An encounter with a saint.

At the time I lived in Anaheim. My best friend Arch and I planned a trip to a Monastary. He arrived late and we jumped onto his Honda and head out to Capistrano, Cailfornia, where the swallows make their annual run. It was cold and the bike was not large. We seemed to take forever to get to a place that was not really very far.

We finally reach Capistrano. We looked for a Monastary, but there was nothing there. We went to the place where the birds arrived but the man looked at Arch and I as if we looked like Peter the Hermit and Walter the pennyless arriving at the Byzantine gate. He suggested we head to Carlsbad. I remenbered from my stint in the Corps that I had beem there many years earlier.

Well now Arch and I headed to Carlsbad. It had to be well after Midnight when we pulled up the long acending driveway to the Monestary. It looked like a Monestaty and knowing that they were Benedictine's, I thought we just might get admitted. Arch was in the early stages of a debilitateting disease. He was an incredible person.

The Guest master answered the door. He was older than us and greated us with a smile. He asked us if we were hungry and took us to the kitchen where we made peanut and jelly sandwiches. Getting out of the cold and being in a warm building made me feel better. I drove in the front of the bike and took most of the wind. After the kitchen he escorted us to a small room where we could sleep. I knew my friend was suicidal and I hope as I drifted off to sleep, hopeing I had done the right thing, bringing him there..

The next morning we woke up and went to the eating area and ate. I took Arch to the stations of the cross on top of the hill above the Monastary. I am a Catholic and Arch was a meeting Quaker. He seemed depressed. Suddenly I could hear shooting below the Monastary. It turned out there was a firing range below the Monastary on the bottom of the hill. I prayed he would not get depressed.

A monk appeared and asked Arch if he wanted to help him with the bee hives. They left and I was glad Arch was helping the monk and he would be thinking of the bees.

Lunch time came and went and the monks had waited on us hand and foot. I could not believe the service we received.

Dinner came, I had bought my usual amount books and medals. After dinner Arch he had offered us up for dish washing. Arch and I did that professionally in Santa Monica so I thought we could handle it.

While we were working in the kitchen, a monk dressed in khaki clothing, kind of reminded me of a Japanese gardner my dad had as I was growing up, came over and asked us to help him after dinner. He needed some one to help with his duties after hours. As we stepped outside the Monastary he asked me if I had ever met the Pope. No I answered. He introduced me to a kid whos last name was Pope. He was AWOL from his parents and Brother would bring him home later.

We piled into his truck and headed out. First stop was at a grocery store. He asked us if we had any money. Arch produced a 20 dollar bill. I only had 5 dollars. Arch blurted out "The usual Randles split" We went into the store and he asked me what food would or should he buy for mexicans? I pointed out a number of items. Patillos, corm tortillas, corn
sauces, chips etc.we were in the store for a long time and brought the cart loaded up to the counter. At checkout it looked to me we left with more food than we had money for.

Benno had us divide the food into four bags. First place we went to looked like a place for illegals. There were beds, bunk type, all over the house. We left two bags and proceeded to the next location. How he knew or found this locationwith the illegals was beyond me.

The next stop was at a home of a woman who had a dirt floor. We came in and gave her the other two bags and he asked me in the house if I could do him a favor. Of course, I answered. Ask her if she wants carpet. I objected to raising her hopes up, he insisted and I asked her in spanish if she wanted carpet. Suddenly she became overjoyed and started dancing arround.

We left and ventured up in the hills near the Marine Corps base and he looked for carpet. We helped him move the carpet in to the truck. Pope helped us also. We drove back and entered the area of the Lady we had just left. We signaled we had the carpet and we moved it in.

It fit perfectly, I was astounded.

We drove the Pope to his house. Benno asked us if we were hungry. I exclaimed that we gave him all our money. He told us not to worry. He explained that he gave bread to the Manager of the Mc Donald's. We gave him our order and he left. During his absence we played around with his Citizen Band Transmitter. He came back with our orders.

He drove to an area that had orange trees. It was a large estate, located near Oceanside. We loaded orange crates and placed them in the back of the pick up. We then drove back to the Monastery.

The next morning I sat across from a gentleman at breakfast. He commented he was up from a orphanage in Tijuana to pick up oranges. I shouted out "you must be Catholic". He answered no, I am Baptist. We get our oranges from Brother Beno. Later on I was introduced to the Architect who designed the Monastary Chapel. Again I said "You must be Catholic". No, he replied, I am Lutheran. He explained he met Brother Benno in a Grocery Store parking lot, passing out bread from the back of his pickup.

My friend and I left. Months later I received a notice from Benno about a free dinner in Oceanside. My wife and I went. There were thousands of people being fed. Trucks from Japanese american farmers arrived from El Centro carrying loads of flowers. They were given away for free.

Borther Benno has pased away. He's legasey will live on. There is a fully staffed group of voluntiers distributing freee meals to the poor. If anyone Googles Brother Benno they will be amazed at the results.

I believe he was a Saint. He gave his time, bread and prayer to others.