Happy Pentecost!

Happy Pentecost! Hail Holy Spirit!

This week, Br. Randy came home from a two-week vacation and family visit in Texas. Last Sunday, Br. Josép came home from a one-week retreat at St Mary's House (up the driveway). Br. Adam McCoy from Cathedral City, CA, is visiting for several weeks. Br. Bernard co-led an 8-day Centering Prayer dual track intensive/post-intensive retreat at the monastery this pas week.

And just this past Saturday, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Br. David Bryan Hoopes' ordination to the priesthood on the eve of Pentecost. Many friends from near and far away gathered for the occasion. After a beautiful late morning mass, we had a feast in the refectory.

Br. David Bryan's priestly ordination jubilee. From top left, clockwise: an artistic representation of the original Pentecost: Br. David Bryan presiding at the altar; our Superior, Br. Robert James with the Right Reverend Andy Dietsche, Bishop Visitor of the Order of the Holy Cross; the celebratory cake at dinner; Br. David Bryan reading the collect of the day; (center picture) Br. David Bryan preaching.

Last week, library volunteer Felix Hosmer of Hurley, NY, surprised his library colleagues with a delicious blueberry clafoutis. We'll let him bake again anytime he likes. Also last week, Associate Janine Thwaite of Peekskill, NY, made a pre-ordination retreat at the monastery. Congratulations on her ordination.

Last weekend, we hosted a group of Marist Brothers interns from Texas who are doing a tour of religious institutions in the Northeast.

We received two new people into our Associates program this week: the Rev. Brian Steadman of Port Ewen, NY, and Joshua Clayton of Sunnyside, NY.

Monastery people. From top left, clockwise: Marist Brothers interns with Br. Bruno; Marist Brothers interns with their Director and Br. Robert James; Br. John, Felix Hosmer and Elisabeth Sheehey enjoying Felix's delicious clafoutis in the monastic library; Asssociate, the Rev. Brian Steadman with Br. Bernard; Br. Bernard with Associate Joshua Clayton; Dave Coppola posing behind his completed beautiful renovation of the Little Cloister's stone path; Associate, the Rev. Janine Thwaite (in the red chasuble on the left) with the Right Reverend Matthew Heyd, Bishop of New York; the Reformed Church buddies (the Rev. Daniel Meeter, the Rev. Brian Steadman and his wife Jessee Steadman).

The weather was very hot this past week. But the week before had perfect spring weather. Brothers took the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and do some gardening.

Monks at work and rest. From top left, clockwise: Br. Ephrem reading on one of the monastic enclosure's porch: Br. Ephrem in-between bell-ringing sets in the Little Cloiser; Br. Ephrem giving you peace on the porch; Br. Jacob raking leaf mulch back over recently planted shrubs (too small to see on the picture at this stage).

This past Friday, Junior monks, the formation team and our friend Dave Coppola were hard at work uncluttering, cleaning and reorganizing the large toolshed situated behind the monastic enclosure. This is was in answer to a request from Groundskeeper, Br. Timothy.

Refurnishing the enclosure toolshed. From top left clockwise: Bros. Will and Daniel dismantling a shelf in the library's utility closet for transfer to the toolshed (2 pictures): fromator Br. Josép selecting the right tool for the job: postulant Jeffrey Costello, Br. Timothy (overseeing), Bros. Jacob and Josép dismantling a discarded wooden shelf; Br. Timothy and Dave Coppola inside the toolshed.

The gardens are offering a profusion of flowers. 

Spring blossoms in the gardens. From top left, clockwise: clematis; irises and budding peonies near the vegetable garden; columbines: unidientified alpine flower; Sweet William carnations: white park roses.

Some of the flowers end up decorating the church and its chapels.

Indoors floral decorations. From top left, clockwise: allium and irises in the downstairs Lady Chapel (3 pictures); first peony blossoms in an office; irises in front of the Mother and Child statue in the Church: a floral arrangement gift for Br. David Bryan's ordination anniversary by the St Benedict icon (2 pictures).

May flowers abound in your surroundings too.

Contemplative days

Br. Randy is visiting his family in Willis, Texas, for a couple of weeks.

At the monastery, we observed contemplative days from Tuesday to Sunday morning. We were accompanied in our round-the-clock silence and contemplation by a goodly number of guests who appreciate the greater silence.

Br. Bernard was on a Centering Prayer Intensive retreat at Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center in West Hartford, CT. This week's pictures are from his CT retreat. This was his opportunity to live a Centering Prayer intensive retreat as a participant rather than as a co-facilitator as he does twice a year at our monastery.

Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center. From top, clockwise: the labyrinth with a masonry sculpture in the middle; the koi pond; one of many statues of St Joseph with baby Jesus; a poignant sculpture of Mary after the crucifixion: a retreatant in conemplation of a flower bed; a Japanese . nativity scene

If you have a consistent Centering Prayer practice, do consider joining a CP intensive retreat at Holy Cross Monastery. The next one begins this Friday evening. And there will be one from September 11 to 18, 2026.

Br. Bernard's Centering Prayer Intensive retreat. From top left, clockwise: a low-angle shot of a 75-year old copper beech; Saint Francis and friends in contemplation: the staff and retreatants in the chapel where they prayed; a reproduction of Raphael's Beautiful Gardener painting (the original hangs in Le Louvre, Paris).

Eastertide blessings to you.

Perfect gardening weather

Mr. Jeffrey Costello is completing his one month aspirant visit. We have invited him to come back in a couple of weeks to enter the monastery as a postulant. Please keep him in your prayers as he prepares to try his vocation as a monk with us.

Br. Bruno is on a one week retreat at the Trappist Abbey of the Genesee in Piffard NY.

Bros. Scott and Randy commuted every day of this week to our neighbors the Marist Brothers for a week's training on Jungian Spiritual Direction.

Br. Jacob co-led a gardening retreat this week with Petra Page-Mann, from Fruition Seeds in Naples, NY and the Rev. Deborah Duguid-May, also from Naples, NY.

Monastery people. From top, clockwise: Bros. John and Robert Leo checking out the Sunday night movie advertised on the community's blackboard: Associates James Rostron, of Silver Spring, MD, and Anders Nolan, of Norfolk, VA, at an Orioles baseball game in Baltimore; Br. Bernard and Sister E, CMA on a hike at Black Creek Preserve.

The weather has been ideal for outside activities (hiking and gardening come to mind). Our friend David Coppola, who is visiting us for a couple of months is active on the grounds. He is currently repaving the flagstones path on the Little Cloister. Our Novitiate have been executing a plan developed by Br. Jacob to establish wild flower patches on the steepest slopes of our meadow. First, the competing grasses must be tamed down. They will be blacked out for the summer.

Gardeners. From top left, clockwise: David Coppola in the Little Cloister (2 pictures): the novices and aspirant Jeffrey installing the plastic cover that will abate grasses to make way for wildflowers seeds in the fall (3 pictures): Br. Josép taking lilac prunings to a compost heap: (center) conference in the cemetery with Br. Timothy, our groundskeeper on what to do.

Lilacs and tulips are blooming in the gardens. Some of the tulips made it to the feet of Our Lady.

Blooms. From top left, clockwise: "black" parrot tulips in the church (2 pictures): white and red tulips in the crypt (2 pictures): a lilac bush on a red maple background.

May God bless your Eastertide!