even more profoundly, a time of retreat at a place like St. Benedict Center.

The doors of the retreat center and of the monastery are open again, at least for the time being, for visitors without a reservation. Individuals are most welcome to join us once again for Mass and prayer at the monastery. Please note the time change: on all weekdays, we now celebrate the Eucharist at 11:00 a.m. On Sundays, the monastic community comes to the larger chapel at St. Benedict Center for Mass at 9:00 a.m. It is also open to the public.

Now all three of our new interactive displays are accessible to everyone, including the one at the monastery, showing and explaining our Benedictine way of life. Consider making a reservation to bring your bible study, faith formation, religious education, senior or artist group for a tour, especially of The Saint John’s Bible display! You can also set some time aside during a one-day or overnight retreat that you schedule for learning about and praying with The Saint John’s Bible. - I am looking forward to seeing you again soon!

Fr. Thomas Leitner, OSB, Administrator

News Release: Dr. Michael Bauer to Speak at Saint Benedict Center

On July 15 - 16, 2021, Dr. Michael Bauer, professor for organ and church music, will come to St. Benedict Center, four miles north of Schuyler, and direct a retreat titled, Faith and the Arts: A Creative Exploration.

Saint Augustine asks the immortal question: "What do we love, if it be not beauty?" What, indeed? There are many paths to beauty and many different ways in which beauty intersects with human living. Arts ministry enables the church to encounter beauty through an extraordinary variety of creative ventures accomplished by individual artists, parishes, and organizations. It encompasses all the fine arts (music, dance, architecture, the visual arts, literature, poetry, and film) as well as the wider arena of human creativity. This experiential course will explore the notion of arts ministry, and help participants understand this model of ministry through talks and worship services involving each of the fine arts in conjunction with discussions of the different issues involved in arts ministry.

Michael Bauer, DMA, holds a doctorate in organ and choral conducting. He directs the doctoral church music program at the University of Kansas, which features multiple courses in the area of the Judeo-Christian Tradition and the Arts. Along with colleagues in Northeast Kansas and Missouri, he founded Imago Dei, a Kansas City-based non-profit organization that worked in the area of Christianity and the Arts. He has also founded and run three church arts ministries, and is the author of Arts Ministry: Nurturing the Creative Life of God’s People (Eerdman’s). He is married to Dr. Marie Rubis-Bauer, the Director of Archdiocesan Music in Omaha.

The program fee is $60, for students $25; room and board charges will be added. – Social distancing will be observed, please bring your mask..

News Release: Fr. Cyprian Consiglio, OSB to Speak at Saint Benedict Center

On June 5, 2021, internationally known musician and speaker Father Cyprian Consiglio, OSB Cam., from Big Sur, California, will come to St. Benedict Center, four miles north of Schuyler, and speak on, Prayer in the Cave of the Heart: The Universal Call to Contemplation.

Prayer is an art that cannot just be taught. It must be experienced, lived, and practiced. Father Cyprian will draw on his experience as a Camaldolese monk to give us an accessible refection on prayer that is based on Father Bede Griffith's "universal call to contemplation." In Fr. Cyprian’s teaching, the contemplative traditions of East and West intersect to invite readers into prayer that makes them present to the Spirit who is already present to us. Fr. Cyprian, while firmly rooted in a disciplined, monastic life of unceasing prayer, finds seeds of truth in the great religious traditions that can inspire us on our spiritual journey. He will also bring his guitar and sing!

Father Cyprian Consiglio is a monk, musician, and spiritual teacher. He is a member of the community of New Camaldoli Hermitage in Big Sur, CA. An internationally known performer, recording artist, and composer, he has numerous collections of original sacred, world, and liturgical music to his credit. A student of the world’s spiritual traditions, Consiglio has offered retreats and conferences around the world and authored the book Prayer in the Cave of the Heart: The Universal Call to Contemplation, plus numerous articles for several books and periodicals.

The program fee is $40. Lunch is available at the Center for $ 11.23 (includes tax) if you pay for it BEFORE the program starts. Guest rooms are available at St. Benedict Center for the weekend. Room and board charges will be added to the program fee. – Social distancing will be observed, please bring your mask. Register below or call 402-352-8819.