Print Issue: March 28, 2002

None

Introduction • Vigils • Lauds • Terce • Sext • None • Vespers • Compline

By Deacon Michael Balfour
Photography by Michael Alexander

None, the mid-afternoon prayer of the office, is a brief 20-minute time of returning to the Scripture and communal prayer before returning to the day's work assignments for the afternoon from 2:30 until 4:30 p.m.

Father Philip Dehner, OCSO, center, sits in his wheelchair among brother monks during 4 p.m. Mass in the infirmary chapel. Immediately behind Father Philip are Father Edmund Brand, OCSO, left, and Father Corentine Finnegan, OCSO. Father Edmund and Father Philip both are World War II veterans who entered the monastery in 1946 and 1947, respectively. Father Corentine is one of the abbey's three living founders and he has been a monk since 1937.

While the workday still progresses throughout the abbey grounds, Father Steven Scherrer, MM, prepares to celebrate Mass at 4 p.m. for those whose lives are now confined to the infirmary on the third floor.

As he prepares the altar, monks arrive in wheelchairs or walking while leaning on their own chair and then sitting when they have arrived. The chapel barely holds the six or seven monks. As Father Scherrer reenters the chapel vested for Mass, he walks among the brothers and passes out purple priests' stoles. Each of the priests, most over 90 years old, kisses his stole and enters into the celebration of the Mass. As the eucharistic prayer begins you can hear each of those gathered almost whispering the liturgical prayers with Father Scherrer. As the bread and wine are consecrated and transformed into the sacred body and blood of Christ, they hold out their hands, some feebly shaking from a long life of service to God, but confidently continuing their ministry as priest. I wondered how many years, how many Masses, how many times have they recreated that institution of the Eucharist as we celebrated Holy Thursday? The rite of ordination to the priesthood confirms the fact that once a priest, always a priest. Here was the living proof.

Here was love for Christ that did not tire despite infirmity.

Brother Mark Dohle, OCSO, serves his brothers selflessly as infirmarian, a role he has taken for almost 21 years. It is obvious this is much more than a "work assignment." His love and concern is evident as his prepares for those in his care to come to their afternoon meal. Each place is set as he goes around the table and places the proper medications for his brothers. As they enter, he turns on a tape player and the sounds of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto softly play.

One of the abbot's goals is to plan for the increasing age of the community and the expanded demands this will place on the present infirmary. A plan under consideration is the relocation of the infirmary downstairs into a much larger space that used to serve as the scriptorium. Before Vatican II, the professed monks were required to gather together for the morning meditation time of Lectio Divina. Since Vatican II and with the encouragement of the abbot, the professed brothers now pray and read in their own rooms. The scriptorium is now available for renovation and would allow for a more expanded infirmary located on the ground level.

Dom M. Basil Pennington, OCSO, left, meets with his secretary, Brother Chaminade Crabtree, OCSO, as they discuss the upcoming general chapter meeting of all abbots and abbesses. The gathering, which takes place every two years, will be held in Rome this year.

From 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. all work stops and the monks enter into a free hour. Some may choose this time for their own needs. If they choose, they may shower and change into clean clothes following their work day and in preparation for the prayers of the evening. There are two locker room style areas, one for the professed brothers and one for the novices, observers or guests. Each is simple in design, long rows of porcelain sinks below mirrors. Each monk's personal items for shaving and toiletries stand over their sink. Names on pieces of paper stand over rows of narrow spaces for hanging work clothes, habits, shoes and personal items. The brothers may choose to visit the library where an extensive collection of nearly 35,000 books is available.

If one of the monks wishes to research the abbey's history, he can use this time to visit the archives room which contains thousands of photographs and documents, some bound, some simply in drawers. Around the room are artifacts and oddities found on the grounds. clay shards of earlier settlers rest alongside complete turtle shells on a window sill, arrowheads lie next to old holy cards. In the corner, standing upright is the lid of a coffin that was used to transport the remains of Dom Robert McGann, OCSO. The abbot had traveled to Europe in 1957 for a Cistercian conference and died in Paris of pneumonia. On the wall is a chalkboard with a long message in Spanish, and in English the words, "That's all folks." The message was left by some visiting monks from South America who visited the monastery in the 1960s. No one erased the message and it's now part of the archives.

Just across the hall from these artifacts from the past is the future. An air-conditioned room houses the abbey's computers with DSL connections. The professed monks may visit the computer room and do research on the Internet, following strict guidelines.

Brother Nicholas Slette practices the organ in the abbey church during his personal time that goes from 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. daily. Brother Nicholas wears headphones while he is playing, so the sound of the organ does not spill out into the silence of the church.

Down in the empty church, the novice, Brother Nicholas Slette, who was waiting so intently at 4 a.m. to ring the Angelus spends this time by sitting in front of the church's organ wearing a headset. His hands sweep across the keyboard, as he practices for future liturgies, where the sounds only he now hears will resound throughout the abbey church.

Outside, the beautiful stillness of the cloister garden is broken by the songs of birds and the splashing of water spilling out into a koi pool. Surrounded on four sides by the covered cloister walk, this peaceful and sacred space calls some of the monks for prayer and meditation.

During this time you will always find a number of brothers in the abbey church. Some sit with eyes focused on the tabernacle in silent communication with God or walk up and down side aisles of the church in a continuous journey with Christ in prayer.

However or wherever they choose to spend their time, they know the bell will call them back as community committed to the universal prayers of the church, the Liturgy of the Hours.

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