His experience as abbot of St. Norbert Abbey was marked by obedience, gratitude and pastoral leadership
By Jeff Kurowski | For On Mission
Photography courtesy of St. Norbert Abbey
DE PERE, WI — Days after he was elected as the seventh abbot of the Norbertine Community of St. Norbert Abbey in April 2018, Abbot Dane Radecki made a few stops on his way to the abbot’s office.
He paused in front of the portraits, displayed in the hall, of the abbots who came before him.
“I think standing before each one of them after I was first elected had great meaning to me,” Abbot Radecki said. “I knew every one of them and had interacted with each of them. I not only had my personal history, but I tried to reflect on how the foundation was built before me, and what great responsibility I felt in strengthening where (the community) was weak, creating where there was an opportunity for something new and healing what might be broken.”
Abbot Radecki completed his chapter in that foundation as abbot with his retirement in January, marked by the election of his successor, Abbot Bradley Vanden Branden.
Abbot Radecki reflected on his initial thoughts when he was elected as abbot.
“It’s really out of obedience,” he said. “When the community calls you to something like that, it’s an exercise of a vow. That means something.”
Abbot Radecki was the pastor of Holy Cross Parish, Bay Settlement, at the time he became abbot.
All of his previous leadership experience, including as a parish pastor, principal and president at both Premontre High School and Notre Dame Academy in Green Bay, president of GRACE (Green Bay Area Catholic Education), and vice president of mission and heritage at St. Norbert College in De Pere, served him well as abbot, he said.
“In a role where you have to draw from the broader community, it’s not a matter of your title or status,” Abbot Radecki said. “It’s a matter of the trust you’re able to establish with people. In that respect, I was around long enough for people to get to know me. I think people trusted when I was making a hard decision that I did it carefully, thoughtfully, and tried to do what’s best for the common good.”
Among his early challenges as abbot was dealing with “all the publicity and issues around sexual abuse,” Abbot Radecki said.
“I had to be well-trained,” he said. “I had some experience before becoming abbot. You have a pastoral dimension when you meet with people, and you listen. You have the legal dimension, which I had studied, but there is always more to learn. We do training at the abbey every year for the whole community,” he said.
In 2019, Abbot Radecki dealt with the difficult decision of closing the Norbertine priory in Jackson, Mississippi. Norbertines from St. Norbert Abbey in De Pere began serving in Jackson in 1990.
“I had to go and work with the bishop and the men there about the transition,” Abbot Radecki said. “The men felt respected for the good years of service they gave and were appropriately celebrated.”
Milestone anniversaries were among the celebrations during Abbot Radecki’s term as abbot. The Norbertine Order marked 900 years in 2021. St. Norbert Abbey marked 100 years of abbey status in 2025.
“We had grand plans for the 900th, but COVID hit, so we cast much of it aside. That’s one reason why I felt strongly about celebrating 100 years of abbey status because we needed to celebrate and had good reason to celebrate,” he said.
In recognition of its 100-year history, the Norbertine Community provided grants to several non-profit organizations.
The COVID-19 pandemic prompted renovations at St. Norbert Abbey. The Norbertine Center for Spirituality was shut down because people couldn’t come for presentations.
“Overwhelmingly, we wanted the center and needed to make sure that people felt welcome,” Abbot Radecki said. “We decided to renovate the spirituality center with private bathrooms. It’s been working very well. Now, we welcome pilgrims like those to the (National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion).”
Residential rooms on the first floor were also renovated to make the spaces more accessible for Norbertines with physical challenges. Funds used for renovations were primarily from the sale of a property in Monona, Wisconsin, which was gifted to the Norbertine Community in 1929.
Another physical change at the abbey during Abbot Radecki’s term is the museum located in a space near the crypt. Abbot Radecki gifted the museum to the community in recognition of the 100-year anniversary.
“It’s become a place where college groups will come and learn about the history of the abbey,” he said.
Celebrating Confirmations in the diocese is a great joy for Abbot Radecki.
“The bishop (Bishop David Ricken) was so kind to invite me to do that,” he said. “I realized how much I missed my high school teaching days. I never was a teacher long enough because they asked me to do administrative stuff. When I go to a parish, it’s always such an uplifting, joyous celebration of the sacrament.”
Abbot Radecki spoke with Bishop Ricken about continuing to celebrate Confirmations.
“We developed a very respectful relationship, one in which we can talk personally,” Abbot Radecki said about working with Bishop Ricken. “When things came up, I could call him. It’s been a very positive relationship which has helped the order and the diocese.”
Abbot Radecki appreciated serving the St. Norbert College presidents during his term as a “sounding board, confidant and supporter,” he said.
He met every Monday with the prior, Abbot Vanden Branden.
“We shared everything,” he said. “He knows a lot of stuff. He doesn’t have to learn as much as I did.”
Among the pleasant surprises over the past eight years has been the financial generosity of people.
“It’s amazing how often people leave us in their wills,” Abbot Radecki said. “There was a time when the abbey would send out a mail campaign. I think people appreciated the connection with the abbey and remembered what we were doing in terms of our ministry.”
Abbot Radecki said that regarding vocations for the community, “there’s never enough.”
“We do our ‘Come and See’ events,” he said. “I sat down with each guy. They taught me a lot about how they found out about the abbey.”
Abbot Radecki plans to stay active in ministry. In 2024, at the General Chapter in Prague, Czech Republic, he was elected to the order’s Definitory.
“That didn’t end with my retirement,” he said. “I asked the Abbot General (Norbertine Abbot General Jos Wouters) whether he wanted me to step aside. He said, ‘Absolutely not, you were elected for six years.’”
Abbot Radecki has offered to serve as a pastor if needed, but “I’m not doing fundraising or building anymore,” he said.
When further reflecting on his years as abbot, gratitude is the message Abbot Radecki wishes to share.
“I’ve been thankful for the privilege to serve the community and to help it through some challenging times,” he said, “but also trying to help it transition to a new generation in a way that is embraced by the guys in the community.”