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Volume 33, Number 1 |
Richardton, ND 58652 |
January 2005 |
Michael Taffe Makes His Permanent Commitment
as a Monk of Assumption
by Terrence Kardong, O.S.B.
On July 11, Bro. Michael Taffe pronounced his final vows as a Benedictine in the presence of Abbot Brian and the community, together with family and friends. In 1960, Rick Taffe was born in Graceville, which is in the little swelling on the western border of Minnesota. He is the son of Robert Taffe and the deceased Doris Rausch Taffe. His ancestors were among those Irish settlers brought by Archbishop Ireland to the American frontier around 1890.
He went to the local schools and graduated from the University of Iowa with a B.S. in 1982. From then on, things got interesting: he worked as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Sierra Leone (West Africa) for two years. He was an agricultural extension agent, with specialty in rice production. From 1985 to 1988, he worked for the Department of Agriculture in the Food Stamp Program in Oakland, California. Sad to say, he has not been able to engage in rice farming here in North Dakota.
In 1988, Rick decided to go back to school; this time it was at Lincoln, Nebraska,
where he earned a Master’s Degree in Counseling in 1990. He continued in this line
of study in the doctoral program at the University of Maryland, College Park. But
he still wasn’t done. In 1995-
At the end of December, 2000, Rick Taffe presented himself as a candidate for Assumption Abbey. He spent his entire formation program under Bro. Alban, who was happy to recommend him for first vows July 11, 2002, and final vows this year. During his time in training, Bro. Michael worked at the various menial tasks that are the lot of the newcomer to a monastery. His specialty seems to be the cleaning of bathrooms, in which he claims to take delight. Surely this will count for good in his eventual canonization process.
But Bro. Michael has all kinds of other gifts which can be put to use in a place like this. For example, he has become a proficient guide for the many tour groups that move through here. He never says that this work delights him, but that does not matter as long as he does it well. This coming year he will teach psychology at the University of Mary, Bismarck. We will miss his cheerful face around here, but he promises to visit us regularly.
Perhaps it is in place at this time to take stock of our recruitment situation. Bro. Michael is the fifth man to make final vows to our community in the past three years. In fact, six candidates came to us over this period of time, and five made final vows. As things go nowadays, that is not bad. This rate of retention is a tribute to Bro. Alban’s excellent work as director of formation.
It would be nice to end the report on that high note, but it would not be realistic. Since Bro. Michael knocked on our door in 2000, nobody else has followed him. That being the case, we will certainly have a long, dry period coming up. Why have things changed? Who knows? Fr. Thomas continues to work hard at promoting vocations and the rest of us continue to pray. But, as Saint Paul once said: “God giveth the increase.”
Br. Michael Taffe
Changing of the Guard
Several monks have experienced important changes in their lives this summer. Fr. Wilfrid Splonskowski has retired to the monastery after almost half a century of pastoral work. His last parish was in Terry, Montana, where he did a lot of pastoral work in Miles City. This spring he injured his knee and had to spend many weeks in a nursing home.
Fr. Philip Vanderlin has returned to the U.S.A. from our mission in Colombia, Monasterio de Tibatí. At a chapter meeting on August 9, after receiving the thanks of the community for his long missionary career, Philip pointed out that this was in fact the first chapter at the monastery that he had ever attended! He said he was professed in 1967 and almost immediately departed for South America thereafter. This fall Fr. Philip will serve as a replacement to the pastor of Jackson, Wyoming.
Bro. Michael Taffe is teaching this year at the University of Mary in Bismarck. Although Michael’s previous work was mostly as a counselor, now he will be a classroom teacher.
