Br. Curtis Almquist, SSJE
Br. Curtis Almquist was born and raised in western Illinois (along the Mississippi River) in the town of Moline. He studied at Wheaton College, Michigan State University, and Nashotah House Theological Seminary. Prior to coming to the Monastery, he worked in international development, then as a social worker. After seminary, he served as a priest in the Diocese of Chicago. Curtis arrived at SSJE in 1987 and was life-professed in 1992. He has served the community in many capacities, including as Superior. He currently serves as Facilities Brother. Curtis enjoys photography, historical fiction, studying Spanish, and has an interest in the intersection of psychology and spirituality. His favorite sport is swimming, which he attributes to his parents teaching him to swim when he was only two years old!
Learn more about Br. Curtis' Catch the Life journey to monastic life >
Selection of Br. Curtis' teachings from "Brother, Give Us a Word"
Change
Something will come of our prayer. The scriptures record numerous occasions where, because of prayer, God changes course, and something different happens. But there is no formula for how, when, or if this happens. More often it is we who will change because of our prayer. Br. Curtis Almquist, SSJE Read More and Comment >
Read MoreLament
Pain that is shared almost always makes the pain more bearable. A lament is the sharing of pain. We may find words to express lament; we may find only tears to express lament; we may give others the safe space to express their own lament which we then carry to God on their behalf. Br.…
Read MorePerfection
You learned somewhere, perhaps as a child, that to be loved you always had to get it right. Yet you are less than perfect. There may be something about you that is inadequate, or prone to failure, or hypocritical. It may seem an impossible stretch to embrace a belief that you embody Christ, who loves…
Read MoreSelection of Br. Curtis' writing
In this moving reflection, Br. Curtis Almquist suggests a few of the many reasons that being forced to wait can actually be a gift. We are all invited to discover the countercultural (and surprising) goodness of waiting.
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“Prisoners especially need an intervention of love.”
Accompany Br. Curtis Almquist on his personal journey into the heart of America’s prisons, and into the heartbreak that waits inside. “Prisons can be hell,” he admits, and yet entering into them brings nothing short of blessing for both prisoner and visitor.
Read More“Jesus here regards his disciples not as his servants, but as his friends. They are his peers. They share the same prayer. He doesn’t say, “My Father,” or “Your Father.” He says, “Our Father.””
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