Joseph Wagner professes first vows
Monday, January 22, 2018
Novice Joseph Wagner professed his temporary vows as a Benedictine monk in a ceremony on January 20, 2018, at Saint Meinrad Archabbey, St. Meinrad, IN.
He has completed his novitiate, a year of prayer and study of the Benedictine way of life. As is the custom during the profession of vows, he chose a religious name. Novice Joseph is now Br. Stanley.
Br. Stanley, 30, of Quincy, IL, attended high school at Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago. He earned a bachelor's degree in history from Quincy University and a master's degree in liturgical studies from University of St. Mary of the Lake. He was a member of St. Aloysius Parish in Springfield, IL.
Before joining the monastery, he was a high school teacher at St. Anthony High School in Effingham, IL, and an archivist for the Illinois Secretary of State.
Temporary vows are typically for three years. This period offers a continuing opportunity for the monk and the monastic community to determine whether monastic life is, indeed, the right vocation for this individual.