SPECIAL TO THE MESSAGE
The Benedictine monks at St. Meinrad Archabbey in St. Meinrad celebrated the priesthood ordination jubilees of six of their confreres on May 26.
Honored were Father Vincent Tobin, Father Augustine Davis and Father Lambert Reilly, 60 years; Father Eugene Hensell and Father Raymond Studzinski, 50 years; and Father Godfrey Mullen, rector of St. Benedict Cathedral Parish in Evansville, 25 years.
Honored were Fr. Vinvent Tobin, Fr. Augustine Davis and Fr. Lambert Reilly, 60 years; Fr. Eugene Hensell and Fr. Raymond Studzinski, 50 years; and Fr. Godfrey Mullen, 25 years.
Father Vincent Tobin is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He professed his vows as a Benedictine monk on July 31, 1954. He graduated in 1956 from St. Meinrad College with a bachelor’s degree in history and earned a baccalaureate in sacred theology from The Catholic University of America in 1960.
He also earned degrees at St. Louis University (MA, 1965), St. Meinrad School of Theology (MDiv, 1974) and Gregorian University Institute of Spirituality (STL, 1979), and did post-graduate work at Georgetown University and New York University.
He was ordained to the priesthood on May 11, 1959.
Father Vincent taught at St. Meinrad’s high school and college. He also served as dean of students and vice-rector at St. Meinrad College, as well as spiritual director and director of the summer vocational institute.
He also served three years as novice master at St. Meinrad, one year as novice master at St. Benedict Center (now Abbey) in Still River, Massachusetts, and three years as prior-administrator and novice master at St. Mark’s Priory in South Union, Kentucky.
Father Vincent was the founding director of the Midwest Association of Spiritual Directors and founding president of the National Federation of Spiritual Directors.
For 18 years, he taught Greek at the Gregorian University in Rome, and for 19 years taught Greek and Latin at Sant’ Anselmo in Rome. He was secretary general of the university for 16 years and Roman procurator generator of the Swiss American, American Cassinese and Brazilian congregations.
He returned to St. Meinrad in 2005 to serve as manager of the newly built Archabbey Guest House and Retreat Center. Father Vincent currently does spiritual direction and serves as chaplain for Guest Services.
Father Augustine Davis is a native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. After graduating from St. Patrick’s Catholic School in Cedar Rapids, he came to St. Meinrad to study for the priesthood.
He took his vows as a Benedictine monk on July 31, 1954, and was ordained a priest on May 11, 1959. In 1964, he earned a master of arts in industrial arts at Indiana State University.
His first assignment was as assistant director, disciplinarian and instructor at St. Placid Hall, a high school for boys interested in becoming Benedictine brothers. When the school closed in 1966, he was assigned to San Benito Priory in Peru, where he taught math, physics and religion.
After the 1970 earthquake in Peru, he became the priory’s director of reconstruction and physical facilities. In 1979, Father Augustine returned to St. Meinrad, where he served as physical facilities director until 1986. He then served 10 years as pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in South Pittsburgh, Tennessee, and as overseer of a 600-acre beef farm.
Other assignments have included mail delivery, house prefect and director of Spanish ministry.
He currently resides in the monastery infirmary.
Father Lambert Reilly is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He professed his monastic vows on Aug. 15, 1956, and was ordained on September 20, 1959. He has a bachelor’s degree from St. Vincent College, Latrobe, Pennsylvania; earned two master’s degrees from St. Meinrad School of Theology; and has a master’s degree from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.
Father Lambert taught Latin in the seminary at St. Meinrad following his ordination. He also taught at Penn State University and Mount Sacred Heart College in Connecticut. Then he held a number of positions in the monastery and was Parochial Vicar at St. Mary Parish in Huntingburg.
He has been engaged in retreat work and parish missions for more than 50 years. He was a frequent retreat master for Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in the United States and India.
In 1995, he was elected archabbot of the monastic community and served until 2004. He
currently continues his retreat work for bishops, priests, religious and laity across the United States.
He is the author of two books: “Because There Is Jesus” and “Latin Sayings for Spiritual Growth.”
Father Eugene Hensell is a native of Logansport, Indiana. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 24, 1969, and professed his vows as a Benedictine monk on Aug. 6, 1979.
He earned Master’s and doctoral degrees in Biblical languages and literature from
St. Louis University and a Master of Divinity from St. Meinrad School of Theology.
Father Eugene taught Scripture for eight years at two St. Louis colleges, Notre Dame College and Fontbonne College. In 1979, he began teaching at St. Meinrad. He served as dean of students at St. Meinrad College from 1982-84, and as provost and vice-rector from 1982-87.
From 1987 to 1996, he served as president-rector of St. Meinrad College and St. Meinrad School of Theology. He is an associate professor of Scripture for the Seminary and School of Theology.
Since 1997, Father Eugene has been engaged in full-time retreat work, conducting biblical retreats and workshops for priests, religious, and laity throughout the country and in several foreign countries.
Father Eugene is a member of the Catholic Biblical Association, The Society of Biblical Literature, and The American Academy of Religion. He is a past president of The American Benedictine Academy.
For the past 20 years, Father Eugene has been a contributing writer for “Weekday and Sunday Homily Helps,” a service published by St. Anthony Messenger Press. He contributes book reviews to “The Catholic Biblical Quarterly,” “The Review of Biblical Literature,” “Cistercian Studies” and other scholarly journals. He also is an associate editor for “The American Benedictine Review.”
Father Raymond Studzinski is a native of Detroit, Michigan. He professed his vows as a Benedictine monk on Aug. 15, 1964, and was ordained to the priesthood on Sept. 28, 1969.
After graduating from St. Meinrad College in 1966 and St. Meinrad School of Theology in 1970, he earned a Master’s in religious studies from Indiana University in 1973 and a Ph.D. in historical theology from Fordham University in 1977.
He served as assistant professor at St. Meinrad School of Theology from 1973 to 1977 and then served as a chaplain in Colorado for two years.
In 1981, he began teaching at The Catholic University of America, where he currently is associate professor of spirituality in the School of Theology and Religious Studies. He is the author of two books and numerous journal articles.
Father Godfrey Mullen is a native of Alton, Illinois. He attended St. Meinrad College, earning a BA degree in history in 1988. He professed his vows as a Benedictine monk on Aug. 6, 1989.
After completing his priesthood studies at St. Meinrad School of Theology in 1994, he was ordained a priest on June 5, 1994. He earned a Ph.D. in liturgical studies in 2003 from The Catholic University of America.
Father Godfrey served as associate pastor of Evansville’s St. Benedict Parish (now St. Benedict Cathedral Parish) in 1994-95. He then became choirmaster for the monastery, dean of lay ministry and associate director of supervised ministry at St. Meinrad School of Theology.
Other school assignments have included director of supervised ministry, director of continuing education and the Church Leadership Center, director of the Permanent Deacon Formation Program, director of Group Accommodations, director of liturgy, associate formation dean, director of sabbaticals, director of the “One Bread, One Cup” program, and vice-rector.
He served as pastor of St. Mary Parish in Huntingburg, from 2012 to 2013. He is currently an assistant professor of sacramental and liturgical theology at St. Meinrad and, since 2013, has been rector of St. Benedict Cathedral Parish.
He also served the Diocese of Evansville as a member of the Priest Council, and currently serves as dean of the South Deanery and administrator pro tempore of Resurrection Church, Evansville.