Br. Gregory Viscek (1922-2003)
Brother Gregory Viscek passed away August 15, 2003.
Brother Gregory was a genuine and authentic monk, and embodied in that authenticity what St. Benedict had in mind when he composed his chapter On Humility. He did varied and odd jobs around the Abbey, and served some as a teacher of mathematics at Maur Hill and counselor at Camp St. Maur for 11 years in handicrafts, and one Chief of the Kiowa tribe. His death notice stated, “Brother Gregory was seen by his fellow monks as a humble monk who loved the monastic life… dependably generous to help in situations that required extra effort. His careful making of rosaries reflected his faith life.”
Of course, this does not quite capture the Brother Gregory known to those who lived with him day by day. Experiencing his love and generosity one could only surmise his deeper feelings and the effect of disappointments and their consequent challenges. He was a true friend with a wry sense of humor that often surfaced in the most unforeseen manner. Brother Gregory liked to use the word, “actually.” That word sometimes served as an introduction to a humorous but valuable “good word.” One day just after breakfast, Brother Gregory came into the recreation room to announce to all that, “The day is shot.”
Once he went with another monk on an extended Greyhound Bus trip that took in the Benedictine houses on the East Coast where he saw the Atlantic Ocean, to St. Leo Abbey, Florida, where he saw the Gulf of Mexico, to visit with a former member in Memphis, Tenn. In these monasteries were monks he knew. He seemed thoroughly himself, as he was those eleven years at Camp St. Maur. Actually, he did pack a couple of lunches for the start of the trip! Always thoughtful – that was Brother Gregory.
Having made many rosaries for the missions, Brother Gregory had a deep devotion for the Blessed Mother. He struggled mightly as death approached, but when Midnight struck on August 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, the monk sitting with him leaned over to him and whispered, “You made it Brother Gregory, it is the Solemnity of the Assumption.” A peace came over him and a few minutes later his perseverance in the monastic life was fulfilled.