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The Newsletter of St. Benedict's Abbey, Atchison, Kansas
“We are formed by those we love and by those who love us.”

News of Members

Prior James Albers and Father Brendan Rolling were part of a team which did a weekend program for youth at Prairie Star Ranch, January 6-8. Prairie Star Ranch is a 291-acre ranch near Williamsburg, KS, owned by the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and operated by the Archdiocesan Youth Office. A BC alumnus, Shawn Madden, is Director of Programming and Operations for Prairie Star.

Brother John Peto participated in a meeting of the officers of the North American Association of Benedictine Oblate Directors at Clyde, MO, January 2-4. Brother John is Vice President. The new constitution and by-laws for the Association became effective on January 1, 2006. The writing of the new constitution and by-laws was the work of a committee during the term of Sister Jean Frances of Clyde. The first matter of business for the group is making a complete list of all monasteries of men and women in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The officers will meet again February 17 to 19 at Beech Grove.

Brother Anthony Vorwerk, Brother Robert Heiman, Jim Carter, Jim Asher, Art and Dick Neumann gather each morning at 8:30 in the boiler room for discussion, coffee and snacks. Dick Neumann brings his friendly dog, Sage, who comes expecting a cut of summer sausage from Brother Anthony. Jim Asher is former administrator of the Atchison Hospital. Art Neumann was a bricklayer. Dick Neumann was a foreman for JE Dunn Construction in Kansas City. Jim Carter, a retired buyer for Rockwell when it owned the Atchison foundry, is a part-time grounds and building worker for the Abbey. This friendly session welcomes other monks as they pass by to the laundry room or to do work outside.

Father Gabriel Landis went deer hunting in early January near Garnett, KS, with two men from Church of the Ascension parish. After perching in a tree for ten minutes, Father Gabriel shot and wounded a deer whose blood trail the other hunters followed for a mile then lost it. This was Father Gabriel's first hunting experience.

Abbot Owen Purcell accompanied the four junior monks, Brother Jeremias Heppler, Brother Gregory Dulmes, Brother Ambrose Nelson, and Brother Luke Baker to the annual Serra Clubs Christmas Mass and Luncheon at the St. Lawrence Catholic Student Center in Lawrence, December 29. Also attending were Deacon Brother Marion Charboneau and Abbot Barnabas Senecal. The four Serra Clubs of Kansas and the God's Little Green Acre program donate funds to each seminarian of the Archdiocese and to the Abbey for education of members. The Abbey was given $1,000.

Bishop Herbert Hermes, bishop of the Prelacy of Cristalandia in Tocantins, Brazil, was home at the Abbey in early January. He is doing a series of visits to family members now, and will return to Brazil in late January.

Community News

Monks from the Abbey sang Christmas carols for the Benedictine Sisters in the Dooley Center on December 22. Brother Ambrose Nelson was the song leader. Cookies were prepared by various monks and served to the Sisters after the songs. The treats and their creators are listed here:  Chocolate Chip cookies, Brother Ambrose Nelson; Sugar-free Sugar Cookies, Father Brendan Rolling; Sugar-free Lemon Bars, Abbot Owen Purcell and Brother Gregory Dulmes; Rice Crispy Squares, Brother Columba McNeill, and Snicker Doodles, Prior James Albers. Abbot Barnabas Senecal took pictures of the event and selected three for framing as a gift to the Dooley Center.

Fathers William Thompson, Bernard Gervais and Ignatius Smith have petitioned the St. Benedict's Abbey Chapter to accept their transfer of their vow of stability from Holy Cross Abbey to St. Benedict's. The chapter vote on this matter will be held Tuesday, January 10.

Don Kilkenny worked with an Atchison city crew in replacing a fire hydrant just north of the Abbey recently. A better flow of water from this hydrant was required for it to be effective in fire prevention.

Workmen from Roberts' Roofing of St. Joseph, MO, put a new roof covering on the north and south sacristies of the Abbey Church the week of January 2.

Groundwork has begun on the addition to the Atchison Catholic Elementary School at 2nd and Division. Father Gerard Senecal, pastor of St. Benedict's and Sacred Heart parishes, and Father Betrand LaNoue, pastor of St. Joseph's parish, are pleased with the Atchison community response to this project that is scheduled for completion by Fall, 2006.

Monks were the cooks, dishwashers and table setters for Christmas and New Years Day meals in the Abbey. They also took shifts at the Guest House reception desk.

Prayer Requests

Freda Pickman asked our prayers for herself and her husband Jerome as she underwent surgery on her left foot and would need to be off her feet for weeks. She is the primary care giver for her husband who is physically limited. Jerome and Freda live in Atchison.

Jim Leach of Oviedo, FL, has been diagnosed at the Mayo Clinic with pancreatic cancer. Father Aaron Peters, who served on the submarine USS Clamagore SS343 with Jim, asks prayers for Jim and his wife Jayne.

Sean Dubbert, 80, is recovering from brain surgery and asks for our prayers.

Nick Hudsinski, a 2005 BC graduate, asks prayers for his Aunt Eilleen who recently had open-heart surgery and has now been diagnosed with cancer.

Frank Holland, Garden City, KS, has been diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer with spots on his lungs and liver. Mary Lou (Mark) Rottinghaus, sister of Frank, asks prayers of the community for him.

Marilyn Robertson, a C.N.A. on the Abbey Health Care Staff, fell and broke her shoulder while shopping, December 26. She had a shoulder replacement at Heartland Medical Center in St. Joseph, MO, and is recuperating.

The family of Darrell Witt asks for prayers for Darrell.  He has been diagnosed with lung cancer.

American Cassinese Congregation Deaths

Father Jude (Leonard) Krogol, O.S.B. monk and priest of Saint Leo Abbey, Saint Leo, FL, died December 5 in the Abbey Infirmary after a prolonged illness. Father Jude was in his 44th year of his monastic profession and the 40th year of his ordination.  Born in Wyandotte, MI, Father Jude attended Saint Bernard Abbey in Cullman, AL, as a diocesan seminarian. He was so impressed with the Benedictine monastic way of life and spirituality, that during his studies at St. Bernard's, he decided to join a monastic community. This is how God led him to Saint Leo Abbey, where he was convinced that God was calling him to spend the rest of his life living the Benedictine ideal of Prayer and Work in community life. Soon after his ordination in 1965, Fr. Jude was assigned to serve as campus minister at Saint Leo College where he left a lasting impression on both the student body and the Saint Leo community. After a good number of years of service above self, Father Jude was assigned to work as hospital chaplain at Saint Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix, AZ.  This was his true vocation, as he dedicated himself to assist the sick and suffering, treating them with compassion and love as Christ has called us to serve. This Father Jude faithfully did until his retirement when he returned to the abbey in 1999. The central focus of Father Jude's pastoral ministry during his last years at Saint Leo Abbey was to extend his ministry to serve various councils and assemblies of the Knights of Columbus in the State of Florida. He was an active member of K.A.I.R.O.S. (Prison Ministry). He was the co-chaplain of the Abbey Infirmary and he supervised the renovation of the infirmary chapel in 2003. He also acted as the director of Oblates for a brief period time, where he made lasting friendships.  Father Jude served the monastic community with dedication and faith despite growing health problems.

Brother Alfonso (Cruz José Vicente) Vásquez Ochoa, O.S.B., a monk of Tepeyac Abbey near Mexico City, died November 15. Brother Alfonso was born April 7, 1946, in Caldas, Antioquia, Colombia.  From 1965 to 1973 he was a Redemptorist Missionary. From 1975 to 1980 he worked as a guest master in a house of the Carmelite Order. He made first vows as a member of Tepeyac Abbey in 1981 and solemn profession in 1984. During the novitiate he helped with the care of Brother Felix; from 1981 to 1983 he was beekeeper and from 1983 he was both guest master and porter of the Abbey.  From 1988 to 2001 he worked in the Centro Escolar del Lago and from 2001 to 2004 he participated in the pastoral activity at the chapel of San Rafael and San Benito Abad in the archdiocese of Mexico City. The spirituality that marked Brother Alfonso (Ponco, as he was affectionately called) was one of a peaceable person, one dedicated to the service of others.  His participation in the activities of the monastery was always marked by happiness, and was so when he decorated the house for the most important celebrations of the year.  He was in charge of special events at the Centro Escolar del Lago, where he was much beloved because he always had an affable greeting and a kindly word for every one.  In his last years Poncho helped at the Church of S. Rafael, and there he showed Benedictine spirituality to the church community. Through his lifestyle he showed us that it is possible to really serve the brethren with patience, good manners and availability.

Deaths of Religious, Relatives, Friends

Richard C. Farrell, 66, died Tuesday, December 27, at his home in Atchison. Mr. Farrell was born March 30, 1939 in Concordia, KS, the son of James "Jay" and Mary Faye (Green) Farrell. He graduated from Aurora High School, Aurora, KS. He graduated from St. Benedict's College in Atchison with his bachelor's degree in Mathematics in 1960. He received his master's degree in Mathematics in 1962 from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and a master's degree in computer science in 1983 from the University of Kansas. Richard was a professor in the Mathematics and Computer Science Departments at the former St. Benedict's College and Benedictine College, from 1962 to 2001. Richard was a member of St. Benedict's Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus, and Bellevue Country Club. He enjoyed playing golf, horse racing, and spending time with family and friends. Richard's twenty-three grandchildren brought a special joy to his life. Richard and Carole Derusseau were married on September 2, 1961, in Clyde, KS. She preceded him in death on March 5, 1998. He was also preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Tom Farrell. Survivors include five daughters, Jenny Lykins of Atchison, Becki Weber of Merriam, KS, Lisa Roth of Chester, IL, Kathy Hager of Atchison, and Amanda Ramsey of Atchison; one son, Jeff Farrell of Overland Park, KS; one brother, Patrick Farrell of Denver, CO; and 23 grandchildren.

Ann Marie Bruning, 70, of Olathe, KS, died December 23 at Olathe Medical Center. Mrs. Bruning was born January 13, 1935, in Dodge, NE. She was a founding member of Holy Spirit Catholic Church. She was preceded in death by her parents Bill and Betty Reznicek. Ann is survived by her husband of 45 years, William J. Bruning, of the home; six children and their spouses: Suzanne and Ernest Kary, Olathe, KS; Jeffrey and Shannon Bruning, Columbia, SC; Gregory and Beth Bruning, Overland Park, KS; Rev. William Bruning, Topeka, KS; Linda and Dr. Peter Hodges, Manhattan, KS; Amy and Michael Bartkoski, Overland Park, KS.

Pauline Amrein, 78, a life-long Atchison resident, passed away peacefully, January 3 at the Dooley Center of the Benedictine Sisters. Pauline was born May 6, 1927, in Atchison, the daughter of Andrew and Pauline O. Miller Baumgartner. They preceded her in death. She was a graduate of Mount Saint Scholastica Academy and the Atchison Business College. She worked as a billing clerk at the former LFM manufacturing company in Atchison prior to her many years as a devoted mother and housewife. She married Edwin J. Amrein on December 28, 1948 at St. Benedict's Church. Ed survives of the home. Pauline was a member of St. Benedict's parish and the Altar Society. She served as the Director of Parish funeral dinners and was a Eucharistic Minister. She enjoyed her family, grandchildren and numerous friendships. She had a wide variety of hobbies. In addition to her husband, she is survived by two sons, Edwin F. Amrein (Karen) of Wellington, KS and James A. Amrein (Kelli) of Bangalore, India; eight daughters, Paula Amrein Browne (Michael) of Atchison; Elaine Amrein of Atchison; Jane Baker (Melvin) of Marienthal, KS; Mary Beth Vadnais (Jerry) of Rosehill, KS; Margie Holben of Lansing, MI; LTC Marian Amrein of White Sands Missile Range, NM; Alice Amrein-Underwood (Tracy) of Olathe, KS, and Dorothy Gibson (Brad) of Atchison; a brother, Dr. George Baumgartner of Atchison; two sisters, Sister Rosina Baumgartner, O.S.B., of Atchison and Rosina Halpin of Arlington, TX; 24 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Carol A. (Bischof) Candela of Wentzville, NO, died of renal failure of the kidneys and liver on December 21. She was 62. Carol was the sister of Permanent Deacon John A. Bischof (BC 1970) of St. Louis, MO.

Martha A. Kloppenberg, 84, Marysville, KS, died December 15 at Community Memorial Healthcare, Marysville. Martha was born Jan. 9, 1921, at Olpe, KS, the daughter of Matt and Emma Trear Brown.  She attended St. Joseph's grade school and high school at Olpe. She married Joseph B. Kloppenberg.  She was a homemaker and helped with the family farm in the Washington community.  They moved to Marysville in 1990. She was a member of St. Gregory's Catholic Church, the altar society and the Bondville Club of Washington.  She was a project leader in the Busy Bee 4-H Club. She enjoyed gardening and flowers, cooking, crocheting and playing pinochle.  Survivors include two sons, Ronald Kloppenberg, an uncle of Brother Jeremias Heppler, Emporia, Dwane Kloppenberg, Marysville; one brother, Raymond Brown, Emporia; a twin sister, Clara Cooper, Topeka.

Frances Wilhelmine Vorwerk, 83, of Burlington, IA, died December 19 at her home. Born May 2, 1922, in Burlington, she was the daughter of Andrew and Edith Karver Weidmann. On October 1, 1949, she married Carl F. Vorwerk at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Burlington. He died November 1, 2003. Carl was a brother of Brother Anthony Vorwerk. She was a homemaker and had worked as telephone operator for 9 1Ž2 years. She was a graduate of St. Paul's Catholic High School. She was a member of SS. John and Paul Catholic Church. She was an Oblate of St. Benedict, a volunteer of Birthright of Burlington and a St. Francis of Assisi Aide. She enjoyed opera, working with flowers, sewing, collecting stamps, playing cards, and being with all of her family. She also enjoyed helping her husband with the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry for 12 years. Survivors include three sons, twins, Lawrence (Nita) Vorwerk of Northfield, MN, and Leo (Linda) Vorwerk of Jacksonville, FL, and Andrew (Mary) Vorwerk of Cedar Rapids, IA; three daughters, Helen (Joe) Sprowl of Lexington, OH, Janine (Gary) Imthurn of West Burlington, and Linda Anne (Jeffrey) May of Burlington; one sister, Helen McClellan of Burlington.

Benedictine College Notes

The Benedictine College Chamber Singers traveled to Italy on December 30 for a tour that began with a performance at Mass on New Year's Day at St. Mark's Basilica in Venice.  The group will also perform in Florence and Assisi as well as several engagements in Rome, including singing for Pope Benedict XVI at a Papal Audience. The Chamber Singers were also invited to be the principal choir at the Solemn Mass at the Altar of the Chair in Saint Peter's Basilica.  This is the fifth time the student group has been invited to sing in Rome. Dr. Ruth Krusemark, Professor and Chair of the BC Music Department, is the conductor for the Choir. "We embrace the opportunity of serving in this role of musical leadership at the Vatican with a sense of honor, humility and great gladness," Dr. Krusemark said. Father Blaine Schultz, Abbey choir master and music instructor at Benedictine College, traveled with the Chamber Singers.

Fifteen monks of the Abbey and a dozen sisters from the Mount met on December 21 in the Abbey chapter room to talk about Benedictine values and how they are lived out in our relations with Benedictine College students and staff. The monks who participated, and their relationships with college students, are listed here; Brother Ambrose Nelson (Lecturer, Liturgical Choir Director); Abbot Barnabas Senecal (Member, Board of Directors); Father Blaine Schultz (Professor Emeritus, Music Department); Father Brendan Rolling (Director for Mission, Mass Celebrant, Spiritual Direction); Father Bruce Swift (Mass Celebrant, Spiritual Direction); Brother Columba McNeill (Lecturer, English Department); Brother Dominic Cason (Lecturer, Art Department); Father Hugh Keefer (Chaplain, Mens' Basketball Teams); Prior James Albers (Member, Board of Directors, Mass Celebrant, Spiritual Direction); Brother Jeremias Heppler (Director, Campus Ministry); Brother Joseph Ryan (Mail Room Worker, Sacristan for BC Liturgies in the Abbey); Brother John Peto (Director, College Oblates); Brother Lawrence Bradford (Professor, Biology Department); Father Maurice Haefling (Member, Board of Directors), and Father Meinrad Miller (Instructor, Religious Studies Department, Mass Celebrant, Chaplain, Spiritual Direction). Father Denis Meade will join the Abbey monks active in the College as he begins a Canon Law class in the Religious Studies Department this month.

Eulogy for Richard Farrell by Dan Bowen

I have been asked to speak about Richard. I got to know Richard well over the past ten years while we were together on the golf course.  I had known him as a colleague and fellow faculty member at Benedictine College for 30 years. I can summarize my first 20 years with Richard with a few observations. He was strongly committed to Carole and his family. He was a home remodeling expert. He was an effective math teacher. He liked the ponies. He was, on occasion, an inspired poker player. He liked to bluff. One night 20 years ago, Richard bluffed Martin Simon out of a $25 pot that had built up slowly in a 25-cent game. $25 was big money in those days. The hand took almost half an hour to play, as all of the players dropped out, except Richard and Martin. It ended with Martin rolling on the floor in agony, or maybe it was embarrassment. Out of the corner of my eye I could see that Richard was smirking his Richard smirk but he was otherwise nonplused.

Over the most recent ten years there have been two big changes in Richard.  Not those changes ­ the really big ones ­ the almost religious ones. First he changed from being a beer drinker to being a Manhattan drinker. I believe that this conversion occurred under the tutelage of Bob Henry in a Minnesota Indian Casino. The second change was that he became a born again golfer. He had played in his youth, but golf ended with the responsibility of raising children. Golf was compatible with grand children.

Robert Asher and I had been playing for several years before Richard joined our group. As he was learning to play, he lost graciously and paid up at the end of every round. For him it was like tuition to go to school, and he was competitive. As he got better and Martin Simon started playing with us, we began trash talking each other on the golf course. Most insults were fair game. Nicknames were used like weapons. Robert Asher was known as Boo, Robo, Little Fellow, Lil' Feller or just LF for short. Martin Simon derived Richard's first golf course name from Robert's name. Richard was known as Decrepit Fellow, Decrepit, DF, or Delicate Flower. When Richard had a bad round he developed slopey shoulders and in recent years he was usually weak in the pooger. He picked up the name Slopey Shoulders.

Richard's revenge on Martin was pure classic Richard and it went on for years. If Richard miss-hit his 3 wood and it only went 135 yards (for a usually 200 yard club) he would begin playing his 3-wood as his 135 yd club. This really bugged Martin.  Richard, to press his advantage, would tee up on the next short par three hole and use his 3-wood. The more Martin howled, the more Richard shrugged and smirked.

Recently Richard joined Elmer, Sherrie, and Joan for a regular Wednesday evening repast. They had many things in common but each had lost a spouse.  But because of this relationship, especially with the two single women, Richard was regularly teased on the golf course. His golf buddies did not stop at innuendo in the teasing they went as far as it took to distract Richard during a back swing or over a putt.

We got to go on many memorable golf trips together. On the trip to Jekyll Island, Georgia, Jeff joined us and we learned about three of Richard's grandchildren: Kim, Megan, and Kelly, later joined by Shawn and David. On another trip to Las Vegas with his brother Pat we learned of Richards continuing fondness for Casinos. We stayed in one. I think that playing golf almost every day was key to Richard resuming an active life after he lost Carole, but more important than golf was his family and his opportunity to be a grand father. Richard's other names were Poppee, Gramps and Grandpa.

Richard loved being a grandfather ­ he loved all of his grand children and they redefined his relationship with his six children. He liked having his family around him. He might shrug and grin when he told us that Lisa was visiting but he loved having Chris, Jeff, Sarah, Joe, Matt, Danny, Steven and Katie with him. He enjoyed having Mandy at home. He missed Becky, and her children Bob and Liz when they moved out. After Mandy married Matt, Poppee was happy to change his golf schedule to baby-sit Henry or Olivia. Henry grew up with Richard and Richard had a special place in his heart for Henry. Richard gloated when he could leave the golf course and head over to Kathy and Dave's with Allen, Charlie, Matt and Chris for dinner. Richard enjoyed get-togethers with Jenny, Tom, Molly and Ryan. Poppee avidly followed the sports careers of his grandchildren.

About a year after Carole's death, in a serious moment Richard commented (and I can't remember his words, just the idea that he conveyed) "Death is a part of being alive ­ this is how it is supposed to be". Richard understood the cycle. He was alive and a wonderful part of our lives. We don't have him any more. Now he is in his eternal resting place with God. So we must say good-bye Decrepit Fellow, Delicate Flower, Slopey Shoulders, Gramps, Grandpa, Poppee, Richard. We miss you but we know that you are in a better place.

  Home Pages is published monthly for the monks and friends of St. Benedict's Abbey. Abbot Barnabas is the writer.

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