Monks and War Veterans

Here at Assumption Abbey we have a small cemetery in back of our main guest house. There are perhaps some twenty little white metal crosses adorning the graves of the monks who have passed on to their reward.

Among these crosses are some who, in this life, had experienced very noteworthy historical events. Here are a few of these:

Christopher Danz: I knew this monk for seven years prior to his death. He is high on my list for people who gave me great inspiration in my own life of faith. Br. Christopher, was one of the soldiers who parachuted into the Battle of the Bulge at the end of the European Campaign in World War II. He was the guitar player in the monk's liturgy and entertained us with old folksy songs like the "Hatfields and McCoys" at our yearly picnic. When I learned to play guitar, not well but functionally, it was Christopher's finger picking style that I was trained in.

David Blackburn: A soft spoken old monk who was assigned as porter at the main guest house. Polite, courteous and hospitable. Fr David was a sergeant in the Army and was one of those who discovered the reality of the death camps in Germany after the war

Louis Hanick: A monk with a comedic flair. Hard working and dedicated. (The monks ran a block plant before switching over to fruitcakes. Any jokes come to mind?) Fr Louis was assigned to the air strip from which the Enola Gay flew with the atomic bomb that was dropped on Japan.

After World War II, the monasteries flourished and were filled to the brim with candidates. Most of these came to the monasteries as a result of having seen unspeakable atrocities and bloodshed. Their savor for life in the world was taken away and they felt inspired to live for transcendent goals and ultimate considerations. Many of these monks left the monastic life in the early 1960's. Presently monasteries have mostly empty rooms, as the desire for this form of life has waned. If the economy was to collapse or another great war (God forbid!) were to engulf the globe, we would probably witness a surge in the amount of monastic candidates once again.