Lent Reading Book Available at Abbey Gift Shop

  

"Benedict's Way" is the Lent reading for the
Oblate program and is $10.95 at the Abbey Gift Shop

The book for the Oblate program's Lenten reading, Benedict's Way, is at the St. Leo Abbey Gift Shop.  Several copies were sold Sunday, February 20, 2011.

  

Fr. Homan, coauthor of Benedict's Way on left, shown here with the late Fr. Livius Paoli. 


It's a Small World.  Father Daniel Homan is the book's coauthor.  He is Prior of St. Benedict Monastery in Oxford, Michigan, USA.
  
St. Benedict Monastery is part of the Sylvestrine Congregation of Benedictine monks.  St. Leo Abbey is part of the American-Cassinese Congregation of Benedictine Monasteries.

In 1213, St. Sylvester Guzzolini (also Gozzolini), founded the Order of St. Benedict of Montefano which is now called the Sylvestrine Congregation of the Order of St. Benedict (O.S.B.).  St. Sylvester Guzzolini's feast day is traditionally November 26. The Sylvestrines wore a Turkish-blue habit and this appears to have been carried on until at least the early part of the 20th century. Now, along with most other Benedictines, the Sylvestrine Congregation wears a black habit. 

St. Sylvester was a reformer and innovator.  Along with a desire to reform monastic life back to what it was when St. Benedict was abbot of Abbey of Monte Cassino, Italy, St. Sylvester Guzzolini also introduced the practice of central governance for his several monasteries and he had his monks engaged outside the monastery in services to the public, preaching, and pastoral ministry. 

Fr. Homan's work as coauthor of Benedict's Way carries out St. Sylvester Guzzolini's desires that his monks be engaged in public ministry work outside the monastery. 

Wayne Kofink:

Wayne e-mailed that "St. Benedict Monastery in Oxford, Michigan is about one-half a mile down the road from the only Lutheran Benedictine community in the US, St. Augustine House. The founder of St. Augustine House, Fr. Arthur Kreinheder, lived near St. Leo's for several years in the late 1970s."  Wayne provided the link to St. Augustine House for more information. Thank you Wayne Kofink.