A Lucky Man
“When I came to America I had no other way to reach my goal than this: to buy land, take in brothers, and have them construct buildings. Teachers had to be educated little by little; and since I was poor, I did it in order to take care so that we at least did not lack the most basic necessities. I did achieve that, not by my own strength, but by the help of God, and by the untiring activity and support of Court Chaplain J.F. Müller. Before I came, one priest could barely support himself adequately where now 80 persons can. The people of the parish do not contribute more than before, and, because of that, they cannot understand how I can manage, having all these men to take care of.
“Some (those living at a distance) believe that I am extremely wealthy. Others, who occasionally partake of our monastic fare, look at me as a kind of magician that I am able to keep so many people here together, people “who could be earning money”, serving them watery soups and boiled vegetables, while the poorest man around here drinks coffee, and eats meat and sandwiches.
“You will perhaps think that I am a very lucky man. I certainly am a lucky man. My motto cannot be: servus servorum Dei, but I know, nevertheless, that I am, indeed, the servant of my servants, a man of toil and worry. When the brother rings the bell nine times at night to signal that everyone must go to bed, I often just start to think, what should be done tomorrow? Where can we get this or that? How shall we pay for this and that? How can we avoid this or the other? How can we improve this or that? So many questions to answer, so many requests to listen to or refuse, so many sad ones to console, so many ignorant ones to guide, erring ones to discipline, etc., and to present oneself trusting toward all, strong, and above reproach,—that, my dear man, is a task I would gladly leave to anyone else!”
—Boniface Wimmer, O.S.B.
—From Boniface Wimmer, Abbot of Saint Vincent in Pennsylvania, translated by Dr. Maria Von Mickwitz and Father Warren Murrman, O.S.B., editor.
