2017, Mostly at Home

For someone who seems to be on an eternal pilgrimage, this year has been one of quietly enjoying home. In contrast to most years my travels have been brief and seldom.

Winter in South Dakota can be a difficult pilgrimage. It amazes me each year that dressing to go outside can consume as much time as it does. The question arises: Do I have enough clothing on my body to feel comfortable in the house? How much more do I need to add if I am going outside?  Do I need a down filled parka, or will a leather jacket do? Where is my stocking cap? Do I need my thigh-high boots or will hiking shoes suffice? And then, there is the removal of all of this upon reaching one’s destination, and the reclothing when one decides to return home. Some day I will time all this and tuck away this important information. It won’t change anything, I know, but at least I will know. About the middle of February I long for the summer days when a t-shirt and shorts will do for the journey to the fitness center!

Christ Cathedral in Victoria, BC

One of the few pilgrimages this year took place in February. The priors of the Anglican Benedictine Canons met for their annual meeting in Victoria, B.C.  It was wonderful to see Fr. Martin-Joseph Brokenleg, Br. Gene and the community in Victoria. Fr. Chad-Joseph and Br. Phillip-Martin from Tempe, AZ joined us there. Fr. Martin had arranged a complete day of teaching and prayer in the Benedictine tradition. Fr. Chad-Joseph, Fr. Martin-Joseph and I provided the teaching and facilitated the discussions as thirty people participated in the experience of being a Benedictine for a day. The hospitality was gracious. The venue was the Anglican Cathedral in Victoria, a lovely building. During the priors’ meeting I was chosen as prior-general of our communities. Our former prior-general and his community had departed the Anglican Church and become Roman Catholics. It is not a position that I sought but accepted as part of my own personal pilgrimage which sometimes involves being led where we sought not to go.

Priors of the Anglican Benedictine Canons

During the weekend there was a music festival taking place and the Cathedral participated in that festival by providing the choir and orchestra for Evensong on Sunday. I was able to stay an extra day and enjoy the city and some time with my friends.

The Benedictine Oratory

I completed my time as supply priest at a local parish which provided a place for our Benedictine community. We needed a place to be and, thankfully, our cathedral church provided that place. The Bishop of South Dakota moved his offices to Pierre which left a good deal of space formerly occupied by the diocesan offices at the cathedral. The dean graciously offered us a room which we have been converting into our Oratory and Chapter Room. It has come together very nicely and we appreciate having a place to meet for our weekly Eucharist and monthly Chapter Meeting.

Max sunbathing

Friends and I traveled to Collegeville, MN, and Minneapolis for a weekend in July. They had never been to St. John’s Abbey. I am always happy to return to the Abbey having visited many times and taken several courses and workshops there. We were able to attend the Sunday liturgy at Mt. Olive Lutheran in Minneapolis which is always a superb experience. We also shopped at IKEA. On our return we visited Faribault to see the exterior of the first cathedral in America. We had to experience the interior by looking through the windows since the doors were locked.

That same weekend my dear Max was in the hospital suffering from many things. As we were on our way to Collegeville the phone call came informing me that he had died.  His immune mitigated hemolytic anemia had returned. He was suffering from a kidney stone and acute renal failure and finally pneumonia after receiving fluids to relieve his dehydration. We miss him. As all who knew him said, he was such a sweet kitty. 

Our Benedictine Community assumed the management of the cathedral bookstore during this past year.  Part of that responsibility is taking car loads of books and “stuff” to diocesan convention in Pierre, which we did on the last weekend in September. The convention is considerably more brief than in former years when the planning of the liturgies fell on the shoulders of my diocesan commission. It is always good to see the faithful friends from around the diocese. Thirty-five children from the Sudanese community here in Sioux Falls at my former parish traveled to Pierre and performed at the convention.  It was so good to see them taking part.

Dignity

Since I had not traveled across South Dakota in recent history until convention weekend, a stop at Chamberlin was necessary so that I could see the beautiful statue at the top of the hill. Dale Lamphere, an artist from Sturgis, fashioned the wonderful creation called “Dignity.” It is a huge and beautiful depiction of a Native American woman. Check it out: https://www.travelsouthdakota.com/explore-with-us/spotlights/dignity-earth-sky

The spires of the basilica at Holy Hill

The annual pilgrimage to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, to the first shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in America takes place in October. Friends from Denver flew to Sioux Falls and drove with me to Wisconsin. It is always a trip full of spiritual experiences and fun times. Our entire Benedictine Community and some friends were also able to attend giving us a total of 10 present at the pilgrimage.  We also visited St. Agnes by the Lake in Algoma, the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Champion, WI, Holy Hill in Hubertus, WI, and the Shine of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Franciscan Sisters mother house in LaCrosse, WI.  It was a joy-filled week of prayer and reunion with dear friends.

View from the doorway.

To complete the pilgrimages for the year, my friend Craig invited me to spend a week in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.  We’ve been there several times.  It is totally relaxing to sit on the beach with a good book, take a walk in the beautiful sand and eat at some fantastic restaurants. It is a true pilgrimage of refreshment.

View from the terrace

The resort in which we stayed, however, was in the midst of destruction/construction. The view from our front door was not the best. The giant jack-hammer used to accomplish the destruction was in operation most of the day.  It could not be heard at the beach, thankfully. The view from our patio was much more pleasant.

Cabo dressed for Christmas

Coming from South Dakota it was amusing to see the Christmas decorations complete with snowflakes! One wonders if the natives have any idea of what a snowflake is, other than decoration.

Sophia surveying her domain

Following my return from Mexico, Sophia came to live with us.  She is a beautiful cat still acclimating to the household and coming to terms with Makarios, who has been resident here for 16 years and is convinced that he owns the place. Sophia came from a rescue shelter to be a companion for a resident at Dow Rummel Village. Shortly after her arrival her new mistress had to move to full nursing care. Sophia lived by herself (with care) in the apartment for a time until it was determined that the nursing placement was permanent. She then moved in with another resident who offered her to me. So, she has had a least four different homes in, what is thought to be, three years.

I’m awaiting a new set of lenses so that I can see more clearly. It’s the first change in my prescription that I’ve had in more than 10 years.  I guess I’m due for that. My health is very good. I enjoy singing in the choir at the cathedral, some supply work at the altar from time to time, being a substitute organist and being with my Benedictine community.

Thanks for letting me share my year with you.  Blessings and prayers for, hopefully, a peaceful 2018.