Two Brothers, One Calling

On May 27, 2017, Fr. Michael Brennan, O. Praem., was ordained to the priesthood. The Mass of Ordination was celebrated by Bishop David L. Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay in the St. Norbert Abbey Church.

Pictured: Frater Michael Brennan, O. Praem. (right), and Christopher Brennan, C.S.C., in 2013.

As seen in the Fall/Winter 2013 issue of Abbey Magazine (page 15)

By Katrina Marshall

Like most siblings, Frater Michael Brennan, O. Praem., and his younger brother Christopher Brennan, C.S.C., have their differences. “Chris is stronger but I can run a lot farther,” said Frater Michael, tennis player and basketball coach. “Despite being smarter [and] more handsome …” began football player Christopher, laughing, “I’m probably more of an introvert.” Regardless of their contrasting hobbies and personalities, these brothers have something very special in common.

On August 28, the Feast of St. Augustine, De Pere Norbertine Frater Michael professed Simple Vows at St. Norbert Abbey. Less than four weeks previous on August 3, Christopher, of the Congregation of Holy Cross, professed First Vows at his Novitiate in Cascade, Colorado. Despite their 12-year age difference, the Brennan brothers are both on track to become priests within the next few years.

“When Mrs. Pearson asked my third grade class at Queen of All Saints to draw a picture of what we wanted to be when we grew up, this is the picture I drew. My mom kept it all these years; 31 years later, I finally grew up.” —Fr. Michael Brennan, O. Praem. | as seen in Surprised By Joy
“When Mrs. Pearson asked my third grade class at Queen of All Saints to draw a picture of what we wanted to be when we grew up, this is the picture I drew. My mom kept it all these years; 31 years later, I finally grew up.” —Fr. Michael Brennan, O. Praem. | as seen in Surprised By Joy

The brothers have strong Indiana roots, born and raised in the Hoosier State. Reflecting on their religious lives growing up, both remember praying at meals, participating in the Stations of the Cross every Friday during Lent, and going to Church regularly. “I knew I was going to be a priest since I was seven years old,” said Frater Michael. Christopher knows that passion for becoming a religious got passed on. “It made for an environment in which a vocation for priesthood was a normal thing to consider. Mike’s discernment is a big part of my story,” he said. The men’s Uncle Ted (their mother’s brother) will also celebrate his 50th year of priesthood in May 2017. Frater Michael graduated from St. Norbert College, the only Norbertine college in the world, in May 1999. The following month, he began the Alliance for Catholic Education Program (ACE) at the University of Notre Dame. As part of his Masters of Education program, he taught and coached in Louisiana, Chicago, and Atlanta for several years.

He returned to De Pere as a novice at St. Norbert Abbey in August 2011 and spent his novitiate year at Holy Spirit House of Studies, the Norbertine house of formation, in Chicago. Frater Michael spent his Second Year Novitiate and Apostolic Year at Notre Dame de la Baie Academy in Green Bay, teaching math and theology to area high school students.

Christopher followed a slightly different path than his older brother. He entered the University of Notre Dame not only as a college student, but also as an undergraduate seminarian at Old College, the Congregation’s formation and discernment program. After a year-long postulancy at Notre Dame as a senior, Christopher graduated in 2012 and spent the next year at the Congregation’s Novitiate in Colorado.

Both Frater Michael and Christopher agree that, while being blessed with a vocation to priesthood and religious life is wonderful, starting to recognize a particular religious community as “home” is even more special.

As he takes his next step toward becoming a priest, Frater Michael will return to live at Holy Spirit House of Studies, where he will prepare for the priesthood at Catholic Theological Union, starting by earning his Masters of Divinity and a Masters of Theology with a concentration in ethics. Christopher will begin his Masters of Divinity at Notre Dame, living at Moreau Seminary.

Frater Michael said he feels passionately about serving others and learning from those who may have much to give but lack the necessities of food, clothing, and shelter. At the heart of his vocation is the Eucharist. “The Eucharist is why I’m Catholic, and why I’m drawn to the priesthood.

“I’m truly blessed to be in formation at this time,” said Frater Michael on the day he professed his Simple Vows. The journey toward priesthood is one he is sharing with not only his blood brother, but also his community brothers, the men in formation with him.

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Restless Hearts Returning to God: Lessons for Living in Lent—Palm Sunday 2018

St. Norbert Abbey presents “Restless Hearts Returning to God”—a series of Lenten video reflections by Fr. Tim Shillcox, O. Praem., Fr. Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem., and Fr. Michael Brennan, O. Praem.

Palm Sunday features a message by Fr. Tim Shillcox, O. Praem.

from St. Norbert Abbey on Vimeo

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Restless Hearts Returning to God: Lessons for Living in Lent—The Fifth Sunday of Lent 2018

St. Norbert Abbey presents “Restless Hearts Returning to God”—a series of Lenten video reflections by Fr. Tim Shillcox, O. Praem., Fr. Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem., and Fr. Michael Brennan, O. Praem.

The Fifth Sunday of Lent features a message by Fr. Tim Shillcox, O. Praem.

from St. Norbert Abbey on Vimeo

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What Do the Worldwide Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace and the Blockbuster Movie “Black Panther” Have in Common?

By Br. Steve Herro, O. Praem.

Fr. Norbert N’Zilamba, O. Praem.
Fr. Norbert N’Zilamba, O. Praem.

Last month, Fr. Norbert N’Zilamba, O. Praem.—a native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and community member of the Norbertine Priory of St. Moses the Black in Raymond, Mississippi, since 1996—was visiting St. Norbert Abbey in De Pere. At one point he shared how difficult it was to find balanced news about his homeland in the United States.

A few days later, Pope Francis encouraged all of us to devote one day to fasting and prayer for peace, with a particular emphasis on South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With his proclamation after the February 4 Angelus, Pope Francis put Fr. Norbert’s homeland in the international spotlight:

And now an announcement. Faced with the tragic prolonging of conflicts in various parts of the world, I invite all the faithful to join me in a Special Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace on 23 February, the Friday of the First week of Lent. We will offer it in particular for the populations of the Democratic Republic of Congo and of South Sudan. As on other similar occasions, I also invite our non-Catholic and non-Christian brothers and sisters to join in this initiative in the ways they believe best, but all together.

But it is not just the gravitas of Pope Francis that is providing a sudden surge in the consideration of the history and current conditions of African and African-American people. Black Panther, the first superhero movie featuring a black protagonist (with a black producer and nearly all-black cast), debuted the weekend of February 15. I was especially struck by a National Public Radio story on the film. The film smashed ticket sales for all movies introduced in any third weekend of February.

Sacrament of ReconciliationThe Norbertine Community of St. Norbert Abbey invites our local community to the public praying of the rosary for peace in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and elsewhere, at 3:45 p.m. in our Chapter Room on February 23, 2018.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has also composed a backgrounder and list of ways to participate in this worldwide Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace.

Furthermore, why not watch Black Panther in the coming weeks and debrief your experience with your family, co-workers, friends, fellow congregants, and Africans or African-Americans in your community? These efforts of prayer, fasting, and education can go a long way toward enlightening Americans as we consider issues of multiculturalism, race, and migration in our country today.

DISCLAIMER: This blog represents Br. Herro’s own opinions and experiences. It does not represent an official position or opinion of St. Norbert Abbey or of any other Norbertine.

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Restless Hearts Returning to God: Lessons for Living in Lent—The Fourth Sunday of Lent 2018

St. Norbert Abbey presents “Restless Hearts Returning to God”—a series of Lenten video reflections by Fr. Tim Shillcox, O. Praem., Fr. Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem., and Fr. Michael Brennan, O. Praem.

The Fourth Sunday of Lent features a message by Fr. Michael Brennan, O. Praem.

from St. Norbert Abbey on Vimeo

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A Lenten Prayer: “Food that Nourishes”

The following prayer by Br. Steve Herro, O. Praem., was published in the national Lenten resource 21st Century Poverty Study Guide (page 14) sponsored by NETWORK: Advocates for Justice, Inspired by Catholic Sisters (reprinted with permission).


Creator God,

TreesOn the third day, you produced “…every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it.” Since the beginning of time, you have gifted us with seeds, soil, water, and sunlight to help us produce food that continues to nourish our body, soul, and mind.

For these gifts, we thank you.

The feeding of the human race involves millions of people who grow, pack, transport, and prepare food that has nourished our body, soul, and mind. Our morning cereal, midday sandwich, and evening rice could not be possible without the effort of so many of our neighbors.

For these providers and their efforts, we thank you.

Your son celebrated many meals with those he loved, people often excluded by others in the community. Around such tables, he and we grew and continue to grow in relationship with family, friends, and strangers. Bless those hosts who make such relationship building around a common table possible.

For these opportunities, we thank you.

For growers and consumers who share their resources with food pantries; for men, women, and youth who volunteer at food banks; for policy advocates who lobby on food security with our lawmakers—may they be sustained in their ministries.

For these community servants, we thank you.

For every man, woman, and child, in the United States and abroad suffering from lack of food security, that their material needs may be met. For the grace to discover Christ in service to those suffering from lack of nutrition, we thank you.

We offer this prayer through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

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Restless Hearts Returning to God: Lessons for Living in Lent—The Third Sunday of Lent 2018

St. Norbert Abbey presents “Restless Hearts Returning to God”—a series of Lenten video reflections by Fr. Tim Shillcox, O. Praem., Fr. Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem., and Fr. Michael Brennan, O. Praem.

The Third Sunday of Lent features a message by Fr. Michael Brennan, O. Praem.

from St. Norbert Abbey on Vimeo

More opportunities to celebrate the season of Lent at St. Norbert Abbey »

Restless Hearts Returning to God: Lessons for Living in Lent—The Second Sunday of Lent 2018

St. Norbert Abbey presents “Restless Hearts Returning to God”—a series of Lenten video reflections by Fr. Tim Shillcox, O. Praem., Fr. Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem., and Fr. Michael Brennan, O. Praem.

The Second Sunday of Lent features a message by Fr. Tim Shillcox, O. Praem.

from St. Norbert Abbey on Vimeo

More opportunities to celebrate the season of Lent at St. Norbert Abbey »

The Sights and Sounds of Lent

Marian Shrine in the St. Norbert Abbey Church

Marian Shrine in the Church of St. Norbert Abbey

By Fr. Stephen Rossey, O. Praem.

The Meaning of “Lent”

Fr. Stephen Rossey, O. Praem.
Fr. Stephen Rossey, O. Praem.

Some authors say that the word “Lent” is derived from the word “lengthen.” Seasonally, this means that the days are getting longer, that they are lengthening. We are heading toward spring.

Environmentally, in the Church year, this is the time for spring house cleaning. Getting rid of all that is not necessary. Putting out of sight those things that might distract us from the task at hand.

Some authors refer to Lent as the “desert experience.” A desert is a barren, dry, quiet place. One only hears the whisper of the wind and the shifting of sand. The days are hot by day and cold at night. Most Lenten days are cloudless with a myriad of stars at night—a cosmic fast and feast. It’s a time of deprivation and promise—a reminder of death and the promise of new life.

Lent, like all the seasons of the year—and much like life itself—is a paradox. A balancing of opposites. That’s why I say it’s time for spring cleaning. It’s time to create an atmosphere that’s conducive to solitude, contemplation, and memories.

Fr. John Buscemi, an artist and liturgical space consultant, writes that Lent is built on images of ashes, thirst, emptiness, and promise. Memories can help us unlock this power. But memories require solitude—an aloneness beyond loneliness. And solitude is necessary for creativity, reflection, and understanding.

… A cosmic fast and feast. It’s a time of deprivation and promise—a reminder of death and the promise of new life.

—Fr. Stephen Rossey, O. Praem.

Ash Wednesday

I like to think of Ash Wednesday as a memento mori—a reminder of death. Our American culture does not like reminders of death and I think that is sad. Death is the counterpart of the paradox of life. We don’t have one without the other. “Unless the grain of wheat falls to ground and dies—it cannot live.”

Reminders of our mortality are good for us. They keep us thinking straight and value orientated. That is what Ash Wednesday is all about—last year’s palms, from the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on Passion Sunday becoming this year’s ashes—a reminder of the life/death cycle.

The imposition of ashes in the form of a big, bold cross on our foreheads is a reminder to all that “we are dust and to dust we shall return.” Medieval artists depicted this reality on their tomb engravings. They often pictured a skeleton speaking to the viewer: “What you are, I once was. What I am, you will become.” The acrid smell of burnt fronds reminds us of our own decomposition and of this reality.

The St. Norbert Abbey thurible offers a fragrant sacrifice of praise.
The St. Norbert Abbey thurible offers a fragrant sacrifice of praise.

Smell

The purpose of the use of incense during Lent is to carry prayer heavenwards, and in this sense it is a symbol of the priestly office. Incense, with its sweet-smelling perfume and high-ascending smoke, is typical of the good Christian’s prayer, which, enkindled in the heart by the fire of God’s love and exhaling the odor of Christ, rises up a pleasing offering in His sight (cf. Amalarius, De eccles. officiis in P.L., CV).

Fr. James Baraniak, O. Praem.
Fr. James Baraniak, O. Praem.

Color

Purple is the liturgical color of the Lenten season. The color purple is often a symbol for royalty, wealth, or status. In the Gospel of Mark (Mark 15:16), Roman soldiers clothed Jesus in purple before scourging him and crucifying him. In this sense, they were mocking his supposed royalty. Although they were clearly doing this as a mockery it’s also a bit ironic since Jesus was, in fact, royalty.

Sacrament of the Sick
Sacrament of the Sick

Sacrament of the Sick

The Sacrament of the Sick is frequently celebrated during the season of Lent, especially for oneself or for those who are dear to us. In the anointing ceremony myrrh is used in the blessed oil. Myrrh is the gum or viscid white liquid that flows from the acacia tree, found in Africa and Arabia. It was a custom of the Jews to give it to those who were condemned to death by crucifixion. Myrrh is commonly interpreted as symbolizing kingship, due to its use as an anointing oil, or death, due to its use as an embalming oil. Its perfume will quiet one’s anxiety and impart calmness.

Marian Shrine in the St. Norbert Abbey Church
Marian Shrine in the St. Norbert Abbey Church

Devotions

Fitting devotions during the season of Lent are:

  • devotion to Mary, as the Mother of the Crucified Christ, Our Lady of Sorrows
  • the rosary, especially with meditation on the sorrowful mysteries of Christ
  • the Stations of the Cross

Fasting, abstinence, and almsgiving are long-standing traditions, as well as the practice of the corporal and spiritual Works of Mercy, which Pope Francis so enthusiastically encourages.


More opportunities to celebrate the season of Lent at St. Norbert Abbey »

Restless Hearts Returning to God: Lessons for Living in Lent—The First Sunday of Lent 2018

St. Norbert Abbey presents “Restless Hearts Returning to God”—a series of Lenten video reflections by Fr. Tim Shillcox, O. Praem., Fr. Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem., and Fr. Michael Brennan, O. Praem.

The First Sunday of Lent features a message by Fr. Bradley Vanden Branden, O. Praem.

from St. Norbert Abbey on Vimeo

More opportunities to celebrate the season of Lent at St. Norbert Abbey »