Fr. Mark Stengel, O.S.B.

What Led You to Become a Monk at Subiaco?

My roots go back to the German colony of Rhineland, Texas, where my parents Ed and Christine (Brown) were married in 1934. By the time I came along as the third child in 1944, the family had moved to the far west Texas town of Pep, lured by the prospects of cheap land and profitable farming. Several years of drought drove the family from the land to a factory job in Racine, Wisconsin. Labor unrest ended that job, and Dad signed on as a sharecropper at a farm in Illinois. By 1948, another migration brought the family to Arkansas and to a parish (St. Anthony in Ratcliff) staffed by Benedictines from Subiaco Abbey. Here the family grew to nine children, five boys and four girls. All the living siblings still live within 30 miles of Subiaco. 

My family was regular in Catholic life and practice. We had a nightly family rosary, and there was full involvement in all parish activities. Two of my Dad’s sisters were Benedictine Sisters, and visits with these wonderful women were always treasured times. The monk pastors and Benedictine Sisters in the parochial school modelled a disciplined and happy religious life. So, it was natural that I came to Subiaco Academy for high school, as part of the Scholasticate Department, geared toward those who were considering a religious vocation. 

I just “stayed with the program,” and the one decisive incident that I recall was my father’s affirmation as I wrestled with the looming date of reporting to the Abbey as a Candidate, at the age of 21. He said something like “We all will be happy and proud of you if you go to the Abbey, but if you don’t, I will still be very proud of you.” What liberating and loving words! 

I easily fell into the monastic routine. There was no culture shock since I was already well-formed in religious practice, in regularity of life, and in community living. My innate talents were put to use, and latent gifts were brought forth, such as classroom duties, seminary studies, administrative roles in the Academy and Abbey. I was able to do missionary work in Belize for some years, and now am pastor of the local parish of St. Benedict. Always I appreciated the structured, stable, and balanced life of prayer, work, and holy leisure. The call to holiness, to an ongoing “conversatio morum,” remains an attractive element of monastic living. 

I like the instructions given to the Abbot in Chapter 64 of the Rule of St. Benedict. He is told to “arrange things so that the strong have something to strive for and the weak have nothing to run from.” 

We are all sometimes strong and strive with good zeal for the heights. We are all weak at times and can expect that the brethren will be patient with our weakness, praying, encouraging, and modelling a renewed zeal, so that we “all together, may come to everlasting life” (RB 72). 
 

Tell Us More About Yourself!

Favorite Book of the Bible?
Romans-- St. Paul is so practical and so optimistic
Favorite verse/verses in the Bible? 
Romans 8:28--
God makes all things work together for the good of those who love God.
Do you play a musical instrument? If so, which instrument?
I jokingly say that I play the radio. I played clarinet in high school band, but never picked it up again afterwards.
Favorite Day of the Liturgical Year?
All Saints Day-- I love the connection with those holy ones who have gone before us and now connected to us. 
Prefer to read a book or watch a movie?
Watch a movie, if I can find a good one. If not, then a book is better, with the same caveat.
Starting after high school graduation, what are the schools/colleges/universities that you have attended?
St. Bernard College (Cullman, AL); St. Louis University; St. Meinrad School of Theology; Southern Methodist University; Instituto de Estudios de America Latina in Cuernavaca, Mexico; Escuela de Francisco Marroquin in Antigua, Guatemala; School for Spiritual Direction (Pecos, NM)
Right-handed or left-handed?
Right-handed
Favorite sport to watch?
Baseball-- its slow deliberate pace is very relaxing
Favorite sport’s team?
St. Louis Cardinals
What time do you wake up in the morning?
4:45 AM
Favorite saint or saints?
St. Benedict (of course), St. Oscar Romero, St. Joseph, Mary
Favorite place you have travelled?
Belize and Rome
What are some of your hobbies?
Fishing, Groundskeeping, Gardening, Trail Construction and Maintenance
What is the name of a book you have recently read or a movie you have recently watched?
Book:  The Joy of Love by Pope Francis; Movie: Mister Rogers
If you could meet any person dead or alive, who would it be?
Lewis and Clark (meet them and accompany them)
Do you prefer beer or wine?
Beer on a hot afternoon; wine with a meal
Who is the monk that inspired you the most—and why?
Fr. Hugh Assenmacher-- his steady perseverance and complete reliability
What type of music do you usually listen to?
Classical, easy listening ballads, soft rock
What are your three favorite foods?
Prime Rib, put-it-together-yourself tacos, German Chocolate Ice Cream
What are your three favorite drinks?
Ice Tea, Abbey Amber, Post red muscadine wine
If you could have just one dessert for your last meal, what would it be?
Hot apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a wedge of cheddar cheese
Why did you choose the name you were given in Religious Life?
I wanted something that could not be shortened to a nickname
What were the other names you requested to receive at profession?
Cyril and Gregory
Who had the most influence on you growing up?
My parents: Ed and Christine
 

Fr. Mark's Pastoral Ministry

Fr. Mark has been assigned by the Abbot to pastoral ministry in service to the Diocese of Little Rock. Bishop Anthony Taylor has assigned Fr. Mark as the Pastor of the Parish of St. Benedict in Subiaco, AR. Click below to learn more about his parish:
 

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