John Klassen, OSB, Chosen Tenth Abbot of Saint John's Abbey

32 Pages·2001·2.95 MB·English

by  Mac 6

Contents
Page 6
CCoovveerr SSttoorryy
The Abbey Banner
John Klassen, OSB,
Magazine of Saint John’s Abbey Chosen Tenth Abbot of
Volume 1, Issue 1 Saint John’s Abbey
Spring 2001
by Daniel Durken, OSB
Editor Center photo by
Daniel Durken, OSB Greg Becker,
border photos from
Klassen family album
Designer
Pam Rolfes
Features
The Odyssey Group
Contributing Writers
Dennis Beach, OSB, Alberic 44 1122
Culhane, OSB, Geoffrey Fecht, The History of The Liturgical Press Senior Monks Publish Poetry
by Hilary Thimmesh, OSB
OSB, Joseph Feders, OSB,
William Skudlarek, OSB, Donald 88
Tauscher, OSB, and Hilary Experiencing the Earthquake in 1144
Thimmesh, OSB El Salvador The First Methodist Monk
by Dennis Beach, OSB by Daniel Durken, OSB
Printing
1100 1155
Palmer Printing
Angelo Zankl, OSB, An Exhibit of Forty
Editorial and Production Celebrates a Century Bronze Sculptures
Assistant
Margaret Arnold
Proofreader
Dolores Schuh, CHM
Departments
Cover Design
Monica Bokinskie
33 1199
From the Editor Banner Bits
Circulation
From the Abbot
Francis Peters, OSB
2277
Paul Fitt, OSB
55 Spiritual Life
Strengthening Foundations
The Abbey Banner is published
BBaacckk CCoovveerr
three times annually by the
1166 Calendar of Events
Benedictine monks of Saint John’s
Vocation News Abbey Prayer Time
Abbey for our relatives, friends
and Oblates. The Abbey Banner 1177
brings the extended family of Saint Abbey Missions
John’s Abbey together with feature
stories and news of the monastery.
Saint John’s Abbey, Box 2015,
Collegeville, Minnesota 56321.
320-363-3875. www.sja.osb.org.
FFrroomm tthhee EEddiittoorr aanndd tthhee AAbbbboott
What's Entering into the greater clarity in
who we are.
in a
Paschal Mystery
This is not
Name? about being
by Abbot John Klassen, OSB right or wrong
but about
by Daniel Durken,
It has been helpful for me to think listening
OSB
of the two seasons of Lent and carefully to
Shortly before Easter as one, as ninety days with our times.
completing his Easter at the center. Because the
There is also
term of office Paschal Mystery is the central para-
new life. An example is the birth of a
last November, Abbot Timothy Kelly ble of our Christian lives, I wish to
new friendship with a person whose life
asked me to edit a new abbey magazine. articulate some of the ways in which
has brushed up against ours, but circum-
What you have in your hands is the we participate in this mystery of
stances have blocked further develop-
result of my acceptance of this assignment. Jesus’ death, resurrection, ascension
ment. Then something changes and the
and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
At the top of the editorial agenda was relationship clicks. Sometimes our eyes
the selection of a name for this Borrowing from Ronald are opened and we discover that for one
new publication that replaces the Saint Rolheiser’s Holy Longing, we need reason or another we haven’t been very
John's Abbey Quarterly. A good to name our deaths; claim our good friends to the people who have
segment of the monks responding to a births; grieve over what has been tried to love us. As one person writes, "I
poll opted for The Abbey Banner. lost while adjusting to what is new; fear abandonment and therefore its flip
let go of the old, letting it ascend side, intimacy. I want the coin to stand
For the past forty years the bell banner while it is blessing us; and accept on its edge. Don’t go away. Don’t get
of our church has been the most the gifts of the Holy Spirit. too close. I’ve had a hard time letting
readily recognized landmark on the
John Shea in Stories of Faithtells someone love me, although many good
Collegeville campus. It is the bold
of a young man caring for his father people have tried."
symbol of the abbey's worship celebrated
who is dying of cancer. Each night
daily behind the banner as well as of the An example of ascension might be the
after work the son holds his father’s
creative work that goes on all around the following, which a woman shared: "My
hand and watches helplessly as he
banner. The banner is quite literally husband and I never fully understood
suffers. Finally, one night the son
the monastic community's concrete way what ascension and Pentecost meant until
says, "Dad, let go. Trust God, die.
of welcoming everyone who comes to I had to have a double mastectomy.
Anything is better than this." Soon
Saint John's. There was, at first, a lot of anger, a lot of
his father grows peaceful and dies.
grieving over what we’d lost. Eventually
Just as it takes a village to rear a child it The son realizes that he has just
though we had to let go of a wholeness
takes many people to prepare a new given voice to the important truth
we once had. Now our relationship is
publication. The names of our contribu- of letting go and trusting God.
great again . . . But my husband had to
tors and production people are listed on Death, our own and others, is cer-
learn to see me differently and I had to
the inside front cover. I thank them as tainly the most profound example
learn to see me differently too. We
well as the magazine and communication of our participation in the dying of
know now what it means to have a body
committees and the photographers. This Jesus.
float up to heaven so as to receive a new
has very much been a team effort. Sometimes this dying means spirit" (Holy Longing).
standing in a different relationship
I invite you, the reader, to tell me what For us Christians, the Paschal Mystery
to the changes made in the 1960s
you like and do not like about this first is not a theological abstraction, but a
and 1970s that were milestones of
issue and to give me your ideas on the lived experience. The examples are
the Church. But now there are
kind of news and views you want The given in order to stimulate your reflection
new needs. The men and women
Abbey Bannerto present. Please send on your own experience of the Paschal
coming to the Church need a
me your reactions and evaluation. If you Mystery. v
different kind of ecclesial expres-
have relatives and friends who would like
sion. It is hard to trust that God is
to receive this magazine, send me their
working in the future, to trust the
names and addresses and I will add them
younger generation’s need for
to our mailing list. v
The Abbey Banner Spring 2001 3
FFEEAATTUURREE
The History
of the
Liturgical Press
the Mass arranged for congregational titles are significant, well-received
participation. Two other booklets on the reference works. Oblates and others
liturgy followed that premiere publica- interested in the Benedictine way of life
tion, and in November the first issue of are familiar with RB 1980: The Rule of
the liturgical periodical, Orate Fratres St. Benedictin English and Latin, a new
(now known as Worship), was published translation of and commentary on the
for eight hundred initial subscribers. Rule . . . The Press's edition of the
Sacramentary, the Lectionary for Mass,
The booklet’s Introduction summarizes and other official liturgical books are
the accomplishments of The Liturgical recognized for their carefully wrought
Press as follows: design and serviceability . . . In publish-
ing approximately seventy new titles each
"The sixty or so monks and lay people
TT year and in maintaining a quality backlist
who staff The Press in its seventy-fifth
o commemorate the 75th of nearly a thousand titles and journal
year currently publish five journals, two
anniversary of its publications, The Liturgical Press serves
seasonal Mass guides, a Sunday Bulletin
founding, The Liturgical the diverse Church community of the
Series, and a steady flow of books,
Press is publishing a concise People of God."
compact discs, and CD-ROMs on the
history of its service to the
liturgy, theology, monastic studies, and
Church. Mark Twomey, The booklet goes on to describe the
Scripture. Its three imprints — The
editorial director of The Press, beginnings of The Liturgical Press in
Liturgical Press Books, Michael Glazier
is the author of a 65-page book- 1926 by Father Virgil and the subsequent
Books, and Pueblo Books — provide its
let entitled The Liturgical Press growth of The Press under the director-
pastoral readership with liturgical books
1926-2001: Seventy-Five Years ships of William Heidt, OSB (1949-78),
and parish ministry materials, and its
of Grace. Daniel Durken, OSB (1978-88), and
academic readership with textbooks and
Michael Naughton, OSB (1988-2001).
The history chronicles the commentaries on Scripture, theology,
The final chapter considers the
amazing growth of The Liturgical and monastic studies, as well as reference
challenges facing The Liturgical Press in
Press from its founding by Virgil works for the seminary and college class-
light of technological changes as The
Michel, OSB, in 1926. Fresh room and the library market.
Press "will remain rooted in its tradition
from his studies and travels in
while being innovative in its product
"Today The Press's Celebrating the
Europe that made him aware of
development."
EucharistMass Guide is used in some
the liturgical movement spear-
six hundred parishes from Boston to San
headed by Benedictine commu-
For a FREE copy of The Liturgical
Francisco . . . The Collegeville Bible
nities in France and Germany,
Press 1926-2001: Seventy-Five Years of
Commentaryis the mainstay of Catholic
Father Virgil in April of 1926
Grace, please write to The Liturgical
biblical study across and beyond the
published five thousand copies
Press, Collegeville, Minnesota 56321 or
nation . . . The Encyclopedia of
of a booklet entitled Offeramus
call 1-800-858-5450. v
American Catholic Historyand similar
which contained the Ordinary of
4 The Abbey Banner Spring 2001
SSTTRREENNGGTTHHEENNIINNGG FFOOUUNNDDAATTIIOONNSS
Planning the Abbey Guest House
by Geoffrey Fecht, OSB
TT
he time-honored Rule of Saint setting and design of the Guest House ence a little of the Benedictine
Benedict presupposes a Guest will be inviting and peaceful. It will be a spirit of peace and prayer in a
House to be used by pilgrims and serene, hospitable, sacred place for surrounding of awesome beauty
prospective novices. Benedictine people of present and future generations and stillness.
monasteries have traditionally given to contemplate their faith and their lives.
It was in the late 1950s that the
prominence to the monastic Guest It will be a restful place where monastic
abbey last undertook a capital
House in the architectural planning of vocations, service to the local church, and
campaign. At that time the abbey
the monastery complex and in the daily Christ-centered models of living are fos-
sought to raise funds for the
life of the community. With this in mind, tered. The Guest House will welcome all
construction of the Abbey Church.
the Benedictine monks have been who come to share the prayer life of the
This church, an architectural
welcoming individuals and groups to monks of Saint John’s Abbey, regardless
marvel, has served both the local
Saint John’s since its foundation. In the of their faith or denomination. The Guest
and broader communities well
conviction that this work is central to our House will allow people a place to retire
since its completion forty years ago,
monastic mission, we realize that we to for a spiritual, monastic-like respite or
helping to spread the faith of our
must develop facilities, a Guest House, retreat.
Benedictine, Christian heritage to
which will allow people simply to live and
our students and our many guests.
to pray among us, to walk in our woods, The time has now come for the abbey
and to break the rhythm of their ordinary to undertake the construction of the
lives to share in ours. Abbey Guest House and Blessed Nearly fifty years later, we embark
Sacrament Chapel, both of which are on another capital campaign rooted
Our community has been carefully intended to serve the abbey, its schools in the same tradition and
developing the program for this Guest and parish, as well as the greater Saint conviction. It is our hope that all
House since the late Jerome Theisen, John’s community, through the extension our guests have in turn carried
OSB, was abbot (1979-92). The vision of of Benedictine hospitality, offering others these convictions with them to the
a Guest House was close to his heart and the opportunity to witness and experi- four corners of the earth. v
the project has advanced to its current
stage as a result of his inspiration. We are
confident that the time has come to move
ahead with fund-raising to make the Guest
House, along with a Blessed Sacrament
Chapel for the church, a reality.
The Guest House, located near the
shores of Lake Sagatagan between the
Abbey Church and Saint John’s
Preparatory School, will provide facilities
for housing and meals for guests, a space
for prayer, a library, an area for group
conferences and areas for individual con-
versations. At full capacity, its thirty guest
rooms and suites will accommodate
sixty-four guests.
Tadao Ando was chosen by Saint John’s Abbey as the project architect.
His model of the Guest House shows two main wings that intersect.
In reflecting its monastic character of
simplicity, hospitality and prayer, the photo by Alan Reed, OSB
The Abbey Banner Spring 2001 5
CCOOVVEERR SSTTOORRYY
John Klassen,
OSB, Chosen
Tenth Abbot of
Saint John’s Abbey
Abbot John received photo by Hugh Witzmann, OSB
the shepherd’s staff (crosier)
at his abbatial blessing. by Daniel Durken, OSB his family's 440-acre dairy farm near the
““OO Stearns County village of Elrosa, only 40
ur tenth abbot doesn't have to be a miles from Collegeville and even closer
perfect Number Ten," remarked a to Father Emil's parish of Our Lady of
wise monk during one of the com- Perpetual Responsibility and to the
munity discussions that preceded the Chatterbox Cafe.
late November, 2000, abbatial election.
It is much too early to assign a number When John's father had to curtail his
to Saint John's new abbot, John Klassen, activity due to the effects of rheumatic
OSB, who was chosen to succeed Abbot fever, young John soon took the lead in
Timothy Kelly, OSB, on November 24. the daily work of the farm. Stretching
his legs to reach the pedals of a Ford
But Abbot John has already indicated tractor when he was only six years old
that he is more interested in ones than in undoubtedly contributed to the new
tens. In a Saint Cloud Visitorinterview abbot's height of six-three.
he stated, "I plan to continue the ongoing
task of spiritual renewal and attention to Seasonal farm work meant missing a lot
each monk's own spiritual growth and of grade school days, but he acquired
development, meeting with individuals, practical, mechanical skills that dispelled
doing the kind of theological formation any fear of "looking under the hood," as
that we need to grow as individual he puts it, to fix what is broken. Life on
monastics and as a community. Each the farm gave John a strong sense of
individual member is the lifeblood of the self-worth and confidence. He knew he
monastery — we really need to pay atten- was making a contribution and that his
tion to this." work was appreciated. He has an abid-
ing respect for his rural roots as well as
Paying attention to Abbot John's own for the strong faith and the good humor
development reveals that he is the of local folks.
second oldest of the six sons and two
daughters of the deceased Paul and At the age of 15 John came to
Catherine (Wiechmann) Klassen. He is Collegeville to continue his education
the first abbot of Saint John's who can through high school, college and
claim to be no stranger to the fabled area seminary. After his graduation from
of Lake Wobegon. For he grew up on college with a degree in chemistry he
6 The Abbey Banner Spring 2001
CCOOVVEERR SSTTOORRYY
entered the monastic community, made monks, taking comfort in the key word
his initial commitment to the Benedictine “delegate,” and urging the community to
way of life in 1972 and was ordained a "Stay close so that together we can contin-
priest in 1977. ue our wonderful journey to the God
who is within us."
By 1985 he had completed doctoral
requirements in organic chemistry at The The abbatial blessing was bestowed on
Catholic University of America with a Abbot John by Bishop John Kinney
thesis that explored "The Steric Course of the St. Cloud Diocese, on December
of the Allylic Rearrangement Catalyzed 17, 2000, the Third Sunday of Advent.
by Beta-hydroxy decanoyl thioester That Sunday's gospel featured the
dehydrase." (Try saying that three times Advent activity of John the
in a row!) He has taught chemistry at Baptist, patron saint of
Saint John's Preparatory School and at both the abbey and
Saint John's University and the College the new abbot. Of
of Saint Benedict. He also directed the him it was said,
university's senior seminar program and "Exhorting the
the Peace Studies Program and served as people in many
a faculty resident in student campus ways, John
housing. preached good
news to the
From 1993-99 John worked in the area people." v
of abbey administration as the director of
monastic formation, responsible for the
instruction and spiritual direction of the
abbey's novices and junior monks during
the first three years of their vowed
commitment to the monastic way of life.
For several years he co-directed with
Mary Helen Juettner, OSB, the
Benedictine Values program for the
university's lay faculty and staff. Last
summer he co-authored with Emmanuel
Renner, OSB, and Mary Reuter, OSB,
an 18-page essay on "Catholic
Benedictine Values in an Educational
Environment."
A series of community discussions on
the desired qualities of an abbot pre-
pared the monks of Saint John's Abbey
to make their selection of the one who
"Stay close so
would lead them into the new millenni-
that together we
um with its challenges and opportunities.
can continue our
They did so decisively on the morning of
wonderful journey
November 24 when John received a sub-
to the God who is
stantial majority on the second ballot of
within us."
the election process. He immediately
assumed the leadership of more than 190 photo by Greg Becker
The Abbey Banner Spring 2001 7
FFEEAATTUURREE
Experiencing the
Earthquake in El Salvador
by Dennis Beach, OSB and landslides and leveling houses,
OO and sending virtually every
n January 13, I was sitting with a ambulatory Salvadoran running in
group of 12 students from Saint panic into the streets or into the
John’s University and the College of combination patio-chicken run
Saint Benedict in the chapel of the behind their crumbling adobe homes.
Hospitalito Divina Providencia in El
Salvador. Madre Rosa had just begun to Except for Madre Rosa. And, as a
tell us of the life and death of consequence, except for us. As the trian-
Archbishop Oscar Romero, who had gular chapel shuddered and pitched, with
been gunned down while celebrating pews jumping up and down and chande-
Mass in this very chapel twenty years liers swaying wildly in a din that arose
earlier, when we heard the sound of from the earth itself, Madre Rosa closed
what most of us took to be a strong gust her eyes and prayed, prayed for those
of wind. whose houses were falling about them at
that instant, prayed for those departing
Soon it became apparent that this was this life for what can only be a better one
no mere movement of air, but a violent to come.
Saint John's and Saint Benedict's and prolonged shaking of the earth itself.
students talk to residents amid For fifty terrifying seconds the earth We watched her praying and, despite
the rubble of houses in shook and buckled, precipitating rock- the chaos and the fear, despite our hearts
Tecoluca, El Salvador. pounding in our chests and our
hands clenching the heavy pews,
despite the apprehensive glances at
the ceiling beams and swinging
glass lamps above our heads, we
stayed put, stayed together, and
took some timid courage from this
quiet woman.
For myself, I thought at first that
this might be "just a tremor" since
Madre Rosa had just stayed calm
and seemed to wait it out. As the
shaking continued, I knew it was
larger, but how large I had no idea.
Miraculously, nothing around us
fell, and as we began to gather our
scattered wits, Madre Rosa praised
our faith which she said had kept
us calm and tranquilothrough the
8 The Abbey Banner Spring 2001
FFEEAATTUURREE
Madre Rosa spoke with the
group of students just moments
before the earthquake struck.
percent of the houses in
rubble and ninety percent
rendered uninhabitable. We
talked with people about
how they were coping, how
they were organizing
together to ascertain
emergency needs and chan-
tumult. Most of us suspected that she was
nel the trickle of aid that only very slowly
inputing her own devout trust to us, but I
began to arrive. Our own itinerary of
think we felt strangely soothed by this
learning about the country’s slow
unassuming woman telling us how
recovery from civil war was shaken up as
Monsignor Romero had preserved us
well, but this problem paled next to the
from harm.
plight of the more than one million
What is more, because we hadn’t run victims or damnificadosas they’re called
panicking out of the building (while that in Spanish.
may have been the prudent thing to do!)
but instead stayed huddled together, What we did learn as
clutching hands and trembling ourselves we made our way
in unison, we indeed did have the through the remaining
comfort of one another’s presence, the two weeks of our stay,
comfort of a certain togetherness in the jumping out of our
danger, a comfort anchored in Madre skins at the seemingly
Rosa’s faith and prayer. incessant aftershocks
(which continue still as I
Only gradually did the extent of the write this on February
quake’s damage become known to us, 2), is the resilience of
with electricity and telephone service this beleaguered people,
knocked out for at least the next few their faith and
hours — longer in many places. Because confidence in God,
damages in San Salvador, the capital, their warmth and
were not as severe as elsewhere, and the friendliness even amid
radio first reported that the magnitude this disaster that shook
was "only" 5.9 on the Richter Scale, the the whole nation. True,
Students view more
sheer destruction of the earthquake accusations that the government — either
earthquake damage.
mercifully dawned on us little by little. federal or local — was manipulating aid
By late afternoon we were back in our lit- along political lines flew even as the tears photos by Dennis Beach, OSB
tle hotel, where one of the televisions were falling, but our fundamental
that survived brought to us the images experience was different: We were for a
and reports of devastation that the rest of time intimate witnesses of a national
the world began to see as well. heartache, privileged, in a strange way, to
share the pain and anxiety of those all
Later on, we toured towns that had around us. And that moved me, moved us
been virtually demolished, with forty all, even more than the earthquake had.v
The Abbey Banner Spring 2001 9
FFEEAATTUURREE
Angelo Zankl, OSB,
Celebrates a Century
FF
ather Angelo One of Angelo's daily duties was to
Zankl, the senior wheel one of the senior monks, Father
member of Saint Cornelius Wittmann, back and forth
John's Abbey, will from his room to the chapel for Mass.
come to the century Cornelius was the last of the original
photo by
mark of his long and fruitful life on pioneer monks who had come to
Hugh Witzmann, OSB April 19 when, God willing, he celebrates Minnesota from Saint Vincent's
his 100th birthday. He is the first monk Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, in
in the abbey's 145-year history to reach 1856 to offer pastoral care to the
this age. German immigrants of the area and to
establish monastic and academic life in
Born in 1901 in the small town of central
Almena in northwestern Wisconsin, our Minnesota.
celebrated centenarian came to Angelo is
Collegeville in 1913 at the tender age of therefore the
As unique as centenarians are
twelve. The total yearly cost of tuition, last living
at Saint John's Abbey, they are
board and room, books and laundry at link that
not that unique among our
that time was $250. Since his parents connects the
sister monks of nearby Saint
could only afford half of that sum, the entire 145
Benedict's Monastery. The
young Zankl made up the rest by waiting years of the
oldest member of that
on tables in the student dining room and abbey's
community is Constantine
working in the darkroom of the school's existence.
Ringwelski, OSB, who was
own photo studio where he learned the
one hundred years old last
skills of photography that became his Ordained
February 24. Sophia Zimmer,
life-long hobby. He recalls that he always to the priest-
OSB, (1861-1969) was the first
knew the film North Dakota students hood in
monastic of Saint Benedict's
submitted for developing because the 1926 after
Monastery to reach the century
only things they photographed were his
mark. At least five other
trees, not an abundant sight in their theological
members of that community
windswept state. studies at
reached one hundred before
Saint
they died. Three other
Entering the abbey's novitiate in 1920 Vincent's
members will have one-hun-
and receiving the monastic name of Pontifical
dred-year birthdays, God Angelo, the young monk was once Seminary, Father Angelo’s 1926 ordination
willing, in 2001. So when a
admonished by the novice master, "You Latrobe,
Benedictine is wished the
have a penchant for a prompt and Pennsylvania, he studied art at Saint
traditional Ad multos annos!
profuse use of the perpendicular Anselm's College, Manchester, New
("To many more years"), you
pronoun 'I.'" After looking up those Hampshire, and at Notre Dame
had better believe it!
words in the dictionary the neophyte University. He taught dogmatic theology
(This information was provided understood he had been introduced to in Saint John's Seminary and served as
by Dolores Super, OSB.) the monastic virtue of humility. the university's Dean of Men and the
10 The Abbey Banner Spring 2001