ABBOT LADILAS K. PARKER, O. PRAEM. By John Janaro Night has fallen and the cross of the Abbey church nearly touches the stars of the evening sky. There are only the sounds of a waterfall in the garden and the soft footsteps of men in white robes entering the church from either side. The hour is Compline, and the members of the community of St. Michael's Abbey are gathering to thank the Lord for the blessings of the day and to ask Him for a restful night. Inside the church, the silence is penetrated harmoniously by the lifting of voices in song. As they chant the psalms of the Divine Office, these priests meditate on a calling which has linked their destiny to the community of this Abbey and to the Order of Premontre. "" (Ps. 26:12). This Order takes its character from St. Norbert, its founder, who in the 12th century had a vision of a community of priests living both the prayer life of monks and the preaching and teaching life of apostles. It is a life founded on an attitude of continual conversion of heart through prayer and penance, a conversion that flows forth from each member and nourishes a genuine and continuous renewal of the entire People of God. On this night at St. Michael's Abbey, one is struck by the sense of the timeless value of this commitment; it is constant and at the same time uniquely relevant to the situations in which it is brought to bear. The scene could be medieval France, 17th century Austria, or 20th century Hungary. But instead, by virtue of the call of God and the dedicated cooperation of a handful of men, the vision of St. Norbert thrives here at the foot of the Santa Ana mountains in California and stretches forth over Orange County, Los Angeles, and the whole of the United States of America. "" (Ps. 101:2). Among the brethren of St. Michael's, there is one who stands alone in responsibility; the one who is called- with reverence and affection-Father Abbot. Father Ladislas K. Parker is a man whose distinctive qualities shine forth whether he is in the choir, in the refectory, or walking the Abbey grounds. Fr. Parker radiates sensitivity, devotion, and courage, embodying the history and destiny of an Abbey that reflects in itself the drama of the 20th century- the endurance of the Gospel against both the atheism of the East and the materialism of the West. "" (Jer. 25:32). The Holy Spirit would shape Fr. Parker's life so that it would manifest the peace of Christ in the midst of turmoil. Therefore it was not ironic that his life should begin in the middle of a war that shook Europe to its foundations. Ladislas Parker was born in the Empire of Austria-Hungary on December 19,1915. His father was a farmer and wine grower by trade, but circumstances had made him-like his entire generation-a soldier in the army of Emperor Franz Joseph. Ladislas would never know his father, who was killed in what the people of the day called "the Great War," a victim of the senselessness of man's rebellion against God and the hatred and conflicts that are its fruits. Nevertheless, Ladislas did know a peaceful childhood. Though he was the first and only child, his mother did not remarry; instead his grandparents came to their farm in West Hungary-very near the Austrian border. His grandfather, a blacksmith, provided the family with an income against the day when Ladislas would manage the vineyard for himself. His career, it seemed, was determined, but Ladislas began to show signs very early that the Lord was drawing him to His own vineyard. "" (Jer. 1:9). At age 5, his mother would take him to church and the young boy would be fascinated by the style and manner of the preacher. Back at home, Mother would turn the kitchen stool upside down, like a pulpit, and place little Ladislas inside, where he would imitate the gestures and expressions of the priest giving a sermon. Here already was the beginning of Ladislas's deep appreciation of priestly service. When he grew older, he served at the altar early in the morning every day, even during the summer. On Sundays his grandfather, prayerbook and hymnal in hand, would beam with pride as he watched his grandson's meticulous devotion in assisting the priest. Ladislas loved to serve Mass, and in retrospect he is convinced that a longing for the priesthood was subconsciously present in that love, even while he was a small boy. As he grew, the longing became recognizable to him, and by the age of eleven he was convinced that he wanted to be a priest himself, yet he kept this conviction secret-he was, after all, being prepared to manage a farm. "" (Ps. 119:147). The family spoke German, and it seemed wise to his grandparents that Ladislas go to school in Budapest so that he could learn Hungarian and thus be more successful in the new post-war Hungarian Republic of which he was now a citizen. While in Budapest, however, one of his teachers saw in Ladislas a profound potential for learning, particularly in the areas of languages, history, and religion. The teacher came home with Ladislas after that year, and met with his mother and grandparents. He was able to convince them that Ladislas would be wasting his potential on the farm, that he belonged in the gymnasium (high school) of the Norbertine fathers. His grandfather, remembering the diligence and faith of Ladislas at the altar of God, saw the will of the Holy Spirit in this advice. "We will find another way to manage the vineyard," he said with resignation, and Ladislas set out for high school and the discovery of the charism of St. Norbert, a vision that would correspond to and reveal more fully the secret hope he held in his own heart. At high school, Ladislas excelled in studies and proved himself a leader among his classmates. At the same time he saw a unique quality in the priests who were his teachers; the devotion they showed for him and his peers was an inspiration, and reflected an aspect of the priestly ministry that is particularly Norbertine-working with the youth. "" (Mk. 9:37). Though still young himself, Ladislas grasped the essential element of this mission; he realized the importance of youth both for the country and the Church, and the corresponding importance of forming them correctly-teaching them the truths of the Gospel and the world that God has created. Priest and teacher-this was the emerging ambition of young Ladislas. By his sophomore year in high school he had made up his mind to join the Order of Premontre, embracing the eight hundred year tradition of St. Norbert. He told no one of his decision, but soon it was no longer necessary to reveal his intention, for all who knew him could see that he was headed in that direction; the students who elected Ladislas student body president in his senior year fully expected that one day he would sit on the other side of the classroom desk. Therefore it surprised no one that, on August 9,1935-the Feast of the Transfiguration- Ladislas Parker entered the Abbey of St. Michael at Csorna as a novice. The Abbey at Csorna was almost as old as the Order itself, having been founded in 1180 and having endured a good deal of secular interference, suppression, and political upheaval. "The Lord is my Rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer" (Ps 18:2). At this time the Abbot was Ladislas's former high school principal, and the novice's career seemed as though it would follow along the same academic lines as he had pursued in high school. The Abbot was determined that Ladislas would do graduate study in German and Latin literature in preparation for teaching in his old high school. This direction, however, changed abruptly -- in a way that would prove to be much more significant than anyone could have imagined at the time. The Abbot General of the Order in Rome had noted with concern that only one member of the Csorna Abbey was pursuing theological study in a Roman university. He indicated that St. Michael's should send at least one more candidate to Rome. Viewing the intellectual promise of Ladislas, who had just taken simple vows and completed his philosophy in 1937, the Abbot of Csorna decided that Ladislas should postpone his advanced studies in literature and pursue theology at the Gregorian university. "" (Mt. 24:35). In theology Ladislas discovered a lifelong love. After his first year of study he begged the Abbot to allow him to specialize in theology instead of literature, and the Abbot agreed. Ladislas found himself exploring the richness of the mysteries of the faith, and in so doing he also found a new dimension to his vocation. The Norbertine life bas its basis in community prayer, and its activity should be the fruit of the contemplation that is fostered by the monastic tradition. Theology deepened Ladislas's appreciation of his faith, and with this came a thirst for prayer and union with God. The community life reflected the life of the whole Church, a life steeped in the offering of Jesus to the Father, drawing all men to Himself. Thus Ladislas saw his vocation taking root in the community liturgy and the chanting of the Divine Office; and by solemn profession in 1939 he was forever linked to his brethren at St. Michael's Abbey in Csorna. He had already developed a profound sense of the relationship between his own vocation and the vitality of that bond. A year later, on August 20, Ladislas K. Parker was ordained priest in the Abbey of Csorna. He returned to Rome for two more years of study culminating in his reception of the doctorate of Sacred Theology, , in 1943. He then returned to the Abbey and immediately found himself in a leadership role, teaching Moral Theology, Metaphysics, and Ethics, and-within a year-taking on the duties of novice master. These were times of relative freedom for the Church in Hungary. Of course, a hideous threat had darkened the face of Europe, and war had descended once again upon her people. Hungary was allied with the vicious regime of Adolph Hitler during the war, but for political rather than ideological reasons. Meanwhile the Germans themselves did not gain real power in Hungary, and the Church was spared from the worst of the Nazi brutalities. Nevertheless the Church and the Gospel needed strong defenders and courageous apostles, and Fr. Parker was keenly aware of the challenge this presented to the teaching apostolate. It was a Norbertine tradition to educate men for the work of evangelization, and Fr. Parker and his Abbey made this their goal. Already in Hungary, graduates of Csorna's educational formation were displaying the light of truth in a variety of services to the Church both inside and outside of the Order. Fr. Parker remembers in particular one diocesan pastor-educated at the Abbey in the early part of the century-who was noteworthy for his effectiveness, steadfastness, and zeal. Joseph Mindzenty's qualities would soon bring him to the episcopate and the College of Cardinals, and would also prepare him for the trials that lay ahead, trials that neither he nor Fr. Parker could have anticipated. "