A few days before Christmas, the entire student body of St. Gregory’s Catholic School, together with teachers and chaperons, made the short walk along Church Street to our monastery for a visit and chance to get to know the monks.The school goes from K to 8th grade. The monks were delighted to receive from the 8th graders a well-designed wooden garden ornament, topped by a beautiful hand-made model of the parish church dedicated to St. Gregory Nazianzen, as a Christmas gift.

Christmas and Theophany celebrations were a time of great blessing for the monastic community and the small group of lay faithful who joined them for the services. The largest group assembled on the Sunday following Theophany, on which Abbot Nicholas served the Great Blessing of Waters in front of the lake known variously as “Oshwald Lake” or “Mill Pond” that adjoins the monastery’s property. Most of the people who attended this inaugural water blessing were from the local Roman Catholic parish.

Speaking of that parish, the monks are delighted to be able to host the pastor of St. Gregory’s, Father Patrick Nelson, SDS, during his recuperation from rather painful shoulder surgery. Father Pat brings with him his very shy, but very well behaved, companion Joseph, a black labrador. We’re blessed to be able to help out during this time.

 

 

 

See more winter events photos in our album, here.

 

For nearly 10 years the current Archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal George, has been a patron of the ecumenical work of the Byzantine Catholic monks of Holy Resurrection Monastery. On Saturday, May 12 2012 His Eminence was able to visit the community at their new home in the small village of St. Nazianz, Wisconsin.

 

The Cardinal was in Wisconsin to give the commencement address at St. Norbert’s College in De Pere, near Green Bay. On his way up he was able to stop off for a short time to join the Eastern Catholic monks for a little prayer and fellowship. His Eminence was accompanied by his secretary, Father Dan Flens.

 

During his time with the monks the Cardinal expressed his satisfaction with their lovely new home, and said he hoped and prayed that the monastery would thrive there.

See more pictures here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In order to promote more encounters between Catholic and Orthodox Monastics, Fr. Abbot Nicholas was able to organize for His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah to be the main speaker at the Annual American Benedictine Abbots’ Workshop at Saint Joseph’s Abbey, Covington, Louisiana on February 10-14, 2012. Most Reverend Notker Wolf OSB, the Abbot-Primate from Rome was also in attendance.With Metropolitan Jonah’s experience as a contemporary, monastic founder, he was an instant hit with the abbots.

From February 26 – March 4, 2012, Abbot Nicholas gave a retreat to the Monastic Community of Ascension Monastery in Idaho and to their Oblates on the Weekend. The theme was ‘The treasures of Eastern Christianity for the New Evangelization.’ Both the monks and the Oblates felt their horizons had been broadened and their appreciation of Catholicism enriched.

 

There have been numerous other visitors to the monastery over this past month, helped no doubt by the mild winter. Several people have made overnight retreats and many more have visited for shorter periods. Among our guests, though, we have to mention our new friend a peacock who wandered onto our property in late November and has simply stayed ever since. We know the farm from which he absconded, and have asked the farmer what he wants. Answer: leave him to make his own vocational decision! So far he’s opted for celibacy and seems very happy in the little house Abbot Nicholas has given him and the daily supply of food he enjoys! Peacocks are a traditional symbol of the resurrection in Byzantine monasticism and iconography (as in the ancient world it was believed that these birds never decayed), so our new friend seems a perfect addition to a monastery named for this greatest mystery of the Christian life!