January 2019 Newsletter

January 19, 2019
by Pat Dorn

Greater Cincinnati Chapter
www.cincinnatioblates.org

The January meeting will be held on Sunday, January 27 at 2:00 p.m., in the St. Joseph Room of the parish center at St. Gertrude in Madeira. We are looking forward to seeing everyone. It has been a long time since our last meeting!

All of you should have received the information on the Transparency Homework Assignment Br. Francis gave out at the September meeting as these were emailed/mailed to everyone in October. In addition, Br. Francis recently provided us with Discussion Questions for The Screwtape Letters which I emailed to you in December. We will be reviewing these questions at our January meeting.

Just a reminder: Br. Francis has posted the entire conference he gave on Transparency at our September meeting on his blog. You may access it at: http://pathoflifeblog.blogspot.com/2018/10/transparency.html
(PLEASE NOTE: Br. Francis will be joining us at our April meeting rather than the March meeting as indicated on our calendar. My apologies for the error.)

AGENDA
January 27, 2019 Meeting

St. Gertrude Parish Center • 2:00 p.m.

1. Reading of Mission Statement
2. V espers
3. Lectio Divina
4. Minutes of November 18, 2018 Meeting
5. Treasurer’s Report
6. Old/New Business
7. Program:
   Discussion on Screwtape Letters and the
   study questions assigned by Br. Francis.

VII. Adjournment & Closing Prayer

Oblate Anniversaries
Congratulations to the following oblates who are celebrating their anniversaries in December, January, February and March.
December:
12/08/01 Tom & Cheryl Madrakie ( 18 yrs.) 12/08/07 Linda Faulhaber (12 yrs.)
12/13/97 Sharon Cross (22 yrs,)
12/13/97 Clyde & Pat Dorn (22 yrs.)
12/13/97 Nick & Linda McCarroll (22 yrs.) 12/13/14 Peyton & Mary Lou Reed (5/06 yrs.) 12/16/06 Joy Roose (Harbert) (13 yrs.)
January:
1/1/44 John Campbell (75 yrs.)
February:
2/22/06 Ron Beathard (13 yrs.) 2/23/14 Scott Alt (5 yrs,) 2/28/99 Steve Durkee (20 yrs.) 2/28/60 Jo Ann Moeller (59 yrs.)
March:
3/10/07 Cincy Neuhaus (12 yrs) 3/21/11 Donna Clark (8 yrs.)

IMPORTANTPlease make a note of the upcoming oblate dates at Saint Meinrad:
March 20-23 Oblate Retreat given by Fr. Bede Cisco, OSB.

November 2018 Minutes

Cincinnati Oblates’ Meeting November 18,2018

Attendance: Fr. Mateo Zamora, OSB, Steve Anslinger, Clyde & Pat Dorn, Nick & Linda McCarroll, Donna Clark, Peyton & Mary Louise Reed, Mark & Mandie Milliron, Linda Faulhaber, Margaret Sherlock, Ron DeMarco

The meeting opened with prayer and introductions.

Fr. Mateo was a parish priest in the Diocese of Lexington for 10 years before becoming a monk. He is from the Philippines. In addition to being a parish priest, he served as one of three lawyers on the annulment tribunal. His position was Defender of the Bond, the one who defends the marriage.
We then read the Mission Statement and prayed Vespers. Prayers for this year’s deceased members – Ron Clark and Debbie Storer – were included.

Lectio : Mark 13:24-32 The coming of the son of man, the lesson of the fig tree

The portion of RB that Ron applied is v. 21, “Clothed then with faith and the performance of good works, let us set out on this way, with the Gospel for our guide, that we may deserve to see him who has called us to his kingdom (1 Thess 2:12)”

Minutes from October 28 were approved. The treasury has $698.

Old Business
Day of Recollection 2020 (which we sponsor): Nick contacted Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center in Norwood. They have a meeting room ($200) and a chapel ($40) available. Ron and Nick will tour the location on 11/21, Mark and Peyton will join them. They allow catering, or bringing our own food. We will ask for May 16, 2020 through the Oblate office.

John Campbell fell, broke his elbow, and is at St. Margaret Hall. His oblation was Jan. 1, 1945. Ron is sending a card he shared with us.

New Business
Holy cards are sent to each chapter with the year’s deceased members listed. Mass intention cards from St. Meinrad go to the family.

Renewal of Oblation cards are due. The are sent by bulk mail, so not all were delivered at the same time. Next October we’ll talk in the chapter about renewals to be done in November.
A suggestion was made to include Benedictine dates of remembrance on our oblate calendar.
We were reminded of Sacred Heart Radio (740AM, 910AM, 89.5FM), and especially of the new program, “Driving Home the Faith” (4-6p.m. weekday afternoons) with Fr. Rob Jack.
Ron is sending a card to Debbie Storer’s daughter (only family member) c/o Dcn. Jerry Etienne, both from St. Mary, Bethel.

Fr. Mateo presented a conference on Accountability, the first of five in this series, to be given to all the chapters.

There were closing questions, stories of the monastery from Fr. Mateo. Fr. Mateo lead a closing prayer and gave a blessing.

We had a time of hospitality and refreshments.

Summary of Fr. Mateo’s Conference
Accountability is a discipline, the path of a disciple of Christ. It is training, not punishment for sins, but the practice of self-mortification, daily cross.

Definition: Genuine Christian accountability in a Benedictine way is a discipline of mutual openness and obedience in a community of disciples. (RB 71:1-2) . We remember that “we are all in this together”. Obedience is a culture of selflessness; in accountability we owe one another the work of preserving order and harmony.

In common parlance, accountability demands an answer from one person to another, a confrontation. RB does require confrontation with offenders; in the words of Esther DeWaal, “a heart to heart talk”. Accountability is first of all a practice of listening carefully to one another (RB Prologue, “Listen”). Visceral (from “where we store our crap”/guts) confrontations intend hurt, humiliation, getting even. People are angry because they are hurting or afraid. Genuine Christian accountability has to be heart to heart because that’s how love operates. Both parties have to be vulnerable so wounds can be tended to and healed, as relationship.

Christian accountability has reconciliation as its goal, not retribution. Is being right more important than the feelings in the relationship?

Caring about the monastery is what keeps monks there. Breaking rules says you don’t care about the others or the rule. The consequences of excommunication keep you from the very rule of life you care about. For us as oblates, our relationships are also what we care about, for example our marriages.

Submitted by Mary Louise Reed

November 2018 Newsletter

November 13, 2018
by Pat Dorn

Greater Cincinnati Chapter
www.cincinnatioblates.org

Our November meeting will be held on Sunday, November 18, at 2:00 p.m. in the St. Joseph Room of the St. Gertrude Parish Center. PLEASE NOTE: November 18 is the 3rd Sunday of the month rather than the 4th.

Our guest speaker for the November meeting is Fr. Mateo Zamora, OSB.

We would like to express our thanks to Linda McCarroll for the sharing her journey to becoming a Benedictine Oblate of Saint Meinrad with us last month. You will find a copy of her testimony enclosed. Great job, Linda!

The December 14-16 Benedictine Oblate Retreat at Saint Meinrad features Fr. Denis Robinson, OSB. The topic of the retreat is: “Being Benedictine in a World Turned Upside Down: Looking at the World Today through the Lens of the Rule.” The cost of the retreat with meals is $255 (single) and $425 (double). For reservations, please call 1-800-581-6905.

As we will not meet in December due to December oblate retreat at Saint Meinrad, we would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, a Blessed Christmas, and a Joyous New Year.

The January meeting will be held January 27, 2019.

Before closing, I have some sad news to share. I just learned of the death of Debbie Storer, one of our Cincinnati oblates, who recently passed away. Debbie has been ill for a number of years and has been unable to attend our Chapter meetings. She made her oblation on September 26, 2010. Please remember her in your prayers,

AGENDA
Sunday, November 18, 2018 Meeting
St. Gertrude Parish Center • 2:00 p.m.

1. Reading of Mission Statement
2. Vespers
3. Prayer for Deceased Members of our Chapter
4. Lectio Divina
5. Minutes of October 28, 2018 Meeting
6. Treasurer’s Report
7. Old/New Business
8. Program:
   Guest Speaker: Fr. Mateo Zamora, OSB
9. Adjournment & Closing Prayer

October 2018 Minutes

Cincinnati Oblates' Meeting October 28, 2018

The meeting opened with a greeting, prayer, and introductions. Steve Anslinger, a new novice, introduced himself. Later in the meeting, Tom Murray, another new novice, shared some of his story of being attracted to St. Meinrad.

Others in attendance: Nick & Linda McCarroll, Kathy Gloeckner, Mark Milliron, Margaret Sherlock, Pat & Clyde Dorn, Peyton & Mary Louise Reed, and Ron DeMarco.
We read the Mission Statement and prayed Vespers.

In line with our current theme of “Accountability” we had a short explanation/discussion of the practice of “kneeling out” at the monastery whenever someone makes a serious mistake in praying the office.

Lectio was on Mark 10:46-52, the story of Blind Bartimaeus.
The theme of the Rule that Ron chose as related is “Stay close to Jesus.”

Minutes of the September 23,2018 meeting were read and approved.

The Treasurer's report is $641 in the account, with a receipt for copies to be paid.

Old Business: Calendar corrections
Br. Francis will be coming in March, not April
The program for the January meeting will be a chapter discussion of Screwtape Br. Francis will send us questions before the January meeting.

New Business: Day of Recollection 2020, which our chapter will host
We need to get a date from Brenda (Oblate Secretary), find out from her whether a monk is available, and find a place to have it.

Two suggestions came: The Community of the Transfiguration (Episcopal) in Glendale, and Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center in Norwood. Nick will be checking with the second. The date we are requesting is near May 16, 2020.

Novice changes: Abbot Kurt has appointed Br. Stanley Rother Wagner, OSB to be Oblate Novice Mentor. Ron will send us information about the new novice procedures.
A beautiful card, including artwork by Br. Martin, was designed for each chapter with the list of deceased oblates for this year. We remember Ron Clark, who made his oblation on 21 March, 2011, and who died on 6 February, 2018.

March 21,2019 is the 140th anniversary of the founding of oblates at St. Meinrad, and there will be a retreat there in commemoration.

June 21,2019 Chapter Coordinators' meeting will have the same topic.

Amount we pay a visiting monk: Oblate Council discussed this, and each chapter is free to decide what to offer. We will keep $88 until something calls us to change.

April program: is open, and we are asked to consider what to do.

Linda McCarroll gave her testimony of becoming an oblate, and we very much enjoyed hearing her beautiful sharing.

Ron closed the meeting with a prayer of St. Francis de Sales. We enjoyed a time of fellowship and snacks.

Submitted by Mary Louise Reed

October 2018 Newsletter

October 22, 2018 by Pat Dorn

The Sunday, October 28 meeting will be held, as usual, at 2:00 p.m. in the St. Joseph Room of the St. Gertrude Parish Center. Ron has been working hard on the agenda for the meeting and has many exciting ideas to discuss with the group so we hope to see you all there. In addition, Linda McCarroll has agreed to give a witness as to why she became a Benedictine Oblate, and I am sure you will not want to miss her testimony. I understand there was some confusion regarding the meeting dates on the September newsletter, so I have reprinted the dates below.

All of the meeting dates were correct as listed. The only change is the date of the Day of Recollection that will be held in Dayton on June 8 this year. Additional details regarding the Day of Recollection will be provided by the Dayton Chapter at a later date. We are very excited about the homework assigned to us by Br. Francis at the September meeting.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis is a delightful and entertaining masterpiece of religious satire about temptation and resistance to it. I provided an Amazon link to the book in my October 6 email for your convience. However, I am sure you can find it at a neighborhood bookstore or at Half Prices Books as well. See you on the 28th!

AGENDA October 28, 2018 Meeting St. Gertrude Parish Center • 2:00 p.m.

I. Reading of Mission Statement
II. Vespers
III. Lectio Divina
IV. Minutes of September 23, 2018 Meeting (enclosed)
V. Treasurer’s Report
VI. Old/New Business
VII. Program: A Reflection on Why I Became A Benedictine Oblate by Linda McCarroll VIII. Adjournment & Closing Prayer

September 2018 Minutes

Cincinnati Oblates Meeting September 23, 2018


Br. Francis opened our meeting with prayer.


We introduced ourselves, and heard that we have two new novices: Steve Anslinger and Tom Murray. We received the news that John Campbell's health is declining.


In attendance were: Nick McCarroll, Linda McCarroll, Ron Lillie, Pauline Cantrell, Peyton Reed, Margaret Sherlock, Joan Hilton, Ron DeMarco, Kathy Gloeckner, Linda Faulhaber, Mary Louise Reed


We read the Mission Statement and prayed Vespers, Week 1.


Lectio was Mk 9:30-37; the portion of the Rule that Ron selected to apply was RB 72:4-7.

The April minutes were approved.


The treasury currently has $678, as of the end of last year (September-April). We discussed thecost of having a monk visit. For two years now we have paid $88 per visit. That money goes into a fund for traveling monks that is held in the Oblate Office. We also discussed the possibility of helping members attend St. Meinrad events. We made no decisions.


Meetings without monks have no set program. At some meetings we will do more personal stories of how we became oblates and how that affects our lives. Linda McCarroll will share her story in October. Some meetings will have discussion of our “homework” book.


Do we want to send cards to our members for special occasions, such as oblation date? No decision.

Br. Francis gave a conference on the role of transparency in Benedictine life, and will make the whole conference available to us at a later date. He also assigned us a small book, Them Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, to read and study as homework for this next year. We will discuss it together when he returns in April. He assigns “homework” in order to help us engage with the presented topic over time, and not have it be segmented. Archabbot Kurt has chosen “Accountability” as this year's theme for the oblate program.


Ron DeMarco lead a closing prayer, followed by a social time.


Submitted by
Mary Louise Reed

September 2018 Newsletter

September 15, 2018 by Pat Dorn

Now that summer “officially” is over, it will be nice to get back to meeting again. I have listed our meeting dates in the box at the bottom of the page. Please be sure to mark them on your calendar. All meetings will be held in the Parish Center at St. Gertrude in Madeira and begin at 2:00 p.m. Please note: this includes the September 23 meeting originally scheduled to be held at our house. As I mentioned in my earlier email, this change was necessary due to the flooding of our finished basement when our sump pump gave out during a recent record-breaking rainfall.

We are pleased to welcome back our Dean, Br. Francis Wagner, as the guest speaker for this meeting. Br. Francis’ talk will be on the topic of Accountability, which is the theme for 2018-2019. Ron asks that I remind you that we are always striving to follow our basic meeting outline as well as to provide something new that our members might find fruitful to their spiritual growth as oblates. For example, at the September meeting Ron will be looking at the Lectio Divina Scripture reading for that day and select a good match from the Rule of Saint Benedict to complement the reading. He will then ask for a volunteer to prepare the Rule reading for the next meeting. He will be looking for volunteers who would be willing to share their stories about what drew then to become an oblate and how being an oblate has helped them grow in their spiritual life.

Remember the book drive organized by oblates Bob & Melinda Reckers last March to help the Benedictine monks at Holy Cross Monastery in Beaumont, Texas restore their library that was destroyed by Hurricane Harvey? Bob and Melinda sent thanks to our oblates for helping them collect well over 1000 books.

AGENDA September 23, 2018 Meeting – 2:00 p.m. St. Gertrude Parish Center – St. Joseph Room

I. Reading of Mission Statement
II. Vespers (Week 1 – Liturgy of the Hours for Benedictine Oblates)
III. Lectio Divina
IV. Minutes of April 22, 2018 Meeting
V. Treasurer’s Report
VI. Old/New Business
VII. Program: Guest Speaker: Br. Francis Wagner, OSB Topic: Accountability
VIII. Adjournment & Closing Prayer

2018/2019 Meeting Dates Please mark your calendar.
Please Note: All meetings are held on a Sunday at 2:00 p.m.

2018
September 23 (Br. Francis Wagner, OSB)
October 28 – (Program to be determined)
November 18 (Fr. Mateo, OSB)

2019 January 27 (Program to be determined)
February 24 (Fr. Joseph Cox, OSB)
March 28 (Br. Francis Wagner, OSB)
April 28 (Program to be determined)

Other Important Dates
May 18 — Day of Recollection hosted by Dayton Chapter