Saint Leo Abbey

ON DECEMBER 3 2018, THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT, ST LEO ABBEY WELCOMES TWO NEW POSTULANTS: BR FELIX AND FR MICHAEL.

LETTER OF INTRODUCTION FROM FR MICHAEL

Greetings friends of St. Leo Abbey,

My name is Father Michael Owen, and I am a new postulant here at St. Leo.  I was born and raised in the western suburbs of Chicago, the seventh of ten children.  Our Catholic faith was always at the forefront throughout my childhood; daily Mass and rosary with the family, stories from the Bible and Catechism trivia games!  One day, in first or second grade, our parish priest came into our classroom to talk about vocations.  When he asked if anyone ever thought about being a priest, I was the only one who raised my hand!  That thought and desire, while sometimes hiding in the background or being blatantly ignored, never went away… what a blessing to be able to have my dream job!

For high school, I had the great privilege of attending Marmion Military Academy in Aurora, Illinois.  Along with a quality education and a solid formation in discipline, my time at Marmion also exposed me for the first time to the lifestyle and spirituality of the Benedictines.  The monks at Marmion were my teachers, counselors, and friends.  They showed me the agony and the ecstasy of a life given completely to Jesus Christ.

My love for college football and my desire for warmer weather led to me enrolling for undergraduate studies at the University of Miami in Coral Gables.  My first few weeks at the U were rough.  I was pre-med, which meant all my classmates were competing with me for a spot in medical school!  I was homesick and lonely.  And of course, that’s when September 11^th happened, which brought on a whole new existential crisis: why am I here?  What is the meaning of life?  Is this all there is, or is there something more?

It was during that tumultuous time that I found the local Catholic parish.  I began going back to Mass daily as I did throughout my childhood, and found myself once again in the loving embrace of our good and gracious God.  One day, while sitting in adoration, I made a pledge to the Lord; “If this is what you want from me, then I will be a priest for you.  I give myself to you.”  Upon graduation from Miami, I enrolled in Seminary at St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois.  After completing my studies there, I was ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago on May 23, 2009. 

There have been so many wonderful moments over these past 9+ years of priesthood.  Baptisms, funerals, marriage preparation, teaching the kids in the school, RCIA and adult faith formation; preaching, governing, and sanctifying.  Throughout these years, however, that itch of the Benedictine spirituality has been building up at the back of my mind, and I feel that I finally need to scratch it, once and for all!  When I told my dad that I was thinking about joining a religious community, he only had a single response; “Make sure you go some place warm so I have somewhere to go when it snows.”  Later that day, I asked Google to show me all the Benedictine monasteries in Florida.  Wouldn’t you believe it; St. Leo is the only one!

Dear friends, I ask you for your continued prayers as I make this transition from diocesan to monastic life.  Already, I feel the strings of pride and selfishness trying to pull me back into the world!  I miss my freedom, my fast food, my days off.  For all that I have ‘lost,’ however, I realize all the more how much God has bestowed upon me.  This is where God wants me to be for now, and if it be His will that I remain here the rest of my days, then God’s will be done!

Please know that you are in my prayers.  If you have any specific intentions, please email me at Fathermichaelowen@gmail.com, and I will be sure to add them to my prayer list.

The peace of Christ be with you all.

Fr. Michael OSB – 2B!

October 25 2018

ACCEPTANCE OF BROTHER FELIX INTO THE ABBEY AS A CANDIDATE

The Abbey is happy to announce that Br. Felix was accepted on August 21, 2018 as a candidate to monastic life here at St. Leo Abbey. He will live in the abbey where he will participate in the monastic rhythm of prayer, work, and study — living as one with the community.

A Candidate. First step to become a monk. In this first step a young man may not know anything about true religious life. That is why he does not make a permanent commitment until the fifth and final step, years from now. 

Br. Felix had been conversing about his interest in religious life with Brother Apollo, the Abbey’s Vocation Director for some time. Then after several visits to the abbey as a guest, Br. Felix liked what he saw.  He felt ready. Br. Felix decided and Abbot Isaac agreed that Br. Felix was ready to move into the abbey as a candidate, which he did in August 2018.

The vocation process at St. Leo Abbey is designed for a young man to simply explore the reality, beyond many misconceptions about monastic life, without any final decisions at this point. 

The abbey perhaps even more than the candidate wants all candidates to be sure when the time comes. The vocation process is slow and supportive, personal and positive. Up to the final vows far in the future, the young man is free to leave as a friend of the abbey and with its blessing.

A Postulant. Second step to become a monk.  All men enter the abbey as a candidate for a period of several months which leads to his postulancy. The postulancy is a time of discernment while living in the community. It allows time to learn if his attraction is something he wants to continue.  A postulant will wear the monastic tunic. It is about a six-month period. At the beginning of the Advent Season this year Br. Felix will become a postulant if he desires to proceed a step further in his monastic vocation and the abbot agrees. But he still has not made a final commitment. This is a long journey of faith. A man does not become a monk overnight or without having lived as one for several years in the fellowship of the abbey’s brotherhood. Going through all the steps to become a monk and a life-long member of a monastery takes a minimum of five years and may be ten years or more. At some point the young man comes to see that the rigor and disciplines of monastic life are ways to greater freedom in Christ, not less.

The Novitiate. Third step to become a monk.  After the postulant and the abbot agree that the postulant is ready for the next step, the postulant enters the novitiate, a time of learning more deeply of monastic life. He is given the monastic scapular to wear over the tunic and is given a new name, often the name of one of the desert fathers.

The Junior Monk. Fourth step to become a monk.  After a yearlong time of growth and discernment the novice may become a junior monk by the profession of simple vows. During this time he realizes another basic truth: monastic life is not so much what one gives up, but about the riches of God’s grace and love that are gained. 

As a junior monk he receives the full monastic habit. These simple vows are for one year. He repeats these simple vows each year for a total of three years.  The junior monk is free to leave at the end of each of the three year periods if he discerns with the help of the formation director that monastic life is not his calling. At the end of three years of simple vows the junior monk is still free to leave if he so desires.

The Solemnly Professed Monk. Fifth step to become a monk.   After three years as a junior monk, the young man, now fully understanding the liberty of the monastic disciplines may enter into solemn vows if he is accepted by the community. At this point the monk is no longer free to leave the monastery and in fact no longer wants to leave.  Throughout the 1,500-year history of the Benedictines, the path to become a monk is not the path of the weak or timid. Nothing is equal to the spiritual courage, the full armor from the Lord, and strength he receives from our loving God.