Ryan Michalesko (Southern Illinois University Carbondale)
Brotherhood of Fathers
Award of Excellence
Domestic Picture Story
Located deep in the backwoods of central Illinois, a monastery of the Community of Saint John houses a handful of brothers – those who have given lifelong vows to the church. While most monasteries have a specific task, such as beer or bread making, this property serves as a house of formation. This is where young men take their first steps to becoming Brothers in the order. The brothers pray over five hours daily – eating and working in silence in between.
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Brother Emmanuel prays in the common area outside the St. Joseph's Priory chapel.
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Fr. Hugh-Mary talks with Felicity Vostatek, 3, during a period of downtime on Thursday of Holy Week. The brothers welcomed several families onto the property for the annual Easter celebration.
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Brother Emmanuel mops the chapel, one of the daily chores taken on. Chores at the monastery mirror those in any home – washing dishes, lawn mowing and mopping floors. Side by side the brothers and postulants spend two to three hours each afternoon doing physical labor, just one of the many encounters old and young have daily.
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As Fr. Joseph Mary drives one of the Monastery's few vehicles, a prayer card of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux – who is the patron of novices – lays in the dashboard.
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Brothers Josef, left, Hugh-Mary, and Emmanuel eat dinner as the setting sun casts golden light into the Monastery's dining area. The brothers eat and work in silence, speaking only when required – the most talking encountered is in the chapel during Mass and the prayer offices.
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Brother Josef prays before eating dinner. Josef is an oblate of the Community of St. John, meaning he is dedicated to a religious life, but never took full monastic vows.
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Brothers Joseph Mary, left, Hugh-Mary, Arnaud-Charbel, and John-Luke make final preparations for the Easter Vigil in the Sacristy, an area typically off limits where priests get ready for Mass.
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A candle-lit procession makes its way into the Chapel during the Easter Vigil Mass. The late night service lasted nearly three hours.