Fr. Stan - Abbatial Blessing

January 9th, 2007

At the end of the Eucharistic celebration which included the Abbatial Blessing, Dom Stan said to the congregation which included friends and benefactors of the monastery as well we staff members, neighbors, and business associates, “I am here for you. Mepkin is here for you.”

At the beginning of the Blessing rite, in order to make clear to all present that the Abbatial ministry is precisely a ministry of service and not a position of power, Fr Stan washed the feet of eight people, representing the different folks that the Abbey serves.  His first responsibility is to the community itself, so he chose to wash the feet of the brother who is oldest in age (Fr Christian at 92) and the youngest in entrance (Br Luis, who entered on December 23, 2006).  He then washed the feet of Monterio Watson as representative of employees (and also young folks we help in securing higher education), then Mrs Julie Yaeger, representative of our more than 80 volunteers.  Mr Thomas Lockhart was next, representing our benefactors and Deanna Rask, representing all those with whom we do business.  Mr Truman Fallaw represented those who belong to different ecclesial communions from the Roman Catholic communion and Ms Jane Trinkley was the eighth, representing all those who come to Mepkin and spend time in our retreat facilities.

This theme of transition is common to all of us, he said, as he drew out the image by relating it to married life and family life, one’s educational progression and the advances in one’s career. What this allowed was to point to the distinct reality of the monastic community in transition as it looks to Christ who poured out his life for us and invites us into the new life of his resurrection. The spiritual transitioning we aspire to may take more from us than we at first realize, and so a community gathers in prayer for a new abbot to ask the Holy Spirit to provide wisdom and strength to one who would stand in the place of Jesus, the shepherd, for his flock. And pray together all did on this occasion, members of the monastic community, whom we say are inserted into the broader church and world to fulfill a particular work of praying always for their sisters and brothers, drawing upon their gathered friends and neighbors to pray with them for Abbot Stan.

Father David Bock a monk of New Melleray Abbey in Iowa was the homilist. In his homily, Father David developed the theme of transitions, commenting on the change of secular year, liturgical year, change in political offices, the transition within the monastic community with the death of Abbot Francis and the moving forward with the election of Abbot Stan.

Fr. Stanislaus Gumula, OCSO, was elected the abbot of Mepkin Abbey on Oct. 29 by the Abbey’s Conventual Chapter , the monks who have made solemn profession to the monastic life and to the monastery.

The Abbatial Blessing confers on the Abbot-Elect the insignia of his office, namely, the Pectoral Cross, the Ring, and the Shepherd’s Staff. This Rite allows the Church to acknowledge and bless the election, so that the new Abbot can take his place within the Diocesan Assembly. While the day-to-day life of monks goes on seemingly unnoticed, the Abbatial Blessing is a way for the Church to honor the part Mepkin Abbey’s monastic community plays by its life of prayer in service to the broader church and the wider society.

Born on Aug. 5, 1941, Stanley Amil Gumula was raised in Philadelphia , PA. , where he attended Catholic schools. In 1959 he entered Mepkin Abbey and in 1961 he made his simple profession, professing his solemn vows at the Easter Vigil 1980. From 1962 to 1965 he did his studies in philosophy, theology and spirituality at Gethsemani Abbey. He has been the monastery’s cellarer since 1984. Responding to a call from the brothers at Mepkin , Br. Stan was ordained to the ministerial priesthood on June 24, 2003.

Abbot Stan succeeds Fr. Francis Kline who died on Aug. 27 after a long illness. Fr. Christian Carr served as Abbot from 1974 to 1989, and at the age of 92 he still is active in the community. Fr. Anthony Chassagne, the monastery’s first abbot from 1949 to 1974, is buried on the monastery grounds next to Fr. Francis.

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