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Abbot Gregory marks 10 years as abbot
by Father Benedict Neenan, OSB
photos by Father Kenneth Reichert, OSB
Obedience is a hallmark of monastic life according to the Rule of St. Benedict. The monk's obedience to God and the Church is generally practiced through obedience to the Abbot. However, one of the most dramatic opportunities to practice obedience in a monastery comes when a man, chosen by his brothers in the community, decides to obey their wishes and take on the responsibility and ministry of abbot.
That happened ten years ago on November 6, 1996, when Fr. Gregory Polan was chosen by the monks to become Abbot Gregory Polan.
Happily he accepted this obedience. At the time, he had just stepped down as Rector of Conception Seminary College and was looking forward to a sabbatical in Austria to prepare for a new assignment as professor of Scripture at Conception for one semester and the Benedictine University at Sant’ Anselmo in Rome for one semester each year. We needed to elect a new abbot after Abbot Marcel Rooney was elected Abbot Primate of the Benedictine Order. Thankfully, Abbot Gregory agreed to accept the burden of leadership and forsake his plans and dreams of a more scholarly bent.
The choice of Abbot Gregory has been providential for our community. He has brought energy, vision, spirituality, and excellent leadership to his role as Abbot. His abilities were most severely tested when a deranged gunman came into the abbey on June 10, 2002, terrorizing the community and shooting four monks, two of whom - Fr. Philip Schuster and Br. Damian Larson - were killed. Fr. Kenneth Reichert and Fr. Norbert Schappler recovered. Abbot Gregory led the community through the event with the conviction that our profession as monks and as Christians called us to reconciliation and forgiveness rather than anger, resentment, and revenge. As painful and frightening as the event and its outcome were, we weathered that period with dignity and a speedier healing than would have otherwise been the case.
Abbot Gregory's scholarly and theological leanings have found expression in his continued teaching in the seminary as well as in several important projects. Using his own musical, biblical, and liturgical gifts and calling on the gifts of others in the community, Abbot Gregory led us through a major revision of our Liturgy of the Hours, fully implementing the directives of the Second Vatican Council and the Benedictine Order. The result is a more beautiful expression of the prayer we offer five times each day. In addition Abbot Gregory has served as associate editor of the journal The Bible Today and continued to write articles on scriptural subjects. He has also completed a revision of the 1963 Grail Psalms that is being considered for use in the Mass and Liturgy of the Hours in English-speaking countries. A third project of Abbot Gregory's has been his involvement in relations with other Christian churches and other religions. Bishop Robert Finn appointed him as his personal representative in ecumenical and interfaith matters.
In addition to his scholarly and spiritual leadership, Abbot Gregory has also led our community through several important renovation and building projects. He brought to a successful conclusion the renovation of the Abbey Basilica - a process that had taken many years under three other abbots. He also led the effort to build St. Raphael Hall and completely renovate St. Maur Hall, the seminary classroom and administration building.
During his term as Abbot, he has taken a special interest in cultivating vocations to the monastery, and we have been blessed with an increase in the number of young men who have professed vows in our community and who bring both youthful energy and great hope for the future of the ministries that we carry out in the Church.
Left to his inclinations, Abbot Gregory would be teaching, researching and writing in scripture and theology, but because of his obedience to the call of God, discerned by his brothers, he has become an excellent spiritual leader as well. For this we are grateful, congratulatory, and hopeful toward the future.
We welcome your comments:
communications@conception.edu
www.conceptionabbey.org
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