Dear Friends in the Lord,
I have returned to Mt. Angel Abbey and Seminary near Portland, Oregon. Mt. Angel is situated in the beauty of the Cascade range of mountains. The Cascades are all volcanic in origin and are all still covered with snow.
On a clear day from the Refectory one can see Mount Hood, Mt. Rainer, Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens. In addition to the slopes of the mountains, the Seminary is covered with pine trees and flowers, echoing still the month of May which is dedicated to Mary the Mother of God. The beauty of nature here is also complimented the beauty of the Abbey Church, where I am blessed to be able to pray daily the Liturgy of the Hours with the Monks.
I am here to complete my final courses toward my Doctorate in Ministry. This summer my course work over these three weeks includes: “Evil, Suffering, and Thinking about God: Theological and Literary Reflections”; “Pastoral Counseling”; and “The Book of the Prophet Isaiah.”
This is my third and final summer and the courses of the past two years have been a great blessing to me pastorally and academically. I hope to finish my dissertation in the coming year to be able to graduate next Spring.
Thank you all for your support and the generosity of the witness of your Faith.
A very blessed month of June, which for many years has been dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I will be writing a reflection on that in the days to come!
Gratefully yours in the Lord,
Bishop Kevin Vann