SILVERSTREAM PRIORY Sanctification of Priests

Under the patronage of Our Lady of the Cenacle (in Cœnaculo), the Benedic- tine Monks of Perpetual Adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar In cœnaculO at Silverstream devote themselves to the Sacred Liturgy, and to perpetual Eucharistic adoration in a spirit of reparation and intercession for the SILVERSTREAM PRIORY sanctification of priests. Benedictine Monks of Perpetual Adoration lent 2017 — no. 1 (10) PK Dear Friends of Silverstream Priory, the Bishop of Meath visited Silverstream on All OU LAST HEARD FROM US IN AUGUST Saints Day, 1 November, to bless the new cells and 2016. Long silences come easily their occupants. Seven cells remain without spon- to monks: silences of intense sors. The cost of a monastic cell (including plumb- listening to the Word of God, ing, electricity, heating, and furnishings) is about y silences of adoration, silences ¤18,000 or ¤20,000. of wonder, and, yes, silences of All the available cells and choir stalls will soon growth. The silence of the past seven months has be occupied. We must begin the next phase of con- been rich in listening, in adoration, in wonder, struction and renovation as soon as possible. The and in growth. I am happy to say that we have, old stone cattle shed will be transformed into an during this time of silence, at last completed Oratory with at least twenty-four choir stalls for Phase One of our projected works of renovation Holy Mass and the Divine Office. The new Oratory and construction. will also contain, in addition to the principal altar, We now have eleven new cells; they are simple, several other altars for the early morning Masses bright, and functional. Heartfelt thanks to the of the priest–monks of the community and priest donors who came forward to sponsor four out retreatants. of the eleven new monastic cells. At the donors’ Meanwhile, there is a steady stream of young request, these cells were named for Saint Joseph, men knocking at the monastery door: The stream Saint Thérèse, Saint Peter–Julian Eymard, and of the river maketh the city of God joyful: the Most High Saint Faustina. His Lordship, Dr Michael Smith, hath sanctified his own tabernacle (Psalm 45:5). You can read about the vestition of Brother Ignatius, a na- tive of Denmark, on pp. 8-9; and about the vestition of Brother Hildebrand, a young priest of the Archdiocese of St Louis, Missouri, on pp. 9-10. Br Hildebrand re- flects on his clothing as a novice on p. 11, and Brother Cassian (our senior novice from “down under”) shares his ongoing dis- covery of Benedictine life on the last page. Joseph D. from Toledo, Ohio, having completed his initial three months of immersion in the PK monastic life, will return to Silver- left to right: br ignatius maria, br cassian maria, dom elijah maria, father subprior stream as a postulant on 18 March. (d. benedict maria), father prior, brother hildebrand maria, dom finnian Last October, Father Subprior travelled to their vocation) but simply by being what they Los Angeles to speak to the annual conference of are: silent yet eloquent signposts for believers the Society for Catholic Liturgy on the topic of and unbelievers alike, pointing the way towards the life of the world to come. what Benedictine monks can contribute to the New Evangelisation without leaving the cloister: There are already many excellent monasteries in namely, “the leading of souls along the via pulchri- which celebration of the sacred liturgy (whether tudinis”, the way of classical beauty in the celebra- in the Usus Recentior or in the Usus Antiquior) is ex- emplary and luminous. If Benedictines have not tion of the liturgy. always lived up to their vocation in the universal The paper was very well received, and we expect Church, they do indeed possess the resources, a the text to be published in the next issue of Anti- deep wellspring of holy Tradition, upon which phon: A Journal for Liturgical Renewal. The audio of to draw, and their own crucial role to play in the the talk as given in Los Angeles is available on our New Evangelization: that is, in the enchantment, Soundcloud page (soundcloud.com/cenacleosb). by means of the splendor of Christian worship, I reproduce here a few choice quotations: of the baptized and unbaptized alike into the beautiful light of the Face of Jesus, “the fairest If, as history shows us, monasticism was the among the sons of men” (Ps. 44:2). spiritual engine of the “Old Evangelization” of Europe, then it stands to reason that a healthy, With the acquisition of our property, the sig- robust, renewed monasticism might once again nificant works undertaken and completed, and become for the Church a source of inspiration the arrival of new men, 2016 was a year rich in and new vitality as she labors for the turning of blessings for Silverstream Priory. Thy bounty it is believers and unbelievers alike to Christ, so that they, with St Ambrose, can say: “Face to face, that crowns the year; where thy feet have passed, the thou hast made thyself known to me, O Christ; I stream of plenty flows (Psalm 64:12). Already 2017 have found thee in thy mysteries.” promises to be a year of significant growth. I Monks evangelize, not so much by outward thank each of you, dear friends, for your participa- works (which are secondary and external to tion in the life of Silverstream Priory and for your PK this is the old stone cattle shed which we hope to transform into a new tem- porary monastic church, named (what else?) "bethlehem" (he- brew for "house of bread") 2 16 august — Making their way from Kraków to Warsaw, chronicle Father Prior, D. Finnian, D. Elijah, Br Cassian, and Oblate Filip Lajszczak stop at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Ostra 1 august — Visit of Dom Áron Kelemen OSB, director of Brama in Skarżysko-Kamienna. the Collegium Musicum Jaurinense in Hungary, and an ex- Mother Prioress Blandyna and her community welcome pert in Gregorian chant. the Silverstream monks to the historic monastery of the Ben- 5 august — D. Finnian, D. Elijah, and Br Cassian go to Po- edictines of Perpetual Adoration in Warsaw. The monastery land to walk on pilgrimage from Warsaw to Czestochowa. was founded from France in 1688. Father Prior gives the nuns a conference on Mother Catherine-Mectilde de Bar. 6 august — Anniversary of the Solemn Profession of Fa- The high point of the visit to Warsaw was a time of ther Subprior, D. Benedict. prayer in the sacred crypt of the monastery church. Thir- 12 august — Father Prior and Oblate Filip Lajszczak travel ty-four Benedictines, gathered around the Blessed Sacra- to Poland. Father Prior offers Holy Mass and preaches at ment, and one thousand others perished in the crypt when the Church of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Józefów. After the monastery was bombed in the night of August 31, 1944. Holy Mass, Dr Marek Przepiorka, an Oblate of the Abbey Today, the Benedictines of Perpetual Adoration of Warsaw of Triors, welcomes the group in his home for a traditional are a flourishing community. Polish breakfast. 21 august — Three priests and two seminarians of the Com- 14 august — Father Prior, D. Finnian, D. Elijah, Br Cassian, munauté de Saint-Martin (Meyzieu, France) arrive for their and Filip Lajszczak visit the Abbey of Tyniec. Abbot Szy- annual retreat. The community of Meyzieu and Silverstream have a covenant of mutual prayer and fraternal support. mon Hiżycki, O.S.B. and community welcome us warmly. 30 august — Our good friend John Bauer Ulric Kelly, who 15 august — Father Prior, D. Finnian, D. Elijah, and Br travelled from Springfield, Missouri, to help us in the earli- Cassian join the community of Tyniec in choir for Holy est days of our move to Ireland, returns to Silverstream for Mass and the Divine Office on the Feast of the Assumption. a time of retreat. In the afternoon of the same day, the Silverstream monks visit the historic and magnificent Dominican Priory of St 3 september — Fr Michael Houser of St Louis, Missouri, Hyacinth in Kraków. D. Elijah was happy to be welcomed returns to Silverstream for several months of observership in Kraków by his friend and co–student, Br Rafał Szymko, after which he asks to enter the novitiate. OP. In the evening, Abbot Szymon invites Father Prior to say a few words after supper to the community of Tyniec 18 september — One of our Irish Priest-Oblates, Br John Fisher, makes his annual retreat with his monastic family. about life at Silverstream. Our visit ends with Compline and the traditional Polish homage to the Mother of God. 22 september — Mother Immaculata, OSB.ap, Prioress of Tegelen in the Neth- erlands, arrives for a week of retreat. 1 october — D. Ben- edict speaks at the annual meeting of the Society of Catholic Liturgy held in Los Angeles, California, on the subject: Preferring the Work of God: Bene- dictine Liturgical Ideals and the New Evangeli- sation. While in Cal- ifornia, he enjoys the wonderful hospitality of the Carmelite Sis- ters of the Most Sacred Heart in Alhambra, near L.A. D. Benedict also visits family in Colorado and New York, and looks in on Father Prior's parents in Connecticut. 3 Christ shows us what it is to be God in the way that he dies as a human being. If we don’t see death (as I claimed that modern society doesn’t), then we will not visit of see the Face of God either.

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