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A Glimpse into the Life of Abbot Pennings

The Finale

Sitting at Desk.jpg

For the most part Abbot Pennings lived a very healthy and quality life. He was known to sleep well, eat well, and smoke well. In general he had very few health problems but did however spend six weeks at St. Vincent's hospital for a broken rib where he was known to be the ideal patient, always joking. Yet in a particularly bitter winter in March, Abbot Pennings fell ill with a bad cold which quickly progressed into pneumonia. Five days later Pennings had passed away. This shocked not only the proximal community of St. Norbert College but also reached as far as his original home of the Berne Abbey in the Netherlands. (van Stratum)

Masses were held separately for the students of the St. Norbert College, High School, grade school and other non students of the college. As expected, many people from near and far gathered to the quaint little church on to commemorate their lost leader and friend. Abbot Pennings was originally buried in the Mount Calvary Cemetery in De Pere but four years later was transferred to the St. Norbert Abbey Cemetery and now his body lays in a crypt of St. Joseph within the Abbey walls. (van Stratum)  

Abbot Pennings in his casket.jpg
The Cyrpt Museum at the St. Norbert Abbey

http://stnorbabbeycryptmuseum.omeka.net/