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Sf. Peter's !JL66eg 9{f,wsfetter Vol. 20 No. 1 Winter 1998 The Christmas Creche A report from Abbot Peter's desk by Abbot Peter Novecosky, OSB also looked forward to the revisions being made to the Sacramentary. Dear friends, On Oct. 26 the abbey had its annual As I write this, we are already into a Family Day, at which our staff and their new year, 1998. It is the year dedicated families are invited to an afternoon of to the Holy Spirit. It is a year dedicated games and a supper. At the end of to hope. That sets the tone for us as we November we inaugurated our Staff look forward to the celebration of Appreciation Night, when we gave out Jubilee Year 2000 under the direction of awards to those staff members who have Pope John Paul II. worked here for 10 years or more. At the We have experienced a beautiful fall Students Award Night on Nov. 7 schol• and winter so far, thanks to El Nino. The arships were handed out to the universi• fact that we had no snow at Christmas ty students and the College fund-raising was a bit depressing to some people, but drive was kicked off. no one argued with the fact of the warm In November Fr. Norbert spent some weather, which made visiting over the time in the hospital and we were con• holidays much easier for everyone con• cerned about his health. However, with cerned. The warm weather even allowed the help of many brothers, but especial• Br. Wolfgang Thiem to play golf on our ly with the generous help of Br. lawn on Christmas Day. A first! Anthony, Fr. Norbert has bounced back My travels away from the abbey and is able to participate in all our com• have been quite limited this fall. At the mon activities. The community is most end of October I took part in the annual flooded in the summer of 1996. We saw grateful for the service Fr. Norbert has meeting of the Canadian bishops. It was some of the still-devastated blocks of provided, especially in playing the at Cap-de-la-Madeleine this year, a the city where houses once stood. The organ. He has played organ for over 60 famous Marian shrine halfway between white house, once portrayed nightly on years. This is truly a great accomplish• Moritreal and Quebec. Unfortunately, TV, is still standing. ment. the brilliantly-colored autumn leaves for My other major trip this fall was to We look forward to the Year of the which Quebec is famous, had been Edmonton in November. There was a Spirit with renewed hope. We ask you to blown away a week before we arrived. week-long national meeting on liturgy. continue to pray for the six people we After the meeting I was able to take a Br. Thomas Ward, Sr. Juliana Weber, have in formation at this time. We also bus tour with a dozen bishops to OSU, and I took part in it. The speakers ask you to pray that our community will Chicoutimi in northern Quebec. This is provided a good overview of what has work well with the changes that we the area where the Saguenay River happened in the last 30 years and they anticipate this year. Benedictine life taken seriously by oblates by Bruce Paproski, candidate Particularly pleasing was a panel of Janis Dopp, an oblate from St. Mein• six individuals associated with St. Mein• rad's, who gave a personal talk on The Listening to testimonies of what led rad's who recollected why they became Spirituality of St. Benedict. people to become oblates and how they oblates, Thompson told a gathering of 35 "At the outset, she said she was no live their Christian lives in accordance oblates at St. Peter's Abbey recently. expert on that topic. But as one listened, with the Benedictine way of life, was a "It was very humbling to hear how it was clear she attends to the 'rule,' on a heartwarming experience for Phyllis and why many of them decided to be• day-in day-out basis, in order to truly live Thompson, who attended an oblate and come oblates, and how seriously they it in her life, how she turns to it when she oblate directors' meeting at St. Mein• take their association with the monks at needs to make major decisions, or when rad's Archabbey in St. Meinrad, Ind., St. Meinrad's. They spoke from the heart she wonders if she's totally screwed up, July 26 to 31. Thompson, oblate of St. and experience, with down-to-earth and and needs to re-evaluate her priorities or Peter's Abbey and campus ministry co• genuine feeling," she said. adjust her life so a genuine balance in her ordinator of St. Peter's College, was Similarly, the love for the Benedictine various activities isn't ignored or lost. As among 117 people at the meeting - she way of life was reflected by guest speak• was the only Canadian there. ers, according to Thompson. One was Continued on page 7 2 St. Peter's will lose special status by Abbot Peter Novecosky, OSB For two years, and more, there has been discussion in Saskatchewan about realigning the diocesan boundaries. Specifically, this involves St. Peter's Territorial Abbey (Muenster Diocese) and the Gravelbourg Diocese. All of Muenster and part of the Gravelbourg Diocese will become part of the Saskatoon Diocese. And the rest of the Gravelbourg Diocese will become part of the Archdiocese of Regina. There will also be a switching of some territo• ry between Regina and Saskatoon, because of trading and travel patterns. The Saskatchewan hierarchy met on Dec. 22, 1997, in Saskatoon to finalize Bishop James Weisgerber and Abbot Peter Novecosky, OSB. the realignment. According to the proto• number of them have given up their sta- operate the college, the farm, the guest• col in such proceedings, the recommen• tus in the past 20 years. wing, etc. We will become like all the dation now goes to the Canadian bish• As a territorial abbey, the abbot is the other Benedictine abbeys in Canada and ops executive who then pass on the rec• ordinary of the diocese, which means he the United States. ommendation to Rome. It is expected governs the territory and the parishes in St. Peter's was founded in 1892 near that Rome will soon give its approval. it in the manner of a bishop, as its prop- Wetaug, ill., under the name of Cluny. The proposed date for the amalgama• er pastor. This is a second hat he wears. The community transferred to Muenster tion is June 29, the feast of Sts. Peter The first hat an abbot wears is to be the in 1903, became an abbey in 1911. As an and Paul. A celebration is being planned superior of the monastery and of its var- abbey at that time, it was part of the at Muenster for June 29, the patronal ious apostolates. Prince Albert Diocese. St. Peter's became feast day for both dioceses. It has been Thus, the proposed change on June a territorial abbey on May 6, 1921. It will proposed that the Saskatoon Diocese 29 will not affect the abbey's aposto- have been a territorial abbey for 77 years. take Sts. Peter and Paul and its new lates as such. The abbey will still be The change is taking place in the patrons, to recognize the addition of here, though now as part of a larger dio- year of the Holy Spirit. This is a good Muenster Diocese to Saskatoon. cese. I will have fewer meetings and omen for the future. As a territorial abbey, St. Peter's was responsibilities having to do with dioce• unique in North America and a "rare san work. We will still continue to work bird" in the Catholic world. There are in parishes. In fact, there will be little about 15 such abbeys in the world. A change here. The abbey will continue to William Thurmeier working on the elec• Br. Wolfgang Thiem working on the wiring for the new organ. tronics of the pipe organ. 3 People and events around the abbey by Martin Bradner, OSB 1997 July 30 - Candidate Julio Cotto arrived, an omen of good things to come! Aug 02 - Fr. Francis Lohmer marks the 72nd anniversary of his ordination. He will reach 95 on Sept 03, and is still pastor of St. Scholastica Parish. Aug 03 - Prior Roman Schneider celebrated his golden jubilee as a priest at the abbey in the midst of a happy family reunion. Aug 3-9 - Abbey Visitation con• ducted by Abbot Neil Roth (St. Martin's Abbey) and Fr. Jonathan Licari (St. John's Abbey). The ques• Ourfour new candidates, left to right, Julio Cotto, Roderic Butalid, Bruce Paproski and tion of relinquishing the abbacy to a Marcel De Gagne. diocese loomed large on the future horizon. Aug 26 - Fr. Bernard Stauber, Aug 31 - Princess Diana was killed stricken with appendicitis, was given an in a car accident in Paris. Her friend (in Aug 12 - Two candidates, Mary emergency operation. After a long time charitable work), Mother Teresa, died a Watson and Diane Carrier, of St. healing, Fr. Bernard was back on the job week later (Sept 5) at age 87. Benedict's Monastery (Winnipeg), as pastor of Assumption Parish, and spend a week at the abbey, absorbing helping William Thurmeier and Br. Sept 02 - Enrolment Day at St. some of the Benedictine spirit of our Wolfgang Thiem in the advanced stages Peter's College.