Happy St Benedict's feast!

This week, Br. Jacob took a four-day vacation in Rochester, NY. Br. Daniel left this weekend for a ten-day family visit and vacation in Michigan.

Mr. Joshua Reinke of NYC arrived last week and will be with us for the month of July. Please keep him in your prayers as he discerns his call to the monastic life in the Order of the Holy Cross.

After an extensive search where we interviewed several chefs for our kitchen and tested their cooking, we have found a great executive chef, Kendell Taylor, and assitant chef, Jordan Pomfrey. Not only do our chefs have to cook very well, they also plan menus, manage a budget, order ingredients and supplies, report to our bookeeper and keep walk-in freezer, fridge and kitchen suite in tidiness and cleanliness. It's a big job and critical to our hospitality ministry.

We hope you'll come and enjoy their cooking soon. We sure do.

Monastery people. From top left clockwise: Assistant Chef, Jordan Pomfrey, Executive Chef, Kendell Taylor with Br. Ephrem; Kendell and Br. Ephrem; Mr. Joshua Reinke in line for dinner in the refectory; Br. John with Associates John Chichester, from Ulster Park, NY, and Liz Haak, from NYC; Bros. Daniel and Jacob reviewing the moves they played in a previous chess game to learn more about alternative options of play.

On Friday, the initial formation team and two junior professed lent a hand in doing a big summer cleaning of the kitchen storage spaces and the kitchen office.

Tidying up the kitchen suite in the Guesthouse. From top left, clockwise: Bros. Bruno and Raphael tidying up the chef's office; Br. Jacob, Postulant Jeff and Aspirant Joshua tidying up the kitchen's storage spaces; Bros. Will and Josép tidying up the house supplies storage space.

But the week started with a delayed Fourth of July cookout on Monday. Br. Josép inaugurated the new gas-fired grill we recently purchased. It is a big improvement from the too small charcoal-fired grill we had before.

Br. Josép's vegan pepperming chocolate mousse was a big hit.

Fourth of July cookout (transferred to Monday, July 6). From top left, clockwise: Br. Josép trying his hand at the new grill: Bros. having a drink while waiting for the grilling to be done; Bros. Francis and Bruno with "clean" plates proving the grilling was successful; Br. Josép's scrumptious vegan chocolate mousses; Bros. in line to help themselves to the food.

On Saturday, we received the Rev. Bowie Snodgrass into the Associates program in the presence of her husband George, son Jacob, daughter Eszter and dad James Snodgrass (himself an Associate of four years already).

The Rev. Bowie Snodgrass, of Short Hills, NJ, and Br. Bernard at the ceremony to receive her as an Associate of Holy Cross. From top left, clockwise: Bowie signing her Associate pledge; Br. Bernard officially receiving Bowie as our latest Associate; Bowie and Br. Bernard exchanging the peace after the ceremony; Br. Bernard blessing Bowie with holy water at the end of the ceremony; Bowie with her family and Br. Bernard in Pilgrim Hall under the portrait of Fr. Huntington, our founder (from left: James Snodgrass, Bowie's dad, Br. Bernard, Bowie, Eszter, Jacob, Bowie's children, and George, Bowie's husband).

This week, the bellrope broke twice leaving us without a bell to signal the offices. Our maintenance contractor, Jamie Morano, twice repaired it. Fingers crossed that the second repair will last.

This weekend, Br. Ephrem was leading a retreat on monastic wisdom to coincide with the feast of St Benedict, on Saturday, which is also the anniversary of his Life Profession of the Benedictine Vow in 2014.

On the blooming front, hostas continue to be big. For St Benedict's feast, we got two beautiful orchids. One is near St Benedict's icon at the entrance of the church. The other is at the foot of the Mother and Child statue in the side aisle.

Hostas and orchids. Bottom left: the bell rope having fallen to the ground and being temporarily unusable.

Our blog readers are regularly in our prayers. Peace and every good.

Contemplative days

Last week, Br. Robert James was on an at-home retreat and Br. Bruno was on staycation (staying at St Mary's House at the top of our driveway). 

Last week also, Bros. Ephrem and Jacob co-led a hiking retreat for a group of seven guests. On Sunday, Bros. Josép and Raphael went to  NYC to see Raphael's friend Maxine Thévenot in her directing debut at Carnegie Hall.

This week we all observed Contemplative Days when we are in greater silence round-the-clock with a lighter liturgical schedule and the expectation of lighter work engagements.

Monastery people. From top left, clockwise: Bros. Josép and Raphael at Carnegie Hall: Br. Josép waiting for the right time to ring the church bell (two pictures): Bros. Ephrem (third from left) and Jacob (on the right) at Lake Minnewaska with seven guest hikers: Br. Ephrem with the Rev. Guimond Pierre Louis of Covington, LA, at Kaaterskill Falls:

This past week has seen a heat dome linger of the Northeastern United States. Thankfully, we have several air conditioned spaces for guests and monks to get reprieve from the heat wave.

Monastery grounds. From top left, clockwise: the Old Oak and Little Cloister in the rising sun; a doe browsing low hanging foliage; a bumblebee sampling hosta nectar; St Joseph and child Jesus in the hostas; variety of hostas near the enclosure.

The prominent blooms indoors and outdoors this past weeks are hostas and yarrows.

Indoors blooms. A variety of yarrow and hydrangea arrangements throughout the church and the guesthouse (4 pictures); votive candles in the church (2 pictures).

May you enjoy temperate weather wherever you are.

Last week of spring

Br. Francis was on vacation this past week. He visited a Shaker friend at Sabbathday Lake, in Maine.

On Saturday, three of the Brothers went to the Community of St John the Baptist, in Mendham, NJ, to witness and celebrate Sr. Monica Clare's ordination to the priesthood.

Br. Bruno enjoyed the visit of a couple of Spanish friends from Glasgow, Scotland. It has been good practice for Br. Bernard who studies Spanish.

On Monday, Bros. Josép and Randy went to purchase an new outdoor grill. They are our two grilling chefs. We look forward to testing it on our Fourth of July cookout.

Monastery scenes. From top left, clockwise: our new gas-powered outdoor grill: two types of yarrows near the vegetable garden; scenic clouds sailing over the Hudson; uninvited guest (a bat) taking a nap on the ceiling in the enclosure (Br. Bernard, our bat whisperer, caught her and took her outside): a Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly (Speyeria cybele) visiting Br. Josép's flower garden.

We have several shrubs of white oak leaf hydangeas putting in a great show this week. Some of it graces the church.

St Augustine church scenes. From top left, clockwise: oak leaf hydrangea arrangement near the Mother and Child sculpture (two pictures): Br. Jacob playing the mandolin during communion at Sunday mass (two pictures).

Peace and every good to you.