Father Duane Roy has accepted election by the chapter members of St. Joseph’s Priory, Mineiros, Goias, Brazil, to serve as their Prior for two years, beginning February 1, 2010. He will conclude his work as Vicar General in the Diocese of Cristalandia, Tocantins, Brazil, at that time. He will guide the community of five other priests, three other solemnly professed monks, one in simple vows, three novices, and one postulant.

Address to Monastic Community

At our meeting this morning, with all our members present, I extend to you three novices my congratulations on your decision to pronounce vows in this community today. We accept you to journey with us. Welcome. We are pleased with your presence in our community. Let´s continue to journey together.

We have offered you almost two years of monastic formation. We tried to give you the best formation possible within our limitations. I believe we gave you a taste of Benedictine life. Apparently, you liked it, and want more.

I want to take the opportunity now that we are all together to share about who we are, and about how I see our mystic-prophetic posture.

We are men in a Benedictine Priory of international character, and at the same time, well rooted in Midwest Brazil, specifically, in the State of Goiás. We are the only Benedictine monastery in this region. We were born during the dynamics of Vatican II; we grew up with the theological and pastoral challenges and joys of those times. They continue to mark our life-style and ministry. We were received in the Diocese of Jataí by Bishop Benedict Cóscia, OFM, a young bishop, foreigner like our founders, a Council Father, Franciscan, missionary.  He supported us as we supported his vision and efforts to build Church on the budding Brazilian frontier.

We are a dependent Priory, distant from our Abbot. We have his blessing and confidence. We are dependent on the Abbey, and the Abbey always treats us with respect, as if we were independent.

We are distant from other monasteries, not however, aloft of their qualities and significance in the history of Brazil. We are participating members of the Brazilian Inter-Monastic Conference since its beginning. We have been beneficiaries of the hospitality and friendship of other Brazilian monasteries.

Our history is parallel to that of the Benedictine Sisters, also established in Mineiros, since the early 1960s. We are graced to have journeyed together with them, with respect, collaboration and fraternity.

We have buried some of our monks – Father Otho, Bishop Matthias, Fr. Henry, Fr. Eric, Brother Robert, Father José Machado, and our founding abbots – Cuthbert, Thomas and Brendan, all of very happy memory. We are eternally grateful for them, and count on their intercession.  

We continue to be few members of St. Joseph Priory. We are not saints. Because of this, we need the monastic life, and one another. We are sojourners.

I´m professed 49.5 years; Fr. Joaquim, 34.8; Fr. Josias 29.9; Fr. Rodrigo, almost 13 and Fr. Vinícius borders on 7 years. With Brothers Diego and Haroldo, that gives a total of 125 years among us gathered here today, of monastic life and witness in St. Joseph Priory.

We know the Cross, and joy of the Resurrection. Before one another and the people we serve, before our bishops, we are responsible men, zealous, creative. We are honest, without fear or laziness. We are committed. People, who know us by association or having heard about us, always manifest confidence and count on us.

We are humble, perhaps too much so that we don´t propagate all the great things we do. We seek God, and respond with faith and conversion, as well as abnegation, discipleship, mission and communion. As presbyters in many communities, and rooted in liturgical theology where we celebrate live and faith in the Sacraments, we encounter the Lord of Life. Life given for life. We encounter what we seek; we live the mystery that is God. We bend ourselves before and over Sacred Scripture to nourish ourselves and to be able to nourish our people.

We respect the dignity of the lay vocation to evangelize family, culture, science, arts, politics, church pastoral programs and friendships. We treat with priority communal prayer of the Divine Office and personal prayer.

The Lord Jesus is constant and faithful friend and master, not only One whom we seek, but One we encounter. From this and other friendships, we maintain attitudes, sentiments and beliefs that mark our lifestyle.

We are not strong on formalities. We practice solidarity, present to one another.

We are not pious, but believers and dedicated, ecumenical, promoters of peace and justice.

We are conscious of our history, the reality we live in, and of our frailty. Signs of the times have great significance for us. We know where we want to go as Benedictine monks.

We are creative in our pastoral zeal, respectful in our friendships, obedient and disposed. We have time for one another.

We are few; and we leave a marked presence in the dioceses where we serve.

We have economic stability, and we value frugality. We humbly recognize with immense gratitude all we have received from the generosity of benefactors who love us and believe in us. We never want to abuse this gratuity. 

We have plans to intensify vocational promotion. This is work of everyone - making contacts, giving witness, and personal prayer and sacrifice. I invite all to dedicate time, creativity and effort to this.  May the Lord of the Harvest bless our Priory and us all.

Duane Roy, OSB, Prior

Goiânia-GO, December 17, 2010

Article written for KANSAS MONKS – Winter 2010

By Duane Roy

Boniface Wimmer and Henry Lemke met for the first time, in Munich, May 1845[1], They both were decided to travel to United States as missionaries accompanying the waves of German families migrating in search of land and opportunity. These two former diocesan priests became historical figures in the expansion of Benedictines in North America and in Kansas. As Benedictines, they contributed significantly to 19^th century American Catholicism.

After a hundred and fifteen years of Kansas Benedictine missionary activity in mid-USA, Abbot Cuthbert McDonald, third Abbot of St. Benedict´s Abbey, Atchison, KS, and Prior Emilio Jordan, founding Prior of  Hungarian Benedictine Saint Gerald Priory, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, met for the first time in early 1960. They became determined to make a Benedictine foundation in Brazil to accompany this largest concentration of Catholics in the world.  Father Matthias Schmidt was the founding prior of St. Joseph Priory in Mineiros, in 1962, the first Benedictine monastery in the immense Brazilian Central West.  The monks administered parishes in three counties, taught in public schools, and an array of other church ministries and social works.

Kansas Benedictines in Brazil, with their local bishop and other missionaries, implanting Vatican II directives, made significant contributions to church life and human promotion. Living the monastic life in their modest priory situated on the outskirts of progressive town ten to twelve hours removed from the State capitol, initially without phone, TV and asphalt highways, they blended prayer, fraternity and ministry, true to their Benedictine missionary heritage, and in partnership with the Benedictine Sisters, also rooted in this local community.

Gaining the confidence of families, young men requested to join them. Formation of new members offered new challenges. They were distant from major seminaries. They established ties with other Benedictines in Brazil,  becoming actively involved with the budding Conference of Monastic Men and Women in Brazil, with quadrennial Latin American Encounters, and with the newly organized Conference of Religious of Brazil, with regional subdivisions. Prior Matthias Schmidt was one of the co-founders in the Central-West Regional. The subsequent prior, Father Ralph Koehler, was active in organizing the newly founded Conference of Monastic Men and Women. In the local diocese, he was long-time member of the diocesan priests´ council, instrumental in elaborating the first statues of this council.  Father Herbert Hermes headed the diocesan liturgical committee, and assumed the coordination of youth ministry, while serving as pastor of a dynamic parish. As known, this budding leadership soon left the small monastic group.  Fathers Matthias and Herbert were called to the episcopacy in 1972 and 1990 respectively; and Fr. Ralph elected 6^th Abbot of St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison, KS. Other monks also dedicated years to service to specific Brazilian dioceses, Fr. Kieran, ten years with Bishop Matthias in Ruy Barbosa, Bahia, and Fr. Duane, seven years with Bishop Herbert in the Prelacy of Cristalândia, Tocantins.

These missionary monks offered formation and encouragement to candidates desiring to become monks also. In 1987, the monks opened a House of Formation in Goiania where candidates and young monks could pursue academic studies. This House of Formation became St. Benedict´s Monastery, inaugurated in January 2003, in Goiânia. Young Brazilian monks soon assumed leadership roles, working with the remaining American monks in education and parish apostolate. Josias Dias da Costa earned a Masters in Philosophy of Education and Father Joaquim Carlos Carvalho became a Clinical Psychologist.  The monks expanded into spiritual direction, retreats, conferences, human rights promotion and classroom ministries while blending fraternal monastic observance with parish ministry.

Benedictine spirituality is earthy. There are no ecstasies, visions, stigmas, apparitions or shrines. It is a daily program of prayer and work, mingled with a love for learning in the context of community life governed by good leadership and the help of many brothers. And, of course, dedicated service to build Church where they are planted, in communion with their bishop, lay leaders, fellow priests and other men and women religious. 

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[1] Oetgen, Jerome. An American Abbot, Washington DC, Cath. Univ of Amer. Pr., 1997, p. 41.