Hot and humid and lots of rain

We have had lots of rain in the last week. Almost daily there has been at least a shower. This afternoon it is up in the 80's with high humidity which of course is normal for Missouri. Last night a storm passed over and we were without electricity for about fifteen minutes.

The picture up above was just taken this afternoon as I was out walking. I have had to have little growths taken off my face a few times so the doctor recommended I wear a brim hat when out in the sunshine. So I invested in a straw hat. When I was a kid you could get a straw hat for a dime or perhaps fifty cents. Today it costs $10.00. So life changes.

May 26-28 two alumni and friends visited here at Conception. They were Nathan Gohlke and Tim Martinson. Nathan will be ordained to the priesthood on June 7 for the diocese of Joliet. Tim is studying for the diocese of Cheyenne. Then May 29-30 another alumnus, Vic Brulez, from back in the late 1960's visited. Vic now lives in Indianapolis. And then this evening and tomorrow alumnus Nick Reid will be visiting. Nick is now studying at Catholic University of America and preparing for ordination to the priesthood for the diocese of Jefferson City.

This weekend I will be celebrating the Masses at Parnell, Missouri, only about twenty miles from here. It is one of the many parishes in the area that we staff.

Wedding in Springfield Missouri

Last Friday I left for Springfield, MO to preside and witness the wedding of some very good friends, Benjamin Darnell and Alicia Bishop. It was a beautiful weekend and a beautiful wedding which took place at St. Elizabeth Anne Seton Church in Springfield. Benjamin and I have been good friends for about ten years and I have known Alicia for over a year. I was honored to be invited to witness their wedding. My brother and his wife from Kansas City were also invited so we went together from Kansas City to Springfield. We returned yesterday afternoon.

Yesterday, the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, was also the day for the Rosary rally and procession sponsored by the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas and the diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. This was held at Kaufmann Stadium in Kansas City which is where the Royals play their baseball games. There were about 25,000 people present for the event.

It is definitely starting to heat up and the humidity has been quite high the last couple of days. Summer seems to be here. We have missed the big storms but there have been plenty of them here in the Midwest United States.










Pictured to the left Benjamin and Alicia Darnell

Trimming trees damaged during ice storm

We are having some beautiful weather now and the farmers are out working hard in the fields. It's good weather go for a walk and I have been going on a walk almost everyday. Today while out I did the little short video as you see up above. It's the first time I've put a video on the blog so I hope it works. It shows some of the wind turbines in relation to the monastery.

The other picture is a picture of the cherry picker we rented to trim some of the trees that were so badly damaged last December in the ice storm. Many limbs that are up higher in the trees were broken and the only way to trim them out was to get a lift to reach them. It is being operated by one of our students, Kevin Anstey, who is working here this summer and has had experience working one of these machines. He is from the diocese of Davenport, Iowa

Ordination to diaconate

On Thursday, May 15, Brother Pachomius Meade, O.S.B. was ordained to the diaconate as he continues preparation for ordination to the priesthood. Bishop Robert Finn, from our own diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph was the ordaining bishop. Pictured after the ordination are from left to right: Bishop Finn,

Mr. Tom Meade, father of Brother Pachomius, Brother Pachomius, Mrs. Karen Meade, mother of Brother and on the right, Abbot Gregory. The monks who are working in parishes or missions were home for the occasion since they were home for our annual retreat. (The photo is courtesy of Jarrod Thome, communications director of Conception Abbey and Seminary College)

On Friday morning, May 16, we had our community Mass at 7:15 AM to conclude our retreat. After Mass and breakfast the monks on mission pretty well left for their various assignments. Other monks too will be leaving for vacation days and other assignments.

We have actually gone a number of days now without any rain and it is gradually warming up. Hopefully farmers will be able to get into the fields to get their crops planted.

Yesterday too, May 15, was the one year anniversary of my open heart surgery. I remember that day very well. All seems to be going well now for which I am grateful.

A lot of tree trimming has been going on here this week. The ice storm last December did a lot of damage to the trees. This week we rented a "cherry picker" to get up to the top of the trees to clean out dead and broken branches.

End of school year and graduation

This weekend concluded the present school year for our seminary college. Twenty two students received diplomas or certificates after completing their college studies or completing Pre-theology or the Language, Culture and Church Program. Last evening the students and guests prayed vespers (evening prayer) with the monastic community and that was followed by a banquet and a reception. This morning they all celebrated Pentecost Sunday with Mass in the basilica and the diplomas were given out. Then the students were free to leave. Abbot Gregory was celebrant for the Mass and Bishop J. Peter Sartain, bishop of the diocese of Joliet, gave the homily.

The monks who are working in parishes will be coming home this afternoon and tomorrow morning. After some meetings tomorrow morning and afternoon, the monastic community will begin their community retreat tomorrow evening. This year the retreat is being given by Father Tobias Colgan, O.S.B., the Prior of St. Meinrad Archabbey.

Parts of southern Missouri had tornadoes and storms yesterday but we just had a rainy and blustery day. Today is cool with the temperature only in the 50's and it is very windy.

Today, being Mother's Day, I wish all mothers a happy and blessed day.

Wind turbines and spring flowers

The wind turbines are all set up and they are working on them everyday to get them ready to start producing electricity. Many of them they have had running at various times as they are testing them. I thought I would give you some information on the size of these windmills. The height of the hub (that is up to where the blades are located) is 262.5 feet. The length of each blade is 139.5 feet. That means from the ground up to the top of the top blade is 402 feet. Each blade weighs 14,771 lbs. The weight of the rotor with the blades is 77,541 lbs. So you can see that these are immense machines. For more pictures of the wind turbines go to:
http://kennethosb.smugmug.com/gallery/3736027_CQcZM#136620596_U6d3s

The bottom picture is of one of our flowering trees here on campus. Everything seems to be blooming at once so the campus is beautiful right now. More pictures of the campus that I took just today can be found at http://kennethosb.smugmug.com/gallery/2352186_M6vGA

Last Wednesday was our traditional May Day. It turned out to be a pretty nice day although we continue to have a lot of rain.

This is the last week of school in the seminary. Next Sunday, May 11, Pentecost Sunday, is graduation and the students then leave for the summer.