Let it...

...SNOW!!

We had our first day of snow yesterday, Monday, November 16th. It was very nice to see. I had seen it many times before (having attended seminary in Philly for 4 years).

The only difference this time was that I had to shovel it!!

So my new mantra is "DON'T let it snow... let it snow... let it snow..."

The vote is in... and the winner is...

This past Tuesday, November 3, 2009, the St. Benedict's Abbey community voted on the 3 postulant's requests to enter the Novitiate (the next step after the Postulancy). Mine was one of the requests, of course. All of us were accepted and the Novitiate will begin on December 7, 2009. Please keep me in your prayers!!

Fr. Fred Miller

Fr. Frederick Miller visited St. Benedict's Abbey & Benedictine College over the weekend of October 31-November 1. We go way back... 22+ years. It was great to see him and he gave some great talks on (1) the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Louis de Montfort's consecration, (2) St. Therese of Lisieux and (3) St. John Vianney... along with an excellent All Saints Day homily. It was a very good visit and we will (hopefully) get him back in the future!

Homecoming at Benedictine College (BC)

Homecoming week was October 19-25, 2009. There were many fun and entertaining wholesome activities during the week. It was very edifying. But not near as much as the Homecoming Court at the BC football game on Saturday. As each of the court was introduced, part of their bio was read. Each of their answers to the question "What is your favorite thing about BC?" was read as they walked to their spots in the court.

The guys said some pretty good things, but here were the girls' answers:

Freshman attendant: "Her favorite thing about BC is everything! The campus, the friendly people, the Catholic environment, personable professors and the class sizes."

Sophomore attendant: "She loves BC because of her amazing friends."

Junior attendant: "She loves Benedictine because she believes Christ is HERE, in everyone and He is very visible."

Senior attendant (1): "She loves the community life BC has and also the mandarin chicken salad and ice cream sundae bar in the cafeteria."

Senior attendant (2): "She loves BC because of the community where you can come and find unity."

Senior attendant (3): "Her favorite thing about BC is every day is an adventure in holiness."

Senior attendant (4): "She loves the dance parties at BC."

Queen: "She love BC because of the importance placed on relationships and the opportunities it provides to grow in faith."

Though I like the "ice cream sundae bar", I LOVE Senior #3's, "favorite thing about BC is every day is an adventure in holiness" and the Queen's "the opportunities it provides to grow in faith."

WHAT A GREAT SCHOOL!!!

Visitors!!

My brother, Barry, arrived in Kansas shortly after I did and we spent a couple of days together. That was before I officially entered the monastery, so he was not a guest while I was in the abbey (though we spent a lot of time at the monastery).

My first actual guests while I was in the Abbey were... drummmm rolllll... Chris and Zak Francis from Montgomery. Chris and Zak came for a campus visit from September 24-25 (and stayed in the Abbey Guest House on Thursday night). On Friday, Sept. 25th Benedictine College (BC) hosted a "Raven Day" for perspective students. Zak & Chris liked what they saw and Zak is planning to attend BC next fall!!

Then on the morning of Sunday, October 4th, I got a call from Julie & Greg Alexander. They had given 2 presentations (on marriage, of course) in a KC suburb that previous Friday & Saturday and saw how close St. Benedict's was to them (a mere 1 hour away). They (with 5 of their 6 children in tow) visited that afternoon. We had a great time before they headed back to San Antonio that evening!

So the door is now open for visitors...

God bless you all,

FrJD

WARRRRRRR EAGLE!!

Just had to get that in while AU is ranked #17... I hope that this coming weekend's trip to Arkansas does not ruin that (the Razorbacks crushed Texas A & M on the road last Saturday [go SEC]!)...

I must admit that I miss my tailgating in the Loveliest Village!!

Work...

I keep getting new work experiences... worked my first chain saw... my first wood splitting apparatus... my first picking and shelling of chestnuts (with leather gloves, of course!)... first planting of (25) Christmas trees (which should be ready in about 5 years)... and I can't remember what else.

We took down the poles and strings which held up the 300 tomato plants last week (after picking the last of the tomatoes) . And we uprooted the (3) peanut patches last Friday.

Always something to do here... and good people to do it with.