The weekend of May 31 saw strong winds across Saskatchewan. This is one of the trees the wind toppled near the arena at the Abbey.

Sister Miriam Spenrath joined the Benedict community for supper on Sunday, May 31. She has lived in Muenster for the last 49 years. She arrived in 1971 to start the Saint Peter’s alternate high school where she served as principal until 1996. She will be moving to Trinity Manor in Saskatoon.

Vietnamese guest Joseph Do presented her with a paper flower and a unique farewell card.

Brother Kurt looks over the crop of tomatoes ready for planting in the greenhouse. He guarantees the community a good crop of tomatoes for this summer.

Brother Kurt takes care of tomatoes that he started in March and will be transplanted to the greenhouse soon. The Abbey looks forward to a good crop of tomatoes this summer

Christian communities were invited to offer special prayers on Sunday, April 26 to pray for those murdered during the Holocaust in the second world war. The Abbey used these prayers as prayers of the faithful during the Sunday Eucharist.

Easter flowers and the Easter banner announce the celebration of Easter in the Abbey church.

A snowstorm on April 8 created new snow banks too deep to drive through. Father Demetrius tried to shovel out this car but it needed a pull to get out of the snowbank on April 9.

The fifth Sunday of Lent is the tradition when Development and Peace proclaims its social justice message. This year the symbols remind us of the Amazon region and the challenges the people there are facing. The symbols used on March 29 at the Abbey include a burnt branch, a feather, a pot of soil with some stones and a plant.

Abbey guest Joseph checks the weather and makes a report twice a day. This continues a tradition of almost 120 years at Saint Peter’s Abbey.

As the March 28 temperature indicates, spring is on the way and that makes everyone happy.

The season of Lent started on Ash Wednesday, February 26. The flowers around the altar in church were replace with a cactus. The cactus reminds us of the desert with John the Baptist preaching repentance and where Jesus fasted and prayed for 40 days.

Abbot Peter is attending the meeting of the Assembly of Western Catholic Bishops in Victoria starting Feb. 18. He serves as the secretary for the bishops from Western and Northern Canada.

During his pilgrimage to St. Joseph’s Oratory the week of Feb. 3, Fr. Paul visited the tomb of St. André Bessette, a miracle worker during his lifetime. Fr. Paul was accompanied by Jackie Saretsky, diocesan hospital chaplain. They are shown in the crypt church, offering lots of petitions for people who requested prayers.

Brother Anthony and Abbot Peter attended the Jan. 26 Vietnamese New Year’s celebration in Saskatoon. A Mass was followed by a festive supper and New Year’s celebrations.

This picturesque photo of the abbey grounds was taken during the Christmas holidays with the use of a drone.

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Monks and Abbey staff gathered on Jan. 14 to celebrate the 85th birthday of Fr. Daniel.

Abbot Peter joins the bishops of Western Canada in the dining room of the monks of Westminster abbey in Mission BC. Abbot Peter joined the bishops for their retreat at the Abbey the week of Jan. 6. The retreat was preached by Archbishop Paul Andre Durocher.

Vincent and Lydia, our new bookkeeper, and their family welcomed the Monks and Abbey staff to a housewarming in the newly renovated press building.

This area used to be the front desk and editors area for the Prairie Messenger and St. Peter’s press.

In the week before Christmas special “O” antiphons are used at Vespers. Each day celebrates a particular title of Jesus. Brother Basil shows Theo some symbols made by Sister Rita of the Ursulines of Bruno which were donated to the Abbey a few years ago

The Monks held their annual Christmas get together with the staff of the Abbey on the afternoon of Dec. 19.

A heavy fog on the day and evening of Dec. 6 created a picturesque scene on the Abbey grounds on Dec. 7.

An Advent wreath was set up Dec. 1 to celebrate the Advent season in the dining room. The candle is lit at each meal. Here Br. Kurt does the honours.

The Abbey garden produced good pumpkins this year. David, a kitchen cook, prepares them for making pumpkin pies. The monks are looking forward to pumpkin pie this year.

November is the month of the dead and on Nov. 8 the monks had special prayers for the deceased members of the community who have their pictures displayed in the church.

Benedict Oblate Craig Larson made a donation of Haskap berries during his visit to the Abbey on Oct. 26. Receiving the berries gratefully are Abbot Peter, Br. Basil, and Fr. Demetrius. The berries will be made into jams and jellies which have become very popular.

Fr. Cosmas Epifano, right, agreed to become chaplain for Our Lady of Grace Monastery in Nova Scotia for a group of Augustinian contemplative nuns. He will live in a hermitage on their grounds. He left St. Peter’s Abbey Oct. 16 and is shown with Br. Basil.

Lydia Mai and her husband, Vincent, and two children join Abbot Peter and Joseph for their first supper at St. Peter’s Oct. 7. Lydia will be working in the Abbey business office

Vietnamese guest Joseph poses amid the first snowfall of the season on Oct. 1.

Abbot Peter Attended the ATRI meeting in Calgary Sept. 27-30. It’s an annual meeting for religious superiors and treasurers. There were 180 at the meeting room from across Canada.

Abbot Peter attended the annual meeting of the Canadian bishops in Cornwall Sept. 23 – 27. He is secretary of the Western bishops.

Father Joe turned 95 on Sept. 20. He’s the oldest monk of Saint Peter’s Abbey. He had a double celebration, first at dinner with a group of friends at Prairie View Home in Bruno and at supper with the monks at Saint Peters Abbey.

Donna Remenda, manager of St. Peter’s Abbey kitchen, serves cake at a social in honour of her 10th anniversary as kitchen manager.
Some Benedictines and friends gathered, September 15, for the special occasion.

Br. Luis helps Fr. Joe get his food ready to eat at dinner in the abbey dining room.

Mushrooms appeared plentiful on the Abbey lawn on Sept. 12 after the rain this week.

Br. Luis Cruz, left, Br. Benedict Van Ginkel and Br. Denys Janiga, OSB visited the former train station in Rosthern where the first settlers arrived in 1903 to St. Peter’s Colony.
The first settlers arrived in 1903 by rail to Rosthern and traveled by foot or horse to their new homesteads some 100 kilometres away.
The train station is now an arts centre.

Brs. Luis Cruz, OSB and Benedict Van Ginkel, right, visited Batoche National Historic Site on August 16.
Behind them is St. Antoine de Padoue Church.
Fr. Paul Paproski, OSB, taking the photo, accompanied them.

Abbot Peter joined the Saskatchewan KC delegation at the KC supreme convention in Minneapolis August 5-8.

Abbot Peter visited the 25-acre Solar Field at Saint John’s Abbey on Aug. 5 during his visit to the Abbey the first week of August.

Scenes from Mount Carmel Sunday on July 21.

Bishop Mark Hagemoen joined the Benedictines for lunch after Mass, July 21, on Mount Carmel Sunday.
Bishop Mark was the celebrant for Mass.
St. Peter’s Abbey Oblate Annette Zawada gives some baking to Abbot Peter Novecosky, OSB and Bishop Mark.

Joseph started picking the annual Saskatoon berry crop the afternoon of July 18. The berries look good and abundant this year.

Fr. Paul washes the berries and packages them for use in the winter.

David Nguyen, in the blue shirt, and his family arrived July 18 and will be living at Saint Peter’s Abbey. David was a chef in Hanoi, Vietnam. He is the brother of Father Thuy, in white shirt, of the archdiocese or Regina.

Abbot Peter Novecosky, OSB, and Bishop Mark Hagemoen of the Diocese of Saskatoon visit with Fr. Demetrius Wasylyniuk, OSB.
They were among the participants of the annual Knights of Columbus Clergy Sports Day.
Fr. Demetrius, guest master of St. Peter’s Abbey, helped facilitate the event.

Bishop Mark Hagemoen kicks the ball past Br. Denys Janiga, OSB at the Annual Knights of Columbus Clergy Sports Day.
The event was held July 15 and 16 at St. Peter’s Abbey.
Soccer was one of the popular activities.

Abbot Peter Novecosky, OSB was the celebrant, July 13, at Oblate Day Mass.
Richard Leuschen, left, Kathy Tumback of Humboldt and Margaret Meckelborg of Muenster became Oblates.

Br. Denys Janiga, OSB gave a presentation, July 13, to the Oblates on St. Anselm.

St. Peter’s is a favourite location for writers to come and write their books. More than 30 writers were here at the beginning of July. They find the peace and quiet conducive to their location.

Abbot Peter and Fr. Paul were among the abbots and delegates from 19 Abbeys attending the 53rd general chapter of the American Cassinese Congregation at St. Anselm’s Abbey in Manchester, New Hampshire. It was held June 15 to 21.

Fr. Paul and Abbot Peter attended the general chapter of the American Cassinese congregation June 15 to 21. Abbots and delegates from 19 abbeys were present at St. Anselm‘s Abbey in Manchester, New Hampshire.

The Abbey and area received a beautiful gentle rain on June 15 that amounted to 3 inches. This will make the farmers and gardeners very happy. This was the first rainfall of this summer.

Fr. Cosmas (standing), Brs. Luis and Denys (right front) and two visitors to the abbey cut rhubarb.

*Abbot Peter attended the convocation at the University of Saskatchewan June 6. Sister Agatha of Nigeria graduated with her doctorate in nursing. She is a friend of the Abbey.

Abbot Peter and Father Lawrence attended the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the Prelate Ursulines in Saskatchewan. The celebration took place June 1 at the Holy Family Cathedral in Saskatoon

Abbot Peter Novecosky, OSB stands with Abbot Primate Gregory Polan, OSB.
The abbot primate conducted the 2019 monastic retreat, May 26-30, at St. Peter’s Abbey.

The Benedictines of St. Peter’s Abbey celebrate Vespers, May 28, in the abbey cemetery.
The office is held in the cemetery, each year, on one day of the annual abbey retreat.
Abbot Primate Gregory Polan, OSB is the retreat master for 2019.

St. Peter’s Abbey hosted a coffee social, May 23, for Kathy Tumback who is retiring as business office manager. Staff and friends of St. Peter’s Abbey and College attended.
Kathy has been employed in the abbey business office for 13 years.
Fr. Demetrius Wasylyniuk, OSB helps Kathy serve cake.

Here is Br. Kurt planting strawberries in the Abbey Greenhouse. The cuttings were provided by Br. Benedict’s sister.

Here is the state of our tomatoes. The first crop should be ready about Canada Day.

When Abbot Peter celebrated Sunday mass at Biggar and Landis May 12, he visited the site of the major Prairie grass and bush fire there at the end of April.