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THELEAVEN.COM | VOL. 36, NO. 26 | FEBRUARY 20, 2015 GLOBE-TROTTING BENEDICTINE ‘ROCKER’ VISITS Abbot Primate Notker Wolf, OSB, plays electric rhythm guitar and flute for the German rock band HIS ‘SISTERS’ Feedback. By Joe Bollig [email protected] TCHISON — Among Benedictines, Abbot Primate Notker Wolf, OSB, is sort of a rock star. Not only is he the worldwide leader of the Benedictine Confederation, but he Aalso plays electric rhythm guitar and flute for the German rock band Feed- back. Don’t believe it? Look him up on You- Tube. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen a Benedictine monk in full habit covering Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water.” “They came to me, a band of former students and said, ‘Come on, Father, you’ve always been with us, and you play the flute so well. Why don’t you try to cover Jethro Tull’s ‘Locomotive Breath’?” said the abbot primate. “And so I did. There is a lovely flute solo in it, and I put in a second solo, too.” “Of course, with flute you cannot do much, so they gave me an electric gui- tar,” he continued. “At first, I thought it was a gag, but it was so nice; we grew together.” Being one of “the boys in the band,” PHOTO COURTESY OF ROX STEC however, is only an occasional gig. Abbot Primate Notker Wolf greets Jaxson Vice, a first-grader at St. Benedict School in Atchison, following Mass at Mount St. Scholastica. Trailing As abbot primate, he’s either in the behind Jaxson are fellow first-graders Dayton Olson, Connor Moore, Abby Baniewicz, Hailey Gibson, and Kaitlyn Folsom. Sister Judith Sutera, OSB, can Benedictine Confederation’s Rome be seen at left in the background. headquarters at Sant’Anselmo in Rome, or jetting around the world visiting the day, St. Scholastica asked him to the cultures and the Benedictine life,” he Benedictine houses or attending meet- stay longer so they could visit more, said. ings. but St. Benedict wanted to return to Clearly, it was a delighted brother It was a joint meeting of Benedictine his abbey on Monte Cassino. coming to visit his delighted “sisters.” abbots and prioresses at St. Bernard Ab- St. Scholastica wept and prayed that “Just having him here to be with us bey in Cullman, Alabama, that gave the God extend the visit. Soon, the sky pro- was an unexpected treat,” said the prior- abbot primate an opportunity to swing duced a gullywasher of a storm, and St. ess, an old friend of the abbot primate. by Mount St. Scholastica Monastery in Benedict was forced to stay until the “And what a treat it was for him to be Atchison on Feb. 10, the feast of St. Scho- next morning. the presider at Mass. He was so much lastica. “[Prioress] Anne Shepard and her at home with the students and the Sis- Abbot Primate Notker was the main Sisters have invited me to come for their ters. It was just like he came home. He celebrant and homilist at the Mass in St. feast of St. Scholastica,” said the abbot just feels comfortable in any Benedictine Scholastica Chapel. Not only were the primate. “The brother is coming to visit setting.” Benedictine Sisters there, but also some his sister.” Abbot Primate Notker had lunch with monks from nearby St. Benedict’s Abbey, Later that evening, he gave a lecture the Sisters, then visited the Dooley Cen- and students from St. Benedict School entitled “The Rule of St. Benedict Glo- ter, where the retired Sisters live, and and Maur Hill-Mount Academy. balizing” at Benedictine College. And he went from table to table greeting them. Why did he visit Atchsion? The ab- Benedict of Nursia. played the flute. The abbot primate comes from St. Ot- bot primate referenced an ancient story According to the legend, the “I shall talk about the Benedictine tilien Archabbey near Munich. He was about the founders of the Benedictine two siblings would hold an annual monasteries all over the world, how they elected head of all Benedictines in 2000 order, the twins St. Scholastica and St. mini-family reunion. Near the end of are spreading out and how that affects >> See “ABBOT” on page 5 2 ARCHBISHOP THELEAVEN.COM | FEBRUARY 20, 2015 FEBRUARY 20, 2015 | THELEAVEN.COM SECOND FRONT PAGE 3 LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS Capital punishment is the wrong response to heinous crimes n Feb. 10, I the result of evidence that Maria’s mother to ask her demonstrated they were forgiveness. CALENDAR joined with wrongly convicted. Inspired by Maria’s a coalition The appeal system expressions of mercy at ARCHBISHOP O attempts to prevent such the time of her death, NAUMANN of other religious mistakes, but it creates its her mother also forgave Feb. 21 leaders in Topeka own set of problems. The Alessandro. At the Men Under Construction — ARCHBISHOP numerous appeals of those canonization ceremony Ascension, Overland Park for a press conference to convicted can be a source of in St. Peter’s Square, encourage the members of JOSEPH F. NAUMANN re-victimization of families Alessandro was among the Feb. 22 the Kansas Legislature to who have lost a loved one. crowd of 250,000 who came Rite of Election — Cathe- dral, Kansas City, Kansas repeal the death penalty. Each appeal can be the to celebrate the beauty of The following is the text of loved one. I also welcome occasion for these families Maria Goretti’s short earthly Rite of Election — St. my statement: suggestions for additional to experience again the life. Michael the Archangel, “I come today to join ways in which the Catholic horror of their loved one’s Capital punishment is the Leawood with many other voices Church can assist the death. wrong response to heinous from Kansas to advocate victims of violent crimes. The appeal process is crimes. With other means Feb. 23 for the elimination of the Murder is an unspeakable very expensive, making it available to protect society, Finance Council meeting — chancery death penalty. In doing so, evil. Those who perpetrate more costly for the state to it is unnecessary and wrong I wish to acknowledge the such a crime have inflicted execute criminals than to to respond to violent crimes Confirmation — St. Ann, complexity of this issue. a grave injustice not only incarcerate them for life. with state-sanctioned Prairie Village In speaking in favor upon the person who was These resources would be violence. When we choose LEAVEN PHOTO BY MARC ANDERSON of the abolition of the murdered, but also upon all better used to assist the to kill in the name of justice, Feb. 24 Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann addresses the participants in the Feb. 12 “Listening to the People of God in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas” session at St. Matthew Parish in Topeka. The event death penalty, it is not my their loved ones. In reality, families of victims. our society lowers itself to Johnson County region- was facilitated by Father Gary Kastl, right, from the Catholic Leadership Institute of Wayne, Pennsylvania. intention to minimize the there is nothing that society Moreover, there is imitate the violence of the al priest meeting — St. pain and loss of individuals Michael the Archangel, can do to the perpetrator economic injustice in the perpetrator. Leawood and families who have that will restore life to the application of the death Our criminal justice suffered the death of a loved victim or heal the wounds of penalty. Those with the system should strive for Catholic Foundation of one as a result of a violent grieving family members. financial means to employ rehabilitation and the Northeast Kansas board crime. My own father was The state has an the most skilled attorneys in transformation of criminals, meeting — Savior Pastoral LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE murdered. At the time, my obligation to do what it can their defense are much less not their execution. Center brother was not yet 2 and to prevent the occurrence likely to be executed than Society’s decision not to Feb. 25 Archbishop seeks input in charting pastoral course my mother was pregnant of murders and to protect the poor. employ the death penalty Mass — Immaculata High with me. its citizens from being In our Catholic tradition, is not because we do not School, Leavenworth By Marc and Julie Anderson The suffering and the victimized by violence. The we venerate certain appreciate the horror of Special to The Leaven circumstances of each criminal justice system has a individuals for their the crime committed, but Catholic Leadership Insti- NEXT SESSION family that has lost a loved responsibility to protect the example of heroic virtue because we choose not tute listening session — OPEKA — Praying. Listen- Church of the Ascension The next Listening to the People one by a violent crime are innocent from victimization as saints. Among the saints to respond to senseless ing. Gathering. of God session will be held from 7 unique. I do not presume and to deter the commission of the 20th century was an violence with an act of Feb. 26 These are words that to 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 25 at Church of to be able to speak for all of violent crimes. Italian teenager by the name unnecessary violence. If Confirmation — Divine Archbishop Joseph F. Nau- the Ascension in Overland Park. victims of murder. Yet, I While our church of Maria Goretti. anything can bring healing Mercy, Gardner Tmann used to describe the 10-year did witness how my mother acknowledges that there can In 1902, Maria Goretti to the hearts of those visioning process he has recently em- struggled to provide for our be circumstances in order was assaulted by a man mourning the death of a Feb.

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