Conception Abbey
Conception, Missouri

Tower Topics ~ Fall 2003

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Abbey Notes

Sgt. Thomas L. Sakaguchi, 49, of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, died suddenly Aug. 10 from an apparent heart attack while on assignment at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia. Sgt. Sakaguchi, an
8-year veteran of the Patrol, responded to reports of a shooting June 10, 2002, at Conception Abbey. He was later awarded the Gold Award by his peers for bravery and distinguished service. “The monks and employees of Conception Abbey were blessed by Sgt. Sakaguchi’s friendship and heroic service on the dark day of June 10, 2002,” said Abbot Gregory Polan upon hearing the news of his death. “We are saddened by this great loss to his family, his colleagues in law enforcement and the wider community. We offer our prayers for the repose of Sgt. Sakaguchi’s soul and ask God to bless his family, friends and colleagues in this time of grief.”

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The A.L. Huber Company of Kansas City, general contractor of the Basilica Renewal Project, is celebrating its 100th year in business. Hired by Conception Abbey in 1995, the Huber Company directed the entire $9 million renovation, including laying a new foundation, installing central air and heating, overseeing the restoration of historic murals, installing a new pipe organ, completing new electrical and mechanical systems and replacing the church’s floor.

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Abbot Gregory Polan conducted a five-day workshop on Lectio Divina in March at Mepkin Abbey in
Moncks Corner, S.C. He also was part of a Lenten series of talks at Our Lady of Guadalupe parish in St. Joseph, Mo., where he addressed “Forgiveness and Reconciliation: Jesus’ Path to Freedom.” On March 27 he was the homilist for the inauguration Mass of Dr. Tim Barry, new president of Mount Marty College in Yankton, S.D. Dr. Barry is a member of the Conception Seminary College Board of Regents.

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Abbot Marcel Rooney gave conferences on “Revitalizing the Liturgy on the Pastoral Level” May 5-6 at Conception to the leaders of the Regional Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions from Neb-raska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.

May 26-27 at Magdalen College, Warner, N.H., Abbot Marcel attended a board of directors meeting of the Foundation for the Community of Maria Sedes Sapientiae. Abbot Marcel, chairman of the board, and Fr. Cassian Folsom of St. Meinrad Archabbey, founded the community, which is located in Norcia Italy, the birthplace of St. Benedict, in 1998 as a witness to the original vitality of the Rule of St. Benedict. The community celebrated its first solemn profession this year.

Abbot Marcel also directed a retreat June 1-6, “Reviewing the Rite of Ordination for Renewing Our Priesthood,” for the priests of the Diocese of Springfield, Ill. He directed retreats on “The Holy Eucharist” June 22-28 for the Franciscan sisters of Savannah, Mo., and July 1-9 for the Benedictine sisters of Huntington, N.Y.

“The Eucharist at the Heart of the Monastic Vocation” was the topic of the Abbot’s July 26 conference at St. Benedict Abbey in Atchison, Kan., for the Oblates and Oblate directors of the U.S.

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Father Rene Guesnier has been certified as a member of the National Society of the Sons of the Revolution. The honor recognizes that Father Rene is directly descended from a patriot who fought in the American Revolution. His ancestor of seven generations was John Lewis Wysong, a Private in the Continental Army of Pennsylvania.

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Clara C. Kathol, mother of Father Quentin Kathol, in May received her high school diploma at age 90, seven decades after leaving high school at 18 to help her parents with farm work and with raising her younger siblings. The surprise diploma came about through the approval of the Cedar Catholic Junior and Senior High School superintendent and senior class, because of her contributions to
the school and the community of Hartington, Neb. The school also honored her crowning educational achievement – putting seven
children through college. She poses here with Msgr. Cyril Werner,
pastor emeritus of her parish of Holy Trinity.

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Father Quentin Kathol celebrated his 40th anniversary of priestly ordination Aug. 10 in Hartington, Neb.

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On Aug. 18, Fr. Joel Derks, whose 40th anniversary of ordination was Sept. 21, celebrated the milestone at St. Columba Church in Conception Junction, Mo.

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Father Xavier Nacke directed a retreat Aug. 2-9 for the Missionary Benedictine Sisters and friends in Norfolk, Neb.

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Father Adam Ryan directed a community retreat the last week of May for the Community of Maria Fonte Solitude near St. Louis. In June he preached a retreat for the monastic community at Benet Hill Monastery in Colorado Springs, where Conception monk Father Karl Barmann’s sister, Rose Ann, is prioress.

Father Adam in the first week of July conducted a retreat for religious women, which was sponsored by the Spiritual Life Center of the Diocese of Wichita. The first Saturday of July he joined the Zimmerman family for their annual Reunion Mass at the family homestead south of Maryville. In mid-July he preached a retreat for the monastic community of St. Joseph Monastery at St. Mary’s, Penn. At home, Father Adam in mid-August preached a joint retreat preparing three postulants for entrance into the novitiate and two novices for simple profession.

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Father Patrick Caveglia directed a retreat June 12-18 for the Benedictine sisters in Rock Island, Ill.

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Magdalena Rössler, grandniece of Conception Abbey founder Abbot Frowin Conrad, along with her three sons and a grandson, journeyed from Switzerland to visit their ancestor’s crowning achievement. Pictured above during a tour of the Abbey grounds are (l-r) Marc Rössler, Karl Rössler, Frank Rössler, Magdalena Rössler, Marc’s son Yannick, and their tour guide, Father Benedict Neenan, who has studied and translated the diaries of Abbot Frowin.

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Father Norbert Schappler (left) and Father Kenneth Reichert,
both of whom survived serious gunshot wounds on June 10, 2002, were grand marshals for the annual Lollipop Parade Aug. 24
in Conception Junction, Mo.

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Father Jerome Werth directed a day of recollection and week of study on monastic liturgy March 7-15 for the Missionary Sisters of St. Benedict in Huntington, N.Y., and another day of recollection April 27 at St. James parish in Liberty, Mo. He directed a retreat May 25-30 at the Spiritual Life Center in Wichita, and on May 31 attended a conference, “The Catholic Church in the 21st Century: Finding Hope for it’s Future in the Wisdom of the Past,” in Kansas City. From June 15 through June 22 he directed a retreat for the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament in Corpus Christi, Tex.

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Brother Pachomius Meade from July 26 through Aug. 2 studied iconography with renowned iconographer Brother Claude Lane at Mt. Angel Abbey in Oregon. Brother Pachomius under the guidance of Brother Claude completed an icon of his patron. He is currently working on a large painting of Jeremiah, the second of a projected four-part series on the Major Prophets. He completed Isaiah last year.

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Lee Coats, creative director of the Printery House at Conception Abbey, attended the Seattle Gift Show in Seattle, Wash., Aug. 16-20. Coats explored new purchase and paper products marketed through the Printery House.

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George and Luella Walter of Maryville, Mo., celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary June 6. George was an employee of the Abbey Printery House for 33 years.

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The Catholic Key, newspaper of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, received two press awards from the Catholic Press Association for its coverage of the June 10, 2002 shootings at the abbey and the aftermath. Lori Wood Habiger, Marty Denzer and Albert de Zutter placed third in the category of "Best news Writing, Local/Regional."

A two-page spread of photographs by Joe Cory and de Zutter depicting the funeral of Father Philip Schuster and Brother Damian Larson received honorable mention in the category of "Best Photo Story."

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Tim Stransky, former director of development, and Dan Madden, director of communications, participated as panelists in a forum on how non-profit organizations attract positive news coverage.

Madden also spoke on "Communicating the Benedictine Tradition" at the annual Benedictine Development Symposium at Christ the King Priory in Schuyler, Neb.

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