Winter Monastic Experience Weekend

In the Footsteps of Benedict: A Monastic Experience Weekend
Friday, December 18 – Sunday, December 20, 2009

The Missionary Benedictine Monks of Christ the King Priory invite single men, ages 18-35, to join them for a weekend of prayer and work, fellowship and discernment.  Participants will be immersed in the monastic rhythm of life and will also have ample time for reflection, sharing, and leisure.

There is no cost for the retreat.  The registration deadline is Monday, December 14, 2009.  Please register as early as possible, as space is limited.

Click here to view the brochure (includes the retreat schedule): monastic experience weekend brochure – 2009

For more information or to register, contact Brother Damian at (402) 352-2177, ext. 302 or e-mail him at BroDamian@benedictinemissionhouse.com .

Ordinary Oblates – Oblate Retreat 2009

Twelve Oblates of Christ the King Priory gathered at Saint Benedict Center for the annual Oblate Retreat.  The weekend of prayer and reflection was directed by Br. Benet Tvedten, O.S.B., a monk of Blue Cloud Abbey in Marvin, South Dakota.  Brother Benet is the Oblate Director of his community and author of several books on Benedictine life.  Through storytelling and with impulses from his own writings, Brother Benet reflected on ways ordinary men and women can live Benedictine spirituality genuinely in the world.

A highlight of the weekend (aside from the surprise snow day!) was the reception of Dennis H., of Dubuque, Iowa, into the oblate novitiate.  The novitiate is a year of formation in Benedictine spirituality and prayer in preparation for final commitment as a Benedictine Oblate.  We wish Dennis and his mentor, Oblate Anton, the grace of perseverance as they journey through the coming year.

Is there anyone here who yearns for life?

Is there anyone here who yearns for life and desires to see good days? (Ps 34:13)
If you hear this and your answer is “I do,” God then directs these words to you: If you desire true and eternal life, keep your tongue free from vicious talk and your lips from all deceit; turn away from evil and do good; let peace be your quest and aim (Ps 34:14-15).
Rule of Benedict, Prologue 14-15

November 13-15, 2009
Saint Benedict Center

Explore the Benedictine way of life, an ancient tradition, which even today continues to offer wisdom for daily living.  Share and experience key elements of Benedictine spirituality as lived within a monastery by a monk and in the world by a lay oblate and how these values can be incorporated into everyday living.  Participants will be encouraged to create their own rule of life, based on Scripture and insights gained during the retreat, to assist them in building a personal prayer life and to live the Gospel faithfully in the world.  Retreatants will also have an opportunity to pray with the monastic community throughout the weekend.

The retreat begins Friday, November 13th at 7:30 p.m. and ends after lunch on Sunday, November 15th.  The program cost is $50, plus the cost of room and board.  For more information or to register, please contact Saint Benedict Center at (402) 352-8819. 

About the facilitators:
Br. Damian Cayetano, O.S.B., is a Missionary Benedictine monk of Christ the King Priory.  He has extensive experience in youth and young adult ministry and currently serves as Assistant Vocation Director of the monastic community.

Darla Weisbeck, M.S.W., a Benedictine Oblate, is co-founder of the Center for Contemplative Spirituality, Crestwood Christian Church.  She has over 26 years experience practicing a home-based contemplative life in the city.

Amazing Grace: Kathleen Norris at SBC

Saint Benedict Center was filled to capacity June 12th to the 14th as Benedictine Oblate, spiritual writer, and poet Kathleen Norris was the featured speaker for a weekend retreat. Throughout her presentations, Kathleen interspersed her wisdom and personal life experiences with her own poetic works and poetry from various other sources, including the writings of her husband.  The theme of the entire weekend was based on her book Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith. Each session opened with the chanting of an antiphon and the proclamation of a Psalm which was then incorporated into the presentation.  There was ample time for quiet reflection, prayer, sharing and discussions.

The Oblate community of Christ the King Priory was well represented and had an opportunity at the end of the program to meet personally with Kathleen.

In the Footsteps of St. Benedict – June 2009

The Missionary Benedictine Monks of Schuyler invite single men, ages 18-50, to experience life in the footsteps of Saint Benedict. The program begins on Friday, June 26th at 7:30 p.m. and ends on Sunday, June 28th after lunch, though the stay can be extended to several additional days. Participants will experience the prayer and work of the monastic community, learn about essential elements of monastic life and spirituality, and enjoy fellowship with the monks and other participants.

There is no program fee, the only cost is for room and board. For more information, please contact Fr. Thomas at St. Benedict Center, (402) 352-8819.

Kathleen Norris to Speak at SBC

Kathleen Norris

On June 5-6, 2009, award-winning poet, writer, and best-selling author Kathleen Norris will come to St. Benedict Center and speak on the topic of Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith.   On Friday, June 5, 2009, at 7:30 p.m. she will give an evening presentation, followed by discussion and sharing.  On Saturday, June 6, 2009, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., she will present a one day retreat.

The spiritual world is rooted in the chaos and the beauty of daily life.  In her talks, Kathleen Norris will shed light on difficult theological concepts such as grace, repentance, dogma, and faith by telling stories about them and so grounding them in the world in which we live.  Norris has authored the New York Times bestsellers The Cloister Walk; Dakota: A Spiritual Geography; Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith; and The Virgin of Bennington.  Her latest book is a theological memoir titled Acedia and Me: A Marriage, Monks and a Writer’s Life (Riverhead 2008).  Exploring the spiritual life, her work is at once intimate and historical, rich in poetry and meditations, brimming with exasperation and reverence, deeply grounded in both nature and spirit, sometimes funny, often provocative, and alway important.  Widowed in 2003, Kathleen Norris resides in Hawaii.

The guest rooms at St. Benedict Center are fully booked for overnight stays from Friday to Saturday.  There are, however, several motels available in a radius of 20 miles.  The program fee for Friday only is $20; for Saturday only it is $40.  On Saturday, lunch is available at the Center for $9.23 (includes tax), if you pay for it before the program starts.  For more information call St. Benedict Center at (402) 352-8819.

Community Retreat

In the new edition of our annual newsletter, ECHO, there is a brief article inviting people to “Come to a Deserted Place.” Our retreat house provides an inviting atmosphere for such an encounter since we are approximately 60 miles away from two metropolitan areas: Lincoln and Omaha. However, even monks are in need for quiet space and the opportunity to take inventory on their spiritual journey. From March 16^th to March 19^th, Fr. Matthew Flynn, O.C.S.O. of St. Joseph Abbey in Spencer, MA, guided our community in its annual retreat. Father spoke about the gardens we encounter in life: the Garden of Eden, the Garden of Gethsemane, and the Garden of the Empty Tomb.  He gave spiritual reflections each morning around these images, while the afternoon sessions were based on writings of Pope Benedict XVI, especially on the themes of Hope and Universal Salvation. On the Solemnity of St. Joseph, the community renewed publicly their monastic vows of Stability, Monastic Fidelity (Conversatio), and Obedience.

It’s 6:00 a.m. and I’m awake…

Four courageous men proved that waking up in time for Morning Prayer at 6:00 on a Saturday morning is indeed possible for a college student.  The four young men from the Catholic Newman Center at Wayne State College joined the monastic community for a weekend experience of the Benedictine way of life.  The retreat was an opportunity for them to spend time away from their hectic routine of classes and school work and to be immersed in the life of prayer and work of a monastery.  The participants joined the monks for all prayer times, were guided in discussions on Benedictine spirituality, and were given the task of painting a portion of the Mission Office.  They also had the chance to get to know the members of the monastic community and to share personal experiences of living a life of faith and discerning God’s will. 

Christ the King Priory is hosting another Monastic Experience Weekend for men discerning a religious vocation March 13-15, 2009.  The registration deadline is March 7, 2009.  There is no cost for the retreat.  For more information, please contact Br. Damian at (402) 352-2177, ext. 302.   

Painting the Mission Office

Retreatants with Br. Damian

Retreatants with members of the monastic community

Monastic Experience Weekend

In the Footsteps of Benedict: A Monastic Experience Weekend

Friday, March 13 – Sunday, March 15, 2009

Could God be calling you to follow in the footsteps of Saint Benedict?

The Missionary Benedictine monks of Christ the King Priory invite single men, ages 18-35, to join them for a weekend of prayer and work, fellowship and discernment.  We invite men who desire to learn more about the monastic way of life and to grow in their relationship with God.  Participants will be immersed in the monastic rhythm of life and will also have ample time for reflection, sharing, and leisure.

There is no cost for the retreat, accomodations and meals.  The registration deadline is March 7, 2009.  Please register as early as possible, as space is limited.  For more information, contact Br. Damian at (402) 352-2177, ext. 302 or BroDamian@benedictinemissionhouse.com.

Those discerning a monastic vocation are also invited to spend a private retreat at the Monastery any time of the year.  Please contact Br. Damian if you wish to arrange such a visit.  Women who are discerning are encouraged to visit our Missionary Benedictine Sisters in Norfolk, NE.

Click to view retreat schedule and additional information (PDF file):

Monastic Experience Weekend Schedule

Destroyed: Schuyler Life Teen Retreat

“Abba Alonius said: ‘If I had not destroyed myself completely, I would not have been able to rebuild and reshape myself again.’”  -from the Sayings of the Desert Fathers

Saint Paul writes in his Letter to the Galatians of how he “persecuted the church of God beyond all measure and tried to destroy it” (Gal 1:13).  Following his conversion he would go on to preach: “He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began, but now made manifest through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim 1:9-10).  The same man who attempted to destroy the faith through persecution was overcome by the power of Christ’s destruction of death through the glory of the cross.

The Life Teen ministry of Divine Mercy Parish in Schuyler hosted their annual fall retreat at Camp Rivercrest.  The theme for the weekend was “Destroyed,” and was inspired by the life, conversion, and ministry of the Apostle Paul.  This theme is particularly appropriate as the Church celebrates the “Year of Saint Paul.”  Retreatants were challenged to destroy all the things within themselves that are not of God, to be rebuilt in Christ and to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  Fathers Germar and Thomas served as confessors during a celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Brother Damian was present the entire weekend as a small group leader.   All three monks were impressed with the great openness of the young people to the movement of the Spirit, their prayerfulness and great faith.  They were filled with a renewed hope in the witness of young people in the Church and the world.