For the week of May 30, 2010

Thanks to the following families who helped this past week:
• For sponsoring a Parent Sponsored Luncheon: Sr. Christen Nguyen, Mrs. Ann Rincon, Mrs. Donna Stropko, and Mrs. Teri Wheatley
• For hosting students in their home over the weekend: Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Aaker, Dr. and Mrs. Bruce Schardt, Mrs. Catherine Bowe

This week’s photos are of Water Wars.

Announcements
May 31st : Baseball Awards Banquet, 7:00 p.m.
June 1st: Deadline for Student Account and Book Fee deposits
June 4th: Last day of school
June 5th: Parent Bucket Brigade – end of year cleaning of the school dorms, 9:00 a.m. All volunteers welcome!


Weekly Homily by fr. Benedict Solomon, O.Praem.
Among other things, frater Benedict teaches Scripture and leads the Cross Country and Soccer teams.

It was well known that Jesus had performed miracles. The man was blind and calling after Jesus. Bartimaeus calls him the “son of David”, showing that he believed Jesus to be the Christ. Why, then does Jesus ask “What do you want me to do for you?” when He already knew? St. Bede says the reason was in order to stir the blind man’s heart to pray.

When we focus on the things of this world and of the flesh; technology, convenience, food or pleasure, we become blind to the good things God wants to give us. We become blind to God’s hand in the events of our lives. So Jesus in His mercy allows us to suffer some loss in order that we may pray to Him. He allows us to suffer, to be humiliated, to be insulted and misjudged, in order to bring us to his feet. And as the blind man, all we are expected to say is “Jesus, have pity on me.”

St. Peter says “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and sojourners to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against the soul.” With our fallen nature we are attracted to comforts and pleasures in a disordered way. So we must battle these desires. The disordered enjoyment of the pleasures of the world darkens the mind and cools the heart. Our minds and hearts need the light of Christ.

We “are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people God has called his own, so that we may announce the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

Jesus calls for the blind man. When the blind man hears- he throws aside his cloak, his worldly possessions and concerns. He seeks that Light which we can only enjoy in heaven and the way to which is faith. He doesn’t seek honors or riches from the Lord, but only to see. So Jesus says, “your faith has saved you.” And receiving his sight he followed him on the way.

Our eyes ought to be on Christ. Let us throw aside the cloak of this world which darkens our eyes, and follow Christ on the way. The joys of this world and delighting in the things of the body distract and diminish the inward joy we are meant to experience.

Like newborn infants, long for “pure spiritual milk so that through it you may grow into salvation, for you have tasted that the Lord is good. Come to him, and let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” To Him be all glory and honor, forever and ever. Amen.


In publishing this homily, we hope to share a portion of the spiritual treasure by which the students are enriched every day. However, this homily may not be reproduced by the parents or friends of St. Michael’s without written permission of the author.

Looking for something interesting and academic this summer?
Latin Immersion Camp for rising high school juniors and seniors takes place this summer at Christendom College located in in Front Royal, Virginia. There are two sessions, held from July 11-17 and July 18-24, and the cost is $895 per session. While some knowledge of Latin is helpful, it is not necessary, as we are able to incorporate various levels of fluency into the various elements of the program. The mood and wide range of activities make the program lively and fun. This is a unique program in that it uses active, spoken Latin as a way to engage students' interest and ability in the language, and in that it takes place within the vibrant Catholic setting that Christendom offers. You can find a complete description of the program at the website: http://www.christendom.edu/latin/index.shtml

Prayer Requests
• Mrs. Delores Hasset, godmother of Mrs. Debbi Holke, who is suffering from cancer
• Mrs. Maureen Mitchell, aunt of Mrs. Debbi Holke, who is suffering from cancer
• St. Michael’s older priests and those who care for them
• Those who suffer in the current economic crisis
• Those who are in the armed forces
• For the repose of the soul of Mr. Robert Greer, Jr.

For the week of May 23, 2010

Thanks to the following families who helped this past week:
For taking photos at the Spring Concert: Mr. and Mrs. Brian Tran
For sponsoring the graduation reception: Mrs. Elizabeth Tractenberg and her team of dedicated parent volunteers: Mr. and Mrs. Joe Chavez, Mrs. Joan Dimen, Mrs. Miriam Schardt.

This week’s photos include: seniors making their Matura presentations and Commencement Speaker, Dr. Ma with headmaster, Fr. Gabriel.

Upcoming Events
May 27th: Parent sponsored student lunch, 11:30 a.m.
May 31st : Baseball Awards Banquet, 7:00 p.m.
June 1st: Deadline for Student Account and Book Fee deposits
June 4th: Last day of school
June 5th: Parent Bucket Brigade – end of year cleaning of the school dorms, 9:00 a.m. All volunteers welcome!

Commencement Speaker, Dr. Jackson Ma ’80.
Thank you for inviting me to speak at your commencement. There is a story I would like to share with you, the graduating class, today. I remember many years ago, Father Szanto took us several of us on a weekend trip to Tijuana. We were interested in buying leather jackets. In one particular store we had negotiated the price of jackets down quite a bit. At the moment when everyone was satisfied with the negotiations, Father Szanto stepped in and wanted us to pay the merchant more money. We were surprised because we had agreed on the price. At the time, we were confused by Father Szanto's suggestion. After my own high school graduation, I thought back to this event and decided that Father Szanto was probably trying to be just and fair with the merchant. Recently, I thought about the event again. I think now that it wasn't as simple as just being fair. I believe Father Szanto trying to teach us to love this merchant as a brother in Christ. Having love for others is what Jesus Christ our Savior told us to have.

We know that all of you have a great education and great training here at St. Michael's. But there is more to St. Michael's than just study. What you will take when leaving St. Michael's is a valuable experience living with and learning from the priests, the seminarians, your teachers, and fellow classmates. The experiences which are taken from here will continue to help you mature in the years to come. This hilltop experience will shape your character. It will shape of faithfulness to God. It will shape your personality and how you treat other people.

I wrestled with what is truly important to share with you on this graduation day. I prayed for the Holy Spirit to guide my talk and two things consistently came up.

The first -- remember to love God with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your soul. He knew you before you even conceived. He knew your whole life before you were even born. Remember to pray first before you do anything. Remember to pray first before you plan anything. Remember to pray first before you even think about planning anything. Our Heavenly Father knows what is best for you; He will lead you if you let him. If you are successful in your future endeavors be humble because that success is giving you by God. If you struggle to accomplish your goals be comforted because God knows the right time to give you his gifts. Remember to pray, pray, and pray.

The second important thing -- is described in Mark 12:13. Jesus told us to love your neighbor as yourself. Remember to be compassionate to the people around you. People are going to look to you to see how a follower of Christ should act. Show by your actions what Jesus would do. Love the people who hate you; love the people who love you; love the people who are suffering; love the down and out. These are the two most important things to remember as you step into the next part of your life.

Praise God as you step forward bravely and boldly into the next chapter of your life. You have a strong and rich tradition that you bring with you from this hilltop of St. Michael's. God bless you all.

Birthdays This Week
May 24th Joseph Rivero
May 25th Joseph Terlisner
May 29th Don Nguyen

Prayer Requests
• Aid to the Church in Need, an international charity of the Catholic Church, which is seeking God’s blessings upon their work and their national directors during the month of May.
• Mrs. Delores Hasset, godmother of Mrs. Debbi Holke, who is suffering from cancer
• Mrs. Maureen Mitchell, aunt of Mrs. Debbi Holke, who is suffering from cancer
• St. Michael’s older priests and those who care for them
• Those who suffer in the current economic crisis
• Those who are in the armed forces.
• For the repose of the soul of Mr. James Kuper
• For the repose of the soul of Mrs. Evelyn Terlisner, Joseph Terlisner’s grandmother

For the week of May 16, 2010

Thanks to the following families who helped this past week:
• For hosting students over the weekend: Dr. and Mrs. Bruce Schardt, Mr. and Mrs. Steve LeMire.
• For sponsoring a Parent Lunch: Mrs. Cathy Porretta (and daughters), Mrs. Ann Rincon, Mrs. Mariam Schardt, Mrs. Donna Stropko, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Wheatly .
For setting up chemistry labs: Dr. and Mrs. Bruce Schardt.
• For hosting the choir concert reception: Mr. and Mrs. Aldo Saglietto.

Congratulations to the choir students for their awards
• Best Upper classman and Best Bass – Jay Hipolito
• Best Lower classman – James Howard
• Best Tenor – Matt Brooks
• Best Baritone – James Tran
• Best All Around – Marco Saglietto
• Most Improved – Joseph Porretta
• Teacher’s Choice – Joe Terlisner

Photos this week depict student choir members practicing Magna Pater Augustine as part of the Living History experience for visiting 7th graders as well as singing in the Spring Choir Concert, From Mozart to Motown.

Congratulations to St. Michael’s most recently published student poets: Michael Haeuser, Edward Lim, Joseph Porretta, Michael Porretta, and David Suh.

Announcements
• May 23rd : Graduation, 7:00 p.m.
• May 31st : Baseball Awards Ceremony, 7:00 p.m.
• June 1st: Deadline for Student Account and Book Fee deposits

Vantage Point Lecture by Fr. Gabriel Stack, O.Praem.
Among other things, Fr. Gabriel is the headmaster of the school.

Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.

These words from the holy evangelist remind us that as Christians we have faith and that gives us a vision and a hope of things beyond what we immediately experience. The heart of this faith is He whom we have before us in the Blessed Sacrament. It comes as no surprise then that Pope Leo the Great told his congregation, “we have a faith that can expel demons, heal the sick, and raise the dead.”

Unfortunately, we easily get trapped in habits and lifestyles which blind us to evidence right in front of us. The biggest error into which we succumb is also the oldest - the very human tendency to view life strictly from the framework of this world. We have grown up and grown old accustomed to talking about “the real world.” By it we mean things like the price of gasoline, presidential decision, doctor visits, investment portfolios, judicial appointments, the environment, the war, and the like. These things are important. And there is certainly enough for a Christian to do to make these concerns less vexing.

This life is serious – but only because it intersects with the world which ultimately counts. If it were not so, your life and mine (and that of the entire human race) would, in the final analysis, have no more worth than that of a bird or a beetle. Pope Benedict expressed it this way in a homily: “Only when we meet the living God in Christ do we know what life is. There is nothing more beautiful than to be surprised by the Gospel, by the encounter with Christ. There is nothing more beautiful than to know Him and to speak to others of our friendship with Him.” It is only He who gives our “here and now” its ultimate meaning and its perfect end.

The greatest challenge for us today is to move beyond the limits this world imposes. Spending time with our Lord calls us to do precisely that. Our Incarnate Savior who came down from heaven and, now, has returned to heaven demonstrates that a realm exists different from what we live now. It is "above" this world not in a spatial sense but because of its superiority. While everything here below eventually passes away, that heavenly realm possesses a real power to renew. From His divine vantage point, Jesus continues his saving work and one day will bring all who have known the only true God, and the one whom He sent, into his kingdom.

This is how Christians are different from the movers and shakers of the society in which we live. It has always been so. An early Christian writer, Diognetus, explained in the second century…Christians are indistinguishable from other men either by nationality, language or customs. With regard to dress, food and manner of life in general, they follow the customs of whatever city they happen to be living in, whether it is Greek or foreign. Yet, there is something extraordinary about their lives. They live in their own countries as though they were only passing through. They play their full role as citizens, but labor under all the disabilities of aliens. Any country can be their homeland, but for them their homeland, wherever it may be, is a foreign country. They live in the flesh, but they are not governed by the desires of the flesh. They pass their days upon earth, but they are citizens of heaven. Obedient to the laws, they yet live on a level that transcends the law.

This wonderful truth that — there is more to life than the world we see — each believer discovers for himself. During the weeks of April and May each senior in the Class of 2010 shared a reflection in which he made some reference to his own awareness of this life-changing realization. One of the seniors said the following: Coming here seemingly meant giving up the essentials; home, family, friends, and freedom. I was abruptly plunged into dorm life with sixty strangers, a rigorous curriculum, and needed to adapt to the strict schedule, which left me only a fraction of free time. …Now I know that St. Michael’s gave me freedom. St. Michael’s keeps you free from most of the clamor and distractions of the world, free from the drama of public high-school, freedom to mature into a knowledgeable Catholic man, and most importantly the freedom and ease in pursuing a deep spiritual life. The structure which I once thought was so oppressive became my favorite aspect of this school. Having Mass and Holy Hour as a mandatory part of everyday made me realize just how important they are. I didn’t just survive St. Michael’s Prep I thrived here because I could live a serious spiritual life in the company of holy men and good friends. St. Michael’s has not taken anything away from me; it has given me everything that I truly needed.

The enduring presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is a mystery of faith and of hope as it draws our minds upward - to eternal life. Someday, we will be with Him. And because we will be where He is – we will have complete and perfect happiness – forever. Alleluia.


In publishing this talk, we hope to share a portion of the spiritual treasure by which the students and parents are enriched every day.


Prayer Requests
• Aid to the Church in Need, an international charity of the Catholic Church, which is seeking God’s blessings upon their work and their national directors during the month of May.
• Mrs. Delores Hasset, godmother of Mrs. Debbi Holke, who is suffering from cancer
• Mrs. Maureen Mitchell, aunt of Mrs. Debbi Holke, who is suffering from cancer
• Mrs. Harriet Nordeck, one time teacher at St. Michael’s, who is close to death
• Mr. Bill Ortega, who has a pulmonary blood clot
• St. Michael’s older priests and those who care for them
• Those who suffer in the current economic crisis
• Those who are in the armed forces.

For the week of May 9, 2010

Thanks to the following families who helped this past week:
For hosting students over the weekend: Mrs. Kelly Choi, Mr. and Mrs. Jaime Manzano, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Rivero, Dr. and Mrs. Bruce Schardt, Mr. Ed Unterman.

Announcements
• This week’s photo gallery includes: students working on their Mother’s Day cards and First Honors Dinner at Doheney State Beach.
• There are no classes Monday, May 10th in honor of Mother’s Day. Students report to school Monday evening by 7:30 p.m.
• Sophomores take the preliminary ACT test this week (PLAN) as well as a preliminary Catholic Intellectual Tradition Assessment.
• Thursday, May 13th is Ascension Day at St. Michael’s Abbey. We will celebrate with a special Mass at 11:00 a.m. followed by a parent sponsored lunch.
• Our Spring Choir Concert takes place on Sunday, May 16th at 7:00 p.m.

• St. Michael’s Abbey members are featured on the cover of the Catholic World Report, May 2010 edition. This article reports on a new study which finds that most new vocations go to orders that observe a traditional religious life.

Baseball This Week
• Tuesday, May 11th @ Southlands Christian; 3:30 pm
• Wednesday, May 12th vs Southlands Christian @ STM; 3:30 pm

Homily of the Week by Fr. Chrysostom Baer O.Praem.
Fr. Chrysostom, among other things, is the Dean of Students at St. Michael’s Prep School

Not too long ago, Fr. Sebastian mentioned that, in the Gospel text under consideration that day, the Holy Spirit was mentioned three distinct times, though never explicitly. In much the same way, our three verse Gospel passage today makes three distinct mentions of the Holy Spirit, and never explicitly, in particular with reference to His place in the interior life of the Trinity, to His work in our lives, and to the goal to which He leads us.

Jesus says, “As the Father loves Me.” The eternal Son is the perfect image of the Father, proceeding from the Father as the concept from His intellect. But between the Father and the Son there proceeds from their will a love so intense as to be the Third Person of the most Blessed Trinity, the Holy Spirit. He proceeds from both, yet from Him no Person in the Trinity proceeds, just as He is sent by both Father and Son to work in the world, yet He Himself sends neither of them.

“As the Father loves Me, so I also love you.” The Father loves Christ with the Holy Spirit, and Christ loves His disciples with the same Holy Spirit. He is the soul of the Mystical Body, Pope Leo XIII teaches, that unifies and sanctifies both Head and members. To remain in His love is to be alive in God; to be separated from it is eternal death.

“If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.” The Holy Spirit is sent to us not only in habitual sanctifying grace but also in actual grace, by which we make supernaturally good acts. Thus Jesus tells His disciples that His own obedience to the Father’s commandments is a result of that love, and so must ours be. If even the grace-filled soul of Christ—which was utterly replete with sanctifying grace, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and all the charismatic graces—still needed the actual help of the Holy Spirit to bring such greatness to bear on the decisions of the here and now, much less can we poor sinners do any eternal good on our own without the help of God’s Love.

Now, the different Persons of the Blessed Trinity are credited with different works, according as they are appropriate to the different notion of His Person. Thus to the Father, from Whom everything proceeds, is ascribed power, as we say in the Creed, “I believe in God the Father Almighty.” To the Son, Who is the concept that perfectly images all the greatness of the Father, is ascribed Wisdom. And to the Holy Spirit, the Love of both Father and Son, is credited the work of sanctification, which is possession of and therefore rest in the divine goodness. For love desires what is good for one’s friends, and nothing is better than the goodness of God.

When we possess this goodness, there can be joy, but only if we realize it. If, for example, our parents had created for us an bank account of tycoon proportions, yet we never knew about it, we would be unable to have any joy over it. And so Jesus says, “I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” He tells us so that we may repeatedly turn our focus to the surpassing good that is ours through the Holy Spirit, Who completes His work in us by bringing us to the unalterable rest of the Beatific Vision. It is a joy Jesus knew at the heights of His soul from the first moment of His conception but which will be complete in us only in heaven.

From this arise three things which working together can make this eternal bliss attainable. First, the humility of the Holy Spirit, Who is content not to be mentioned explicitly, even when He works wonders in us. Second, just as the Holy Spirit is sent by the Father and Son, it is through our obedience to the commands not only of Christ Himself but of every legitimate authority that we know we remain in the Father’s Love. But if we are to exude the joy that is properly Christian, then we must always keep before our mind’s eye all the good we possess through Christ in the Holy Spirit, to prevent us from shrinking into our human mediocrity and sadness and to spur us to run the race so as to win the complete joy that will never end.

In publishing this homily, we hope to share a portion of the spiritual treasure by which the students are enriched every day. However, this homily may not be reproduced by the parents or friends of St. Michael’s without written permission of the author.

Catholic High Schools’ Graduation Rate Much Higher Than That Of Public Schools
APRIL 30 (Catholic World News) -- A report released by the National Catholic Education Association has found that Catholic high schools in the United States have a 99.1% graduation rate, compared to a 73.1% graduation rate at public schools. The report also found that 84.7% of Catholic high school graduates attend four-year colleges, compared to 44.1% of public high school graduates.

Prayer Requests
• Aid to the Church in Need, an international charity of the Catholic Church, which is seeking God’s blessings upon their work and their national directors during the month of May.
• Ms. Barbara Greer-Haeuser who waits for the results of a biopsy.
• Mrs. Delores Hasset, godmother of Mrs. Debbi Holke, who is suffering from cancer
• Mrs. Maureen Mitchell, aunt of Mrs. Debbi Holke, who is suffering from cancer
• Mrs. Harriet Nordeck, one time teacher at St. Michael’s, who is close to death
• Mr. Bill Ortega, who has a pulmonary blood clot
• St. Michael’s older priests and those who care for them
• Those who suffer in the current economic crisis
• Those who are in the armed forces.
• For the repose of the soul of Mrs. Ermelinda Carino.
• For the repose of the soul of Dr. Richard Wetzel.

For the week of May 2, 2010

Thanks to the following families who helped this past week:
For hosting students over the weekend: Mrs. Ann Hipolito, Mr. and Mrs. Tjoan-Houw Lim
For participating in the May 1st Open House and Entrance Test: Mrs. Cathy Porretta.

Announcements
• This week’s photo gallery includes: photos from Living History and from landscape renewal.
• Congratulations to Nick Hanson who earned a Merit Award for his score on the 2010 National Greek Examination!
• Edward Lim on completing his eagle project. Trabuco Canyon News will carry a descriptive article of Edward’s efforts in its June edition. Look below for a preview of that article.
• There are no classes Monday, May 10th in honor of Mother’s Day. Students report to school Monday evening by 7:30 p.m.

Baseball This Week
Tuesday, May 4th: STM vs. Saddleback Valley Christian @ STM; 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 6th: STM vs. Saddleback Valley Christian @ San Juan Sports Park; 3:30 p.m.

Birthdays This Week
May 3 Anton Gerami, Nicholas Hanson
May 8 Vincent Lu

Homily of the Week by Fr. Vincent Gilmore, O.Praem.,
Fr. Vincent, among other things, is the rector at JSerra School.

Yesterday, Fr. Prior shared with us about St. Catherine of Siena’s contribution in keeping the Church on the right path. It seems the Church is always threatened, like all human institutions, by competition, moral decay, and pride. If the Church were merely a human institution, then you would think 2000 years of corruption and human pride would surely have gotten the upper hand and the Church would end up on the trash heap of human institutions and ideology gone bad.

Why is the Church still around when it seems everybody hates and attacks it? So many people are enemies of the Church without and within. Throughout history and today it has been and is a target for destruction. Why does the Church still exist? It exists because the Church is more than a human institution. The Church exists and will exist to the end of time because God wants it to exist.

The church exists because its founder is Jesus Christ and He made a promise that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

The Church exists because its founder, as indicated in the Gospel today, is “the way, the truth, and the life.” The Church exists because God keeps raising up saints like Catherine of Siena. The saint we celebrate today in Pius V, who keeps the Church on the right path and who has more love for Jesus and the truth than humans respect.

The Church exists because it needs to exist as a function of God’s love and mercy to save a fallen and corrupt mankind. The Church is there to bring to salvation those who want to be saved and lead to eternal life.

We heard yesterday how St. Catherine of Siena did her part to keep the Church on the right path. We also heard that her efforts were not completely successful. It is not her success that matters, it was her love and fidelity to Jesus that matters. She did her part. She became a light. She remained faithful. She is one of the reasons the Church still exists today.

Some 200 years after St. Catherine of Siena, God raised up another saint to keep the Church on the right path. Another Dominican, Pius V becomes pope. His predecessors are not stellar and elements of worldliness, corruption, and laxity have crept into the Church.

Pius V was a personally holy man, of prayerful, kind, and charitable disposition. Upon election as Pope, he set out to purge the curia of corruption, and implement the reforms of the Council of Truth and to tighten the loose morals in Rome. Pius V brought universal reform and continuity to the liturgy, required that bishops actually live in their diocese and that priests live in their parish. He brought into reality the Catholic mandates by Trinity and did much to reform the clergy.

If internal reform and affairs of the Church were not enough, he was also preoccupied with menacing shadows of the spread of Protestantism and the inroads of the Turks. When the Turks threaten to invade Europe, Pius V rallied Europe and helped send a large force to defeat the invading Turks. In one of the greatest maritime battles the Turks were completely defeated. From the moment the expedition started, the Pope prayed unceasingly and asked everybody to fast and pray the Rosary. On October 7, 1571 the day and hour of the victory of the Battle of Lepanto, the pope was conversing with some cardinals on business matters when suddenly he turned from them, opened a window, looked up into the sky for awhile, and closing the window said, “This is not the moment to talk business. Let us give thanks to God for the victory He has granted to the arms of the Christians.” To commemorate this victory he instilled the Feast of the Holy Rosary on October 7th.

Did Pius V solve all the problems and corruptions of the Church and the world during his time? No, but like Catherine of Siena, he did do his part to keep the Church on the right path and to be a light in his time. In our own day, the Church continues to suffer attack and corruption. The enemies of the Church abound. There will always be those who want to silence and destroy the Church. The Church will never be destroyed because God will continue to raise up saints in the line of Catherine of Siena and Pius V to keep her faithful and true. Will we be one of them?

In publishing this homily, we hope to share a portion of the spiritual treasure by which the students are enriched every day. However, this homily may not be reproduced by the parents or friends of St. Michael’s without written permission of the author.

Eagle Scout Project Transforms Local Landscape on Earth Day

St. Michael’s Preparatory School and Abbey grounds were recently transformed on Earth Day. Edward Lim, St. Michael’s honor student, first presented his ideas to headmaster Father Gabriel Stack, as his Boy Scout Eagle Service Project.

What started out as a modest project for some “trouble spots” on the abbey grounds developed into a total landscape renovation for more than 22,000 square feet. Established in the early 60’s with a major planting of Ponderosa Pine, long since the victim of pine beetle, it was time for a major re-do. Fr. Gregory Dick, with the help of heavy equipment and volunteers handled removal of all remnants of past plantings.

Next was time for a plan of action. Landscape designer and long time friend of St. Michael’s, Theresa Mullins, was recruited. A palette of California natives, noted for drought tolerance, low maintenance and attracting wildlife were selected. Village Nursery owners, Jim and Nancy Baldwin, graciously donated needed plant material along with the horticulture expertise of John Barrett.

A dry stream bed echoing the lines of the Santa Ana Hills was first established using native boulders and stones. Next the team of BSA Troop 145, St. Michael’s students and volunteers joined together in installing hardy trees, shrubs and groundcovers. The end result is a seamless transition from the Saddleback foothills to the abbey grounds. Each reflecting the serenity of abbey life in harmony with nature, Earth Day is once again observed.

Prayer Requests
• Aid to the Church in Need, an international charity of the Catholic Church, which is seeking God’s blessings upon their work and their national directors during the month of May.
• Ms. Kelly Choi who is experiencing problems in her vertebrae following an auto accident.
• Mr. Mark McCormick, who was injured during baseball practice
• Mrs. Harriet Nordeck, one time teacher at St. Michael’s, who is close to death
• Mr. Bill Ortega, who has a pulmonary blood clot
• St. Michael’s older priests and those who care for them
• Those who suffer in the current economic crisis
• Those who are in the armed forces.

For the repose of the soul of Mrs. Ermelinda Carino
For the repose of the soul of Dr. Joseph Gloudeman, father of Fr. Francis Gloudeman