Br. Roch McClellan, O.S.B.

WHAT LED YOU TO BECOME A MONK AT SUBIACO?

I was born and raised in a small town just east of Kansas City, Missouri, in a non-denominational household with my mother, father, and one older sister. I attended SMSU in Springfield for four years, left without graduating, and returned to KC. I worked a variety of jobs: truck driver, private investigator, security officer for a local college, and finally settled in as a Commercial Bank analyst for almost twenty years.  

In 1996, my father died unexpectedly, and I ended up attending a grief support group run by the Sisters of St. Francis in Independence, MO. This was my first experience with Catholicism and, as a result, I became a Hospice volunteer.  

In the early 2000s, settled in both my life and career, I began to feel what I can only describe as a definite pulling toward God. The problem was that I didn’t know where to start. I began exploring all different religions and denominations, attending different church services, visiting with people, and reading their literature. I kept returning to the Catholic faith and finally decided that it was home for me. I attended RCIA classes, got baptized, and entered into the Catholic Church in 2007. I became a Eucharistic Minister, taking Communion to nursing homes and the home-bound. I eventually started noticing that people were asking me when I was going to become a priest or brother. It wasn’t something I was considering but, after discerning with my parish priest, I applied to the Diocese of KC/St. Joseph and was accepted. Still vacillating between Diocesan life and Religious Orders, I got online and the first Abbey that came up was Subiaco Abbey. There was a ‘Come and See’ vocation retreat scheduled for the following month so I called and reserved a spot. As soon as I entered the parking lot, I felt, I knew, this was where God was calling me. 

Why am I a Benedictine monk? I don’t know. Certainly, I appreciate the stability and discipline of a structured prayer life. One of the main charisms of the Benedictine life is hospitality, and I am blessed to have some small role in meeting and interacting with visitors, offering them a taste of the Benedictine way of life and occasional Spiritual Direction. What is God’s ultimate plan in uprooting me from my old life and leading me to seek Him in the Benedictine life of Subiaco Abbey? I don’t know. What I do know is that I am following His Will, and I am exactly where He wants me. Although I am still a work in progress, I find great peace in living in accord with God. And maybe, just maybe, that is the beginning of understanding His reason.  
 

TELL US MORE ABOUT YOURSELF!


Favorite Book of the Bible?
The Letter of James

Favorite verse/verses in the Bible? 
James 1:19--
Everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath....

Favorite Day of the Liturgical Year?
Good Friday-- I appreciate the austere gravitas and deep silence before the Gloria of Easter.

Prefer to read a book or watch a movie?
Both, but I will select 'movie' because even a really bad film can entertain, but a really bad book just lies flat. 

Right-handed or left-handed?
Right

What time do you wake up in the morning?
4:30 AM

Favorite saint or saints?
Philip Neri-- for his lessons in humor and humility

Favorite place you have travelled?
Mt. Hood, Oregon

What are some of your hobbies?
Reading, especially Victorian fiction and Hard Sci-Fi; Watching movies of all genres, pre-1990's

What is the name of a book you have recently read or a movie you have recently watched?
Book: The Leopard by Giuseppe Di Lampedusa; Movie: The Whales of August (1987)

If you could meet any person dead or alive, who would it be?
A one-on-one conversation with Anthony Trollope. Dinner party with Charlie Chaplin, Harlan Ellison, Louis Feinberg (Larry of the 3 Stooges), and Samuel Fuller.

Favorite Sport's Team
Out of hometown pride, I will say the Kansas City Chiefs.

Who is the monk that inspired you the most—and why?
Fr. Bruno Fuhrmann-- Quiet, witty, self-effacing, self-giving, a bit mischievous-- an exemplary figure of monasticism.

What type of music do you usually listen to?
70's Rock

What are your three favorite foods?
Biscuits with Gravy; Gravy, with Biscuits; My Sister's Homemade Pizza

What are your three favorite drinks?
Coffee, Mountain Dew, Red Bull (Monastic asceticism saves me from myself)

If you could have just one dessert for your last meal, what would it be?
Coconut Cream Pie

Why did you choose the name you were given in Religious Life?
Dreams of my childhood dogs led me to search for the patron saint of dogs. When I read St. Roch's life story, I realized that he had chosen me. 

What were the other names you requested to receive at profession?
Benedict and Philip Neri

Who had the most influence on you growing up?
My parents for teaching by example.