Benedictine Oblate #2

[Luigi_Daniele]

Jason,

Started a new thread. Wanted to let you (and everyone here, really) know that the version of the Rule that you ordered ( amazon.com/gp/product/0814627358/ref=ox_ya_os_product ) is the one I use. I love it. Fantastic translation and divided up for daily reading.

 

[mylo]

I also use that translation - it’s my favorite and I’ve yet to find someone who doesn’t like it. Enjoy!!

 

[jwinch2]

Do we know why the other thread was closed?

Oh, and thanks for the comments. I am looking forward to it. I ordered a couple of commentaries as well to go with it.

On another note, there is a Benedictine Oblates group on Facebook, which is kind of nice to see. There are actually quite a few members including several monks and sisters.
facebook.com/groups/2247029611/

What isn’t so great is that one of the members just came out in support of LCWR and called the report from the CDF and called upon people to express their outrage at the “intervention”. Even more concerning than that is that the first person to “like” the post is the former prior at St. Gregory’s. For those late to the discussion, this is the monastery whom I have been in contact about their Oblate program. From everything I have seen so far, I am very attracted to Benedictine Spirituality and also very concerned about the level of faithfulness to the Magesterium among some monasteries. Please understand also that I am not accusing the Benedictine Order of heresy or anything of the sort. I am stating what is public knowledge which is that some individual Benedictines have strayed a bit off the reservation. What is difficult for me to tell at this stage is how widespread this issue is at this time.

Fidelity to the tradition of the Church in terms of teachings is an absolute requirement for me. I am not someone who needs to have the EF of the Mass, who get’s bent out of shape if the Liturgy of the Hours is not done in Latin, or who is upset because the proper amount of incense was not used at Mass. However, dissension from actual Church teaching, or support for it either actively or passively, is a deal breaker for me.

I am begging to consider monasteries which allow distance Oblates, but obviously that is not idea either for any number of reasons.

Peace,

 

[jwinch2]

I also use that translation - it’s my favorite and I’ve yet to find someone who doesn’t like it. Enjoy!!

Thank you very much,

I ordered two longer commentaries to go with it-

One shorter one that I think will be somewhat simple, which is exactly what I need as a beginner to the Holy Rule:
amazon.com/gp/product/0814618081/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00

And two longer ones which I think will have a bit more meat to them, for after I have some foundation:
amazon.com/gp/product/1606082663/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i01
amazon.com/gp/product/1579104606/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00

I am excited to dive into them!

Peace,

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

I’m guessing that it was closed for length (ie, once a thread gets to x replies, it gets closed).

I think

 

[jwinch2]

I’m guessing that it was closed for length (ie, once a thread gets to x replies, it gets closed).

I think

I don’t think that can be it. There are threads with hundreds and hundreds of posts. That one was very short in comparison to many which are ongoing.

 

[Marauder]

Do we know why the other thread was closed?

I think the primary reason was that it was an old thread. First post was in 2009. The moderators have recently gotten a little tougher against resurrecting old threads, keeping long threads on topic, closing threads out once the question is answered and/or when threads stray from their topic.

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

Do we know why the other thread was closed?

Oh, and thanks for the comments. I am looking forward to it. I ordered a couple of commentaries as well to go with it.

On another note, there is a Benedictine Oblates group on Facebook, which is kind of nice to see. There are actually quite a few members including several monks and sisters.
facebook.com/groups/2247029611/

What isn’t so great is that one of the members just came out in support of LCWR and called the report from the CDF and called upon people to express their outrage at the “intervention”. Even more concerning than that is that the first person to “like” the post is the former prior at St. Gregory’s. For those late to the discussion, this is the monastery whom I have been in contact about their Oblate program. From everything I have seen so far, I am very attracted to Benedictine Spirituality and also very concerned about the level of faithfulness to the Magesterium among some monasteries. It is hard for me to tell at this stage how widespread this issue is at this time.

Fidelity to the tradition of the Church in terms of teachings is an absolute requirement for me. I am not someone who needs to have the EF of the Mass, who get’s bent out of shape if the Liturgy of the Hours is not done in Latin, or who is upset because the proper amount of incense was not used at Mass. However, dissension from actual Church teaching, or support for it either actively or passively, is a deal breaker for me.

I am begging to consider monasteries which allow distance Oblates, but obviously that is not idea either.

Peace,

I have been a member of that FB group. Most are pretty orthodox, but there are some not so orthodox ones…also it seems to be geared to a fairly specific area of the country. No longer a member.

Remember, the monastery at Norcia accepts Oblates “at a distance” if all else fails…

(EDIT: just saw that you addressed that in your post…gimme a sec, and I will get you the link) I agree completely with the concerns you addressed in your penultimate paragraph, BTW. Orthodoxy is what I love about “my” monks

 

[jwinch2]

(EDIT: just saw that you addressed that in your post…gimme a sec, and I will get you the link)

No worries, I have the link saved.

I have also looked here: clearcreekmonks.org/index.html But I don’t think they have Oblates. I left the Abbot a voicemail earlier, so hopefully i’ll something back from him soon.

Peace,

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

No worries, I have the link saved.

Peace,

Ahh, OK. Here it is for anyone else that may need it

osbnorcia.org/

If I may editorialize a bit: these men seem to be fantastic, but do use them as a “last resort”, ie, only if nothing near you is orthodox (small o ). Being with fellow Oblates and one’s monks is such a great part of the appeal of oblation to me.

Also, you could consider oblation with a woman’s monastery near to you…

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

Monasteries “near”* you:

• I know that Texas is huge, and “near” is relative:

St Benedict Monastery
17825 S. Western St.
Canyon, TX 79015
U.S.A. (sisters) Has Oblates

St. Scholastica Monastery
416 W. Highland
Boerne, TX 78006
U.S.A. (sisters) No Oblates listed

Benedictine Monastery of the Good Shepherd
6 Monastery Lane
Rio Grande City, TX 78582-9610
U.S.A. (sisters) Has Oblates

Corpus Christi Abbey
c/o Abbot President Peter Eberle
St. Benedict, OR 97373
U.S.A. (monks, no address listed in Corpus Christi; no Oblates listed)

Looks like there is a monastery in LA and one in OK…

 

[jwinch2]

Monasteries “near”* you:

• I know that Texas is huge, and “near” is relative:

St Benedict Monastery
17825 S. Western St.
Canyon, TX 79015
U.S.A. (sisters) Has Oblates

St. Scholastica Monastery
416 W. Highland
Boerne, TX 78006
U.S.A. (sisters) No Oblates listed

Benedictine Monastery of the Good Shepherd
6 Monastery Lane
Rio Grande City, TX 78582-9610
U.S.A. (sisters) Has Oblates

Corpus Christi Abbey
c/o Abbot President Peter Eberle
St. Benedict, OR 97373
U.S.A. (monks, no address listed in Corpus Christi; no Oblates listed)

Looks like there is a monastery in LA and one in OK…

Those are all quite a ways from me. But thanks. There are actually two in OK. One is Saint Gregory’s and the other is Clear Creek.

Thanks again!

Jason

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

Those are all quite a ways from me. But thanks. There are actually two in OK. One is Saint Gregory’s and the other is Clear Creek.

Thanks again!

Jason

Not a problem. I pray that you find a monastery that fits. And that doesn’t give you fits.

 

[jwinch2]

And that doesn’t give you fits.

Funny!

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

Can’t recall if this is the one you were referencing in the previous thread (NB: I know nothing about them):

holycrossmonks.org/

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

Another link for Texas (same caveats):

osb.org/geog/search.asp

 

[jwinch2]

Can’t recall if this is the one you were referencing in the previous thread (NB: I know nothing about them):

holycrossmonks.org/

I was not referencing them specifically but I had seen their website. That particular monastery is about 7 hours away from where I am at. I am in north-central Texas which is pretty much several hours from anywhere.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

I was not referencing them specifically but I had seen their website. That particular monastery is about 7 hours away from where I am at. I am in north-central Texas which is pretty much several hours from anywhere.

Thanks for the help!

7 hours

(I thought I had the record: my monastery is 4 hours away)

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

I was not referencing them specifically but I had seen their website. That particular monastery is about 7 hours away from where I am at. I am in north-central Texas which is pretty much several hours from anywhere.

Thanks for the help!

Jason,

I do not mean to sound preachy, but if you are that far away from everything, maybe Norcia would be a good fit…

 

[jwinch2]

Jason,

I do not mean to sound preachy, but if you are that far away from everything, maybe Norcia would be a good fit…

It might come to that, but I am not sure.

4 - 5 hours away would allow me to get up there a few times a year. 6 - 10, probably once a year. Italy, never…

So with that in mind, I am inclined to seek something at least within driving distance if at all possible. I am not discounting the possibility of something else, but ideally, I would like to be able to go on retreats, and participate at some level in the life of the monastery.