For some teens, summer is a time
merely for “fun in the
sun”, a vacation from schoolwork and other responsibilities.But a select number of young Catholics also
make helping the less fortunate part of their summer plans.Certain parish youth groups around the
Archdiocese of Detroit offer week-long charitable work projects.Using our Subiaco Retreat House as their
headquarters
the teenage volunteers and their adult supervisors go out to various
locations such
as the homes of elderly or disabled people.The services they perform can vary from repairing a roof to
cleaning up
an overgrown lawn.Some of the
volunteers even help out on the monastery grounds doing maintenance
work inside
and outside of the buildings.Evenings
are spent in the retreat house where they have supper, pray, play and
rest.
Among
the
groups
that have organized efforts to bring Christ
to others through the work of their hands is St. Hugo of the Hills
Parish whose
“Gloves” project offers service to the needy in the area.Also, “Project People”, a mission started by
our Fr. Dan and Mrs. Mary Cummings now encompasses two different parish
efforts
– one from St. Joseph’s
in
LakeOrion and the other from St.
Irenaeus in
Rochester Hills.There is also a group
from St. Mary’s of the Hills of Rochester Hills, who call themselves
“Saw” (St. Mary’s Youth Group At Work.The combined labor of
all these young people
amounts to hundreds of hours of loving service to those who need a
helping
hand.
Please
pray
that
the students involved in these ministries
will continue to grow in their faith as they share their time and
talents.
7/14/09
Monks Celebrate St. Benedict
On
July
11,
the
monks of St.
Benedict’s had the wonderful opportunity of joining with our oblates in
celebrating the solemn feast of our Holy Father St. Benedict.
Saturday’s festivities began with Eucharist
at 11:00a.m.,
which
was
presided
over
by our oblate director, Fr. John Martin Shimkus.
During the Mass nine of our oblates publicly
renewed their oblation in the presence of our Prior, Fr. Daniel Homan
(others
have also done so privately). As the
day progressed, threatening rain clouds were replaced by sunshine as
our
monastic and oblate communities and their families enjoyed the food and
fellowship of a picnic lunch on the monastery grounds.
We are thankful to God and to
St. Benedict for bringing us together on this day as we continue to
pray for
and encourage one another in the way of the gospel the Rule of St.
Benedict.
United in One
Benedictine Vision
The
North
American
Association
of
Benedictine Oblate Directors (“NAABOD”) met at
St. Vincent Archabbey, June 26-July 1 for their biennial meeting.Our own Oblate director, Fr. John Martin
Shimkus, attended the conference along with Br. Jacob Orcutt, and two
of our
oblates: Sarah Homant and Lou Rondini.A
combination of prayer, hospitality, and sharing among the 90 or so
participants
helped strengthen the sense of unity in the Benedictine way of life.And excellent presentations by Mother Mary
Anne Noll, Fr. Brian Boozel and Sr. Cecilia Dwyer offered much food for
thought
and prayer about the how the Rule of St. Benedict offers relevant
wisdom for
our modern world - both in and out of the monastery.
