www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News 2 MONKS SHOT AND KILLED

Dear Brother Elias,

May Our Holy Father, St. Benedict, his sister Foundress, St. Scholastica, and all the saints of the Benedictine Order greet our brothers as they join the choir praising face to Face.

May they intercede for the healing of the monks who have been injured.

May the families of the dead and injured as well as you and your monastic family find some solace from the horror of your experiences in the knowledge of the widespread prayers being offered on your behalf.

May the love of this cyber community support you as we lift you up to the Lord.

Even in this, "That in all things God be glorified!"

In St. Benedict,
Steve

Dear Brother Elias,

I was so shocked and to know that you were in the thick of it all!

Working with government as I do, we once had a fellow with an Uzzi submachine pistol come in and he pointed it right at me.

We have a button under our desks, but I found that he was so close and looking right at me, that the slightest movement on my part would have set him off.

As he looked at me, he said, "I could kill you, you know."

And I calmly looked back and said, "So why don't you?"

We stared at each other for a while, then he smiled cynically and walked out.

He was later arrested and blah blah blah.

We should also pray for that gunman's wife and how she must feel about it.

May God bless you and your community, bring your other two confreres back to health and heal you all in due time.

Alex

Brother Elias, how painful and distressing for you and all your community! please accept my poor prayers for you all, especially for the repose of the murdered monks.

Vicki

Dear All,

Thank You so much for your words of encouragement and support - they mean more than you can know.

As an update, we were finally allowed to reurn to the monastery last night. It is all surreal. Certain sections of the cloister are still off limits, since they are considered a crime scene. It's strange walking down a hallway or staircase and to suddenly encounter the police tape declaring: DO NOT PASS. Then one stands in disbelief and tries to figure out how to go about a daily routine under such circumstances. For our morning prayers the abbot instructed us to pray them privately in our monastic cells since the church is off limits. A special cleanup crew arrivied early this morning to begin recovery of our sacred and living spaces. I didn't even realize all the many differnet personnel that are required in an effort like this.

I took a walk around our campus. It seemed particularily bleak and lifeless. Even the weather was conspiring to set a sombre tone - with dark overcast skies and muggy atomosphere. Sometimes it's like you're trapped, can't breathe even when outdoors. All the cells and rooms of the monastery were thoroughly searched for bombs other intruders, etc. So when we got back inside everything was disturbed and overturned, thus adding to a general feeling of violation and chaos.

As far as the perpetrator, there is still no rationale as to WHY he did this. Seems like there was much misinformation concerning him. I'm sorry if I inadvertently related some things that have turned out to not be the case. For starters, the gunman was not married as reported. He lived alone. He attended the Methodist church. I share this because several in the media are trying to make this incident some sort of "sexual abuse pay-back vendetta." However, this seems doubtful. I guess it's open season on impunging the reputation of all priests and religious men nowadays. I noticed on CNN that they changed the "crawl" text at the bottom of their screen to ID us as a seminary - rather than a monastery. Just makes the story that much more sensational. (Yes we do run a seminary - but all the seminarians were gone for summer vaction) All of our retreatants were evacuated so right now the monks are taking their meals in the guest dinig hall, since the monastic refrectory is in the sealed off area. I didn't sleep well last night, maybe 1-1 1/2 hours. One just can't fathom the depth of this tragedy.

For those who asked of funeral arrangements, this is still pending. Probably near the end of the week. I'll post more definite notice later. The monks in hospital are doing better, but still have a lot of injuries to deal with. At least the prognosis is that they will live. Thank God for that.

Again thank you for your thoughtful prayers and kind words. It helps me to write these things. If anyone thinks this morose or improper - please tell me and I'll stop.

PAX

Br. Elias

[ 06-11-2002: Message edited by: Benedictine ]

[ 06-11-2002: Message edited by: Benedictine ]

[ 06-11-2002: Message edited by: Benedictine ]

Dear Brother Elias,

You are so very close to all our hearts and we wish we could be with you and your confreres there at your Monastery at this terrible time to comfort you and pray with you.

Yes, it is open season on Catholic priests, isn't it?

How insensitive on the part of the sensationalist media - but then we've come to expect that, haven't we?

Was this horrific act that man's way of striking out at God?

Finally, does Conception Abbey have an Oblate program and do you accept long-distance Byzantines?

Alex

Br. Elias,

Please be assured of our prayers and condolences for all those affected by this tragedy. Please also that all of your posts have been most appropriate.

Thank you for sharing your experiences and allowing us the privilege of praying for you, your community and all those involved.

Administrator

Dear Br. Elias:

Thankfully, the major networks here in Chicago were fast to correct the "misrepresentation" made by CNN.

On-site reporters even ended their broadcast distinguishing a seminary from a monastery and panned the area to show the relative location of each.

The media in Chicago know the "clout" of the Catholic Church here, which was tested during the unjustified "trial by media" of our beloved Archbishop, the late Cardinal Bernardin.

We are not the second largest Archdiocese in the U.S. for nothing.

Please accept our prayers for the fast recovery of the Abbey and we join your monastic community in praying for the eternal repose of your slain brothers and for the forgiveness of the misguided outsider's soul.

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam!

Dearest Brother Elias:

I wholeheartedly add my pledge of prayers and support to those of all the good Christian people at this forum.

Your community, its leaders and brethren will share in a remembrance in my daily prayers and liturgies. May those who have given their lives find blessed repose in the Lord and may their memory be eternal. May those who are suffering and all those who continue on in their vocations find peace, healing and comfort through our faith in God and the kindness of others.

Yes, it is surely a most difficult time for all faithful clergy and religious, as we strive to carry out our ministries and spiritual life with diligence and the self-giving dedication that defines who we are as servants of God and his people.

I pray that the Lord increase your strength and inspiration to continue the good work that God has done through you all. I also pray that the Lord increase your numbers at the Abbey, bringing devoted vocations to your community and to the priestly and religious life throughout the church.

Your Brother in Christ,

Fr. Joe

[ 06-11-2002: Message edited by: Joe ]

Dear Bro. Elias:

I too, as well as others who read this post are saddened and shocked by the news of the murder of your brothers. We will be praying for you, the community and the brothers as well as their murderer. Remember, "The blood of the martyrs is the sed of the Church".

Br. Elias,

I'm headed to Steubenville this evening, and if I am able to wangle it, you and yours will be remembered "officially" in the Divine Liturgy at the Priests Deacons & Seminarians conference tomorrow. If I can't wangle it, the remembrance will simply be "unofficial" but nonetheless heartfelt.

Is there anything else that this cyber-community can do for your community?

We are here for you.

Sharon

Sharon Mech, SFO
Cantor & sinner
sharon@cmhc.com

I will lite a candle for you Brother Elias, your monastery, the 2 monks who died in Christ, the other brothers hurt, and for the killer this Sunday. We all on this forum should lite candles.
ukrainiancatholic

Brother Elias --

May God take all at the monastary into His bosom and may His peace and love fill you with comfort at this time of bereavement.

I will add the souls of our departed brothers to my prayers.

In sorrow,

Brother Ed

Dear Brother Elias,

My deepest sympathy at the loss of your confreres, and at the sadness at the Monastery.

May the Lord God grant to his departed servants the priestmonk Peter and monk Damian blessed repose, where there is no pain sorrow or mourning, but only light everlasting. May their memory be eternal!

May the Lord God grant to Father Prior, and Father Norbert, healing, health and happiness for many blessed years.

May the Lord God comfort you all, in this sad time.

Elias

Dear Brother Elias,

Our prayers continue to be with you and your Brothers. I know it is hard to face the loss of friends and disruption of life, but it good to bear witness to the truth. The Gospel contains wonderful inspiration, but it also descibes some horrible thing, most notably the Crucifixion. So long as it helps you and your community for you to write of these events, please continue.

I have had to face suicide and murder of persons close to me, and I have found that talking it out or writing it out helps relieve the worry and the bitterness. Other people who were affected by these deaths who held in their feelings seemed to suffer longer than those who shared. If it helps, write!


May the Lord and all His Saints and Angels gather where you are to comfort your community.

John
Pilgrim and Odd Duck

Dear Brother Elias,
Christ is Risen!
Please accept my prayers and condolences. May the Lord grant them Eternal Memory!

Fr Serafim