A place of peace near Schuyler

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - The St. Benedict Center is a retreat facility near Schuyler where you can stay overnight, or just come for a visit to see the unique exhibits.

St. Benedict Center is a ministry of the Catholic Missionary Benedictine community of Christ the King Priory. At the center, you can walk side by side with monks who reside there. The facility also welcomes both overnight and day only accommodations for everything from business meetings to someone looking to simply find time alone.

We caught up with Father Thomas Leitner to talk about the St. Benedict Center.

“As you walk into the center, you will see a mural of the story of the Road to Emmaus,” Leitner said. Jesus is seen in this mural with the disciples. He is with them, and teaches them. To the right you see skyscrapers of our time. People are sitting around a candle, opening their heart to God, and this means that Emmaus can happen again, and that’s what a retreat center can do, is people can encounter God again.”

To the left of the mural, visitors will find several new interactive displays.

“One is the heritage edition of the St. John’s Bible, which was donated to us by a benefactor,” Leitner said. “Donald Jackson is the artistic director of the St. John’s Bible. He lives in England, and is fabulous scribe. He gathered a team of artists, and they hand-wrote the Bible on 1,150 pages. They put more than 160 major illuminations on the pages. There is a reading rail here, showing the tools of illumination. You can also look at a page from the St. John’s Bible in a slider interactive, and appreciate all of the details and the design. There is an interactive kiosk where you can look at all of the pages of the St. John’s Bible digitally. And finally, there is a prayer and mediation area itself. There, you’ll see the seven volumes of the St. John’s Bible in glass cases.”

In the lobby, you will see more art work. You can also learn the story of the world-wide missionary work of the Catholic Missionary Benedictine community.

“There is also a gift shop here,” Leitner said. “And walking into the center, the architecture is really sacred. Outside, you will find a wonderful lake, and a statue of Benedict with his arms outstretched. St. Benedict Center is a big facility with 60 guest rooms and 100 beds. One can come here for a visit. But you can come by yourself for a retreat. Finally, business groups or crafting groups are also welcome here.”

“My prayer is that if someone comes to the retreat center, and gets a sense of how things fit together in his or her life, how things happen for a reason sometimes in our lives, then it was worthwhile that they came for a visit or a retreat,” Leitner said.

For more information on the St. Benedict Center, check out the website at christthekingpriory.com, or just Google “St. Benedict Center.”

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