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blue
cloud abbey
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The special Church days at the start of November have a history that goes back many centuries. But as with many customs over one thousand years old, we cannot say with certainty where and when they started. The solemnity of All Saints on November 1st goes back to the tenth century or even earlier. Exactly how it began is shrouded in the mists of history, but celebrations of all martyrs are known to go back to the fourth century when the Church emerged from persecution. The celebration of "All Hallows Eve" or Halloween also arises from the history of All Saints Day. Once the custom of a solemnity for All Saints was established, it was possibly a logical development to dedicate the next day to everyone else who died in the faith. After all, many people find it hard to think of themselves as saints. The All Souls commemoration as we know it is generally |
attributed to St. Odilo, abbot of the monastery of Cluny in the eleventh century. The eleventh century was a golden age for monasticism, and Cluny was a large abbey with considerable influence on the whole Church. From this time there began the many popular traditions for All Souls, such as processions to cemeteries and special prayers for the deceased. The Church to this day offers a Plenary Indulgence (a shortening of purgation time) that can be earned for the faithful departed. This indulgence is earned by those who visit a cemetery with devotion and pray for the deceased in the first week of November. The monks of Blue Cloud also take part in this ancient devotion. According to our own custom, we devote our daily prayers and Masses for the souls whose names are sent to us by our many friends during this season. We do this for the entire month of November. A form to collect prayer petitions is sent out to many of our benefactors with this newsletter issue. |
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Each summer the monks have some time for vacation, perhaps visiting family or friends. Occasionally, the monks may be involved in ministry-related trips as well. In July, Fr. Abbot Thomas attended the annual meeting of AIM, the Alliance for International Monasticism. The goal of AIM is to provide support for Benedictine communities in third world nations. Monasticism continues to grow in the less wealthy parts of the world: Latin America, Africa and Asia. Blue Cloud Abbey is proud to take part in assisting these young Benedictine communities, which remind us that the Church is truly an international community. Fr. Abbot also traveled to Louisville, Kentucky for a meeting of Major Religious Superiors in early August. Fr. George and Fr. Guy attended a reunion of St. Paul's Mission school, Marty, SD, in May. Br. Benet gave a retreat to the monks of Mt. Michael Abbey, Elkhorn, Nebraska in late May, and attended an oblate director's workshop in July. Br. Michael and Br. Dennis traveled to Oklahoma for a Benedictine Juniors' workshop in June. Fr. Matthew found an assignment as guest chaplain on an ocean-bound cruise liner. The one-week tour of the Alaska panhandle featured beautiful scenery and wildlife sightings. Summer may be the busiest time of the year for our retreat center and guesthouse. This past summer was no exception. Many individual |
visitors came to see us, in addition to larger groups. During June the guesthouse hosted the following group retreats: Twin Cities (privately organized), Marriage Encounter, Jesu Caritas, Highmore youth group, St. Cloud permanent deacons & Bishop Paul Dudley, Dakota Pride. In July we hosted these groups: Mixed AA, Oblate Sisters (Marty, SD), Diocese of Sioux Falls Seminarians and another privately organized group. August saw retreats by a Women's AA group, Asbury United Methodist Church (Sioux Falls) and a Hispanic group hosted by Br. Paul. In addition to the groups already mentioned, three PRH workshops were held at the abbey through the summer. PRH is an experiential and educational method for personal development. The letters PRH are from the French expression for Personality and Human Relations. The program originated in France in 1970, and has now spread to thirty countries with courses in eight languages. The summertime seminars have been held at the abbey for several years now. As in most years, we had a number of vocational visitors, associates and candidates at Blue Cloud this summer. In August the abbey chapter voted to approve the entrance of two men, Cliff Schneberger and Crispin Rork, into novitiate this fall. We ask our friends' continued prayers for vocations to the abbey and consecrated life in general. Fr. Matthew |
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THE OBLATES OF
ST. BENEDICT The Rule of St. Benedict has something to say not just to vowed men and women but to everyone else as well. It is a textbook showing us how to respond to our Christian calling, how to live with one another. David Knowles, the Benedictine historian wrote "No one seriously striving for Christian perfection can go to the Rule for help and come away feeling that they have read advice suitable only for a particular call or a particular stage of the religious life. Each finds there what they see. This should not surprise us, for the Rule is the gospel teaching." Blue Cloud Abbey has approximately 350 affiliated oblates. The majority are Catholic, but laity and clergy of other Christian denominations are also oblates. Why are people coming to the Benedictines for nourishment? Cathy Curry, one of our oblates, answered this in An Evening Walk, her book on aging. "The warm welcome of visitors to the monastery made me realize genuine hospitality was an important virtue in Benedict's eyes.
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His emphasis on stability, fidelity, moderation and continual conversion to Christ settled in the low spots of my psyche, filling in the holes and smoothing out my path. As my grandchildren might say: "Benedict's your bag, Grandma!" Oblation is not the same as profession of vows, but is still a commitment made after a period of reflection. Oblation and the profession of vows that monks and nuns make are both public acts made in the presence of the monastic superior and the community. On rare occasions, an oblation is made outside of the abbey church. Several years ago, Frances Schmidt, an invalid, made hers in the living room of her home because she was unable to come to the abbey. Just as the ceremony began, the phone rang and she answered it, telling the caller, "I can't talk now. I'm becoming a Benedictine." Some components of Benedictine vows also apply to oblates. For the oblate, stability means being at his or her place - always having a presence within one's family, at work, in the parish and organizations to which they belong. Conversion is a striving to change, to improve oneself morally, and obedience asks the same from oblates as it does from professed Benedictines; "…since we know that it is by this way of obedience that we go to God" (Rule of St. Benedict Ch. 71). At the end of the oblation ceremony, the abbot prays; "Compassionate and loving God, kindly bless all those you have chosen for yourself, especially all those who have associated themselves with the community of Blue Cloud Abbey. Strengthen us as we strive to seek you in all things and complete the work you have begun in us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." |
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A DAY IN THE
LIFE Sometimes our friends and benefactors write to us, asking what daily life is like in a monastery. Those kinds of questions are best answered by seeing it yourself. Many friends of the Abbey have been able to visit us and experience the daily cycle of the monastic schedule. But for the large number that cannot come to see the abbey, here in brief is a typical weekday at Blue Cloud Abbey. 5:00 AM - Although morning prayer will not start for over an hour, some of the monks have already risen. Some have jobs that are best done early in the day, some may have an early mass because of travel plans. 6:40 AM - The tower bells begin ringing, calling the monks to lauds (morning prayer). By 6:45 everyone is seated in their choir stalls, and the hebdomedarian (weekly prayer leader) gives the signal to begin. Morning prayer usually takes about twenty minutes, and includes four psalms, a hymn, and a short scripture passage. 7:30 AM - Breakfast in the dining room, in silence on most weekdays. Conversation is allowed on Sundays, solemnities and feast days. If a retreat group is meeting at the abbey, they eat in a separate dining room for guests. 8:00 AM - The morning work period begins. A wide variety of jobs need to be done at the abbey each day. They include all the various needs of the kitchen, where meals are prepared for the monks plus up to forty guests. Cleaning and maintenance of the abbey building is a daily task also. The administrative work of the abbey: financial, ministries office, retreat center scheduling etc., is done during this time as well. This work period is also when junior monks have classes with Fr. Abbot or the novicemaster. Other areas of daily work include the garden, greenhouse and garage. Monks may also be involved in conferences or other activities with retreats. |
10:30 AM - Morning work time ends and the monks return to their rooms for spiritual reading. The Latin phrase for this time is "Lectio Divina", and it is a traditional part of the schedule for every monastery. 11:30 AM - Daily mass is held in the abbey church. Midday prayer from the Church's daily Prayer of the Hours is held at the start of mass. The monks who are priests each have an assigned day to be principal celebrant for the mass. 12:15 PM - Lunch in the main dining room. The monks are joined by guests and employees, and talking is allowed. After each meal, monks take turns washing dishes. 1:30 PM - Afternoon work period begins. As in the morning work time, the various jobs of the abbey continue. An optional coffee break is at 3:15, and the work period ends at 4:30. 5:00 PM - Vespers (evening prayer) is held in church. The structure of vespers is similar to morning prayer, with psalms, a hymn and scripture passage. From the end of vespers until 5:45 there is optional Eucharistic adoration, also in the church. 6:00 PM - After praying the Angelus and a blessing, the monks have dinner. An assigned monk reads aloud from a selected book while the others keep silent. On Thursdays and special occasions, there is no reading and the monks have conversation. 6:30 PM - A second period for spiritual reading comes after supper. This is done privately in the monks' individual rooms for an hour. 7:30 PM - The monks again meet in Church, this time to pray Vigils, also known as Hour of Readings. This prayer time includes more psalms and longer readings from scripture or early Church Fathers. 8:00 PM - When Vigils is completed, the monks have free time for recreation. This can include conversation, playing cards, watching television or using the internet. 10:00 PM - Recreation time ends and night silence begins. Another weekday at Blue Cloud Abbey comes to an end. |
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Please Remember Blue Cloud Abbey in Your Will Through the centuries, monks have prayed for the souls of their departed benefactors. This may be our most important work! Including the Abbey in your will supports the Church's future and provides for your own remembrance. Our legal name is Blue Cloud Abbey. We are a religious, charitable corporation located in Marvin, South Dakota. |