Atchison, Kansas

It was a joy to spend the month of June at my alma mater in Atchison, Kan., as my husband continues his formation with the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (Focus).

Nearly every classroom and building on the Benedictine College campus holds fond memories for us. St. Benedict’s Abbey is no exception.

In fact, when we were students nearly 10 years ago, Jim and I began our first date here by joining the monks for Mass before heading out to dinner and a movie.

For the members of the monastery, the collective memory stretches back even farther: This summer, they’re celebrating 150 years of Benedictine prayer and work in the Sunflower State. And, of course, a particular high point will be the July 11 feast of St. Benedict.

In 1856, Benedictine Father Henry Lemke departed St. Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pa., to arrive in nearby Doniphan, Kan. According to Father Lemke’s writings, the frontier was desolate and lonely — quite a change from the refinement of monastic culture he left behind.

Thankfully, Benedictine Father Augustine Wirth and Benedictine Brother Casimir Seitz joined him the following year to form a small priory.

Two years later, the fledgling community moved to Atchison, where they grew steadily. They opened St. Benedict’s College for men and later added Maur Hill, a boarding school for teenage boys.

The turn of the 20th century, however, was not without hardship.

After enduring the Civil War, the monks battled the effects of the grasshopper plague, diphtheria and bankruptcy. Due to the Great Depression, they discontinued the construction of their abbey on the bluff overlooking the Missouri River before the church could be completed.

I joined the monks for Mass again a few weeks ago, and couldn’t help but notice the way that the current church — finished in 1957 for the order’s centennial celebration — pays tribute to the community’s early pioneers.

First to catch my eye was a 610-square-foot fresco entitled The Trinity and Episodes of Benedictine Life by Jean Charlot, which looms high above the traditional wooden choir stalls.

The painting’s left corners depict events from the life of St. Benedict, “Father of Western Monasticism,” as recorded by Pope St. Gregory the Great, who was a Benedictine monk himself prior to his papal election.

In the upper right corner, Father Lemke cares for a young man dying of fever. In the lower right, a small boy reading a book and two monks, one with a horse, represent the community’s commitment to education in Atchison.

Cavernous Crypt

The center of the painting shows a square-cut cross featuring the Resurrected Christ, God the Father and the Holy Spirit as a dove. Angels holding relics and symbols of Christ’s passion surround Jesus on both sides. Images of St. Benedict and his twin sister St. Scholastica round out the bottom of the piece.

Two more of the artist’s frescoes can be found in the church’s crypt, which is accessible by both an elevator and stairwell at the church’s west entrance and by a stairwell south of the main altar.

The crypt is like a maze. It has 31 altars dedicated to saints. Many are Benedictine, but you can also find holy spaces reserved for venerating the likes of St. Dominic, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Basil the Great and St. Francis of Assisi. There’s also a place to contemplate and ask the intercession of the great Dominican scholar St. Thomas Aquinas — who, of course, is of special interest to college students.

Winsome Workshop

My favorite chapel is the one dedicated to St. Joseph.

As I approached the east side of the crypt on my recent visit, I felt like I was entering a medieval castle. The old, dark stone and Gothic architecture of the windows and arched doorways told me I was leaving the area built in the 1950s and entering a portion of the original abbey structure.

Before the Second Vatican Council, the brothers — who were skilled in carpentry, gardening and other trades — chanted the Divine Office here in English, while the priests prayed the Liturgy of the Hours upstairs in Latin.

The fresco above the altar, St. Joseph’s Workshop, shows a very young Jesus holding a hammer with his left hand. He appears poised to miss the nail — a testament to his humanity. Meanwhile a halo reminds us of his divinity. All the while, St. Joseph’s posture exhibits fatherly patience.

To continue my tour of the crypt, I followed the long hallway around the north side to St. Scholastica Chapel. This small room houses a wooden carving of St. Scholastica by Atchison native Dennis McCarthy and a set of rather abstract stained-glass windows depicting the final meeting of Sts. Benedict and Scholastica.

The story goes that the siblings were in the midst of conversation when St. Benedict decided to return to the monastery for the night. His sister didn’t want him to leave and, upon begging the Lord to keep him a bit longer, a violent storm arose to delay his departure.

At the crypt’s west end, I entered the final chapel. It’s dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe. The fresco above the altar depicts four scenes of Our Lady’s apparition to Blessed Juan Diego in 1531, with a large portrait of Our Lady in the center.

As I wrapped up my research of the 150-year history of St. Benedict’s Abbey, I still felt I was missing something.

After a short walk to the community’s cemetery, I realized that, while the written history of the community is interesting, it is the lives of its members — living and deceased — that hold the most fascinating pieces of the puzzle. I joined them for the chanted Divine Office. This may have been the highlight of my visit.

On my way out, I stopped by the lookout over the Missouri River. Enjoying the spectacular view, I imagined myself standing next to the early pioneers who looked at northeastern Kansas and saw great potential. I thanked God for blessing me with the faith of the Benedictines who saw even more.

Kimberly Jansen writes from

Lincoln, Nebraska.

INFORMATION

St. Benedict’s Abbey

1020 North Second St.

Atchison, KS 66002

kansasmonks.org

Planning Your Visit The monks welcome visitors to join in evening prayer. The Divine Office is chanted, with the accompaniment of a Baroque-style Moeller organ, weekdays at 6:45 p.m., and at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday and 5 p.m. on Sunday.