The Abbey Message Many Monks Were Seen Wandering in Its Envelope to Prepare It for Mailing
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The Abbey Subiaco Message Abbey The Good Zeal of Two Monks by Fr. Mark Stengel, OSB Fr. Harold recalls a strange fasci- Asked what aspect of his life has Father Herbert “arrived” at Subiaco nation and awe as he first viewed the been most rewarding, Fr. Herbert chose at his birth, on December 3, 1911, the burned-out abbey in 1928. He says his work with the Catholic Youth Move- family home being just down the road there was nothing intact except the ment in Fort Worth, Texas, from 1949- west of the abbey. Leo Vogelpohl (Fr. auditorium (which also burned during 1953, as his favorite. “It was so reward- Herbert’s baptismal name) entered the his first year). The campus was covered ing to share with them in prayer and Subiaco College “Prep” department at with piles of stones and rubble. “The work as they were just getting started in the age of 15, in 1927, four months Holy Spirit must have wanted me here life, to see them develop into Christian before the “great fire” in December of quite seriously, to make such desolation men and women.” Fr. Harold’s greatest that year. Father Harold (then Urban so fascinating.” satisfaction was his involvement with Heiman) traveled, at the age of 14, from Marriage Encounter in the 70s and the high plains of Texas (Nazareth) to 80s. He also greatly enjoys his current enter Subiaco College in August 1928, and long-term (22 years) pastorate at eight months after the fire. Thus the St. Anthony parish in Ratcliff. He says histories of Fr. Herbert and Fr. Harold “Those parishioners are most grateful, became united in flames, and these two cooperative, and appreciative.” nonagenarians remain “full of fire” as Concerning difficult times in their they celebrate their 70th anniversary of 70 years as monks, Fr. Herbert men- monastic profession. Each was asked tioned being asked to relinquish his to respond to a series of questions, and studies toward a masters degree, due to their responses provide the grist for this other needs in the monastery. He also retrospective story. felt a sense of being “sidelined,” as far As expected, the memory of the fire as Academy work was concerned, after looms large in their earliest memories of his return from Laneri High School in Subiaco. Fr. Herbert recalls the changed Fort Worth, and again after he retired as atmosphere after the fire. With monks Fr. Herbert & Fr. Harold Director of Coury House. He learned and students living, studying, praying in those times, to “look to Jesus on the and playing together in the cramped Now, 76 years later, Fr. Harold mar- cross, so as to accept my own trials, remains of the building, there developed vels at the blessings Subiaco has received and to be able to assist others who were a camaraderie, a sense of unity that has since the fire, and at the generous bene- hurting.” Fr. Harold recounts that it was never been equaled. Living so close to factors who have made it possible. He difficult for him to be assigned away the monks, young Leo first became in- says “To be blessed so profusely, Subiaco from Subiaco just a year after ordina- terested in sharing their life as a monk. must be doing things as Jesus wants.” tion, and then after becoming fully “at see “Two Monks” on page 5 News of our Apostolates for Friends of Subiaco Summer 2004 Subiaco, Arkansas, Vol LXII, No. 1 1 Abbey The Passion of the Christ are not being used as a script. There unfair, a way Mel Gibson’s movie, “The Pas- are many additions and embellishments of poisoning sion of the Christ,” raised an amazing to the biblical narratives: the role of the well. The amount of controversy even before it Mary on the way of the cross, the role of film deserves was released, so it was very hard to view Pilate’s wife, the visualization of Satan, to be judged it with an open mind. I know I wasn’t the woman wiping the face of the fallen on its own able to, but I was struck right at the Jesus, the dialogue of Simon of Cyrene, merit. Catho- beginning of the film by something the all the particulars of the scourging. And lic sensibility does come through in the debate hadn’t alerted me to, and which there are omissions, such as Jesus’ words freedom of using other sources to draw affected my perspective for the whole to the women of Jerusalem, the pres- out the biblical theme, in the Eucharis- experience. ervation of his seamless robe, the faith tic interlacing of the Last Supper and Before the action begins to unfold, statement of the centurion under the the crucifixion, in the Veronica scene, a biblical verse appears on the screen, cross. I found these additions and omis- and in the role of the mother of Jesus in a quote from Isaiah 53:5: “He was sions were not unfaithful to the theme: his Passion. This last, the most powerful wounded for our transgressions, crushed where they didn’t advance it, they didn’t embellishment of the narrative, was very for our sins.” This illuminated for me harm it. moving and quite consistent with the everything that followed. Certainly There were some elements doubtful biblical presentation of Mary. there is much violence; certainly “The It was ironic that there was such an Passion” isn’t the whole gospel; certainly outcry about the violence of the passion there are elements added to the Scrip- The “Passion of the Christ” scenes (maybe they were overdone, but ture accounts and elements omitted. is a meditation on Jesus as isn’t that what violence means?) in a But I could understand the film as a the Messiah suffering for our society where through TV and mov- meditation on Isaiah 53:5 (or like a ser- sins foreshadowed in Isaiah ies people are more hardened to scenes mon which begins with a biblical text to of violence, both actual and imagined, set the theme). I understood what one 53. That is the light in which than at any time in history. But the ap- commentator meant by saying the mov- it should be interpreted and plication to Jesus was too much to take, ie is not a biblical documentation of the critiqued. which may point to a latent Monophy- passion nor a presentation of the whole sitism or even Docetism among Ameri- Jesus story, but one man’s meditation on can Christians, ancient heresies which a vital part of the story. A meditation deny the real humanity of Christ. It can incorporate many different elements historically, such as the identification would be interesting to know whether as long as it is faithful to the theme. of Mary Magdalene with the woman Catholics overall were shocked as much The theme of the movie is how the caught in adultery, Jesus speaking Latin as some other Christians, because the suffering of the Messiah (the Christ) with Pilate, and the Church pronun- images of the passion are constantly for our sins, as prophesied in the book ciation of Latin by the soldiers. But before us, in the crucifix and Stations of Isaiah, was fulfilled in the Passion neither did these things spoil the theme. that meet us as we enter our churches, of Jesus. Isaiah 53 has been applied to The only addition I found disturbing on the rosaries in our pockets, in our the suffering of the Messiah by Jewish and disruptive was the crow pecking observance of Fridays and especially rabbis since the earliest times, and it was out the eyes of the “bad” thief (a scene Good Friday, and in meditations on the applied to Jesus by the Gospel writers apparently introduced from the report Passion, a traditional spiritual exercise. who accepted him as the Messiah. So of some private vision), a vindictive This focus was lost in many ways in the the theme is authentically biblical. response implied as coming from Jesus Reformation’s reaction to some extremes It is true that for anyone who or his Father, in direct contradiction of private piety. doesn’t have a general awareness of the to Jesus’ prayer for forgiveness for his In literature classes we are taught story of Jesus this presentation would persecutors. that the first step in interpretation is to hardly make sense. But for those who Some commentators criticized determine the form of the document do know the story there is immedi- the film because of Mel Gibson’s faith, under study, its literary genre. That first ate recognition, from the foggy garden either that he is a Catholic or because step is critical, because if it is errone- scene to the rolling back of the stone. of the kind of Catholic he is perceived continues on next page But the Gospel accounts of the Passion to be. This kind of criticism is quite 2 Abbey Abbey Journal April Father Felix Fredeman, OSB The Chronicle has several times August 30, 1932—June 1, 2004 commented on the slow pace of the Thomas Henry Fredeman was repair of the inner court roof. Well, it is born in Little Rock, AR, on August 30, finished! It looks good too, the brick- 1932. red color of the steel roofing sheets He came to Subiaco as a seventh matching nicely with the red tile roofs grader, enrolling in the “Prep” depart- up above. Heavy April rains tested ment. In 1946 he began his secondary the roof, and the few minor leaks were education in the Academy, and gradu- soon sealed.