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On Saturday, June 10, Br. John
Martin Shimkus made his solemn profession of monastic vows. Solemn
profession is for the monk the moment when he makes his final commitment
to life in the monastic community, professing stability, fidelity, chastity,
poverty and obedience according to the Rule of our holy Father Benedict
and the Constitutions of our Sylvestrine Congregation. This joyful
event took place at a Eucharistic Liturgy which began at 10:00 a.m., with
Prior Daniel Homan, O.S.B. presiding. It is the third solemn profession
of vows our community has received in as many years.
Concelebrating the Mass were
Fr. Michael Green, O.S.B. and two diocesan priests who are friends of Br.
John Martin: Frs. Donald Hanchon (pastor of Holy Redeemer parish, Detroit)
and Patrick Casey (associate pastor of St. Mary, Queen of Creation, New
Baltimore, Michigan). Transitional deacon Rev. Br. Damien Gjonaj,
O.S.B. also assisted in the celebration. Also present were several
religious sisters: Srs. Pamela Smith, SS.C.M. and Catherine L. Bresnock
SS.C.M. from Sts. Cyril & Methodius Seminary, Orchard Lake, Michigan,
where Brother has been pursuing priestly studies and Sr. Martin and her
community of Dominican Nuns from Our Lady of Mt. Thabor Monastery, Ortonville,
Michigan.
There were about eighty-five
persons in total to witness the event. Many members of Br. John Martin’s
family and friends of our community gathered for the occasion. Among
them Brother’s parents
Martin and Rosalie, his sister, Margaret, his brother Joseph, sister-in-law
Tarra and little nephew Nathan and his grandmother Margaret Passalacqua.
The profession liturgy was followed
by lunch at our Subiaco Retreat House, the careful and loving work of our
friends Dee Kala and the ladies who assisted her.
Br. John Martin (baptismal name,
Martin Joseph) was born January 6, 1966 in Wyandotte, Michigan. His
family’s home parish was St. Joseph Church in Wyandotte. He attended
public schools in Wyandotte and graduated from Wayne State University,
Detroit in 1988. Brother worked as an auditor and tax accountant
at the international CPA firm of Coopers & Lybrand (now Coopers PriceWaterhouse)
in Detroit and as a tax analyst for the glass manufacturer Owens-Illinois
in Toledo, Ohio, before coming to the monastery in July, 1995. In
addition to his experience as an accountant, John Martin served as assistant
organist in his home parish in Wyandotte and was organist at St. Joseph
in Monroe, Michigan. He has greatly enriched our liturgies here at
St. Benedict’s and his accounting skills have also been put to good use
during our construction project.
In preparation for his solemn
vows, Brother made a spiritual retreat at St. Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana.
We monks thank the Lord for
the gift Br. John Martin is to our community and pray for his continued
physical and spiritual well-being and perseverance.
News Bits!
- Our chapel project continues moving forward. More carpeting
has been laid and about half of our forty-eight choir stalls have been
installed. Our community had received a generous donation of 200
cushioned chairs from the local parish, St. Joseph, Lake Orion. Work
is now beginning on re-upholstering them so they will match the chapel
interior.
- This week our Prior, Fr. Daniel Homan, is visiting one of our dependent
houses, Holy Face Monastery, Clifton, New Jersey. May the Lord bless
his trip and our monks there in Clifton.
THIS NEWS PAGE IS
UPDATED EVERY TUESDAY.
FOR ARCHIVED NEWS,
CLICK
HERE.
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