Hikes and outings

 This past week, Br. Francis has been taking a staycation at St Mary's house up our driveway. Br, Ephrem returned from his retreat in the Catskills on Friday.

On Monday, Bros. Josép and Randy took their annual walk around Ashokan Reservoir, part of the New York City water supply system in Hurley, NY.

Our men in formation went to visit Rural and Migrant Ministries in Cornwall-on-Hudson, this week. They were welcomed by the RMM Executive Director, the Rev. Richard Witt who has spearheaded this ministry for decades.

Enjoying the outdoors. From top left, clockwise: Bros. Josép and Randy on their annual Ashokan Reservoir walk (2 pictures); view of the reservoir; the men in formation visiting Rural and Migrant Ministries (2 pictures).

The weather has been milder this week, allowing pleasant walks and sitting on the porches.

Grounds. From top left, clockwise: the guesthouse and the belltower before sunrise; the old oak and the church in the rising sun; drone picture of the monastery buildings; the vegetable garden and morning fog on the other side of the Hudson.

This Saturday, we received Daniel Weick, from Manhattan, NY, into the Associates program.

As for the garden blooms that grace the church it's lilies and hydrangeas for the moment.

In the church. from top left, clockwise: blue hydrangeas gracing St Benedict's icon (2 pictures); white hydrangea and russet day lilies gracing our Lady and Child statue (two pictures); latest Associate Daniel Weick and Br. Bernard.

It's slow news these days. In my native Belgium we called it "cucumbet times" when the nightly news would comment on the cucumber harvest for lack of exciting news. I wish we would have more cucumber times lately.

Archives and hydrangeas

This coming week, Br. Ephrem is on retreat in the Catskills. This past week, Br. Bruno completed a year-long spiritual direction training program with Br. Don Bisson, FMS, teaching. Congratulations!

On Wednesday, the men in formation visited our Order's archives in the basement of our main Guesthouse. Br. Robert Leo, our Archivist, and volunteer Beth Beaudin showed them how their work is done and shared a few treasures with them. Our archives rest in a fully conditioned environment (both temperature and humidity). Br. Robert and Beth are little by little working their way through a trove of archive boxes to index their content. Sometimes, Br. Robert Leo shares a gem at daily chapter before it goes back to the archives' safety.

Visiting the Order's archives. From top left, clockwise: volunteer Beth Beaudin showing a cincture from the Order's early days (two pictures); the gang (Bros. Robert Leo, Ben, intern Jack, volunteer Beth, intern Jeremy, postulants Raphael and Will; Br. Robert Leo showing an archive item.

On Friday, we celebrated St Benedict's feast which is a first class feast for us. Our Order's life is informed by both the Rule of St Benedict and the Rule of the Order of the Holy Cross (written by our founder James Otis Sargent Huntington).

Under Br. Jacob's care, the vegetable garden is producing harvest for our kitchen. This reporter saw spring onions and garlic on the drying racks inside the enclosure. 

The gardens. From top left, clockwise: yuccas have been producing glorious stems of cream-colored blossoms (two pictures): purple hostas are everywhere (two pictures); yarrows of various colors near the vegetable garden; the vegetable garden.

As for church decorations, it's been hydangeas' time.

Hydrangeas galore. From top left, clockwise; pink hydrangeas gracing St Benedict's icon (two pictures); shasta daisies, lavender and alliums at the foot of our Mother and Child statue; off-white pompons of oakleaf hydrangeas gracing St Augustine's icon.

Our bell rope came down detached from the bell this week. Our employee Tim was able to re-attach it in a temporary fashion. Our contractor Jamie will be working to attach more durably our new bell rope which was waiting for this to happen. We ordered one from an English maker a year ago. The order took several months to fulfill as they have a long waitlist. For a few offices, we worked by the watch rather than the bell to be in choir on time.

Mulching the veggies

This week, Br. Jacob came back from his camping vacation. He is sold on Lake Taghkanic State Park, NY, and vowed to return there some time. Br. David Bryan returned from his three week mission at House of the Redeemer, NYC, where he was "Father June" (priest in residence). Br. Bruno is on a short vacation visiting the Community of St John the Baptist, in Mendham, NJ. Br. Ephrem has been the Episcopal priest in residence at the Chautauqua Institution for the whole week, in Chatauqua, NY.

Br. Josép visited our friends Janet Vincent and Kathleen Stanley in Cottekill, NY, to meet their new puppy. He will do some vacation cum dog-sitting there later this month.

Peeps and beasties. From top left, clockwise: Br. Josép making the acquaintance of Pip the puppy (two pictures); some studious reading prayerfully done; chipmunk on the driveway; a contractor repairing the roofing of the enclosure around a repointed chimney;  Dave Coppola and Br. Jacob taking a break from vegetable gardening.

Summer is good for gardening projects. Our friend Dave Coppola who is visiting us for a few weeks has done great work in tidying up and beautifying the Little Cloister. He is a tireless gardener. Not to worry, he didn't move the Great Oak.

The men in formation and Br. Josép went about mulching our vegetable garden some more under the supervision of Br. Jacob who tends the veggies. Whenever we have a tree trimming or removal job, we ask the tree service to accumulate the mulch near our uphill red barn. With the help of our ATV, six men made reasonably short work of it. It would have taken Br. Jacob for ever to do this on his own. 

Mulching. From top left, clockwise: gathering mulch uphill into the ATV; intern Jeremy determinedly getting to work; spreading pails of mulch on the vegetable garden; unloading the mulch.

This Saturday we said goodbye to the YASC missioners who spent their two week orientation at the monastery. At the end of mass, the monastic community got together around them for the laying on of hands and a blessing from our Superior, Br. Robert James.

Br. Bernard will be on vaction this coming week. The Monastery Column will be on a hiatus until Sunday, July 13.