Heart to Casket, Ruby's was Fun, Little Girl Gets a Scooter

St. Anthony Catholic Church

Davenport, Iowa

Weekly Email Newsletter

From Heart to Casket

What We Learned from Visiting the Trappist Monks in Dubuque

by John Cooper

What a wonderful adventure 33 of us had this past Saturday for the day of reflection at New Melleray Monastery outside of Dubuque. Going to a monastery in August with very little air-conditioning is risky. We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather!

Trappist monk Father Jonah set the tone for our reflection with his talk titled Depths of the Heart. He explained that whether you are a monk or a lay person, every Christian journeys to the depths of the heart where we find God. As Father Jonah's diagram of the heart shows, there are four levels of depth to this journey. In the first level, we experience pleasure through what we have - our possessions from food to new cars and everything in between. Its a necessary place for us to go, but we are never satisfied in staying at this level of the heart.

The second level involves status and ego. We want to feel good about ourselves compared to the standards that society sets for us. Education, career, and social mobility help us to feel important. We only need to go so far as looking at the wealthy, the well-educated, and the popular people in our world to know that this level never totally satisfies and an emptiness remains.

Moving further down into the heart, our conscience leads us to embrace commitment something bigger than ourselves. We want to contribute to something greater. Propelled by feeling of empathy, we want to give of ourselves to others. We recognize and reverence the beauty of God in all people and things.

Finally, Father Jonah said that the bottom most level of the heart rests with worshiping the God who made us. As Christians, we worship God the Father for having created us, God the Son for having died and risen for us, and God the Spirit of giving us the power to love.

The monks at New Melleray use prayer (liturgy of the hours 3:30 a.m., 6:30 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 11:45 a.m,, 1:45 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and Mass of 7:00 a.m.), silence at all times unless necessary, and work of their hands (building beautiful caskets). Their goal is to allow monastic life to move them through this journey of the heart each day. Father Jonah noted that every Christian's is to follow this journey of the heart in their chosen vocation.

I'll let the following videos and pictures which follow tell rest of the story of our amazing day. Even before participants boarded the bus, they were asking that we come back to New Melleray again next year!

Video excerpt of Father Jonah's Talk

Boarding the bus followed by a smooth ride of the monastery

You can stop by the New Melleray Monastery at 6632 Melleray Circle

Peosta, Iowa 52068. This is a very popular place to make an individual retreat.

Father Albrec sho ws us the step-by-step process of making caskets. "By making caskets and urns the monks participate in the centuries-old traditional works of mercy to bury the dead and to pray for the dead. By providing grieving families with a simple, beautiful casket prayerfully crafted and blessed monks they not only console God’s heartbroken children, but give delight to the Lord himself whose teaching he sees fulfilled with ardent love and care."

F ather Albrec talks about how the monks make these baby caskets and give them away to grieving families

Main Chapel

Our view of where the monks pray the liturgy of the hours. Visitors remain in the back and can join the monks in chanting the psalms if the spirit moves you

There were plenty of walking trails for people to walk in silence

Praying the Rosary in the lower chapel. We also celebrated Mass here.

The monks have a show room that tastefully leads people through the spirituality of their casket making business

Father Jonah also heard confessions during the day

Caskets are made with love and care to carry people home to their God

Praying the Rosary

Please Join Us in Praying a Rosary in Support of Father Apo, all Priests and Religious, as well as for New Vocations

Saint John Paul Ii wrote, “The parish as a community bears witness of Christ who calls...Therefore the fostering of vocations cannot be considered a marginal activity, but must be incorporated fully into the life and activity of the community.”

We would like to pray a Rosary each month for these intentions. The first Rosary will be prayed within the church at 4:10 on September 7th prior to the 4:30 Mass. Rosaries and Rosary pamphlets will be available to use. We invite all to join us and welcome those in attendance to help lead a decade if desired.

The times for each month will rotate, so that all Masses have the opportunity to support our priests and religious. Looking forward to joining together in prayer!

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8

IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING

THE 11:30 AM MASS

Are you coming to the Parish Picnic?

LOCATION
Parish Center

DATE AND TIME
09/08/19 12:30pm - 09/08/19 3:00pm

Great faith, food, fellowship, fun for the young and old! BBQ and pie competitions. Please join us!

I'll be there!

Maybe

I can't make it

First Gathering of Downtown with St. Anthony's

Ruby's was Fun!

Something new we are trying is monthly Downtown With St. Anthony's gatherings. Last Friday our first gathering was at Ruby's on 3rd street. Stay tuned for next month's venue! And yes, we had a lot of fun!!

St. John Vianney's Social Action Committee Visited McAnthony Window This Week

Teresa Crossen talks to the group about the Window and Our Ministry of Presence

Jean Kane explains the clothing, toiletries, and food ministry we have upstairs

Angela is a very happy recipient of one of the more than 50 bikes that St. John Vianney has donated to the Window this year

I'm Fine

Written by Cardinal Cushing and Shared with Us by Ginny Duffy

There's nothing whatever the matter with me.

I'm just as healthy as I can be.

I have arthritis in both my knees

And when I talk, I talk with a wheeze.

My pulse is weak and my blood is thin

But I'm awfully well for the shape I'm in.

I think my liver is out of whack

And a terrible pain is in my back.

My hearing is poor, my sight is dim,

Most everything seems to be out of trim.

But I'm awfully well for the shape I'm in.

I have arch supports for both my feet,

Or I wouldn't be able to go on the street.

Sleeplessness I have night after night,

And in the morning I'm just a sight.

My memory is failing, my head's in a spin.

I'm peacefully living on aspirin

But I'm awfully well for the shape I'm in.

The moral is, as this tale we unfold,

That for you and me who are growing old,

Its better to say, "I'm fine" with a grin

Than to let them know the shape we're in .

Leave You with this Happy Little Girl!

She came with her family for this month's McAnthony Window cookout and she left with more than a hamburger. One of our parishioners made her day with the gift of this little scooter!