Director of Oblates: Brother Edmund Ebbers, O.S.B.
Editor: Wally McClure and Patricia McClure, Obl.S.B.

A U G U S T  2 0 0 7

Volume: 87
p u b l i s h e d  q u a r t e r l y

 

   I’m feeling a bit rushed at this writing for I’m planning to take a trip to the Philippines. I will be leaving here August 14 and then returning September 4. I'm not sure how jet lagged I will be at the next meeting.
   So much as happened since my last letter. The first is that the long awaited Oblate Manual has been published and you may purchase a copy by using the Internet and going to www.lulu.com. The land address is LuLu Enterprises, 860 Aviation Parkway, Suite 300, Morrisville, NC 27560. The paperback runs about $15 and the hardback about $26..
  I have shared the book with many monks in our community as well as Oblates and Directors at the recent Oblate Directors Conference and it seemed to have been received with admiration. $5 from each copy sold will come back to our Oblate Program.
  The second event that has come and gone is the North American Association of Oblate Directors, or NAABOD, held here at the University/Abbey July 28 - August 1. The membership of this organization is made up of Directors and Oblates from many Benedictine communities throughout North America. Approximately 90+ were in attendance plus about 14 volunteers. The subject of the conferences was on leadership as seen and experienced in the Rule of Benedict. The two presenters were Abbot Peter Eberle of Mount Angel and Sr. Jacquelyn Ernster of South Dakota. These conferences were well received and recorded for sharing with others. I plan to make the CD available to interested Oblates, monks and University persons. I have also asked Mary Randall to give an overview of each conference in coming issues of this newsletter.
   Here too, I want to give my deepest thanks of appreciation of those Oblates of St. Martin's Abbey that volunteered their time and made a great impact on the success it had. The volunteers were Mary Randall, Patricia McClure, Ed Carpenter, Mimi Tram, Francine Mastini, Bill Lagreid, and Gavin McHutchen. A special thanks to Bob Deriecks, who supplied the wine for the picnic dinner. I feel indebted to you all for making it such a success.
   The Japanese garden around the Abbey Church has been in process for several years now is nearing its completion. It is a great improvement over the shrubs we had in past years. For years to come, as you visit the abbey you will see it come into maturity. The artist, the engineer of the project has promised to come each year to keep it pruned. This past year was the year of the fountains for our campus in which four were installed. I hope that when you come to visit you will find it an even more of a place of quiet and a peace filled rest.