Arrival of an intern

Last weekend, Mr. Eric Anthony, from Ohio, arrived for a nine months internship at the monastery. He will participate in our life of worship, prayer and service to discover what 21st century monasticism can look like. Together with our postulant, Mr. Daniel Beckham, he will participate in formation activities (classes, bible study, work periods). Br. Josép continues to be our Internship Director and will meet weekly with Eric to help him process his experience.

From top left, clockwise: Br. Josép gives Eric a tour of the monastery (here the Chapter Room); our "Weeder in Chief" is back in business (clearing weeds from our future vegetable garden); Br. Josép and Eric in the Chapter Room; Brothers relaxing after Sunday mass (Brothers Bede and Robert Leo facing the camera); last blooms - asters from our garden in the church.

Guests continue arriving for a few days. It is so good to see repeat visitors enjoying the reunion. It is so good to meet newcomers and see them discover the monastery.

Celebrating the feast of the Holy Cross

On Tuesday, we celebrated the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, our patronal feast. We sang the festive office and had a beautiful Eucharist. The Rev. Matthew Wright preached the sermon.

From top, clockwise: a beautiful bouquet of store-bought blooms by Br. Robert James (2 pictures); a group of guests conversing and playing board games in the Pilgrim Hall.

We had fewer guests during the week. But we filled up to our Covid-19 capacity of 28 guests this weekend.

Holy Cross day community tea in our enclosure's West Atrium. From left, clockwise: Br. Robert Hagler is happy to have found the perfect cookie; Robert helping himself to a cuppa; Brothers selecting their treat; the community round the table.

Friday evening saw the arrival of our new intern, Eric Anthony. He will be with us for nine months, living alongside our community to experience what 21st monasticism is like. Eric joined us in choir this Sunday. He will join our postulant, David Beckham, for monastic formation classes.

A Postulant joins the monastery

We had many guests this week. At the weekend, we reached our (pandemic) capacity of about 28 guests (groups and mostly individuals). It is so good to welcome pilgrims and visitors again.

Guests and guest protection. From top left, clockwise: Jennifer Brown, from Hewitt, NJ; guests and monks enjoying the lovely weather; a nearly full parking lot (sight unseen for months); Brothers wear a mask filing in and out of choir (masks hanging with a cowl in the statio - 2 pictures).

The great news of the week is that Mr. Daniel Beckham, of Pittsburgh, PA, entered the monastery as a Postulant to try his monastic vocation with us. Please pray for Daniel and for those in charge of his monastic formation (Brothers Robert James and Josép).

A new face in choir and in chapter. From top left, clockwise: Daniel in choir (2 pictures) behind Br. Carl celebrating mass and Br. Robert James; Daniel received as a Postulant in Chapter after mass (3 pictures).

Our guests and visitors are very good about wearing their masks to protect each other. At meals, the monastic community eats in a separate room to leave enough space for guests to be properly distanced in the refectory. All the meals are taken in silence in the refectory to limit the risk of contagion.

Gathering at the church entrance after Sunday mass. From top left, clockwise: Sister Elizabeth Broyles of the Companions of Mary the Apostle and Sister Annie-hannah Mancini, a religious solitary from Woodstock, NY; our favorite missionaries (Argentina-based) are here for a week of retreat - Monica and Vega and Heidi Schmidt; Br. Robert Leo and Sister Annie-hannah; Br. Aidan and The Rev. Suzanne Guthrie.

I love to see projects come to completion. Sometimes it is a long arduous path to get there. Fifteen years ago, as a novice in charge of our monastic library, I purchased a computer-based catalog with the hope of converting our card catalog to it in a couple of years. In the intervening years, we have catalogued upwards of 11,000 volumes and made the catalog available online. Now the time has come to retire the old faithful card catalog which has become obsolete. I offered Sister Annie-hannah the pieces of furniture that housed the library cards. She rehabs old furniture and constrution pieces into "industrial rustic" pieces. You can sample her work on her website. This Sunday morning, she came to disassemble the card catalog and adopt it for creative reuse.

One of our contractors replaced the French doors to the back entrance to the monastery that were in very bad shape. They fit right in with the style of the guesthouse. This will give a more fitting entrance to the Iona suite, a series of bedrooms with sitting room, kitchenette and bathroom for long-term visitors.

From top left, clockwise: Sister Annie-hannah disassembling our old library card catalog; the new French doors at the back of the guesthouse (2 pictures); the card catalog as it stood during the many years it served us well; more disassembling.

This is the annual reporting season for the Holy Cross Associates. I receive and read and respond to dozens of reports each week. It is wonderful to get a view of  how their Associate Rule of Life supports our Associates into faithful lives. They do a lot of good in the world.

Be well, be safe.

Reopening the Guesthouse

We reopened our Guesthouse on Wednesday, the first day of September. We had long awaited the time when we could safely restart our hospitality ministry. We have welcomed lots of guests during the week and this weekend. Return visitors are pleased with the improvements we have made. First time visitors seem to fit right in.

Then hurricane Ida invited herself too and dumped over four inches of rain on us in a few hours. We had feared flash floods (which didn't happen). And we got away with a few infiltrations in the usual spots. The belltower always captures a lot of water in situations like this. But all counted, nothing dramatic. However, rail service on the Metro North Hudson line has been suspended since. This complicated transportation for several of our guests.

Monks and Guests. From top left, clockwise: Br. Robert James preaching (2 pictures); our Associates John Chichester and Suzanne Guthrie in the coffee area after Sunday mass; longtime visitors David and The Rev. Colleen Spaeth; longtime visitors Larnie and Anne Hiller and Bill Consiglio.

On Friday morning, I was to give a presentation on how to write a Rule of Life in NYC, at the General Theological Seminary's orientation retreat for new and returning students. A GTS friend collected me by car at the monastery early Friday morning and returned me home on Saturday morning. It was great to see the students on campus and to hear the faculty do presentations on the virtues (the theme of the retreat).

Pandemic allowing, I will return to the GTS campus every month this academic year to once more offer spiritual direction to students and faculty.

This Sunday, our Superior, Brother Robert James restarted our habit of dominical sermons. You can find his sermon on our semons blog.

This week we have compleded the installation of an electric vehicle charging station in the Sacristy parking lot (along the Middle House). It will accommodate up to two EV's charging simultaneously. We are happy to contribute to the energy transition away from fossil fuels in this way. You can now visit us with you electric car. Saint Eligius and Saint Lucy are patron saints of electricians. Maybe this should be known as the Saints Eligius and Lucy station...

The Saints Eligius and Lucy station - our new electric vehicle charging station (3 pictures)

This weekend, the Rev. Alison Quin came on retreat with a member of staff and five fellows of the Grace Year program at Grace Church in Millbrook, NY. Grace Year is a community of young adults sharing in a year of reflection and development — a grace period in life — to prepare for lifelong journeys of ​sustained leadership for the common good. We always welcome young people who aspire to serve in the world.

Monks and Guests 2. From top, clockwise: Br. Aidan reading the menu before Sunday dinner in front of assembled monks and guests in the refectory; Associate Carol Craddock and regular Sunday visitor Sarah Gardner sharing coffee and conversation on the Great Cloister (2 pictures); the Grace Year fellows (2 pictures) John, Thomas, The Rev. Alisonn Quin, Adelle, Kristin, Kira and Ris.

As always, be safe. Share vaccine success stories and wear a mask when in public.