Giving Thanks for all our blessings

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving coincided with the feast of our Founder, James Otis Sargent Huntington, this year. We celebrated the first class feast in the church and celebrated Thanksgiving around our dining tables.

We had a full house (pandemic level) of guests and a few visitors for Thanksgiving Day. For the midday meal we had to also use the St Scholastica room to enable everyone to sit at a dining table

As usual, our staff had prepared a delicious meal and a beautiful refectory to welcome everyone. Br. Laurence visited for the day from his nursing home in Highland. He had made sixty origami turkeys for everybody to have their own. Br. Aidan had made three desserts in large quantities (pecan pies, ginger cakes and chocolate mousse).

Brothers and guests. From top left, clockwise: Br. Carl with Seven Boudin, from Brooklyn, NY; some of Br. Laurence's origami turkeys; Bros. Josép and Aidan; James Rostron, of Silver Spring, MD, and Br. Josép; Intern Eric Anthony, a guest and Br. Bede; Associate Steve Turtell, of Manhattan, NY.

Of course this feast of hospitality couldn't happen without our great staff (just like every week of hospitality really).

Making it all possible; our staff. From top left, clockwise: sisters Debbie Teyenck-Riffenburgh and Jamy Hermance; Associate The Rev. Canon Michel Belt of Madison, NJ, giving a hand with the dishwashing; chef Bob Morano coming to help the pantry staff after much cooking (2 pictures); Tim Consavage at the spraying station.

And thanks to all this hard work, we got to enjoy the holiday and hang out with our guests some.

Guests in Pilgrim Hall. From top left, clockwise; Associates Ann Campbell, from Bronxville, NY and Carol Craddock, from Mystic, CT; Br. Robert Leo in conversation with Associate Marty Burt, from South Burlington, VT; guests and brother catching up; Br. Robert Leo stopping by for a chat with Associates Chris Amy, from Toronto, ON and Ann Campbell.

This weekend, we are starting a new liturgical year (Year C) with the season of Advent. As if on cue, we woke up to our first dusting of snow on Sunday morning.

First Sunday of Advent. From top left, clockwise: Japanese lilies and alstroemeria gracing the icon of St John the Baptist; the Advent wreath waiting for its first lighting; statue of Our Lady behind the church; snowy bench seen from the back of the church;

We give thanks for the many blessings of our monastic lives. Despite all the year's difficulties, we hope you also had blessings to give thanks for this year too.

Blessings. From top left clockwise: the portrait of Father Founder and a beautiful orchid welcoming folks into our guesthouse; a miniature snow person in the bird bath on the first day of Advent; Brothers enjoying a movie together in the TV room (An American in Paris); a full board of desserts for the Thanksgiving feast.

Peace!