Sacred Heart Appeal
Greetings!
The monks of Christ the King Priory – Benedictine Mission House are grateful for your interest in our ministries at home and around the world. With your help, we could again provide needed funding for projects of our international Missionary Benedictine family: e.g.: health care, education, renovations of churches, schools, and facilities. The support goes even further as we assist women communities and dioceses, especially in Africa, who collaborate with us in many ways. We reached out to our confreres and the people entrusted to their care who live in regions plaqued by famine due to lack of rain. Father Anastasius reported that our office, thanks to the generosity of so many, disbursed in 2025 almost $3,000,000 for projects and humanitarian aid.
Thank you for your loyal support, friendship and prayers.
The current appeal makes reference to the month of June, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
I therefore researched the Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and found interesting information on Wikipedia. In summary: St. Margaret Mary Alacoque claimed in 1674 that Jesus requested to be honored under the image of his heart, appearing radiant with love. The First Friday Devotions, a practice that is still followed today, became popular. In the early 19th century, the month of June officially was dedicated in honor of the Sacred Heart. Church history shows that Popes Pius IX, Paul VI and John Paul II reiterated to the devotion of the Sacred Heart many times. In the last encyclical letter, Dilexit Nos, shortly before his death in 2025, the late Pope Francis states:
“Mission, as a radiation of the love of the heart of Christ,
requires missionaries who are themselves in love and who, enthralled by Christ,
feel bound to share his love that has changed their lives.”
Dilexit Nos, 209
The Missionary Congregation of St. Ottilien, founded in 1884, and its works were entrusted to the protection of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Thus, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart became the principal feast for our Congregation.
In his coat of arms, Pope Leo XIV, shows a flaming, pierced heart resting on a book, indicating his roots as a member of the Augustinian Order. St. Augustine’s spirituality can be summarized in the famous quote “Restless is our heart, until it finds rest in you, my God!”
In conclusion, let me share with you part of a prayer that Pope Leo gave to us and the world shortly after his election in 2025.
“Lord, I come to your tender heart today,
to you who have words that set my heart ablaze,
to you who pour out compassion on the little ones and the poor,
on those who suffer, and on all human miseries.
Grant all your children the grace of encountering you.
Change, shape and transform our plans,
so that we seek only you in every circumstance:
in prayer, in work, in encounters, and in daily routine.
From this encounter, send us out on mission,
a mission of compassion for the world
in which you are the source from which all consolation flows. Amen.“
Please check out our current appeal!
On behalf of Fr. Anastasius and my confreres, I thank you for your anticipated support as your financial resources permit to help us in providing care at our “mother and child clinics” offered at our hospitals and dispensaries. Care for vulnerable children is critical! Through early diagnoses, diseases can be prevented. Mothers are educated in caring for their children and families. – We entrust you and your loved ones to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Bro. Tobias, O.S.B.
Director of Development
Lenten Appeal
Lent invites us into deeper prayer and gratitude as we reflect on Christ’s journey to Easter. This holy season reminds us to live with joy and spiritual longing, just as St. Benedict encouraged us to prepare our hearts for the Feast of Feasts.
This year’s appeal focuses on the growing needs of House St. Bernard in Kipili, Tanzania — a mission foundation of Holy Spirit Abbey that serves young families and children. As families settle in this beautiful but rapidly changing region, there is a pressing need for a kindergarten and qualified teachers where children can learn, play, and grow in both education and faith.
Kindergarten teachers are urgently needed to help lay a strong foundation for these children’s futures. Your support, through prayer and, if you are able, a financial gift, will help educate teachers, provide nutritious meals, and ensure a safe space for learning and community growth.
Together, we can make a real difference in the lives of the young, the vulnerable, and their families. Thank you for your generosity and for keeping this mission and its people in your prayers.
2025 In Review
Greetings!
I am writing these lines shortly after the Solemnity of the Epiphany when the Church commemorates events of Jesus’ manifestation to the world .
Magi were led by the light of a star to the Newborn in Bethlehem. Before starting out his public ministry, Jesus was baptized by his cousin John at the River Jordan and God’s voice declared: “this is my beloved Son, listen to Him!” The first miracle that Jesus performed was changing water into wine at the wedding feast at Cana.
As I reflect on these stories from Sacred Scripture, I ask myself, “are my eyes open to see the light of the star leading me to Jesus?” We all come up with our unique answers. It is my prayer and hope that we can bring the “Light of Christ” to all the people we encounter in our daily lives. The darkness in the world is overpowered by the light of Christ!
There is a beautiful custom, especially in Europe, when children go from house to house offering a blessing for the inhabitants and then sign the lintel of the door with numbers and letters 20+C+M+B+26
We monks do the house blessing at the monastery on the Eve of Epiphany. The initials can be associated with the names of the three Kings: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar but also with the Latin phrase: Christus Mansionem, Benedicat - that Christ may bless this House in the Year 2026.
This is our wish for you and all your loved ones as we start navigating through the year as it unfolds. We pray for peace, for health, and for protection from any harm, but also that God may shower HIS graces and blessings upon all HIS children, regardless of color or race.
LET US BE A BEACON OF HOPE – A SHINING LIGHT EACH AND EVERY DAY OF 2026
A WORD OF THANKS
You, and so many other friends and supporters gave us Missionary Benedictines a helping hand throughout 2025 as you responded to our various appeals, helping us to build up funds so that we could respond to the applications the mission office received or as requested by the Conference of Mission Procurators:
Appeal Projects and amount raised – thanks to your help!
Our Lenten Appeal assisted us in outreach to graduates of our vocational training centers to give them simple tool kits to start their own careers: $117,761.76
In celebration of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart we asked to help us educate future monastics – sisters, brothers, priests $ 65,269.70
The Novena Appeal in honor of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven dealt with the needs of renovating churches, facilities or building new churches $736,296.84
In commemoration of all the deceased, especially family members and loved ones, you helped us provide funds for training crisis counselors and spiritual directors: $ 66,887.72
At Christmas time, we received through your generosity assistance for any pressing needs and support of our monasteries and convents (as of January 7, 2026) $ 176,537.32
Part of this amount, $9,876.00, helps us with outreach to orphans in our care.
Your contribution brings hope and light!
The grand total in 2025 reached $3,036,053.40
This includes Mass offerings, enrollments in the Mass Association, designated gifts to missions and projects, and bequests.
We are aware of the many obligations that you have and as always, your needs have priority. We pray that the Lord grants you good health, answer your intentions, and shower graces upon you every day of 2026. I assure you that, as promised in the Christmas mailing, the first nine days in January are days of prayer and thanksgiving for your help as we celebrate the daily Holy Mass for you.
Thanks for showing your interest in our work and for reading this long report, giving account of our stewardship in 2025.
On behalf of all the community:
Br. Tobias OSB
Director of Development
The Feast of All Souls
“Let us all rejoice in the Lord, as we celebrate the feast day in honor of all the Saints, at whose festival the Angels rejoice and praise the Son of God.”
Entrance Antiphon at Mass on November 1
The monks of Christ the King Priory not only rejoice in the Festival of All Saints, but we are also aware of our own mortality. Let us recall the lives of those who were part of our pilgrimage through life and have already entered eternity. We pray that they are united with the Risen Christ and, if still in the state of purgation, the grace to see the Creator face-to-face will be granted soon.
The poet and mystic Rumi said: “We are all just walking each other home!” During the Last Supper, Jesus prayed: “Father, those whom you gave me are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me.”
Thank you for walking with us towards our heavenly home and for helping us Missionary Benedictines to bring the love of Christ to all those entrusted to us.
The daily Holy Mass in November will be offered for all your deceased loved ones. May they rest in God’s peace!
On behalf of the community:
Br. Tobias, OSB
All Souls Appeal
As we approach the month of November, dedicated to the memory of the faithful departed, let us celebrate their lives with gratitude to God as we remember our companions through life’s journey.
In November, the daily Holy Mass at Christ the King Priory – Benedictine Mission House will be celebrated for the souls of all the deceased. God knows their names!
Honor a loved one with a donation in support of our ministries, especially educating future spiritual directors or counselors. Read our current appeal at www.missionmonks.org Our loving God knows the names of all the deceased!
Monks who served in Schuyler during our 90 years’ history, found their final resting place at the Abbey of Muensterschwarzach, Germany.
Confreres buried in our cemetery overlooking the Platte Valley are:
Br. Felix Meckel, O.S.B. + January 27, 1980
Br. Henry-Libory Hartlief, O.S.B. + March 9, 1990
Br. Innocent Rudloff, O.S.B. + August 12, 1990
Br. Alphonse Kraklauer, O.S.B. + February 2, 1994
Br. Andrew Fuller. O.S.B. + October 5, 2025
May all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.