Benedictine Novice Professes First Vows
Release Date: September 1, 2004
COLLEGEVILLE, MINN. — Benedictine Novice Joseph Schneeweis, OSB, will profess first monastic vows in Saint John's Abbey Church on Tuesday, September 14, 2004. Brother Joseph began his year of training and discernment in September 2003. During the year he lived the abbey's full schedule of worship and work while studying the Rule of Saint Benedict, Sacred Scripture, and other topics related to the life of Benedictine monks.
Brother Joseph will make a public commitment to live the vows of stability, a monastic manner of life and obedience during the celebration of the Eucharist at 4 p.m. in the presence of Abbot John Klassen OSB, the Saint John's monastic community, family members and friends.
Joseph was born on June 1, 1963, in the neighboring town of Melrose, Minn., where both his mother and father were teachers. His father died when Joseph was only five.
Joseph earned a bachelor of science in Secondary Social Studies Education from Saint Cloud State University, a master's degree in Library and Information Science from Louisiana State University and a master's degree in Philosophy from Loyola University in Chicago. Brother Joseph has also begun work on a master's degree in Divinity at the Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Mass.
Brother Joseph began his life as a religious among the Jesuits and worked at Catholic Worker houses in Houston, Chicago, and Tijuana, Mexico, as part of the Jesuit Formation Program from 1993 to 2002.
From 1998 to 1999, Brother Joseph served as a formation assistant and librarian at Arrupe College in Zimbabwe and as chaplain and coordinator of service programs at Loyola University, New Orleans, from 1999 to 2001.
Prior to joining the Jesuits, Brother Joseph served from 1987 to 1990 in the Peace Corps; one year was spent in Guatemala and two years in the Kingdom of Swaziland. He is proficient in both Spanish and French.
For the next three years Brother Joseph will continue his monastic training under the direction of Fr. John Patrick Earls, OSB, Formation Director. Since the beginning of the fall semester 2004, Brother Joseph has been teaching history in Saint John's Preparatory School, Collegeville.
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