Summer arrives with a heat wave

Br. David Bryan continues his one month residency at House of the Redeemer in NYC. Br. Jacob is on vacation at Lake Taghkanic State Park, NY.

On our grounds. From top left, clockwise: Br. Josép pruning a holly bush near the enclosure (two pictures); the two "standing persons" of our Little Cloister (the old oak and the bell tower); a low angle shot of the old oak.

On Wednesday, the interns, the postulants and our novice went on a hiking pilgrimage in Phoenicia, NY, with their formator, Br. Josép. They went up to Giant Ledge and said the office of diurnum al fresco.

Great Ledge hike. From top left, clockwise: Br. Ben, postulant Raphael, intern Jack, postulant Will and intern Jeremy; the same with Br. Josép taking the selfie+; the view from Grian Ledge; Ben, Raphael and Will looking back on a climb.

Each week, each of the monks has cleaning duties in the monastic enclosure. Saturday seems to be the favorite cleaning day, when you have to compete for vacuum cleaners or wet mops. This week, St Zita appeared in one of our cleaning supplies closets. You never know where and when you're going to learn a new thing.

Also this week, we moved a large painting by our dear friend, the late Sr. Susan John Mangan from Linwood Spiritual Center to the monastery. The Sisters of St Ursula will close Linwood at the end of this year after decades of great spiritual gifts to our region. They wanted a loving home for Susan's painting of a small waterfall in a creek near her Tannersville hermitage. The painting is staged in such a way that the waterfull also looks like Earth our blue planet floating in space. We are grateful to our St Ursula Sisters for their gift. It now hangs in the North end of our monastic library. It reminds us of the many creative and spiritual gifts our community received from Sister Susan.

In our home. From top left, clockwise: one of our broom closets with a portrait of St Zita (two pictures); our employee Jamie likes to make bouquets from the garden in-between ancillary tasks (two pictures featuring hydrangea, peony, yarrow and mint); Susan John's large painting in our monastic library.

Our gardens continue to provide an abundance of beautiful blooms for bouquets throughout the house. May flowers abound in your life too.