Abbey Kicks Off Jubilee Year

The Monks of Mount Michael began a yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of Mount Michael by inviting the monks of Conception Abbey to the Mount for a gathering. Conception Abbey, the founding Abbey of Mount Michael, is located 2 ½ hours away in Northwest Missouri.

The festive day began with the celebration of the Eucharist in the Mount Michael Chapel. Abbot Gregory of Conception was the celebrant and homilist for the liturgy. In his homily Abbot Gregory mentioned the great value our lives as monks offer the young men that our communities educate. As monks we need to see as Jesus saw and live a simple and common life with a practical way of living which in turn is a path to holiness. Our world needs monasteries today to make the Sermon on the Mount live.

After Mass the Monks proceeded to the Michaeleen picnic grounds for a lunch under the pines. Afterwards Fr. Benedict and Fr. Adrian shared some stories of the early days with all gathered. When the monks from Conception first arrived in the 1950’s Mount Michael was known as Journey’s End Farm and consisted of the current buildings on the south end of Campus. Rex Olsen donated the farm to the monks to build a seminary for educating young men studying for the priesthood. The first monks lived on the ground level of the farmhouse and eventually built a wing onto it (the current Michaeleen), which served as a living quarters and chapel for the budding community. After the presentations, people toured the buildings and farmyard.

At 2:30 everyone gathered in the cemetery for a brief memorial service for our departed founders. Fifteen of the sixteen monks buried in the cemetery were originally monks of Conception. Currently 5 monks of Mount Michael started their monastic lives at Conception. Abbot Theodore, Abbot Raphael, Fr. Benedict, Fr. Adrian, and Fr. Nathanael. Fr. Benedict is the only individual that was among the first group to start Mount Michael the others came at later stages in the foundation.

After the memorial service everyone gathered in the Abbey building for dessert and more conversation and visiting. The day concluded with vespers in the chapel. The monks of Mount Michael are very grateful that the monks from Conception Abbey who were able to help us celebrate the kick off of our 50th Jubilee.