Writers, Yogis, Aspirants and Pilgrims

A week ago on Sunday, we had a Choral Vespers featuring a Bach Cantata by our "Artists in Residence," Kairos - a Consort of Singers. Kairos sings a cappella and with musicians both sacred and secular music. We call them "Artists in Residence" because every Saturday morning they rehearse in the North end of our Monastic Library. Over the years, they have built a good audience throughout the Hudson Valley.

Their Bach Cantata Choral Vespers and other concerts at the monastery regularly attract crowds of 80 to 100+ attendees. I remember Br. Scott, a Kairos singer, as are Br. Josép and Br. John, saying a few years ago that a successful concert for Kairos was when there were more people in attendance than people performing. Well, nowadays, all their concerts are great successes by that measure.

You can check out their calendar of concerts on their website. This year we have scheduled Kairos' concerts a little earlier, starting at 3 p.m. This enables some of our Guest House visitors to linger for the concert and make their way home afterward.

Kairos - a Consort of Singers on the Great Cloister.
Edward Lundergan, their director is in the middle front row.

This past week, among our many guests and visitors, we had writers, yogis, and aspirants. The Monastery is a popular destination for writers of all sorts who want some focused, quiet time to make progress on their manuscript. Over the years, we have hosted poets, novelists, essayists, film writers and composers. This week, Meredith Gould and Drew Griffin were beckoning the muses in the Guest House.

Meredith is the author of several books. She also is our contractor on the re-design and upgrading of our website for the mobile age. She has helped us assess and upgrade our full range of net properties (web, facebook, blogs, instagram). And she is delivering all this early and under her consulting budget! I'll tell you more about the new website when we launch it.

Drew is new to book writing. He is the pastor of Cross Church NYC on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. He is a frequent visitor and likes the quiet of our Guest House.

From top, clockwise, Meredith Gould with old friend Peter Pearson, our postulant;
Drew Griffin portrait and relaxing in a favorite corner of Pilgrim Hall.

This week yoga teacher and frequent visitor David Robles taught about Yoga and the Monastic Life, exploring parallels and similarities between Patanjali and the Desert Fathers. I wished I had been free to attend; maybe next year if David offers another retreat like this. Frequent retreat leaders The Rev. Masud Syedullah and The Rev. Garrett Mettler were here to lead a group to explore how to be Agents of Peace in a Time of Fear. All these committed teachers mingled and exchanged over our refectory tables with their attendees.

Retreat leaders and guests, from top, clockwise, David Robles, Masud Syedullah and Mark Graceffo;
frequent visitors The Rev. Deborah Magdalene from Wappinger Falls,
and Emilie Trautmann from New Paltz, who also volunteers in our gardens;
Son and Mother, Brady Dale from Brooklyn and  Bonnie Fennimore from Kansas.

A week ago, two aspirants arrived within a day of each other. Aspirants are invited to live with the monastic community in the private enclosure for two weeks to get to know in more real ways what it is they may be called to. They participate in all the activities of the community (with the exception of our monthly group therapy session). It gives them and the community a good gauge of whether we can try and live together in the future.

Giovanni Margaryan is in-between jobs in the fashion industry in NYC. He has visited us several times and wants to see whether he's called to become a postulant in our community.

Vance Greenway is known as Swami Chibrahmananda in the Ramakrishna Order of monks which he joined in 1999. He is re-exploring Christianity which he grew up in. He is with us for two weeks so that we can all decide whether we want to live together for six months for his further discernment of the place of Christianity and Christian monasticism in his life.

Please hold both these men in your prayers that God may enlighten their heart to know what to do next.

From left to right, Giovanni Margaryan helping in the sacristy;
Vance Greenway aka Swami C. in his favorite color.

And then, there is Sunday, the Feast of our Lord. It's a festive day and a transition day for us. We move from our hospitality ministry throughout the day to the quiet of our sabbath after Vespers. We celebrate a festive day and we also say goodbye to our Guests.  Tessa Kale, Associate, and her husband Brian McCarthy are "Sunday Regulars" as is Sarah Gardner.

From left to right, Tessa Kale and Brian McCarthy from Poughkeepsie;
Sarah Gardner from Highland.

Eventually, the bittersweet moment of farewells comes.
Associate Jamie Dollahite and college friend Pastor Susan Gray.

And as a final note, news from our brothers on sabbaticals and on pilgrimage. Brothers Scott and Aidan are greatly enjoying the pilgrimage they are making with 30 voyagers through Scotland, Wales and England. The Rev. Matthew Wright and Yanick Savain are among the pilgrims and enjoying their first taste of Western Europe.

Br. Robert Sevensky is enjoying his stay in Cambridge. He recently did a 17 kms hike from Cambridge to Ely.

Top, from left to right, Br. Aidan, The Rev. Matthew Wright, the Yorkminster Dean, Br. Scott and two more pilgrims;
Bottom, Br. Robert Sevensky with Ely cathedral in the background.

Have a blessed week!