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Belmont Abo«^
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CH. P xl HILL r.C 27^1
VOLUME IV, ISSUE 3
BELMONT, NORTH CAROLINA 28012
FEBRUARY, 1976
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The Right Rev. Jude Cleary, O.S.B.
Abbatial Blessing Bestowed
On Fifth Abbot
W
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Abbot Jude Cleary, O.S.B., kneels before Archbishop
Thomas Donnellan for the prayer rite during the
ceremony of Abbattai Blessing.
Abbot Jude G. Cleary,
O.S.B., fifth Abbot of
Belmont Abbe^ Nullius,
received the Abbatial
Blessing in the Abbey
Cathedral on Friday,
December 19. The
Liturgical rite of blessing
was conferred by the
Most Reverend Thomas
A. Donnellan, Archbishop
of Atlanta, in the
presence of the Apostolic
Delegate in the United
States, the • Most
Reverend Jean Jadot.
The ceremony was at
tended by Abbot Martin
Burne, President of the
American-Cessinese
Federation of the Qrd^
of St. Benedict, who
delivered the homily.
The service began with
a reading of the papal
mandate by The Very
Belmont Abbey Is Partner In
Ecumenical Institute
In the Spring of 1974,
Belmont Abbey College
became a full partner in
an Ecumenical Institute
with Wake Forest
University. According to
the director. Dr. Claude
U. Broach, the
Ecumenical Institute is a
venture in human un
derstanding between
Baptists and Catholics. It
is the great new fact of
our times; an effort on
the part of Christian
people to come together
and cooperate to know
Christ and practice their
faith. This goal is
achieved through a series
of major programs. They
include a Religious
Scholar’s Dialogue,
Pastoral Seminars,
Laymen’s Dialogue With
Religion, Youth Con
ferences on Religious
Values, Research
Seminars, Inter-Faith
Dialogues, a Seminar
Abroad
Ecumenical
0 n e-D a y
Program,
and Public Relations.
Dr. Broach sees the
success of the Institute
dependent upon the
distinction of two words.
These words are union
and unity. Any attempt
at religious union will
result in futile strife.
Union implies con
solidation of faith under
one name - it will not
work. Dr. Broach
comments that the whole
concept of God’s majesty
is too resplendent for any
one church to claim
“ours is the only way.”
Diversity is a beautiful
thing.
Unity may one day be
achieved through the
example of organizations
such as the Institute.
Since there are no
blueprints for the future,
unity can be developed
only through learning to
love one another through
a common purpose.
Common values must be
reorganized and
evangelism as a form of
awkward aggression
must be ended. Thus the
ultimate goal of the
Ecumenical Institute is
the termination of petty,
denominational
degradation of belief.
There is a call for mutual
respect.
This semester, there
will be an exchange of
teachers between
Belmont Abbey and
Wake Forest. This ex
change is made possible
through the Institute. Dr.
William Angel, an out
standing Baptist Scholar,
will teach a seminar on
“Contemporary
Protestant Thought” on
Thursday afternoons
from 3:00 - 5; 00 beginning
in February. Fr. Jerome
Dollard, O.S.B., will go to
Wake Forest and teach a
seminar in “Con
temporary Catholic
Thought.”
(Continued on P. 7)
Reverend Peter
Stragand, O.S.B. Seated
before Archbishop
Donnellan, Abbot Jude
responded to a series of
questions about his
responsibility to the
monastic community and
to the Church. Following
the litany and prayer rite
by the Archbishop, he
was crowned with a miter
and received a ring, the
seal of fidelity, and a
golden staff, the symbol
of office as shepherd.
The Most Reverend
Jean Jadot, representing
Pope Paul, read in part:
“Today, the Holy Father
wishes to acknowledge
the service, past "and
present, of the
Benedictine Monks to the
Church and all the people
of the South...He realizes
how well Belmont Abbey,
adapting itself to the
post-conciliar age under
the leadership of Abbot
Walter Coggin and Abbot
Edmund McCaffrey, has
continued its Benedictine
apostolate of prayer and
service in response to the
signs of the times.”
Abbot Jude officiated
as Principal Celebrant of
the Mass. Escorted by
the Rev. James Solari
and the Rev. Sebastian
Doris, he moved through
the Church and blessed
the assembled guests.
The Mass concluded with
his pontificial blessing
from the Cathedra.
The church was filled
with more than 300 in
vited guests. Seated in
the choir along with
themonks of Belmont
Abbey were: Archabbot
Egbert Donovan, O.S.B.,
St. Vincent Archabbey,
Latrobe, Pa.; Abbot John
Eidenschink, O.S.B., St.
John’s Abbey,
Collegeville, Minn.;
Abbot Brendan Downey,
jQ,5.B.. St, Benedict
Abbey, Atchinson, Kan.;
Abbot Brian Clarke, St.
Mary Abbey,
Morristown, N.J.; Abbot
Thomas Havlik, O.S.B.,
St. Procopius Abbey,
Lisle, 111.; Abbot Fidelis
Dunlap, O.S.B., St. Leo
Abbey, Saint Leo, Fla.;
Abbot David Duncan,
O.S.B., St. Bede Abbey,
Peru, 111.; Archabbot
Gabriel Verkamp,
O.S.B., St. Meinrad
Archabbey, St. Meinrad,
Ind.; Abbot Raphael
DeSalvo, O.S.B., New
Subiaco Abbey.,
Arkansas;
Dr. Claude Broach