DEATH OF FR. HUGH: Abbot Leonard informed our Subiaco community that our monastic brother, Fr. Hugh Assenmacher, OSB, has died. He had been making a valiant recovery after a serious fall had left bleeding on the brain. Yesterday (Monday) the hospital informed us that Fr. Hugh had contracted pneumonia and was administered oxygen and medication in the hope of overcoming this complication. Unfortunately, at 3:45 am on Tuesday Fr. Hugh died and the monastic bells chimed for him at our home of Subiaco. Funeral arrangements: The monastic community will meet the body at 5:00 pm on Thursday. A Vigil Service will be held at 7:00 pm the same evening in the Abbey Church. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 am Friday morning in the Abbey Church with burial in our Abbey cemetery. Through our prayers for our brother, our monastic community now entrusts Fr. Hugh to the merciful judgement of our God to whom Fr. Hugh made his solemnly vowed commitment to seek Him and prefer nothing to Christ. Please join us in our prayers for the repose of the soul of our monastic brother. In the words of our Holy Father St. Benedict in his Prologue, "What, dear brothers, is more delightful than this voice of the Lord calling to us? See how the Lord in His love shows us the way of life. Clothed then with faith and the performance of good works, let us set out on this way, with the Gospel for our guide, that we may deserve to see Him who has called us to His kingdom (1 Thess 2:12)." Rest in peace, our dear brother, with our monastic brothers of old about whom you have written often. May choirs of angels welcome you and lead you to the bosom of Abraham; and where Lazarus is poor no longer may you find eternal rest. CLICK ON THE TITLE ABOVE for the full obituary.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, July 14th at 10:30 am, when Bishop Anthony Taylor will ordain Br. Cassian and Br. Reginald to the priesthood. The ordination will be held at the Abbey Church of Subiaco. There will be a reception afterwards open to all. Subiaco has been blessed with eight men in monastic formation. If you feel like you might be called to our way of life, then stop by the abbey for a visit!

Congratulations goes out to Subiaco Abbey's newest graduate, Br. Cassian Elkins Osb. After many years of training for priestly ordination at St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology, Br. Cassian has completed his studies and was granted a Master of Divinity. Br. Cassian will join his Subiaco confrere, Br. Reginald Udouj, for ordination to the priesthood on July 14th at 10:30 am in the Abbey Church at Subiaco. Ad multos annos...and we are immensely proud of our brother!!!!

The Arkansas Catholic provided a nice article on the upcoming retirement of Br. Adrian as the Academy Tennis Coach after 40 years. The article states, "...Brother Adrian brought home the conference team title 32 times. His athletes won the conference doubles title 32 times, the conference singles title 21 times and he coached 10 doubles teams and five singles players to state championships over that span. His four Arkansas Coach of the Year awards and 2005 national Coach of the Year honors merely underscored what his athletes — and his competition, for that matter — already knew." Click on the title and read the full article.