Blessing the bees on the feast of St Francis

This past week, Br. Ephrem was visiting his family in Raceland, LA. He got home on Thursday, in time to teach a formation to the community before driving off to a parish mission in MD. He is now back home. Br. David-Bryan is in his second week of visiting friends in England.

This Sunday, we celebrated the feast of the Dedication of our St Augustine Church. It is now entering its 106th year of sheltering our prayers and worship. This was also the feast of St Francis. Our Br. Francis organized a blessing of the bees. After mass, we trundled up the hill to the beeyard, sang hymns, read scripture and said prayers. Bros. Francis and Randy donned protective headgear before entering the beeyard with holy water to sprinkle our four beehives.

Blessing the bees. From top, clockwise: Bros. Jeff, Josép, Jacob, John (all the J's to one side :-), Daniel, Bruno, Francis and Randy; Br. Francis reminding us of the saints under whose protection each beehive is named; Bros. Francis and Randy getting geared up to enter the beeyard; Bros. Randy and Francis sprinkling holy water on hives (2 pictures); a statue of St Francis near the beeyard.

On Saturday, we received Gergő Balázs, of Astoria, NY, as our latest Associate. If you have wondered about the Associates program, get in touch with Br. Bernard.

Receiving Gergő as Associate. From top, clockwise: Hudson River traffic (2 pictures: a tanker and a yacht): Br. Bernard reading prayers for Gergő and all our Associates; a "usie" with Br. Bernard and Gergő; Br. Randy praying the offertory with Br. Francis as server.

And finally, pictures taken by Sr Greta, of the Community of Divine Love, during her retreat with us last week. Thank you, St. Greta; come back soon.

Sr. Greta's pictures. From top left, clockwise: the monastic choir singing the incense rite at the start of Vespers; Pilgrim Hall; Greta's selfie with the Guesthouse in the background: Greta's selfie with our Route 9W sign at dusk; detail of the labyrinth; calligraphed quote from our Founder's Rule.

Peace and every good to you.

Peace vigil and autumnal bonfire

Br. Ephrem attended the reunion of CAROA* Superiors in Toronto this week. He also visited our dispersed monks there (Bros. Brian Youngward, Leonard Abbah and Reginald Crenshaw). He drove back home with Sr. Greta Ronningen of the Community of Divine Love (in California) who is taking a few days of retreat with us. Ephrem proceeded to fly out to New Orleans the next day to attend his mom's 80th birthday. 

Last Sunday, Bros. Bernard and John attended an International Day of Peace Prayer Vigil at Port Ewen's Reformed Church at the invitation of their pastor, the Rev. Brian Steadman, an OHC Associate. There were representatives of the Bruderhof Maple Ridge Community in Ulster Park, NY, of the Karma Triyana Dharmachakra Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Woodstock, NY, the Sisters of the Companions of Mary the Apostle, and Reformed Church parishioners. We all shared prayers for peace for the world, country, state and county.

People and flowers. From top left, clockwise: attendees at the International Day of Peace Prayer Vigil at Port Ewen's Reformed Church: CAROA Superiors in Toronto, ON (Sister Greta is standing on the left, Br. Ephrem, in our travel habit is standing third from the right); American pokeweed, beautiful but toxic (except to birds); flower arrangements in the refectory and the church (3 pictures).

On Monday, our two Assistant Ground Stewards, Bros. Jacob and Daniel did a Fire Departement authorized burn of brush and branches the whole day. Large piles of them have accumulated through the gardening season by the red barn. Various Brothers visited the bonfire and helped a bit. The fire permit is till December. The fire was monitored at all times. There will need to be a few more fires before the piles of brush and branches are consumed.

Bonfire. From top left, clockwise: Bros. Jacob and Daniel posing like the farmers in the famous painting American Gothic, by artist Grant Wood, painted in 1930; Br. Daniel monitoring the fire; Br. Bernard giving a hand: Br. Jacob picking up more combustible from the pile; Br. Daniel set up his tent for the day to enable those who wanted to take a sheltered nap by the crackling sound of the fire.

This weekend's Nor'easter mostly affected coastal areas of NY and NJ. We got sever winds Saturday afternoon and some intermittent rain Saturday and Sunday but essentially came out unscathed.

White caps on the Hudson River in the hours leading to the passage of a Nor-Easter storm.

Peace and every good to you.

* CAROA stands for the Conference of  Anglican Religious Orders in the Americas

Happy happenings in droves

In the last two weeks, so much has happened. In the second week of September, then postulant Jeff Costello completed his pre-clothing leave; Br. David Bryan returned from his mission trip to Toronto, ON; Bros. Scott and Randy attended a week-long Jungian Spiritual Direction formation at our near-neighbors, the Marist Brothers.

Over those two weeks, more Brothers converged on West Park in view of our new Superior's installation. Our three Juniors from South Africa were already here (Bros. Aelred, Josias and Mpumelelo). Bros. Leonard and Reginald arrived from Toronto, ON, and Br. Adam from Cathedral City, CA.

Br. Ephrem's mom, Nancy, and nephew, Brennan arrived from Louisiana.

On Labor Day, we had a cookout hosted as usual by Br. Josép and many helpers.

Labor Day cookout on the enclosure porch.

The next weekend, we hosted a contemplative photography retreat led by our Associate Tim Auman, from Winston Salem, NC. Tim encouraged his contemplative creators to share some shots with this blogger. There were of course, many beauty shots.

Contemplative photography. Monastery beauty shots.

But Tim also encourage the contemplative photographers to find beauty in subjects that might not often be photographed.

Contemplative photography. Beauty in the details.

The first portentous event of these two weeks was the installation of Br. Ephrem as our new Superior. It took place at last Sunday's Eucharist (September 13 when we observed the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross early). Mass had been moved to 11 a.m. for more guests to be able to attend. It was joyous and spirit-filled. Please pray for Br. Ephrem in his new ministries.

The installation of a new Superior. From top left, clockwise: the outgoing Superior, Br. Robert James "passes the baton" (the Superior's crozier; 2 pictures): Br. Ephrem receiving the embrace of his Brothers (2 pictures); Br. Ephrem and three previous Superiors (in chronological order, Br. David Bryan, right, Br. Robert Leo - left, Br. Robert James - center right).

On the morning of the next day, our sabbath rest Monday, we were treated to authentic Louisiana beignets compliments of the Arcement family. Yummy! We could taste the love.

Beignets! Compliments of the Arcements. From top left, clockwise: in the refectory before dinner (Associate Zachary Roeseman, of Woonsocket, RI, Brennan Arcement, Ephrem's nephew, Nancy Arcement, Ephrem's mom, Br. Ephrem, Associate Nadine Revheim, of Beacon, NY): the three Arcement frying beignets (2 pictures): the announcement to the monastic community on the enclosure's blackboard.

And on Tuesday, Br. Ephrem got to preside to his first community milestone; the clothing of a novice. Mr. Jeffrey Costello, having completed his postulancy received his monastic habit from the hands of the new Superior. He is now Br. Jeff. Please pray for Jeff in the continuation of his discernment of the monastic vocation.

Br. Jeffrey's clothing as a novice. From top left, clockwise: Br. Robert Leo reading an excerpt from the Rule of St Benedict to Jeff: Br. Randy reading an excertpt from the Rule of our Founder to Jeff; Jeff being examined; Jeff receiving his habit; newly clothed Jeff being blessed with holy water; final examination; Jeff receiving the love of his Brothers (2 pictures); center picture, Br. Jeff comes back from the sacristy in his new monastic habit (nice fit, by the way).

In other news, Br. Josép attended and preached at the installation of Associate Asa Coulson as rector of Grace Church, Nutley, NJ on the Saturday preceding the Superior's installation.

Monastery people. From top left, clockwise: three past Superiors doing dishes (ora et labora); Br. Josép with Associate Asa Coulson in Nutley, NJ; Br. Daniel cutting down a dead tree. the Trinity parish hall in NYC where Br. Bernard led an Introduction to Centering Prayer workshop this past weekend.

The second week of September, we were glad to host the pre-ordination retreat of four ordinands of our local diocese of New York, facilitated by The Rev. Masud Ibn Syedullah, of Hyde Park, NY. They were ordained priests at the Cathedral of St John the Divine that Saturday.

And this past week, Leslee Terpay, of Lone Tree, CO, and Br. Bernard co-led an 8-day dual track Intensive/Post-Intensive Centering Prayer retreat. As is our tradition, we ended with a talking ice cream social on the last eveing.

Monastery scenes and people. From top left, clockwise: flowers for the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in the church (2 pictures): relic of the Holy Cross on view on the altar for the first Vespers of Holy Cross; flowers and votives with an icon of Hildegard of Bingen on her feast day (September 17); an ice cream banquet for Centering Prayers; the newest priest of the diocese of New York at the Cathedral of St John the Divine after a three day retreat at the monastery.

We treasure your prayers. You are in our prayers regularly. Peace and every good!