A film shoot and a a move

Br. Rob is still on his visitation to our Mount Calvary Monastery in Santa Barbara. He will be there for another three weeks. He is helping with the planning of our end of ministry there in the summer of 2021.

At the beginning of the week, we said goodbye to Br. Adrian, who had been in residence at the monastery on and off for over a year while recuperating from health difficulties. Br. Adrian is moving to Holy Cross Priory, in Toronto, Ontario, where he will be stationed (a permanent resident member of the local community).

This weekend, Br. Carl is visiting his elder sister in New Jersey. And our two novices were at an Inter-Novitiate formation event at Mount Alvernia, a nearby Franciscan retreat house in Wappinger Falls.

The absent brothers are always remembered in prayer and missed.

We will miss Br. Laurence who moved to a nursing home in the nearby village of Highland where he is joining Br. Lary and Br. Rafael. Laurence is in a positive frame of mind for this new transition in his monastic vocation. We suspect that he will find a few cribbage partners and might teach origami to other residents. If the monastery is anything to judge his enthusiasm by, there will be hundreds of origamis gracing the Hudson Valley Rehabilitation and Extended Care Center before long.
It's a seven mile south of the monastery so you can go visit any of our three brothers there when you're staying at the monastery.

On our Sabbath Day, last Monday, a film shoot took place at the monastery. For a day, our grounds and buildings took on the trappings of Saginaw College. We have had small scale video shoots before but this was a massive endeavor with over 90 participants involved. The crews started arriving at 5 a.m. and the last person left after 9 p.m. When the sun went down, they created their own sunlight to continue shooting. Some of us got a glimpse of F. Murray Abraham who is starring in the film. Unfortunately for them, a sometimes freezing drizzle fell most of the day but they continued to shoot undeterred.

Sabbath Day film shoot 1.

All in all, the community could take its Sabbath Day unperturbed in the enclosure as the shooting focused on the 1902 and 1921 buildings. The production company provided a financial compensation for the monastery. They cleaned up nicely after themselves. We would consider doing this again when the Guest House is without guests.

Sabbath Day film shoot 2.

Our optional Saturday evening "Wine and Conversation" get-together was small this week as so many monks were away for the weekend. We get together in our Common Room which oversees the Hudson between supper and compline. We have a glass of wine (or something lighter) and sometimes even chocolate or cookies. It's a popular weekly event. It offers a relaxed way for the whole community to enjoy each other's company.

Community scenes. From top left, clockwise: our Novices, Bro. Simon and Max sharing wisdom on the network printer/copier; a blooming Schlumbergera in front of a rubbing, in our Commonn Room; Br. Aidan uncorking a bottle for our Saturday evening "Wine and Conversation" get-together; Br. Roy received this homemade quilt from Br. Aidan who is never afraid of learning and perfecting another craft; the Guest Master setting up for the Thursday afternoon "Guest Master's Tea" (this week's home baked treat was a yummy vegan olive oil and cocoa cake).

We are so blessed to live in this beautiful monastery. We are glad we get to share it with so many of you.

Church and Sacristy scenes. From top left, clockwise: the garden has stopped providing blooms but store-bought flowers will do nicely instead; a sunlight efffect through the antique glass of the French windows in the Sacristy; St Augustine enjoying "his" flowers.

Please pray for Br. Laurence; that he may promptly and smoothly adapt to his new environment and make new friends (he's good at that). Pray for our community who misses our eldest member in the house.