A Message from the Director: Father Geoffrey Fecht, O.S.B. Reflecting on the Nairobi Experience

Project Untold: Capturing Life’s Moments

Written by Tyler Johnson (2021-2022 BVC) about Joseph Pieschel (2021-2022 BVC)

We BVC alumni probably all wish we could return to our site for some duration of time and live the monastic rhythm and schedule of ora et labora once again. Joe Pieschel (SJU ‘21) recently had this opportunity.

After being told he would be spending his year of service in India & Sri Lanka he (like many-a-BVCer) was thrown a curveball and ended up splitting his service time in Rome and Tabgha. Following his year as a volunteer, Joe returned to Saint John’s, working in the university’s Advancement Office and living as part of the inaugural “New Jerusalem” community. After a little over a year, something about the “magic” of the BVC had him longing for more. Br. Paul often says “I’m not sure what it is, but something happens to each volunteer during their year of service that profoundly changes their life”. Pieschel describes this magic to be “the structure of the day which provides the space to let your light shine and the time to connect with others in community”. So, in (TIME), Joe returned to Tabgha to serve once again.

Approaching his return to Tabgha, Joe set some clear goals about what he wanted to emphasize this time around. For one, he wanted formation of relationships with the monks and visitors in the community to be paramount. He wanted to get serious about learning German (the common language of the monks and those working at Beit Noah), and did, citing post-meal conversations and intentionality during prayer as catalysts for his language acquisition. This new direction led Joe to some profound encounter and reflection. At the forefront of his mind during this time was the stark contrast between the kindness, empathy, and humanity exhibited by all at Beit Noah amidst the backdrop of the soulless, Israel-Palestine conflict. “I just felt as if we were sharing our humanity with all – friends and strangers – in a place where humanity was ignored. I looked into faces full of love in an atmosphere of hate.”

During his first period in Tabgha, Joe spent a large amount of time and creative energy to create a short film titled The Spirit of Beit Noah (linked here). Joe believes that “art [film] has the ability to capture humanity at its purest and finest”. In the film, Joe captures what makes Beit Noah such a special place: the human compassion and Christ-like love shown and reciprocated by all. However, the methodology that Joe employed to capture and create this (and other) content is where the true beauty of the artistic process lies. “When I am filming, it is important for me to capture first, then create. I don’t have everything, sometimes anything, planned out.”, says Pieschel. The idea is that, much like in life, if you approach a project with too specific a plan, you may be blind to where the real art, story, or path lies.

So, Joe would always keep his camera close, typically hanging around his neck, but his vision wide. “If we are always looking through a manufactured lens, who knows what we are missing?” Joe’s film philosophy and newfound volunteer goals were exemplified during one moment of “punctum”, a term Br. Luke Mancuso uses in his film classes to describe a small, distinct moment that pierces through the screen and into the viewer’s heart. One evening, Joe agreed to a post-dinner coffee with one of the caregivers at Beit Noah. She began storytelling about why her work is so special and important to her life, citing the recent death of a patient and the overpowering effect it had on her life. Joe, fully engaged in the conversation, had been recording with permission since the start. He wasn’t looking for anything in particular and this was no interview, but what resulted was simply beautiful. His camera, not Joe as he was so engaged in the human conversation, captured a near-perfect shot of a single tear running down this woman’s cheek, again personifying the beauty in humanity that is cultivated by those at Beit Noah amidst a backdrop of war and human evil.

Joe has recently returned to Minnesota from his second volunteer stint and some international travel. He finds himself in a familiar but always uncomfortable time of discernment. While unsure about his next steps, his experience in the BVC gives him the confidence that his moment of “punctum” will reveal itself soon. Just like his film process, his “camera” is ready, but he remains open to a plan that is not entirely his own. If we can keep faith in these “in between moments”, things just seem to fall into place. If we choose to have a wide gaze, rather than staring through the lens, we become the camera that sees everything without prejudice. Or the microphone that hears everything without judgement. The hope is that the heart can do the same.

Current Volunteer Feature: Preston Parks

I would like to start by thanking the Benedictine Volunteer Corps for the incredible opportunity to spend a year in Rome. This experience has been a true blessing, and I will cherish it for the rest of my life. Working in the library has been an amazing experience, as it has allowed me to get to know not only those who are part of our community but also the wonderful students who study at Sant’ Anselmo. I love checking in with them, seeing how their work is progressing, and learning more about the topics they are studying.

I have also been blessed with the opportunity to continue my musical career. After singing with the Saint John’s Men’s Chorus, I was fortunate to join the schola choir here. Singing with them and learning from monastic members who have dedicated significant time to the study of Gregorian chant has been an enriching experience, furthering my musical education. Additionally, I had the incredible opportunity to sing with both the schola choir and the Vatican choir during Ash Wednesday, an experience I will always treasure.

Beyond music, I have been able to pursue my educational interests. Back in August, I was privileged to attend a psychology conference, where I was one of only a few college-aged individuals among 1,500 attendees. It was an invaluable experience to learn from experts in the field. The conference focused on suicidology—the study of suicide—and public health, combining the best insights from psychology with the latest developments in pharmacology to explore promising treatments for public-sector use.

In addition to these opportunities, my work in the library has provided me with the chance to dedicate more time to reading, something I wish I had done more of during my college years at SJU. I have rediscovered my love for reading and frequently find myself coming back to the library at the end of the day to pick up a new book to bring back to my room.

This year has also given me the opportunity to connect not only with people from Sant’ Anselmo but also with community members from Saint Paul’s Outside the Walls and from Subiaco, including both the Sacro Speco—where St. Benedict spent three years as a hermit—and Sant’ Scholastica, one of the oldest Benedictine monasteries. While all are Benedictine communities, each monastery has its own unique identity, utilizing its strengths and differences in various ways. My time here has revealed to me the beauty of true community life. Each monastery has its own way of living together, yet there is a common familiarity in their prayers and practices. At Sant’ Anselmo, I have come to understand both the hardships and the beauty of monastic life, particularly how to live in a community that isn’t always “set in stone” but is instead constantly evolving. It has shown me how the universal Church can truly thrive in such an environment. A monastery is a family, and just like with siblings at home, there will be disagreements. However, in the end, you hope that they will be there for you at your lowest moments and lift you up at your highest.

I don’t have many traditionally “fun” or “exciting” stories of nights out in Rome with other volunteers, but what I do have is an abundance of experiences that have helped me grow as an individual. Being part of this community has given me a deeper understanding of both the beauty and the challenges of monastic life. Disagreements among monastics and even among us as volunteers have required me to develop new ways of interacting and building relationships, even with those I may not always agree with. One of the fathers here, with whom I frequently go on “coffee-walks” (exactly what it sounds like—we walk to a favorite coffee shop and then continue our walk around Rome), shared a piece of wisdom that has shaped my perspective on handling these challenges. He told me that monastic life fosters the ability to freely love others while recognizing our differences. Living in a community, especially a large one, means encountering a wide variety of personalities, which can sometimes lead to conflict. However, fostering a healthy community requires obedience—not in the sense of blind submission, but in the understanding that each individual is part of something greater than themselves. Only by embracing this truth can one fully give themselves to the love that binds a community together.

Beastmode: Ian Aadland and Ethan Sturm-Smith Conquer Kilimanjaro Marathon

“Run on the path of God’s commandments, never swerving, but radiating with love so that, never failing, you may reach Him.” (Prologue 49)

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