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I was born in 1929 in Park Falls, a small immigrant community in Northern Wisconsin – the environment for my family, community and educational experiences during childhood and adolescence. I have fond memories of those years.
My parents are both immigrants, arriving in this country at the turn of the century. I find it interesting now to note that the term "immigrant" was seldom used. The more familiar expression used was the term "early settlers," which was probably terminology related to the 1862 Homestead Act – the very reason why these folks came to Northern Wisconsin.
I prefer to use the word immigrant and have no problem at all recognizing my identity as a member of and descendent of an immigrant family. They developed the land, the communities, and were most respectful of the environment, instilling those values in me and my siblings through our own loving parents.
We were a family of six, four boys and two girls, all living in Wisconsin – four members of my family still live in Park Falls. One of my brothers and his family live in the house in which we all grew up. Our parents gave us wonderful formative years in Park Falls.
My first contact with the Norbertine Order came through St. Norbert College where I enrolled as a lay student in the Fall of 1947. The decision to attend this college was entirely my own decision and from day one I liked everything that I saw and experienced there. It was my intention then to go on to the University of Wisconsin, but later found myself with all kinds of reasons to change my plans. . . and I did. I remained at St. Norbert College and during the year of 1949 I applied for entrance into the Norbertine Order.
What attracted me? Among a number of things, I was impressed by the commitment of the Norbertines to Catholic Education. Furthermore, I felt that in those years, most of the students that came to the Norbertine schools came from the working class. I also felt that the Norbertines related very well with the students. Yet another memory that stirs what that early attraction was my observing the Norbertine Abbey Community assemble every evening in Old St. Joseph Church for Divine Office. Sitting there I was impressed.
I entered the Novitiate in 1950 and was ordained a priest in September, 1955, spending the first 12 years of my life in the Order doing exactly what I had envisioned back in 1949 when I made my decision – teaching on the secondary level. I have always appreciated my educational experiences in the Order.
In 1966 I was willing to serve in our Peruvian Mission Project. Abbot Killeen accepted and I left for Lima in January, 1967. I remained there until March of 2000. Shortly prior to leaving, we turned our second parish in Lima over to the Diocese of Choice and, thus, our active pastoral presence in the Lima metro area came to an end. I shall always be deeply grateful to God, the Norbertine Order and especially to my Norbertine brothers with whom we shared those exciting years in Peru.
For me, it was not just a Norbertine Latin America experience, it was also very much a Vatican II experience, in a Latin American context, as the spirit of the Council began to take hold of and animate the pastoral activities of the Church in the late 1960's in the pastoral process we had the opportunity to come in contact with some wonderful people who seemed to share in one degree or another a common vision of a Church in its attempt to come to grips with a preferential option for the poor of Latin America.
On my return to the States in the spring 2000, after spending some very enjoyable months at St. Norbert Abbey, I came to Santa Maria de la Vid Priory l Albuquerque's South Valley – thanks to the very kind and generous invitation of Fr. Joel, the prior and one of the founding members of the New Mexico Norbertine Community. Today, as I become more involved in parish pastoral ministry, I feel blessed with the presence of the Norbertine Community in our work.
There is no doubt that ministry here in the Southwest, as in most parts of the United States today, involves more and more immigrant community ministry. This is big challenge for all of us involved in pastoral ministry. As we relate to the immigrant communities, we come into contact with people whose identity, history, and cultural values must be recognized, appreciated and accepted. The big challenge, for me at least, is to recognize and accept the immigrants‘ enriching values in the context of an appreciation for the historical, liturgical and spiritual values of the North American Catholic Church and society. While I treasure my experiences in pastoral ministry in Peru, I have to admit that this is an entirely new pastoral setting for me.
The other attraction here for me is the life and Community at the priory, where I look upon my stay here as a personal spiritual investment, too. We have wonderful resources here, both in the members as well as the spirit of growth found in our prayer life and community sharing. I am convinced we need that to be able to bring together and give meaning to the varied ministries in which we are involved. I feel blessed to share the Norbertine presence in New Mexico.
Click here to learn more about our Norbertine vocation.
Click here to read other biographies of the members of our community. |
