Br. Maximilian Kenny, O.S.B., Joins Monastery

Br. Maximilian Kenny, O.S.B., who came to Saint Joseph Abbey nearly a year ago, officially transferred his vow of stability here Sunday evening from Assumption Abbey, a Benedictine monastery located in Richardton, N.D. The short ceremony was held during vespers in the Abbey Church.

 Br. Maximilian took his temporary vows at Assumption on March 21, 2018. He said the balance of work and prayer, a long sense of general calling, and the communal aspect led him toward the monastic life. Since arriving at Saint Joseph Abbey last April he has worked in the library, the gift shop, and in the MonkSoap shop.

 “I owe a sincere thanks to Abbot Justin and the brethren here for giving me the opportunity and support to give Saint Joseph Abbey a try,” he said. “A transfer is always a vulnerable thing early on, even in the best of circumstances, but they were there for me in a big way from day one, and I’ll always be grateful for that. It’s a loving and open community that took me in very quickly.”

 A native of Minot, N.D., Br. Maximilian attended two years of college at the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D., and two years in seminary at Saint John Vianney in St. Paul, Minn. He returned to the University of Mary for his final year, receiving a bachelor’s degree in university studies with emphasis on theology and philosophy. He has also studied languages, including German, Latin, and Attic Greek.

 His father, Rodney, is of Ukrainian and Polish descent, and his mother, Brenda, is of German and Norwegian descent. Both are painters and sculptors and met in art school in Minot. He said his mother mostly does rosemaling (a Norwegian folk art), watercolors and iconography, while his father creates murals in oil. Br. Maximilian, too, has an artistic side.

He said he developed a love for the works of Van Gogh, Klimt, and Monet early in life. “I tried to rebel against my parents as a teenager and reject that part of my life for a while, but the seeds they planted stuck, and I’m getting back into it more and more as the years go on,” he said.

 “I do paint some, but my primary artistic outlet is music,” he added. “At one time I was a bass player in a couple rock bands. I also play the saxophone.”

 Br. Maximilian said he is adjusting well to the Southern way of life, to Louisiana, and to Saint Joseph Abbey. He especially likes the cooking.

 “And the hospitality here is really something special,” he added.