A SPECIAL WEEK

This past week was an important one for us here at the abbey. On Monday, I received my copy of a 168-page commemorative picture book entitled Ever Dear: 150 years at St. Benedict’s Prep. The book certainly lives up to its title, taking the reader on a whirlwind ride though the history of the school, with the help of photos and text. That provided a good framework for the next two events.

On Wednesday a young man, J.P. Lodato, began his period of postulancy in preparation for starting novitiate at Newark Abbey (date to be determined). This brings to five the number of men in various stages of formation (i.e. not yet in solemn vows). No one could have predicted this three years ago, when we numbered twelve members.

Then on Friday we officially began the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding in 1868 of St. Benedict’s, marking the occasion with a special assembly of the entire St. Benedict’s family. For the first time ever, our family included children from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Just seeing all those kids together was a thrill in itself, but then, as part of the prayer service, we sang, and sang, and sang, loudly and proudly, “our” songs, composed years ago by Rev. Peter Winstead while he was coming to morning convocation here to lead us in song. Rev. Winstead is deceased, but we still sing his songs -- louder than ever, it seems to me! Also present at the “convocation” were plenty of alumni, especially men who had served in student leadership positions as students. Also very much present were the deceased monks, teachers and alumni of St. Benedict's Prep whose prayers and inspiration help keep us going. You can watch the entire program on the school's web site, but I suggest you skip to about 20 minutes into it, when the singing starts. The fixed camera is located above and behind the five-hundred students of the Prep and Middle Divisions, but you can still hear their singing.

An appropriate ending to the week came after the morning assembly when I overheard an alumnus from the 1990’s say to Fr. Edwin, “You saved my life.” Lots of educators know that as teachers they change young people’s lives, but around here we also get to hear, now and then, an alumnus tell us “You saved my life.”

Those words were the perfect ending to an already great week.