Category: Pandemic

Jubilee

11 July 2021, I finally was able to celebrate my golden jubilee of profession of Benedictine monastic vows. The celebration in July 2020 had been postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jubilarian and honored guests.

I was delighted that my brother, Bro. Benedict FSC on my right above, and Bro. Charles Gresh FSC, former HS teacher, came from La Salle University, Philadelphia, 9-13 July. Charles, 88, had been on campus more often than Ben, 82.

The booklet for the ceremony is online, and YouTube has the video at <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUEnb9o0iFo>.

+Bro. Benedict Oliver FSC MA (1938-2021)
Sadly, exactly one month later, my brother died, 11 August 2021. He had devoted his life as a De La Salle Christian Brother to Catholic education, spending 30 years, at different times, at his beloved Central Catholic High School, Pittsburgh, PA. May he rest in peace.

Milestone

Now this is not the end.

It is not even the beginning of the end.

But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

Winston Churchill, 1942, after Alamein.

Saturday morning, 13 March 2021, eighth anniversary of the election of Pope Francis, six residents of St. Raphael Hall, attended Morning Prayer with the monks in the abbey church after one year of being sequestered in the retirement center. 99.44% of the monks have been inoculated twice with the Moderna vaccine. Other restrictions are being adjusted gradually.

Nevertheless, Prior Brad suggests, “Wearing masks, physical distance, meeting outdoors when possible, good hand-washing, and limiting the number of people with whom you have close contact continue to be prudent practices to prevent the spread of COVID and keep the prevalence of the virus in the wider community heading downward.”

Update 15 March 2021: Monks who have been vaccinated for Covid-19 may visit residents in Saint Raphael Hall by signing up at the nurse’s station. The usual weekly nasal swab test for Covid-19 has been cancelled for this Wednesday.

Moderna Vaccine

This morning a medical technician from Walgreens Pharmacy, Sauk Rapids, injected the staff and monastic residents of St. Raphael Hall with 1.5 ml each of the Moderna vaccine against the Covid-19 virus. The injection was imperceptible, and I experienced no after effects. The second immunization shot is scheduled for 13 February 2021. All residents have tested negative ever since the weekly Wednesday nasal swabs began.