Falling Upwards

This week, Br. Ephrem was on vacation in Hunter, NY, in the Catskills, before heading North for leading a weekend retreat at St Eustace Episcopal Church in Lake Placid, NY. Br. Carl was on an at-home retreat.

On Wednesday, our men in early formation went on a pilgrimage outing to the Catskills. They visited the Cragsmoor Stone Church in Pine Bush, NY. Later, they went to Stony Kill Falls in Wawarsing, NY. The views at Cragsmoor were beautiful but the Stony Kill Falls was down to a trickle for lack of rain lately. They said the mid-day office of Diurnum in the church.

Novices, postulant and formator at Cragsmoor Stone Church. On the selfie, from left to right: Bros. Raphael and Josép, Postulant Jeff and Br. Will.

Several of us participated in Christine Hiester and Associate Chris Amy's retreat at the monastery entitled "Mirrors to Windows; Falling Upwards" about the spirituality of the later years. Many of us are of the appropriate age after all. Br. John was a retreatant and Bros. Bernard, David Bryan and Robert Leo offered one-off spiritual direction.

Monastery people. From top left, clockwise: the formation team at Stony Kill Fall: Christine Hiester (second from left, front row) and Associate Chris Amy (right end of front row) with their retreat group in St Gregory's meeting room; the centerpiece of light in (2 pictures); a 4-sail sailboat passing by on the Hudson.

Peace and every good to you.

The election of our future Superior

We celebrated Br. Timothy Jolley's 81st birthday on the first day of our OHC chapter meetings this week. This was the 316th meeting of chapter since the foundation of the Order in 1884. Most of our monks were at Holy Cross Monastery for the occasion. All but two life professed were in attendance. Only they have a vote in the deliberations of chapter even though all the members of the Order (postulants, novices and initially professed) have a voice in them. Our Bishop Visitor, the Rt. Rev. Andy Dietsche was with us for a few days.

Opening chapter meeting in St Gregory's meeting room (5 pictures)

The most important matter at hand was the election of a new Superior for the Order of the Holy Cross. We called forth likely names on Tuesday. We took a day of silent retreat on Wednesday to let the Holy Spirit guide us in our choice. On Thursday morning, we assembled in St Augustine's church and proceeded with the election. Br. Ephrem Arcement was elected by 18 votes out of 19 on the first ballot.

Congratulations were in order after this smooth election. We wish our Superior elect many blessings in his new ministry. Br. Robert James Magliula remains our Superior until the installation of Br. Ephrem on Sunday September 13, when we will also celebrate our feast of title, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

After the election in St Augustine Church. Brothers congratulating Br. Ephrem (2 top left pictures): the Superior elect and the incumbent Superior (Bros. Ephrem and Robert James); group picture with our Bishop Visitor, the Rt. Rev. Andy Dietsche.

The annual meeting of chapter is also akin to a family reunion where we get to not only work together but also hang out with each other. Brothers from California, Canada and South Africa join with their New York-based Brothers for a week. We get to catch up with one another and hear about each other's monastic life. On Thursday, we observed the feast of Corpus Christi for which our friend the Rev. Matthew Wright came to preach. His family accompanied him. We got to see little Maël whom we had last seen on New Year's day as he came out of the Poughkeepsie hospital where he was born. We're always surprised to see how fast babies grow.

Relaxation during chapter week. From top left, clockwise: Bros. enjoying refreshments between Vespers and dinner; Br. John journaling on the enclosure's porch; Br. Brian enjoying a quiet read in the North end of the monastic library; the Rev. Matthew Wright (and his son Maël) browsing books on the Monk's Cell sales cart; Br. John in conversation with Matthew and Yanick Wright-Savain.

During the recesses of chapter week, Br. Francis continued to take good care of our four colonies of honeybees. He set a swarm trap to entice swarming bees to choose his appositely placed hive box for their new home. He also named the four colonies for a saint. We used to identify them by their geographical location on a South-North axis. Now they are each labeled. It is not determined if our bees are literate enough to read their house names.

Beekeeping. From top left, clockwise: morning full moon over the ambulatory and the church's apse; swarm trap awaiting a new colony of honeybees; the swarm trap sitting atop a pile of wood chips: the newly labeled hives (Blessed Solanus on the right, St Francis on the left): and St Ambrose on the rightand St Benedict (tallest hive we have) on the left.

The new septic system for the enclosure and the middle house was completed on the Tuesday of chapter week. The overturned earth was neatly leveled and seeded with grass. In a couple of months it will look like nothing happened in the meadow. As for the seasonal blooms, peonies continue to be big but roses are joining the feast.

Blooms. From top left, clockwise: leveling and seeding the new septic system's leech field; peonies inn the church: roses near the tabernacle; roses in the crypt's Lady chapel; arrangement of sage, irises and peonies on the refectory's central table; (center) peonies and sages at the foot of the Mother and Child statue in the church.

Having swiftly conducted all the necessary business of chapter we adjourned it on Friday. On Saturday morning, at our Eucharist, all the Life Professed renewed their monastic vows as is the custom at our annual chapters. Later that day, a gang of twelve monks recessed to nearby Red Maple Vineyard for beers, pub food and live rock music. As we arrived and parked, a freak storm with half inch hail struck. The rock band delayed their playing as they couldn't be heard over the ruckus of hailstones hitting the roofs. When we got home, Route 9W was closed just North of the monastery because of a tree fallen over an electric line. The monastery is still on generator power 24 hours later.

Monks' wild night out (back home at 7:30 p.m...). From top left, clockwise: Bros. Daniel H. and Ephrem; Postulant Jeffrey and Br. Daniel H.; from left to right, Bros Roger and Jacob, Dave Coppola, Bros. John, Daniel L. and Randy; Bros. Brian and Jacobe reconnoitering the fallen tree on Rte 9W with Dave Coppola: emergency services managing the fallen tree situation: Br. Josép; Br. Bruno.

Please hold our two Superiors, the incumbent, Br. Robert James, and the Superior elect, Br. Ephrem, in your prayers as they transition the responsibilities of their office from one to the next over the summer.

Preparing for OHC's chapter meetings

Little by little, our Life Professed Brothers are arriving from California, Canada and South Africa. Bros. Roger Stewart and Daniel Ludik arrived from Harkerville, Western Cape Province, SA, on Friday evening after a long and tiring couple of flights.

This week, Br. Jacob is on retreat, camping at Taconic State Park, Copake Falls, NY. He will be home in time for chapter.

The week started on Memorial Day (a Monday sabbath day for the community) with our traditional cookout orchestrated and grilled by Br. Josép. The weather was cool for a late spring but agreeable. Beside grilling the proteins, Br. Josép had also prepared a scrumptious vegan chocolate pudding.

Memorial Day cookout. From top left, clockwise: Br. Josép in conversation with our friend Dave Coppola while grilling burgers (multitasking?); a Br. helping himself to the chocolate and berries pudding: Br. Adam, OHC Companion Suzette Cayless, Bros. David, Scott and Robert Leo;
Bros.Carl (foreground), Will, Timothy, Dave Coppola and Bros. John and Daniel (partially visible).

This week has seen a lot of (noisy) activity on our grounds. Our plumber, Bobby Taylor and colleagues have been installing an entirely new septic system covering the needs of the middle house and the monastic enclosure. The system is now functional but some remaining work will take place the week after chapter.

Enclosure septic system renewal. From top left, clockwise: a bucket excavator digging a trench for the new system's cistern; the new cistern, piping and system components being driven in reverse down on back driveway (tricky: 2 pictures); plumbers Bobby Taylor and Hugh supervising the digging; current state of the completed system (some old cistern removal, landscaping and grass seeding will happen later).

On Wednesday and Thursday, a large team of tree service people took down, cut up and shredded several trees that were threatening to fall on buildings or people. Trees grow and mature on their own, but a property like ours requires active maintenance. Kudos to Bros. Timothy and Jacob, our groundskeepers, for their care. Deforestation is not to be feared, we plant a lot of new trees on a regular basis.

Dangerous trees removal (tail end of the two days of work - 3 pictures)

As for blooms, this is definitely the peonies' turn. They give cutting flowers in abundance but you have to immerge them to get rid of the symbiotic ants that like to inhabit them.

Peonies galore. Peonies arrangements throughout the church (5 pictures): a florist arrangement with fresh fruit in the "coffed corner" near the refectory.

May you enjoy the work of the Spirit in this Pentecost season.