Vol. LVI, No. 1

Summer 2003

A Memorial for the 125 Anniversary of the founding of Subiaco Abbey
as told in the words of the founder: Fr. Wolfgang Schlumpf

By Fr. Hugh Assenmacher, O.S.B.

Editor's Note: The material for this Memorial is taken from a manuscript by Fr. Wolfgang Schlumpf the founder of Subiaco Abbey. It was discovered in the archives of Maria Einsiedeln in 1996 by Abbot Jerome. Fr. Wolfgang's text is in italics.

March 15, 2003 marked the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Benedictine community known as Subiaco Abbey. The date was March 15, 1878, when three German-speaking Swiss monks arrived in Logan County, Arkansas, from St. Meinrad Abbey in Indiana. The day was a Friday, the time about 6 p.m.

The three founders, Fr. Wolfgang Schlumpf, Bro. Kaspar Hildesheim and Bro. Hilarin Benetz left St. Meinrad Abbey on the afternoon of March 6, 1878, Ash Wednesday. They had a new wagon, pulled by mules, to take to Arkansas, and another wagon, which would return to St. Meinrad after depositing its contents on the steamboat on the Ohio River. They also had two cows, two pigs and a white saddle horse. The monks would take turns driving the wagon and riding the horse.

By evening of March 6, they had gone 15 miles to Troy, Indiana on the Ohio River. Here they stayed overnight with their confrere, Fr. Conrad Ackerman, monk of St. Meinrad and local pastor. The next morning, the steamboat "New Mary Hanston" on the run from Cincinnati to New Orleans, stopped at Troy and the monks and their wagon, animals and luggage boarded. The trip to Memphis cost $60. One monk would travel on the lower deck with the animals and wagon, etc., sleeping at night in the wagon. The other two monks had a cabin on the upper deck.

Fr. Wolfgang noted: About midday the boat landed at Rockport, Indiana. On the bank were two heavily laden wagons. Three men, three women and some children boarded the boat with their wagons. We were happy to find them German-speaking people who were traveling to Logan County, Arkansas where they would buy land and try their luck at farming. Fr. Wolfgang wrote that the trip was pleasant, like a trip on the Rhine.

They arrived in Memphis on March 11 at 4 p.m. In Memphis we had some trouble with our animals, wagon and luggage. We had to stay there overnight. On the following day, March 12, we drove through the streets of this large city to the railroad station. Here we engaged a great, long railroad "boxcar" for ourselves and the three families with us. We also bought our personal tickets for the 175-mile trip from Memphis to Little Rock. Each adult paid $8 for his ticket. The charge for each wagon was $30.

At 6 p.m. on March 12, the train was taken across the Mississippi River by steam ferry, as there were no bridges across the wide river at Memphis at this time. The lowlands of eastern Arkansas were flooded and the train was often stalled because of the high water. At 2 a.m. on March 13, the travelers arrived at Argenta (North Little Rock) on the Arkansas River opposite Little Rock. Fr. Wolfgang recorded: We rested for several hours in a German hotel. As luck would have it, the railroad agent, Mr. Anthony Helmich, was keeping a watchful eye out for our arrival. He found us the following morning. We had to go across the river by ferry into Little Rock for some necessary purchases and also to pay a visit to Bishop Fitzgerald and get his blessing for the new foundation. But, as usual, the missionary bishop was not at home, being out on pastoral trips to his huge territory.

From Little Rock, the travelers changed trains for the town of Spadra. The "emigrant" boxcar was rented for $15, but the travelers got free tickets because they were going to the new railroad colony. Mr. Helmich accompanied the party, putting his own horse with the animals of the party bound for Logan County.

Fr. Wolfgang continued: Soon we went on to Clarksville, and while the train went on, we made some necessary purchases for farm and house. Then we walked to Spadra, four miles, where our wagon was already unloaded from the train. That night we monks stayed with an "American." This man wanted very much to trade two small, but beautiful ponies for our big saddle horse. We made no trade, however.

On Friday, March 15, 1878, the date of arrival and founding of Subiaco, the "Notes" say:

The next morning, March 15, we began our "land" journey again. We passed by some very fertile fields and drove through forests of exceptionally high and thick trees. There was much to see. Around 3 p.m. the road passed the first German farmhouse, that of Mr. Voelkerding and his family. "Have you anything to eat?" called Mr. Helmich. Mr. Voelkerding shouted back: "Surely there is coffee, bread and eggs enough for all, and there, in the barn, are corn and hay for the animals." … We left refreshed and after about 3 more miles, the land agent, high on his horse, called out joyfully: "Here! Now we are at our destination!" We turned left off the road and went through the oak forest for about ten more minutes. We had completed our traveling to our new home, arriving safely on Ember Friday, March 15, 1878, at about 6 p.m.

The inner court flowerbeds daily remind us of our anniversary.

The travelers might have arrived at their new home, but they were rather shocked by what they found: Before us lay an old cabin. There was no garden, no orchard, but only oak trees, underbrush and rocks. No one was there to greet us. The cabin luckily had a door. It was 16 feet long and 16 feet wide and had a window with four glass panes. There were three chairs, a small table about 15 inches square and two beds. A small cook stove stood on a platform of bricks. The floorboards rattled when we walked on them as they were not nailed down.

The monks began to settle in and Mr. Helmich took Fr. Wolfgang to the top of the ridge south of the cabin to see the view. Strangely enough, the monks had no food with them, so at sundown, Mr. Helmich left with the promise that he would send some food, and bring the rest of the freight from Spadra. Fr. Wolfgang made the statement, famous in Subiaco history: "…For supper we had the rosary, the Litany and other prayers in common. The night was clear and the stars twinkled through the holes in the roof onto our pillows and our peaceful sleep. … The following morning a neighboring farmer brought us eggs, meat, bread, and coffee.

Thus another monastery of the Order of St. Benedict began with rather grim prospects. However, due to the tenacity of our founders and early Fathers and Brothers, we have arrived at 125 years of Prayer and Work. We hope that it has been done in such a way That In All Things God May Be Glorified.

 

The Abbot's Message

"It might be better to call the practice (of lectio) "holy seeing" rather than holy reading."

"Blessed are your eyes, because they see." "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see." These two sayings of Jesus are almost the same, but not quite. The first appears in Matthew's Gospel (13:16), the second in Luke's (10:23). The second is more familiar because it has an object, "what you see," which is Jesus himself, and is easier to understand. The first one almost doesn't make sense. Your eyes see what?

In its place in Matthew's Gospel the saying does make sense: Jesus is explaining his use of parables. Some do not understand them - "They look but do not see" - but the disciples do understand. The object of "see" in this case is the meaning of the parables. Blessed are the eyes of your mind because you understand the kingdom.

You have, in other words, been given the grace to see things the way God sees them, which is really seeing. Not everyone sees the same thing the same way. Witnesses to an accident may give quite different reports. After a storm one will be struck by the clouds, another by the rainbow. In the same person one will see a wasted life, another a child of God. The crowd saw in Levi a despised tax collector, Jesus saw a man hungry for God.

To contemporary author Steven Covey we owe the axiom: "We see the world not as it is, but as we are." In an important sense, becoming a disciple of Jesus is learning to see the world as Jesus sees it, as God sees it. St. Paul talks about "putting on the Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom 13:14) and "having the mind of Christ" (1 Cor 2:16). In teaching us to see, Jesus created stories about people who had this kind of vision - the Good Samaritan looking at the man in the ditch, the loving father looking at his returning Prodigal Son - as well as about those who weren't able really to see, like the rich man overlooking the beggar at his gate.

An ancient monastic practice recovered in our day focuses on learning how to see the world as God sees it, to view reality from the divine perspective. It is called lectio divina, which literally means divine or holy reading. This is a way of putting on the mind of God by absorbing the word of God, letting the divine Scriptures penetrate deeply so that we may be transformed by divine grace. In its most familiar form this means a slow and repetitive brooding over the biblical text, but it is not an intellectual exercise, a study of Scripture. "Reading" in this practice from Christian antiquity is not a fast and aggressive accumulation of information, in which we try to devour what is in a text, but a process belonging to a time when the only books were copied by hand and very scarce. It is more like sitting with the holy word to let its priorities and point of view seep into you: to begin to see the universe and all that is in it from God's point of view, to look on everything and everyone with love. This spiritual exercise always leads to prayer.

Lectio divina has been unfortunately confused in the contemporary renewal with another important religious exercise, spiritual reading, which has a different purpose. Spiritual reading is reading about the doctrine and practice of the faith for information and inspiration: sacred theology, the nature and practice of prayer, the lives of the saints. It is a necessary background for an informed spiritual life, and is a form of study. Lectio divina is at all points either prayer or leading to prayer, more of the heart than of the head. Its goal is not information but transformation. It might be better to call the practice "holy seeing" rather than holy reading.

We need both of these practices for a sound spirituality: spiritual reading, which provides the context of sound doctrine and information and awakens our desire for God, and the daily communion with God in prayer, whether it is in lectio divina or some other practice. One beauty of lectio divina is that it can incorporate prayer from its most vocal or verbal expressions to the most silent and contemplative.

Learning to see reality as God sees it is not some external exercise, like acquiring a new skill. It is a process of conversion, becoming more and more God-centered and God-filled. We are amazed at the stories of saints who were able to see the face of God in everyone, even their torturers. In this they were exactly like Jesus. Thomas Merton made this point about saints: "The saints are what they are, not because sanctity makes them admirable to others, but because the gift of sainthood makes it possible for them to admire everybody else. It gives them a clarity of compassion that can find good in the most terrible criminals. It delivers them from the burden of judging others, condemning others. It teaches them to bring the good out of others by compassion, mercy and pardon" (Seeds of Contemplation, 57).

We see the world not as it is, but as we are. 

What's Going On

A CHRONICLE OF EVENTS

April

Dry, warm weather tempted our gardeners to put in the hot weather crops: melons, squash, okra, and tomatoes. These plants will stay alive when planted early-barring a frost-but they will not thrive until the soil temperature rises into the 70's. The local Co-op is happy to sell a second round of these seedlings, after the early attempt fails. The dry conditions favored farm work. Fr. Leonard, with some help from the junior monks, piled brush for burning in the clear-cut area of the pine forest. This will increase the pasture acreage, once the clean up is complete.

On Holy Thursday, Bro. Michael Endres mangled his hand in a freak accident with a grounds vehicle. After the stitching, Brother sported at first a "club hand," completely encased in gauze and tape. Over the next several weeks, his bandage slowly decreased in size. Apparently there has been little permanent damage.

The Easter Monday outing this year was held at Shoal Creek, for a change. Fr. Raphael, pastor, hosted the event in the spacious parish hall. The Sisters of Hesychia House were able to join us for lunch, and to provide maps of the hiking trails. Fr. Bruno showed good horseshoe form, even after his years in Belize, without any practice.

On April 25, Bro. Peter Pusch returned home after completing his work on a Doctorate degree in Rehabilitative Science at Southern Illinois University. We still call him "Brother."

Prior David and Fr. Mark size up the fallen giant hackberry tree in the East Park.

In late April, a "Trojan Head" was painted on the floor of the swimming pool, covering the entire area of the shallow end of the pool. Alumni volunteers donated their talents to this very technical task. A computer-generated stencil had been enlarged over and over, producing a stack of perforated stencils which were taped to the floor of the pool. A colored powder dusted over the perforations provided a guide for the painters. The result is impressive!

Purple martins reconnoitered the area, for the first time in some years. Sadly, they did not stay. We like to see these acrobatic aerialists, but they have not seen fit to grace us with their presence. Monks cling to pet theories on why the martins disdain our birdhouses. Perhaps another doctoral candidate can devise "birdbrain" experiments to settle the matter once and for all.

May

Pastoral changes were announced early in May. Fr. Denis goes from Paris to Scranton, Fr. Bruno goes from Scranton to Booneville, Fr. Eugene goes from Booneville to Paris. In this monastic version of musical chairs, no one is left without a chair. Fr. Bruno resides at the Abbey, where he can monitor the progress of his habanero pepper plants, and keep the pool table cushions flexible. Notice this says the cushions, not the pockets.

It took several violent storms in mid-May to break out of the spring drought. The big hackberry tree in East Park blew down without a sound. Well, no one saw it or heard it go down, so the old conundrum remains unanswered. The tree had appeared to be in perfect health, but the exposed roots showed an inner rottenness.

Mary Lou Zaiden, a close friend of the Santa Familia Monastery monks, visited just after the storm. She denied bringing the hurricane along with her. She was a neighbor, friend, and collaborator with the monks in Belize for many years. She occasionally sends a box of sweet rolls and pastries from a bakery in Kansas City, where she now lives. We remain "sweet" on her.

On Sunday, May 18, the Abbey hosted, for prayer and a meal, the participants in the Novice Mistresses and Novices Workshop. This group of about 40 women was meeting at St. Scholastica Monastery in Fort Smith. The Divine Office takes on a special character with such a complement of female voices. Jacob Carey and his kitchen staff, and Brother Thomas in the refectory, "pulled out all the stops" too, producing a banquet destined to be the benchmark for quite some time. That same week, the 53 Academy Seniors, divided into two groups, ate farewell meals with the monastic community. It was not a good week to have supper dishwashing duty!

This large class graduated on Saturday morning with the traditional inner court conferral of diplomas. By mid-afternoon, all the students had departed, letting behind a strange "ghost town" quiet, and the detritus of nine months of living. The first summer job is to clear the debris, so that once again all the rooms are impersonal and uniform for summer campers and retreatants.

The "missionarie" in Judrez, Mexico begin the construction of a home in the barren desert.

The second Mission Trip to Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, departed on May 26. Nine students and an adult helper, Mr. John Joswick, of Mt. Ida, Arkansas, accompanied Fr. Mark. This year's work included the digging of foundation trenches for two houses, in hard, rocky, caliche soil, under a 100°+ sun. All survived to enjoy a fun day at Six Flags amusement park in Arlington, Texas, on the return trip.

June

More than 400 alumni, spouses, and children returned to campus for the Alumni Reunion May 30-June 1. This year's entertainment featured a Saturday evening "Casino Night" and an outdoor Biergarten. The annual reunion, coming just after a hard academic year, always revives our spirits. The love and devotion of Academy graduates for their Alma Mater, and seeing their growth into Christian maturity, makes it all worthwhile.

Abbot Jerome conducted the community retreat this year, the second week of June. He led us through the wilderness; or rather, showed us that we are supposed to be in the wilderness, but that's a good place to be, if we have a trustworthy guide.

During retreat week, Fr. Felix entered a special "wilderness" of his own. Recently diagnosed with cancer, he began chemotherapy and radiation therapy simultaneously. He had some tough days, but he is showing his own toughness too. We invite your prayers for Fr. Felix, and for all our sick.

Our three junior monks departed on Trinity Sunday for the two-week Juniorate Summer School, held this year at our neighboring abbey of St. Gregory in Shawnee, Oklahoma. They said it was very good, and that they are happy to be home again.

Sometime during the night of June 18, our Angus bulls made an incursion into the no-man's land (Highway 22) separating their pastures. The result was tragic. A driver struck one of the bulls, heavily damaging his Mercedes. The bull had to be killed, and was taken to the slaughterhouse. Thankfully, the driver was not hurt, and we will be getting some of our own Angus beef.

On the 23rd, the annual hiking/camping group left for their Colorado vacation. Brother Anselm was able to go again, after missing it last year with bad knees and knee replacement surgery. We're waiting to hear how his titanium and plastic knee performed at high elevations. Others have been, or are away for some R & R. With a lot of substitutions, all the necessary work, and the regular prayer, continue as usual.

June ended with the sweet corn harvest, the first of the homegrown tomatoes, and some fresh blackberries. Truly the "good old summertime."

The Abbey Report

Two Roads; One Destination
by Fr. Mark Stengel, OSB

Fred Hoedebeck and Emil Wewer entered the Abbey novitiate together in September 1937, made profession together in 1938, and were ordained together on June 3, 1943. Their 60th anniversary of ordination was noted by a Jubilee Mass, followed by a festive meal, on June 9, 2003. Their paths diverged during their 65 years of religious life. Now they are together again, living in an active retirement at the Abbey.

Fr. Paul was mostly "at home" with in-house assignments; Fr. Andrew was away from the Abbey for 30 years with parochial assignments. Each, in his own way, was and is a true "Subiaco man," deeply committed to his religious life, and to his community. Both were asked to offer a few personal reflections on their 65 years as Benedictines.

Fr. Hugh Assenmacher (50 years professed), Fr. Gregory Pilcher (25 years ordained), Fr. Paul Hoedebeck (60 years ordained), Bro. Henry Fuhrmann (60 years professed), and Fr. Andrew Wewer (60 years ordained).

When asked about a "difficult experience," Fr. Paul tells about being assigned to pastoral ministry for the first time in 1972. This was occasioned by the sudden death of Fr. Christopher. Fr. Paul was sent to St. Joseph Church in Paris, Arkansas as a temporary administrator, and then as pastor. Getting a handle on all the pastoral duties, trying to understand the parish records and finances, and learning to drive all at the same time seemed an impossible task. It was, he says, an occasion of obeying the superior and relying on the grace of God-and God brought him through this difficult time.

His most vivid memory is that of staying with Abbot Paul Nahlen in the last days of the Abbot's life. As infirmarian for the Abbey, Fr. Paul ministered to his dying Abbot at St. Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock during the summer of 1957. It was a time of increased commitment to the person, the ideals and goals of this strong Abbot. Consequently, it was the special joy of Fr. Paul's life to see the consecration of the Abbey Church in 1959, which had been a life-long dream of Abbot Paul. Fr. Paul had worked for 13 years as head of the Development Program, soliciting aid for the Church project and other needs of the Abbey. He recalls with satisfaction that the Church was debt-free at the time of its consecration.

Fr. Paul, in his retirement years, is an indefatigable worker and absolutely faithful to the round of monastic prayer and community life. So it is no surprise that the advice he offers for being successful and happy in the religious life is: "Keep your vows as perfectly as possible", and "Work hard." Up to the present, Fr. Paul continues as Custodian of Mass Intentions, volunteer pecan sheller in the winter months, and summertime groundskeeper. When Fr. Paul starts a job, you know it will be done promptly and well!

Fr. Andrew has not enjoyed his confrere's robust health and energy. His path has involved some difficult physical crosses, which, he feels, held him back from doing or being all that he would have liked. Several years after his ordination, he began suffering from a painful disorder of his facial nerves. Various treatments were tried, and eventually a doctor prescribed the removal of all his teeth, as a remedy for the pain. This did not help, so the trigeminal nerves of the face were severed. This made it impossible for Father to open his mouth sufficiently to use dentures. Fr. Andrew freely admits that he then began "self-medicating" the pain with alcohol, and soon this became the primary problem. Even as he did pastoral work in many places, his physical problems limited his effectiveness and kept him from a "normal life." He says that he was always the "odd duck" in the places of his assignments, and became a sort of hermit.

Perhaps this led him to his hobbies of ham radio and tinkering with carpentry projects, mostly the creation of intricate gadgets. One of his prized constructions is a gravity clock, which keeps accurate time by the release of steel ball bearings from the topmost level. The balls roll along a descending wooden track and onto pivoting arms, which tilt to release the balls to the next level. Hours, quarter-hours, and minutes are read by the number of balls in their respective slots.

Asked about pleasant memories, he cites his involvement in the surveying for and construction of the present water supply lakes, and the attempt by the Abbey farm to produce hybrid seed corn. This attempt failed, he says, because not all of those involved in the project could grasp or appreciate the principles of hybridization. He also is proud of the design, building, and equipping of the carpenter shop.

As the "best blessing" he has received in his monastic life, he immediately says, "getting free of alcohol." He is very grateful for the intervention of the Abbot to get him the help he needed. As the virtue most needed in the religious life, he says simply "Obedience."

Two very different paths have led these Jubilarians to the same place. They both are respected and honored "elders" of the community, who show us each day what God can do in those who open themselves to His call. Either one would be a "tough act to follow." We are proud of them and thank God for the gift of their monastic and priestly life.

Gather Us In

"Holy seeing" flows right into loving action.

During a recent "mission trip" with Academy students to the border city of Juárez, Mexico, I experienced several examples of the fruits of "holy seeing," which Abbot Jerome writes about in this issue of The Abbey Message/Raven

The first morning in Mexico, as I celebrated Mass for our group, a Mexican man, Mario, wandered in and joined us for Mass. Afterwards, he said "This (being able to participate in the Eucharist) is the second miracle already today, and it's only now 8 o'clock."

This man's life is lonely and hard, following the breakup of his family. That morning he had managed to speak to his children on the telephone-something that his estranged wife usually does not allow. Then he had found us celebrating Mass. His joy was infectious-that of a man who looks upon the world with eyes of love and gratitude.

The director of the community center, Mr. Frank Alarcon, told the story of the event that initiated the ministry to the poor in Juárez. On that Christmas Day nearly 30 years ago, there occurred a seemingly miraculous multiplication of food. "That was nice," he says, "but that was nothing compared to the daily miracle of Jesus making himself present and multiplied for all in each Mass that we offer." He told the students of his sense that myriads of angels are present at each celebration of the Eucharist, and he asked the boys to be conscious of the unseen miracles all around us.

Such attitudes could be dismissed as simplistic credulity. But only by someone who does not see the fruits produced by such believers. Spending time with Mario and "Frankie," as he is affectionately called, opens ones eyes to the presence of a kind and loving God, who looks upon all with love. This is "holy seeing" which flows right into loving action.