Vol. LVII, No. 1

News of our Apostolates for Friends of Subiaco

Summer 2004

The Good Zeal of Two Monks
by Fr. Mark Stengel, OSB

Father Herbert "arrived" at Subiaco at his birth, on December 3, 1911, the family home being just down the road west of the abbey. Leo Vogelpohl (Fr. Herbert's baptismal name) entered the Subiaco College "Prep" department at the age of 15, in 1927, four months before the "great fire" in December of that year. Fr. Harold (then Urban Heiman) traveled, at the age of 14, from the high plains of Texas (Nazareth) to enter Subiaco College in August 1928, eight months after the fire. Thus the histories of Fr. Herbert and Fr. Harold became united in flames, and these two nonagenarians remain "full of fire" as they celebrate their 70th anniversary of monastic profession. Each was asked to respond to a series of questions, and their responses provide the grist for this retrospective story.

As expected, the memory of the fire looms large in their earliest memories of Subiaco. Fr. Herbert recalls the changed atmosphere after the fire. With monks and students living, studying, praying and playing together in the cramped remains of the building, there developed a camaraderie, a sense of unity that has never been equaled. Living so close to the monks, young Leo first became interested in sharing their life as a monk.

Fr. Harold recalls a strange fascination and awe as he first viewed the burned-out abbey in 1928. He says there was nothing intact except the auditorium (which also burned during his first year). The campus was covered with piles of stones and rubble. "The Holy Spirit must have wanted me here quite seriously, to make such desolation so fascinating."

Fr. Herbert & Fr. Harold.

Now, 76 years later, Fr. Harold marvels at the blessings Subiaco has received since the fire, and at the generous benefactors who have made it possible. He says "To be blessed so profusely, Subiaco must be doing things as Jesus wants."

Asked what aspect of his life has been most rewarding, Fr. Herbert chose his work with the Catholic Youth Movement in Fort Worth, Texas, from 1949-1953, as his favorite. "It was so rewarding to share with them in prayer and work as they were just getting started in life, to see them develop into Christian men and women." Fr. Harold's greatest satisfaction was his involvement with Marriage Encounter in the 70's and 80's. He also greatly enjoys his current and long-term (22 years) pastorate at St. Anthony parish in Ratcliff. He says "Those parishioners are most grateful, cooperative, and appreciative."

Concerning difficult times in their 70 years as monks, Fr. Herbert mentioned being asked to relinquish his studies toward a masters degree, due to other needs in the monastery. He also felt a sense of being "sidelined," as far as Academy work was concerned, after his return from Laneri High School in Fort Worth, and again after he retired as Director of Coury House. He learned in those times, to "look to Jesus on the cross, so as to accept my own trials, and to be able to assist others who were hurting." Fr. Harold recounts that it was difficult for him to be assigned away from Subiaco just a year after ordination, and then after becoming fully "at home" at Corpus Christi Academy in Texas, to be uprooted again to return to Subiaco. He says "I dealt with it by doing the best I could at all times and letting the devil have the rest. I succeeded in being content and satisfied in each assignment because I believed that it was God's will, coming through my superiors, that I be in that place with that assignment at that time."

Reminiscing about "the old days," Fr. Herbert spoke about the erudition of Dr. Sauvet, a diocesan priest who taught the Classics at Subiaco Academy in the 30's and 40's. He recalls Br. Thaddeus Eberle, who had no feeling in his fingers due to frostbite, and so would sometimes catch his fingers on fire as he tamped down his pipe tobacco. Fr. Herbert was involved in moving the pioneer monks' remains to the present Abbey cemetery in 1938. He was surprised that almost no bones remained, but recalls finding the perfectly-preserved cufflinks of Fr. Augustine Stocker. Fr. Harold recalls Fr. Louis Deuster's "dictums in English class." He identifies Abbot Paul Nahlen as the monk of greatest importance in the life of Subiaco Abbey, and says that he was closest to Fr. Justin Wewer, who was his spiritual director from fifth grade through his ordination as a Deacon.

Asked for words of advice for newcomers to the monastic life, Fr. Harold says "Always trust that Jesus is calling you to follow Him. … Jesus speaks through his representatives, our spiritual directors. For your happiness and peace of mind, listen to your superiors."

Fr. Herbert's words of wisdom are "Keep the brain active or it withers." "Appreciate each person and their unique personality." "Meditate on what Jesus did in similar situations when you face a difficulty or a decision." He asked that his final word be "I love each one of my brother monks."

Fr. Harold concludes by saying that "Everything has changed in my 70 years as a Benedictine monk, and for that I am grateful. If a thing is alive, it changes. I do not wish to revert to the 'good old days.' The most important change, I think, in my 70 years, was Vatican Council II and all its tenets."

These two Jubilarians may have come to a burned-out Abbey, but their 70 years of service helped it rise from the ashes. And it is quite clear that they themselves are far from being burned out. Ad multos annos!

 

The Abbot's Message

The "Passion of the Christ" is a meditation on Jesus as the Messiah suffering for our sins foreshadowed in Isaiah 53. That is the light in which it should be interpreted and critiqued.

The Passion of the Christ

Mel Gibson's movie, "The Passion of the Christ," raised an amazing amount of controversy even before it was released, so it was very hard to view it with an open mind. I know I wasn't able to, but I was struck right at the beginning of the film by something the debate hadn't alerted me to, and which affected my perspective for the whole experience.

Before the action begins to unfold, a biblical verse appears on the screen, a quote from Isaiah 53:5: "He was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our sins." This illuminated for me everything that followed. Certainly there is much violence; certainly "The Passion" isn't the whole gospel; certainly there are elements added to the Scripture accounts and elements omitted. But I could understand the film as a meditation on Isaiah 53:5 (or like a sermon which begins with a biblical text to set the theme). I understood what one commentator meant by saying the movie is not a biblical documentation of the passion nor a presentation of the whole Jesus story, but one man's meditation on a vital part of the story. A meditation can incorporate many different elements as long as it is faithful to the theme.

The theme of the movie is how the suffering of the Messiah (the Christ) for our sins, as prophesied in the book of Isaiah, was fulfilled in the Passion of Jesus. Isaiah 53 has been applied to the suffering of the Messiah by Jewish rabbis since the earliest times, and it was applied to Jesus by the Gospel writers who accepted him as the Messiah. So the theme is authentically biblical.

It is true that for anyone who doesn't have a general awareness of the story of Jesus this presentation would hardly make sense. But for those who do know the story there is immediate recognition, from the foggy garden scene to the rolling back of the stone. But the Gospel accounts of the Passion are not being used as a script. There are many additions and embellishments to the biblical narratives: the role of Mary on the way of the cross, the role of Pilate's wife, the visualization of Satan, the woman wiping the face of the fallen Jesus, the dialogue of Simon of Cyrene, all the particulars of the scourging. And there are omissions, such as Jesus' words to the women of Jerusalem, the preservation of his seamless robe, the faith statement of the centurion under the cross. I found these additions and omissions were not unfaithful to the theme: where they didn't advance it, they didn't harm it.

There were some elements doubtful historically, such as the identification of Mary Magdalene with the woman caught in adultery, Jesus speaking Latin with Pilate, and the Church pronunciation of Latin by the soldiers. But neither did these things spoil the theme. The only addition I found disturbing and disruptive was the crow pecking out the eyes of the "bad" thief (a scene apparently introduced from the report of some private vision), a vindictive response implied as coming from Jesus or his Father, in direct contradiction to Jesus' prayer for forgiveness for his persecutors.

Some commentators criticized the film because of Mel Gibson's faith, either that he is a Catholic or because of the kind of Catholic he is perceived to be. This kind of criticism is quite unfair, a way of poisoning the well. The film deserves to be judged on its own merit. Catholic sensibility does come through in the freedom of using other sources to draw out the biblical theme, in the Eucharistic interlacing of the Last Supper and the crucifixion, in the Veronica scene, and in the role of the mother of Jesus in his Passion. This last, the most powerful embellishment of the narrative, was very moving and quite consistent with the biblical presentation of Mary.

It was ironic that there was such an outcry about the violence of the passion scenes (maybe they were overdone, but isn't that what violence means?) in a society where through TV and movies people are more hardened to scenes of violence, both actual and imagined, than at any time in history. But the application to Jesus was too much to take, which may point to a latent Monophysitism or even Docetism among American Christians, ancient heresies which deny the real humanity of Christ. It would be interesting to know whether Catholics overall were shocked as much as some other Christians, because the images of the passion are constantly before us, in the crucifix and Stations that meet us as we enter our churches, on the rosaries in our pockets, in our observance of Fridays and especially Good Friday, and in meditations on the Passion, a traditional spiritual exercise. This focus was lost in many ways in the Reformation's reaction to some extremes of private piety.

In literature classes we are taught that the first step in interpretation is to determine the form of the document under study, its literary genre. That first step is critical, because if it is erroneous every subsequent judgment about the document is suspect. The same is true of other art forms. In 1938, Orson Welles' radio production of "The War of the Worlds" caused mass panic because a science fiction story was taken literally. The confusion spawned by the current novel "The Da Vinci Code" is caused by the reading of fiction as nonfiction.

The "Passion of the Christ" is a meditation on Jesus as the Messiah suffering for our sins foreshadowed in Isaiah 53. That is the light in which it should be interpreted and critiqued.

Abbey Journal

April

Father Felix Fredeman, O.S.B. August 30, 1932-June 1, 2004 Thomas Henry Fredeman was born in Little Rock, AR, on August 30, 1932. He came to Subiaco as a seventh grader, enrolling in the "Prep" department. In 1946 he began his secondary education in the Academy, and graduated with the class of 1950. He entered Subiaco Abbey and professed first vows on September 14, 1952, receiving the name Felix. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1957. Father Felix began his long teaching career in Subiaco Academy that same year. He studied at Notre Dame University for the 1958-59 academic year, and earned, by means of summer courses, a masters degree in art from that institution in 1962. In 1965, he began pastoral work in the Subiaco deanery, serving first as assistant pastor at St. Joseph Church in nearby Paris. From there he commuted on weekdays to teach in the Academy art department. In 1970, he was appointed resident pastor of St. Anthony Church in Ratcliff, continuing the longer daily commute to Subiaco. Two years later, Father Felix was appointed Prior of the monastery, a position he held until 1991. As Prior, he continued to teach art classes. Along with his administrative and teaching duties, he gave generously of his talents in graphic design, silversmithing, and to the technical aspects of theatrical production, including set design and construction. For many years he also designed the annual abbey calendar and Christmas card. He was the abbey's original computer wizard, serving as system administrator for the abbey network and chairman of the computer network committee. During this time he also did the computer layouts for the abbey's Divine Office books. Father Felix retired from the classroom in 1999, due to increasing health problems. After a lengthy convalescence from back surgery in 2000, he devoted his talents to publication design for the abbey and academy, including the recent first issue of the combined Abbey Message publication. He also served as chairman of the monastery renovation committee, living to see the dreams and blueprints becoming a reality. In 2003, Father Felix began chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer. His valiant struggle with the disease, positive outlook, and refusal to be sidelined, inspired all who knew him. He remained an active member of the community until two days before his death. Father Felix's decades of love and service are engraved in the hearts and minds of many and in the very soul of the abbey/academy complex. May he rest in peace.

The Chronicle has several times commented on the slow pace of the repair of the inner court roof. Well, it is finished! It looks good too, the brick-red color of the steel roofing sheets matching nicely with the red tile roofs up above. Heavy April rains tested the roof, and the few minor leaks were soon sealed. Nature is full of surprises though; it is impossible to foresee everything. The steel roof sheds water much more rapidly than the former gravel and asphalt. In a downpour, the runoff overshoots the guttering and splashes down into the inner court. Unless someone remembers to keep the drain cover clear of grass clippings, the water backs up and then overflows through a basement door into the Academy recreation center and cafeteria. No one remembered!!

On April 1, representatives from the Washington County Right-to-Life were on hand to assist interested folks to organize a Logan County Chapter. Our own Coury House receptionist Donna Forst was elected President, with Br. Paul Edmonston selected as secretary. May lives be cherished and protected through their work.

The biggest news of the month is that the Abbey lakes overflowed! Eight inches of rain fell between April 21 and 24, and water began running over the spillway towards evening of the 24th. Some Arkansas counties were declared disaster areas, but we considered it a blessing.

The Easter Triduum brought some "regulars" and some new friends to spend the Holy Days with us. The monks always have a private "convivium" following the Easter Vigil service, but many quickly desert this party and move over to the Coury House spread, where the "grass is greener." Some of our Eastertide visitors like to cook, bake, and decorate on Holy Saturday; we monks like to "graze," so it all works out well. Earlier in the evening, Br. Mel, master of ceremonies, had herded everyone outside into the teeth of a storm for the Blessing of the New Fire. This is only a slight exaggeration. The symbolism of warmth and light, in the midst of the threatening dark and storm, became more tangible.

By month's end the jackhammering in the elevator shaft was complete. Thank God! No one knows why eighteen inches of concrete had been placed in the bottom of this unused shaft back in the 60's. It took eight days of thunderous racket and swirling dust to get it out. Then, amazingly, a concrete base of similar thickness was put right back in, except for a four foot square central opening, and a smaller hole in one corner. They say that in heaven God's design will finally become apparent. Hopefully some other mysteries will also be revealed.

May

Monks Celebrating Their Anniversaries, L-R fr. Hilary, 60 years profession; Fr. Placidus, 60 years profession; Br. Thomas, 25 years profession; Fr. Bruno, 50 years priesthood; Fr. Harold, 70 years profession; Fr. Nicholas, 50 years priesthood; Seated in front: Fr. Herbert, 70 years profession.

Suddenly, in May, the academic year that seemed so interminable in February, rushes to a close. School activities-prom, banquets, awards assemblies, field day, end-of-the-year programs, final exams, grading, and graduation come thick and fast. Mercifully, an unused snow day was given back as a free day just before exams. What a marvelous idea!

A red fox den was discovered near the monastery cabin on Lake Dardanelle. The three kits came within 20 feet of Fr. Mark, and eagerly carried away the spoiled cheese he left for them. Br. Tobias had an animal story too. It seems that the youngest Sicilian donkey colt loves to pester the Black Angus bulls. Tobias saw him clamp his teeth down onto a bull's tail, and then hang on as the bull pivoted wildly, trying to dislodge him. We definitely need a video of that!

Hay baling began on May 10, which seems early-another effect of global warming, I suppose.

On May 20, the monastic Chapter approved going ahead now with the long-planned Coury House expansion. Doing it now, using the same company, while men and equipment are already on site, will save us a bundle. The plan calls for extending Coury House westward, providing space for a large meeting room, small chapel, and two small conference rooms. One drawback is that the expansion requires the removal of the beautiful oak tree to the west of Coury House. No, this is not THE Coury Oak, the one on the logo. That one stays.

Twenty-six seniors graduated on May 22. For a change, the speaker, Herschel Cleveland, the Speaker of the House of the Arkansas legislature, finished his address before the 11:00 o'clock bell. Usually this bell interrupts the speaker, and just when he or she thinks it is safe to proceed, the eleven "bongs" of the hours gets started. Who says no one remembers anything about graduation speeches?

Br. Jude and Fr. Mark set off on May 24 for El Paso and Juárez, Mexico. The account of this mission trip can be found in the Academy section of this issue.

June

Fr. Felix Fredeman died on the evening of June 1. He had fought bravely and cheerfully with his cancer. It finally conquered his body, but never his will and spirit. He had been the layout specialist for all publications. His artistic eye demanded not only a correct product, but an aesthetically pleasing one.

Hundreds of alumni of all ages filled the guest house and the dorms the first weekend of June. This requires that the ravages of a school year upon the dormitory facilities be made right, quickly. Deans and janitorial staff worked overtime to produce the illusion that our students are paragons of neat and Spartan simplicity. If only …! As always, we monks marvel at this annual display of love and loyalty on the part of our alumni. It eases the memory of some tough days in the classroom and dormitories when these same gentlemen were high school students and adolescent boys.

Fr. Cyprian Davis of St. Meinrad Archabbey preached the monks' annual retreat, following the Alumni Weekend. He is a Church historian, a promoter of black culture, and a deeply spiritual person who insists that all monks-indeed all Christians-are called to an intimate relationship with God. His conferences helped us to see the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. Vignettes from the lives of early desert "abbas" and "ammas," and from the Fathers of the Church, and African folk tales made for fascinating listening.

High-tech Tree removal.

During retreat days, workers relocated the cooling tower for the renovation project to a less visible site below the retaining wall on the north side. Four large pines had to be cut to clear the space. This was a high-tech operation, not the traditional saw, holler "timber," and run style. A crane raised a sawyer in a basket, who lopped off side limbs and topped the trees. With the crane holding a tree upright, it was sawed off at the base. Then the crane raised the entire tree up over the retaining wall and laid it down in the yard. Great entertainment!

Brother Ephrem and Brother Joseph Kohler tried to catch "stripers" (striped bass) in an outing on Beaver Lake with friends. The fish did not cooperate very well, but they did catch a respectable 15-pounder. In preparation for Camp Subiaco, the fieldhouse pond was stocked with 600 catfish. Now that's the place to find cooperative fish, and some monk fishers have been assisting the campers in restoring ecological balance to this pond.

June 17 saw two and one-half inches of rain and the next week we got three inches more. Rainfall for June, and for the year, is several inches above normal. Cool nights continue as we near the end of June. The farmers have steadily been making hay, dodging showers and avoiding the boggy spots in the meadows.

Camp Subiaco

Camp Subiaco brought 117 boys to campus for a week of fun and games under the tutelage of about 20 alumni volunteers, plus 10 more current students, and five other ancillary personnel. They do all the work, and end up giving the credit to God and thanking us monks! The best camp story we heard is that of a camper proudly telling his mother, who came to pick him up on Saturday "Mom. Good News! I didn't even have to open my suitcase."

Br. Thomas' giant peanut brittle patty, with the label "For Texas-sized appetites" was on display in the monk's refectory for several days. It accompanied the contingent which traveled to Lindsay, Texas, for a parish festival on June 27. St. Peter Church had been pastored by Subiaco men until two years ago. The proceeds from this "Homecoming Picnic" were given to the Abbey, to help with the costs of the ongoing renovation. What wonderful friends we have!

Br. Joseph K. has been harvesting huge blackberries from the tame varieties he planted last year. The berries have become a staple at the breakfast table, and starred in several luscious cobblers. Br. Adrian brought in the first sweet corn on the first full day of summer. Tomatoes can't be far behind. All is well, and all manner of things are well, when fresh berries, corn, and tomatoes are on the table.

Gather Us In

Recently someone told me about visiting a large corporate farm in another state. He marveled at the perfectly-straight rows in fields that stretched to the horizon. "Our tractors are equipped with GPS (global positioning system) and laser guidance," he was told.

At first, such technical assistance in plowing seems a far cry from Jesus' advice about plowing this Sunday past: "Anyone who puts his hand to the plow and keeps looking back is not fit for the kingdom of God." My own experience of plowing confirms Jesus' advice-you have to steer steadily toward a landmark on the far side of the field, and not be swayed by distractions to either side, nor by those behind, where you have already passed. It is Jesus Himself who both calls us and who draws us onward, as the goal of our plowing. Perhaps the constant satellite signal and the laser beam on modern tractors are not really so different from "keeping one's eyes on Christ."

In this issue, Abbot Jerome reflects on the movie "The Passion of the Christ." Jesus kept his eyes on the glory that lay before him and so remained faithful to death, even death on a cross. Fathers Herbert and Harold, Hugh and Felix, are featured in this issue. Each of them also has "stayed the course," put their hands to the plow and not looked back. They bear witness to the next level of guidance systems, not a GPS but a HGS, a Heavenly Guidance System.