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ELKHORN-Last year Mark
Theisen was involved in a
frenzied life of activities as a
University student. In his first
year on the Lincoln campuses
he was in Centennial College,
joined a fraternity, was actively
involved in the Vietnam
Moratorium and capped the
year off by trying to keep the
May anti-war prstests
constructive in his position as
ASUN second vice-president.
However, this year the
20-year old Theisen is living in
a different world, although it is
only 45 miles northeast of
Lincoln.
In July he left the
University to enter Mount
Michael Abbey, a Benedictine
monastery near the town of
1,200.
Why did Theisen leave his
activist life at the University
for the life of solitude of a
monastery?
"I'M TRYING TO get my
thoughts together here to see
what I want to get active
about," he explained.
"I'm not convinced 1 want
to be a monk, but I wanted to
see if I could enjoy this type of
life. I'm enjoying it now, but I
don't know what I'll do when I
have to make a commitment."
Currently the Norfolk
native is a "novice" at the
monastery and is undergoing a
12-month probationary period.
During this trial period he does
not take the Benedictine vows,
such as celibacy, poverty and
obedience, but is expected to
follow the monastic life style.
)
Although he was only at the
University for a year, Theisen
said it was a "great experience"
since he was exposed to all
types of people and involved in
many activities. One of those
activities was student
government.
In April he was elected
ASUN second vice-president on
the Tiwald ticket and then in
May the anti-war protests hit
the campus. He said the
ASUN executives' main
concern was to try to keep the
protests peaceful. "We tried to
make something constructive
out of chaos," he added.
After the student strike he
was actively involved in the
academic reform movement
that arose from the idea of the
New University.
"RIGHT NOW. I'm just
trying to discover myself."
Theisen said of his choice to
enter the monastery. And the
monastery offers him a good
opportunity to do so. Noting
that he has few worries, this
year Theisen said he could
enjoy some of the simple
things of life such as walking
along the nearby Elkhorn River
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or watching the sun set.
"The atmosphere here is
relaxed and there are no
pressures," he remarked. "I
have a lot of time to think and
read which I didn't have last
year. You also get a chance to
get to know some very
interesting people here."
Theisen also doesn't have to
worry about making money or
paying bills. Mount Michael,
run on a communal basis,
provides for all the men's living
and educational expenses.
Although he has ambitions
to become a priest, his religious
beliefs are in a state of flux and
are anything but dogmatic. He
admitted that he rarely
attended church last year while
at the University. The
monastery encourages the
novices to follow their own
conscience and when Theisen
talks about religion he speaks
about religions of the East as
much as Catholicism.
CALLING HIMSELF a
humanist and pantheist,
Theisen said, "I consider
myself a Catholic, but a
Catholic who believes in the
ideals that Christ taught."
Theisen is no stranger to
Elkhorn since he attended four
years of high school and one
year of junior college here-all
in Benedictine schools.
This year at the monastery
his school life is limited to
three informal classes on
monastic life.
Theiscn's typical day also
includes four prayer periods
and various work chores
around the monastery and the
nearby high school which he
attended. He said much of the
work of the monastery is tied
with running the high school,
noting that he serves as the
school's debate coach.
Theiscn's life at Mount
Michael is anything but
cloistered as he frequently
travels to Lincoln and Omaha.
Noting how the church is
changing, he said his four years
of high school here were "more
restrictive" than his life at the
monastery this year.
He plans to begin studies
this fall at Creighton
University, to study
communication and education.
"One thing you notice here
is that there are 40 people here
who arc having a good time
doing their own thing," he
said. "Even if I don't stay, this
has really been a great
experience."
PAGE 2
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 1971
