Ordinations to Diaconate and Priesthood
Release Date: May 19, 2004
COLLEGEVILLE, MINN. — Most Rev. John Kinney, Bishop of St. Cloud, will ordain two monks in the abbey church on Saturday, June 5, 2004. The celebration begins at 10:30 a.m. The bishop will ordain Deacon Edward Vebelun OSB to the priesthood, and Brother Walter Kieffer OSB to the diaconate.
Brother Edward Vebelun OSB
Brother Edward Vebelun OSB, born February 9, 1968, in Lisbon, Ohio, was ordained a deacon by the Most Rev. Raphael Umemura Masahiro, Bishop of Yokohama, on January 10, 2004, at Trinity Benedictine Monastery, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
Brother Edward graduated from the University of Dayton in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in sociology that sparked his interest in service to others. He spent summers working in a juvenile detention center, a day care center and in a university service program in Kentucky's Appalachian Mountains. Following graduation he went to Colorado as a VIDA volunteer working at a homeless shelter and as a youth minister in a parish.
After profession of monastic vows at Saint John's Abbey in 1995 Brother Edward continued his work in campus ministry and outreach to youth while teaching the theology of community service and social justice at Saint John's Preparatory School. In 1997 he began full-time graduate study in theology.
Missionary to Japan
In 1999 Brother Edward volunteered for the Japanese mission of Saint John's Abbey. Trinity Benedictine Monastery is located in Fujimi, a rural and scenic area near Mount Fuji known as the "Japanese Alps." He continued his studies in theology at the Franciscans' St. Anthony Seminary, Tokyo, while engaging in pastoral work in the parish.
With the approval of his monastic superiors, Brother Edward was presented to Bishop Mashiro for ordination to the diaconate. The ceremony of ordination on January 10, 2004, was partly in Japanese and partly in English.
Later in January Deacon Edward returned to Collegeville and completed requirements for the Master of Divinity at the School of Theology, Saint John's University, in May 2004. After ordination Father Edward will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving in his hometown of Lisbon, Ohio, on Sunday, June 13. The following week he will officiate at all of the Masses on Saturday and Sunday, June 19 and 20, at Saint Joseph's Parish, Minnesota, where he served as a deacon. On Tuesday, June 29, he returns to a variety of pastoral and monastic duties at Trinity Benedictine Monastery, Fujimi, Japan.
Brother Walter Kieffer, OSB
Brother Walter Kieffer OSB, was born on June 1, 1946, in Willmar, Minnesota, to Bernard and Mary (Coufal) Kieffer. As a child he lived in Bird Island, Stewart and Litchfield, Minnesota, and graduated from Saint John's Preparatory School in 1964. He entered Saint John's Abbey in the fall of 1964 and professed monastic vows as a Benedictine Brother on July 11, 1966.
Brother Walter probably knows the infrastructure of Saint John's as well as anyone. He served as plumber from 1966 to 1992 and was in charge of Plumbing, Heating and Ventilation from 1972 to 1992. After the energy crisis of 1973, a computerized central control of the campus was installed that Brother Walter managed. He increased its capacity and service until 1992. From 1987 to 1992 he oversaw the total remaking of the mechanical and electrical systems of the campus, providing new water- , wastewater- and storm-piping while also rebuilding the oldest parts of the Saint John's tunnel system. Synchronization of electrical generation with the utility provider and the introduction of a central chiller system were part of this phase.
As Director of the Waste Water Treatment Plant from 1972 until 1987, Brother Walter achieved certification as both Class "C" and Class "B" operator in the State of Minnesota. As a member of the Central Section of the Minnesota Waste Water Operations Association he served four years as the chair. During this period the plant was upgraded twice to enhance the operation and meet increased demand.
Brother Walter has been generous in making his services available to other institutions. He helped with maintenance projects at Saint Augustine's Priory, Nassau, The Bahamas, in 1982, 1984, 1986 and 1988. He went to St. Anselm's Priory in Tokyo, Japan, for a remodeling project in 1990. Brother Walter joined the maintenance staff at Collegio Sant'Anselmo, Rome, in the fall of 1993 and served until illness required his return in October 1994.
Care for Life
Brother Walter served on the Saint John's Fire Department for 35 years. He was assistant Chief from 1969 until being appointed Chief in 1980, a position he held until 1993. In that period he served two terms as the director of the Central Minnesota Fire Aid Association, the local mutual aid group, and he was a member of the Minnesota Chiefs Association. In 1978 he was one of the first on campus to earn national Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification.
In 1995 Brother Walter was named Assistant Safety Director at Saint John's. He introduced the first OSHA-mandated training classes. He was elected to a two-year term as president of Midsota Community Awareness and Emergency Response in 1998.
From 1995 to 2002, Brother Walter served as a faculty resident, primarily in freshmen dormitories. In the last four years he was leader of a group promoting health and wellness. His involvement with this project led him to attend the National Health and Wellness Conference at Stevens Point, Wisconsin, in 1998 and 1999. He joined the National Association of College and University Housing Officers and attended several regional and one national meeting.
In 2001 Brother Walter began course work in theology required for ordination. He hopes to serve the church another 20 years of his life in a new role. "If I want it just for myself," he says, "I know it's not going to happen. It's beyond something that I want, but rather something I know is right for more important reasons" (St. Joseph Newsleader, July 4, 2003).
After ordination, Deacon Walter will be assigned to St. Peter’s Parish, St. Cloud, where Rev. Gregory Lieser is pastor. Brother Walter will finish his theological studies at Saint John's University during the diaconate.
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