Underground cables!
As I get back to adding items to this Prior’s Journal one interesting piece on the news list is our new underground power lines. Many centuries from now archeologists will probably find an amazing system of underground cables coursing the ruins of Conception Abbey. They will notice that it was a state of the art system at the time, reducing the need for dangerous and troublesome overhead lines around campus. No more danger of a curious squirrel getting more than they bargained for when exploring overhead transformers or a passing ice storm knocking out the system. We were fascinated as specialized machinery drove a remotely controlled “duck-bill” bit through the ground under and around obstacles and then emerged exactly on target. As this piece is being written the final switch-over from the old overhead system to the new system will soon take place at different parts of the campus on different days. I can’t help but wonder what an x-ray view would look like, an amazing spaghetti pattern of cables, water lines, gas lines, sewer lines, and drainage tile below the serene picture of green grass of the surface. Just imagine the frustration of some mole or gopher trying to set up housekeeping down there!
Alumni Reunion – Sept 25
The annual Alumni Reunion was again a successful gathering of about eighty alumni, many with their wives, on a beautiful fall afternoon. This year we celebrated the anniversaries of the class of 1949 (60 yr anniversary), class of 1959 (50 yr anniversary), and the class of 1969 (40 year anniversary). The class of 1969 had the largest number of participants with twenty-five. It was certainly a walk down memory lane for the fellows who had not been back for many years. They enjoyed seeing the changes on campus but especially they enjoyed each other and renewing old friendships. The Conception Seminary Distinguished Service Award was granted to ninety-three year old alumnus Fred Meyer, brother of our deceased Fr. Alfred Meyer. Since Fred was not able to make the trip from his home in Gig Harbor, WA, his youngest brother, Norbert Meyer, of Iowa City, IA and his wife Lois represented Fred in the award presentation. Fr. Samuel, rector of the Seminary, pointed out that throughout his military career as a pilot and civilian career as a teacher in military academies, Fred continued give consistent personal and financial support through the years to the seminarians at Conception. This year’s celebrant and homilist at the 4:30pm Community Eucharist was retired bishop and alumnus, Bishop Anthony Milone who resides near Omaha. The dates for next year’s Alumni Reunion are Sept 24-25, 2010.
Infirmary update:
The work of renovating the infirmary continues to move ahead of schedule. The new floor plan with larger bathrooms, showers and closets will be a great improvement. The present plans call for the monks returning for the Thanksgiving meetings and jubilee celebration to join the monks at home in an official walk-through and the blessing of the new rooms. Some of the elderly monks who were vacated to temporary quarters in the monastery during the renovation have already “staked out” their room in the new infirmary. The rest of us will have to go on the “waiting list.”