Sex Scandal Hits Home At St. John’s

Posted on April 22, 2002
Posted in John Eidenschink, John Klassen

As every U.S. Roman Catholic Cardinal except one in poor health is at the Vatican preparing to meet with the Pope about the spreading sexual abuse scandal, word from one Minnesota religious institution brought the scandal close to home.
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A Homily by Fr. Dan Durken, OSB

Posted on April 21, 2002
Posted in Daniel Durken, ToDo

Editor’s Note: Recent public statements by Abbot John Klassen regarding sexual misconduct and allegations of sexual abuse by members of the monastic community have ended what he refers to as a culture of secrecy. In the spirit of openness, Fr. Daniel Durken discussed his personal and spiritual reaction to these events in his homily during the Community Mass of Good Shepherd Sunday, April 21. The following is a summary and excerpts of his remarks:

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Former Abbot Abused 2 Monks

Posted on April 20, 2002
Posted in Abbey Apology, Abbot Apologies, Bahamas, Cosmas Dahlheimer, Jerome Thiesen, John Eidenschink, Richard Eckroth

The Rev. John Eidenschink, former St. John’s abbot, has admitted that he sexually abused two abbey monks, one before he was elected abbot in 1971 and another during his eight-year tenure, current Abbot John Klassen said Friday.
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Abbot John Klassen – Letter to Friends and Constituents

Posted on April 19, 2002
Posted in Jerome Thiesen, John Eidenschink, John Klassen, Letters to Community

Dear Friends of Saint John’s,

The last months have been filled with painful stories about sexual abuse committed by priests and religious. The fact that the stories are most often about events which occurred years, even decades ago, does not diminish the anguish which so many members of the Catholic church are experiencing.
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Fr. Dan Ward – Gethsemani Encounter II, April 2002

Posted on April 18, 2002
Posted in Dan Ward, William Skudlarek

William Skudlarek: I had a sense during our first session this morning that a change was beginning to happen among us. We weren’t so much teaching or preaching, but speaking to one another. And I think that that’s probably an evolution that always has to happen when a group comes together for the first time—teaching as a way of identifying who we are and what tradition we represent. It is good to respect that, but then we need to move simply to speaking quite naturally and spontaneously out of that tradition that each of us has received to engage in real conversation with one another, a real sharing of not only our thoughts but our hearts. I think that’s a good way in which to move.
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Dialogue after Fr. Dan Ward’s Presentation

Posted on April 18, 2002
Posted in BS, Dan Ward, ISTI, William Skudlarek

James Wiseman: Dan, you rightly said that monasteries can be places of healing or hiding and are probably a little of both. I think that you could perhaps help us answer Chodron’s question from the first session this morning, in one respect, at least. I very much admired your own community, because when sexual abuse scandals hit St. John’s about ten years ago your abbot and your community did not sweep it under the rug, but started an institute to help people deal with this abuse. Could you say a little bit about the work and how helpful and effective you have found it to be?
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A Homily by Fr. Columba Stewart, OSB

Posted on April 7, 2002
Posted in Columba Stewart, ToDo

The church today is full of doubt and mistrust. We are rightly shocked and embarrassed that betrayal, and heinous abuse can come from those who minister in Christ’s name. For whatever reason, many here this morning have very good reasons to find trust difficult.

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Contact Fr. Michael Bik

Posted on February 21, 2002
Posted in Michael Bik

Performances are scheduled for March 15 at 7 pm; March 16 at 2 pm and 7pm, March 17 at 2 pm; March 22nd at 7 pm; March 23 at 2 pm and 7 pm; and March 24 at 2 pm. This show is expected to be a sell-out, so order early. Also, there will be no show during the school day for students this year. Prep students may buy one ticket for themselves at a cost of $3. Let Fr. Michael know this when you are ordering the tickets. Admission: Adults, $8; students $6. To order, contact Fr. Michael Bik, at the Prep box office at 320-363-2241 or mbik@csbsju.edu.

From the Theater Department (Fr. Michael Bik)

Posted on January 15, 2002
Posted in Michael Bik

Performances are scheduled for March 15 at 7 pm; March 16 at 2 pm and 7pm, March 17 at 2 pm; March 22nd at 7 pm; March 23 at 2 pm and 7 pm; and March 24 at 2 pm. This show is expected to be a sell-out, so order early. Also, there will be no show during the school day for students this year. Prep students may buy one ticket for themselves at a cost of $3. Let Fr. Michael know this when you are ordering the tickets. Admission: Adults, $8; students $6. To order, contact Fr. Michael Bik, at the Prep box office at 320-363-2241 or mbik@csbsju.edu.
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School Chaplain, Fr. Michael Bik

Posted on January 15, 2002
Posted in Michael Bik

The Prep Community will commemorate the Feast of St. Scholastica, twin sister of St. Benedict with a prayer service on Wednesday, February 6th at 9:30 am. Sr. Helene Mercier, OSB of St. Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph will preside.
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Abbot Klassen with Offenders Schulte and Tarlton

Posted on December 1, 2001
Posted in Allen Tarlton, Francisco Schulte, John Klassen, Oblates

When this photo was taken, Abbot Klassen was aware that both Fr. Schulte
and Fr. Tarlton had credible allegations of sexual misconduct against them.

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Monks as Players, Coaches, Chaplains and Fans

Posted on September 1, 2001
Posted in Dennis Beach, John Gagliardi, John Kelly, Otto Webber

Even as monks, members of the abbey have made significant contributions to Saint John’s athletics. Father Dunstan Tucker, remembered as Saint John’s greatest baseball coach, won the conference championship in 1969 on his 70th birthday. Other monk-coaches were Fathers Fintan Bromenshenkel [hockey], Damian Baker [tennis] and Emeric Lawrence [tennis]. The Kelly Brothers, Mark and John (not related), make significant contributions to SJU sports. Brother Mark manicures the football field and Brother John [Kelly] transports athletes from the College of Saint Benedict and SJU all over the Midwest.

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Lecture by Abbot Timothy Kelly

Posted on June 10, 2001
Posted in Timothy Kelly

On June 10th, Abbot Timothy Kelly, OSB, former Abbot of St John’s Abbey in Collegeville MN gave the fourth in the series of lectures celebrating our 50th Anniversary Year.  His topic was The Art of Christian and Monastic Life.  Hopefully these lectures will be published in book form since it is impossible to do justice to them in a short essay.  He spoke as a Benedictine monk whose vocation has involved him as student, priest, teacher, missionary, pastor, prison chaplain, convent chaplain, director of novices and an Abbot among other things, and one who has pondered the meaning of monastic life as an expression of Christian life.

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Abbot Klassen Poses with Two Perpetrators

Posted on May 1, 2001
Posted in Allen Tarlton, Francisco Schulte, John Klassen, Oblates

All eight of the, momentarily, “in-the-country” CSB/SJU [College of St. Benedict-Saint John’s University] Oblate Candidates (“OCs”) gathered on Saturday, March 3, for their first mini-retreat or Day of Reflection.

 
Fr. Francisco Schulte, Abbot John Klassen and Fr. Allen Tarlton, with 2001 Pilot Oblate Group.
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Honesty, reconciliation needed from ISTI

Posted on February 8, 2001
Posted in Daniel Durken, Helen Olson, ISTI, Opinion, Richard Eckroth

The program, “Confession of Sins” aired on Channel 5 on November 10, 2000. A reply was already in print for The Record, quoting Fr. Daniel Durken, by the November 16th issue. How could he have researched it adequately in that time period, enough to make a reply in print, when it has taken us victims decades, and a very good detective and reporter at least one year, and they aren’t even through, to investigate this problem? I’ve been living with this issue for three decades and still don’t know the whole truth.

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SJU Student Development

Posted on October 10, 2000
Posted in BS, Francisco Schulte, Isaac Connolly, Tim Backous, Tom Andert

Br. Isaac Connolly, dean of students and director of residential life, is on an administrative leave for the 2000-01 academic year. During the year, Br. Isaac will be visiting other college and university residence life programs to study residential learning communities. In Br. Isaac’s absence, his responsibilities are divided among other staff members as noted below.
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Posted on September 21, 2000
Posted in Pending

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Abbot Timothy Kelly to Resign, Election Set for November

Posted on July 1, 2000
Posted in Melvin Valvano, Timothy Kelly

A few knew last December. Others wondered–because of the 1995 decision of the American Cassinese General Chapter that changed the required resignation of abbots from 65 to 75 years of age–if Abbot Timothy Kelly, Ninth Abbot of Saint John’s Abbey, would step down at 65 years of age. A number felt disconsolate that he chose to end his abbatial tenure according to the regulations extant when he was elected in 1992.

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Recommendations of the Executive Director

Posted on June 6, 2000
Posted in ISTI, Roman Paur

When individuals of any community fail in their integrity, everyone is a victim and everyone suffers. Nowhere is this more evident than when clergy and religious compromise leadership and violate their trust through sexual misconduct. – Roman Paur

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Virgil Michel… Justice embodied in Christ-life and Liturgy

Posted on February 1, 2000
Posted in Virgil Michel

“What blasphemy! As if there were anything really Christian about our modern capitalism.” This was Virgil Michel, O.S.B., responding in Commonweal in 1938 to an article in Catholic World which had called Christ “the first preacher of capitalism as the most workable thesis for society.” Michel had to respond to the neocons (Michael Novak, etc.) of his day, which he did very strongly.

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