Father Jude, in his quiet way, was a witness to the transformative power of Christ in the Benedictine way of life. Always faithful to prayer, lectio divina, and community life, he had an interest in the new and the old. He was curious about the world around him, and the people he met. He was always supportive of monks’ projects, and expressed an interest in how things were going.

Jimmy Rank rode to Atchison with his father on a load of wheat from near Severance, Kan., to enroll at St. Benedict’s in 1876. Born in Doniphan, Kan., he and his family were later members of St. Benedict’s Parish, Bendena.

A monk of the-every-day, Father Camillus had his set patterns, and schedules, and ways of doing things. There were times during the day one knew exactly where to find him, be it his typical route for his daily jog or walk, listening to a Sunday afternoon Kansas City Royals game on a bench north of the monastery, or his meticulous cleaning of the monastic refectory. Charged with cleaning and organizing the monastic refectory upon his return to the Abbey in 2004, Father Camillus had distinct arrangements assigning certain-sized drinking classes to certain tables, and the handles on the coffee cups were to be in the three-o’clock position.

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.”

Carpenter, plasterer, painter, manager of Raven Roost, campus postmaster, and residence hall counselor, library aid, and confrere hunter; this was Brother Paul. Perhaps he is best known as the brother who managed the Raven Roost and he was present there to serve, listen and advise hundreds of students in his lifetime. He was soft spoken and had a winning smile.

Father Patrick was born in Ireland at Ballyferriter, Dingle, County Kerry, as was his nephew, Daniel, who later joined St. Benedict’s Abbey. Father Patrick served the parishes under the care of the community much of the time in Creston, Iowa. Part of that pastoral service included a stint as the Chaplain to the 37th U.S. Division during World War I in France.

One monk recalls that Father Patrick used to remind him to stand up straight and hold his head high.

Brother Louis’ farming experience was utilized in the community as he tended the abbey sheep, was in charge of the hay production for the cattle, and managed the dairy on the College (South) Farm. He later worked in maintenance both at Maur Hill and the college Science (Westerman) Hall. From 1971 until his death he drove a delivery truck that served the needs of the College and the community.

Brother Louis was a quiet, prayerful Lay Brother, generous, kind, and dependable. Louis had the speech habit of speaking at times like this: “I went to town today, I did.” “He hit a home-run, he did.”

“Tally Ho!” “I don’t know?” “Captus est!” These expressions often escaped the lips of Father Florian. The latter saying he used when he had the good fortune to trump a bridge opponent’s attempt to finesse. Bridge was on the menu twice daily for his novices. When a novice came to him for an interview he might ask if said novice wanted the key to “the Iron Curtain.” That being the place in the attic where the luggage brought to the novitiate was kept if the novice decided to depart!

Point-blank fact: Brother Lawrence Bradford knew everything, and he was quick to let you know. Born in Atlanta, Kan., in 1939, he graduated from Palco High School, then attended the University of Kansas. During his studies in Lawrence, Kan., he converted to the Catholic Church, and upon completing his degree came to St. Benedict’s College to study in the School of Theology. He entered the novitiate at the Abbey in 1962, but did not persevere. He would come back one year later to enter the novitiate, but again left before professing vows.

To quote the death notice, “Father Pius was a beloved and gifted classroom teacher of mathematics. A member of many professional societies, he taught 44 consecutive academic years at St. Benedict’s, forgoing sabbatical leaves. He also taught many summer sessions at Mount St. Scholastica College, Atchison. While a professor, Father Pius served as a weekend assistant in many parishes and lived at St. Charles, Troy, Kan., 1924-26. He served as a chaplain at St. Mary’s Hospital, Manhattan, Kan., where he was disabled by a stroke in 1963. In retirement at the abbey he, even in his wheelchair, brought his joy to the community.

Father Peter was a man of many interests that included ham radio, watercolor, and photography. His watercolors are on the walls of the Abbey Guesthouse. He often partnered with his fellow historian, Father Victor Gellhaus, in making local trips with Dennis Mc Carthy to water color local rural scenes.

He will be remembered by his confreres as the author of the centennial history of our community, Kansas Monks. It is real history, candidly done that brings to life many of the earlier and the later monks, many genuine characters, who made St. Benedict’s Abbey. He paints a particularly good picture of Abbot Innocent Wolf, of the early pioneer monastic circuit riders, the financial problems and the attempt to change St. Benedict’s College from a glorified high school to a modern college. This book has been read aloud in the monastic refectory at least three times, the latest being during the Abbey’s Sesquicentennial. He wrote his doctoral dissertation on The Catholic Church on the Kansas Frontier.

Abbot Cuthbert was the third abbot of our community and served the community well from 1943 to 1962. He was born in Dublin, Ireland, and came to Kansas City, Mo., at the age of 12. He and his brother, John, and sister, Mary were raised by an aunt until Francis (later Cuthbert) came to St. Benedict’s for his further education. Father Francis McDonald is supposed to have convinced him to come. He completed his high school, college and theological studies here and was ordained June 27, 1921. He professed vows as a Benedictine July 2, 1915.

He was born in Dublin, Ireland, November 19, 1903, came to the United States as a valet for an American bishop, entered St. Benedict’s Abbey and made vows January 14, 1956. Brother Kevin took care of the needs of Abbot Cuthbert, was porter of the Abbey for many years and provided altar breads for the Abbey and the Benedictine sisters across town. Brother Kevin was a true son of the “auld sod” and thoroughly detested Winston Churchill who, as Home Secretary, founded the so called “Black and Tans,” a troop of discharged World War I English soldiers who terrorized the rebellious, independent Irish in the period after the war until 1921.

Amid all this Abbot Thomas suffered and yet was unfailingly kind to all who felt the need to go elsewhere. He shepherded two renewal committees and many subcommittees through examination of every aspect of the daily monastic life. His was not an easy abbacy! He found it hard dope out what exactly some in the community wanted.

Father Herman Mengwasser ranks among the most outstanding of men ever to have entered St. Benedict’s Abbey. He was a talented character among a variety of characters; a Latin scholar of national renown and as a country pastor, the one who built one of the most beautiful and architecturally praised churches in the State of Kansas – St. Mary’s Church, St. Benedict, Kan. – one of the 24 finalists of the Eight Wonders of Kansas, chosen in 2008.

He early on saw that there was a need for evangelization to Hispanics and subscribed to a pastoral/worship aid called “Buen Pastor.” He passed that on to one of the clerics who had taken Spanish at Maur Hill and who found that experience helpful later on as one of the founders of the Mineiros Priory, Brazil, in 1962.

Sebastian delighted in pointing out the relationship between the appearance of the yellow dandelion leaves and the Spanish for “Lion’s teeth” – “dentes leon.” He would then chuckle!