Saint Meinrad monks celebrate jubilees of monastic profession
Five Benedictine monks of Saint Meinrad Archabbey are celebrating their 60th anniversary of profession monastic vows. They are, from left, Fathers Timothy Sweeney, Denis Quinkert, Lambert Reilly, Brother Andrew Zimmermann and Father Meinrad Brune. (submitted photo)
Criterion staff report
Five Benedictine monks at Saint Meinrad Archabbey in St. Meinrad celebrated their 60-year jubilee of monastic profession on July 31.
Father Meinrad Brune grew up in Indianapolis as a member of the former St. Catherine of Siena Parish. He made his first profession of vows on Aug. 15, 1956, and was ordained a priest on May 7, 1961.
He has a master of arts degree from Butler University, a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology from The Catholic University of America in Washington, and completed his theological training at Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology.
Following ordination, Father Meinrad taught in the former Saint Meinrad High School and College for 16 years. For the next seven years, he served as pastor at St. Meinrad Parish in St. Meinrad, and at St. Mary Parish in Huntingburg, Ind., in the Evansville Diocese.
In 1984, he began work in Saint Meinrad’s development office as an associate director and then as alumni director for nine years. He has served in his current position as director of the monastery’s Benedictine Oblate Program since 1995.
Father Denis Quinkert is a native of New Albany where he grew up in the former Holy Trinity Parish. In 1950, he came to Saint Meinrad to study at the former St. Placid Hall, a high school for those interested in becoming a brother. He joined the Benedictine Blue Cloud Abbey in Marvin, S.D., in 1954. He made his first profession of vows on Feb. 10, 1956.
As a Benedictine brother, Father Denis worked on the abbey farm, helped with the construction of the monastery and farm buildings, and served as a prefect at the Indian schools staffed by monks of Blue Cloud Abbey.
He later studied theology at Pope John XXIII Seminary in Weston, Mass., and was ordained a priest on May 25, 1976. He served as a pastor at Ft. Totten in North Dakota, and in the towns of Wagner and Milbank in South Dakota, as well as at St. Paul Parish in Marty, S.D. He also served as a chaplain to the Benedictine sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery and the students of Mount Marty College in Yankton, S.D.
Father Denis was elected abbot of Blue Cloud two times, serving from 1986 to 1991 and again from 2009 until the abbey closed in 2012. At that time, he joined the Saint Meinrad community.
He serves as a commuting chaplain for Monastery Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand, Ind., and assists with transportation at Saint Meinrad.
Father Lambert Reilly is a native of Pittsburgh, Pa. He made his first profession of vows on Aug. 15, 1956, and was ordained a priest on Sept. 20, 1959.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., in 1955. He also holds master of divinity and master of religious education degrees from Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology, as well as a master of science in education from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. In addition, he did graduate studies at The Catholic University of America, Georgetown University in Washington, the University of Evansville and Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Ark.
Father Lambert served as the archabbot of the monastic community from 1995 to 2004. He then returned to his ministry of preaching and giving retreats. For more than 40 years, Father Lambert has been a retreat director and speaker on issues of spirituality and prayer.
He also taught Latin and education courses at Penn State University in State College, Pa., the former Saint Meinrad College, and the former Mount Sacred Heart College in Hamden, Conn. In addition, he served as principal of the former St. Elizabeth High School in Pittsburgh and as a consultant to the Office of Education in the Diocese of Peoria, Ill.
He also has assisted in parishes, worked in public relations, and served in the monastery as guest master, assistant oblate director, assistant to the novice master and pro-prior. He is the author of two books, Because There Is Jesus and Latin Sayings for Spiritual Growth.
Father Timothy Sweeney is a native of Indianapolis as a member of St. Philip Neri Parish, and made his first profession of vows on Aug. 15, 1956. He was ordained a priest on May 7, 1961.
He has a licentiate in sacred theology from the Pontifical International Institute of Saint Anselm in Rome, and a licentiate in philosophy from the Institute Catholique in Paris.
He taught at the former Saint Meinrad College for 10 years. From 1975-78, he was prior (second in leadership) of the archabbey. On June 2, 1978, he was elected archabbot of Saint Meinrad and served in that role for 17 years.
Father Timothy served as administrator of two parishes following his tenure as archabbot. Then from 1996-2005, he was pastor of the Parish of the Immaculate in Owensboro, Ky. From 2006-09, he served as pastor of St. Paul Parish in Tell City.
He is currently administrator of St. Isidore the Farmer Parish in Bristow and St. Martin of Tours Parish in Siberia. He also serves as archivist for Saint Meinrad and for the Swiss-American Congregation of Benedictine monasteries.
Brother Andrew Zimmermann was born in Richmond, Va. He made his first profession of vows as a Benedictine monk on March 11, 1956.
He worked in the monastery tailor shop until he was sent to assist at Saint Meinrad’s priory in the South American country of Peru in November 1963. Seventeen years later, Brother Andrew returned to Saint Meinrad to work in the business office and mailroom/duplicating office.
From 1992-96, he worked in the monastery’s vestry and transportation offices. Brother Andrew then served in Guatemala at Marmion Abbey’s foundation from 1996-2004. He now works at the Guadalupe Center in Huntingburg, Ind. †
