Father Matthew was born in St. Clair County, Ill., July 2. He made his classical studies at St. Benedict’s but before ordination finished his studies at St. Vincent College, Latrobe, Pa. He was ordained in 1880 and was made Director of St. Benedict’s College in 1882. Because of ill health he gave up the college job and took up parish ministry.

Father Matthew’s first position was at Sacred Heart, Atchison, where he built the present church. He spent 20 years at St. Benedict’s Bendena, Kan., and also built the church there. He took ill while at St. Mary’s, Purcell, taking leave of parish work because of heart trouble. He later became chaplain for the Carmelite Sisters in Rock Island, Ill. Some accounts say Bettendorff, Iowa. Father Benedict (Aloysius) Bradley who later transferred from St. Benedict’s Abbey to St. Mary’s Abbey, Newark, N.J., was Matthew’s brother.

Brother Joe had a heavy German accent and a deep voice. He might be heard saying something like, “I have a trunk in the truck.” That would sound like, “I have a drunk in the druk.” He loved to fish with his friend Shep whose wife Helen cleaned the Administration Building, now St. Benedict Hall. When he was at work, Joe wore coveralls and wore a chauffeur’s cap.

After his ordination he was on the missionary circuit of the early Benedictine missionaries that touched such places as Everest, Marak, Good Intent where John built the first church, Bendena, Larkinburg, and Holton. Father John later moved to Lenox, Iowa. The last 12 years of his life he attended the missions at Troy and Fanning while living at the Abbey. He was forced by ill health to retire in January 1919.

Father Joseph was an instructor in music and religion at St. Benedict’s College, Director of the College School of Music and registrar of the college 1934-1941. From 1941-1977 Father Joseph served in many pastorates and Chaplaincies. He maintained that in three years as an assignment he gave all he had to offer. Contrary to that theory, however, he was Administrator at St. Philip’s, Osawatomie, Kan., for 13 years. He built the new church, was on call for the State Hospital, and served the Ursuline Sisters at Paola. Father Joseph was a kind and generous priest who was loved by the people he served.

Brother Luke Zaeune died at Mercy Hospital, Council Bluffs, Iowa, May 15, 1907. He was 85 years old and was a brother at the Abbey for 51 years. According to The Abbey Student, “Alumni from the earliest days up to the 1880s will recall the genial and kind-hearted chef, who even at that time was called ‘good old Brother Luke.”

Francis Henry Aaron was born April 27, 1863, in St. Nicholas, Pa. The family later moved to Kickapoo, Kan., north of Leavenworth. He entered St. Benedict’s High School in 1877 at age 14 and completed his high school plus two years of College. He became a novice at St. Vincent Archabbey, took the name Leo and made simple vows July 11, 1883. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1889 and began a long career of teaching the sciences and Latin at St. Benedict’s High School and College. He was creative and full of surprises. He built an X-ray machine and a fluoroscope and offered movies to the entertainment-starved students,

Another of the vocations from Sts. Peter and Paul, Seneca, Kan., though he was born in St. Benedict. Father Fridolin entered St Benedict’s College and did his novitiate at St. Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe, Pa., pronouncing vows there July 2, 1919. His brother, Aloysius Kropp entered the community later. Father Fridolin did his studies at Atchison and was ordained to the priesthood June 6, 1925.

He joined the Maur Hill faculty and remained there until June 14, 1930, when he became assistant pastor at St. Benedict’s, Kansas City, Kan. He was later sent to St. John’s Burlington, Iowa, where he was stationed with Fathers Leander Scheier and Valerian Berger. Taken with pneumonia, Father Fridolin died at the hospital in Burlington. His pleasant personality and many capabilities were greatly missed.

Brother Vincent’s life touched so many in many and varied ways. He was a friend of College students and confidant of many. He loved to play the banjo in jam sessions with his confreres, to plan and enter the Annual Milk Carton Regatta, competing for the miniature Gold Loving Cup. He hiked, camped out, went tobogganing, skied and river rafted. He delighted in people and brought them to life. Vincent shattered the image of the lay brother largely confined to the monastic routine and monastery grounds. He was ever a community man and held the trust and respect of his monastic superiors.

Father Cosmas' favorite water was from a spring north of the abbey and along the river road. He loved to play Shauskopf and Pitch with his buddies at the Abbey and in town. Once he told one of the monks that at times he felt that he did some of his “best work” in those circumstances. He was an evangelist in his own and unique way. Alas, he was a practical joker. When the monks went to his parish for a Christmas outing or on Emmaus Day, out came the firecrackers!

Father Eugene worked hard and zealously but took ill, lived at Lenox, Iowa, for a while but was recalled to Atchison to be vice-president of St. Benedict’s College. The work was not compatible with his nature and so he returned to missionary work. He served in Iowa again but was advised to enter a hospital in Pennsylvania where his sister was the Superior.

Kevin taught history and government at Lillis High School, Kansas City, Mo., from 1975-77 and later, as a monk, taught at Maur Hill Prep School. He came to Atchison on vocation visits, entered the abbey and made first profession January 7, 1979. Frater Justin studied one year at the Washington Theological Union, Washington, D.C., 1979-80. He completed his theological studies at St. John’s Abbey School of Theology, Collegeville, Minn., and was awarded a Masters of Divinity degree from there in l984. He was ordained to the priesthood June 9, 1984, by a family friend, Bishop Hart of Cheyenne, Wyo. Since 1984 Father Justin had been teaching history at Benedictine College.

Father Justin did weekend supply work from 1985 to early 1988 at St. Cyril and Methodius Slovak Parish in Kansas City, Kan. He brought life to that parish and rather forced the Bishop to reconsider his plans to close it.

Father Anselm studied music in New York, N.Y., at The Julliard School of Music, The Pius X School of Liturgical Music and at Columbia University where he earned a masters; he also studied in Europe at the Abbey of Solesmes under Dom Desroquetts.

Not especially happy with the state of liturgical music in the Catholic Church after Vatican II he launched out with the encouragement of his abbots on two careers. He was director of the choir of Trinity Episcopal Church in Atchison for 26 years. Simultaneously he joined the staff at Maur Hill School where he was kitchen manager, and director of nutrition and food service. He was also the chaplain for the Mexican Guadalupanas de Christo Rey from Mexico, who served at the high school.

Almost up to the end he kept his sharp mental powers and zest for life. He was an enthusiastic member of Missouri Rockhounds in St. Joseph, Mo. He had a friend there for whom he wrote a poem, “Hail to thee, Sol Rodzitsky,” in the meter of Longfellow’s “Hiawatha.” Father Felix is reputed to have taken his first aspirin after he was 80 years of age. He was a firm believer in Father Kneippe’s Water Cures that were popular in the 1920s. He once had a foot infection and made a “soup,” probably a poultice, out of hay, soaked some rags and then wrapped the rags around the infected foot.

He once rode a motorcycle all the way from there to Atchison. He was a daring man who once walked, as a cleric, across the frozen Missouri River. Abbot Martin frowned on such behavior and ended it. He later retuned to work in rural Kansas parishes at St. Mary’s, Purcell; St. Vincent, Severance; and St. Benedict’s, Bendena. In 1950 he began a long association with St. James, Wetmore, spent a year at Kelly and then returned to Wetmore for approximately 37 years. Father Alfred retired from there and died at the Abbey.

Father Alfred loved all things outdoors, the crops, hunting birds and small game, fishing and later smoking the catfish, buffalo, or carp. His smoker was an old refrigerator and the temperature controls a wedge in the door. Father Alfred brought baggies of the smoked fish to the abbey frequently, especially for retreats. He once recovered from a terrible car accident and weeks of rehabilitation only to return to the people of Wetmore. Father Alfred was a loyal Chaplain to the Knights of Columbus wherever he was pastor.

He had planned on some leisure time at St. Mary’s Parish at Wildcat, for fishing on Lake Nemaha and smoking with his dear friend, Father Leander Scheier. He spent some time at Cray Manor, at the Atchison Hospital, time at St, Margaret’s, in Kansas City, Kan., enjoyed a renewal of energy in 1970, came to the refectory and the church for Mass. During his retirement he was honored with a one-man show of his delightful water colors. He, Father Peter Beckman, and Dennis McCarthy frequently painted together.

Father Victor authored many book reviews for the Historical Review and wrote articles for the New Catholic Encyclopedia. His chosen field was medieval history and was a fierce defender of the Church’s role in it contrary to professors at Harvard and Yale whom he considered inimical. To him Pope Gregory VII was a hero and a confessor for Henry IV in the Investiture Conflict. He, in Victor’s opinion, brought sacramental forgiveness to Canossa. His aim not being to make Henry grovel.

Father Francis was a zealous monk, knew his faith and preached it without hesitation. He threw away all his sermons after giving them and most were handwritten. He was a spiritual director, advisor and friend to many.

Francis was teacher, Vice President and Chaplain at Mount St. Scholastica College, Chaplain to the Benedictine Sisters in Glendora, Calif., and the Sisters of Charity, Leaven-worth. He also had been novice master at the Abbey from 1959-62. He assisted at several churches in Kansas City, Mo. He was longest stint was at St. Francis Regis 1975-82. From 1984-97 he was assistant at Sts. Peter and Paul, Seneca, Kan. He retired to the abbey in 1998 and died at a hospital in Overland Park, Kan.

His first venture into parochial work was at Sts. Peter and Paul, Seneca where he was also coach of all sports. The parishioners there still have his coach’s whistle on display in they trophy case in the gymnasium. He was assistant at St. John’s, Burlington and later pastor at St. Ann’s Effingham, St. Mary’s at Valley Falls and later at Wathena.

Father Mike, as he was known, was a boon companion and loved being with his fellow priests. He was good-natured, optimistic and loved his community.

Brother Adam was born in Boettingen, Diocese of Trier, Germany, August 16, 1836. He made his profession as a lay brother at St. Benedict’s Abbey December 8, 1873. With the exception of a few years as sacristan at St. John’s Church, Burlington, Iowa, Brother Adam’s religious life was spent at the Abbey. A gentle and cheerful disposition, humility and readiness to do favors made brother Adam an ideal confrere. He always had a smile and a pleasant word of greeting. A diligent use of his spare time made him one of the best-read members of the community. Brother Adam was remembered as one of the most characteristic and lovable figures of old St. Benedict’s.

His working monastic life was spent on the abbey farms. For 13 years he was a truck driver and beginning in 1947 began raising crops and tending cattle. His last job was that of a carpenter’s helper. He was devoted to the monastic horarium and was always eager to serve as many Masses as possible!

To say that Brother Leo was a colorful character is an understatement. A favorite expression was, “Judas, that’s embarrassing.” This expression, no doubt, was used when in an attempt to dynamite a stump he caused the stump to fly high and come down on a set of power lines thus knocking out the electricity on the whole college campus. Brother Leo drove a favorite, well-worn Jeep from the abbey to the farm. He loved a party and never missed Haustus.