Beginning Lent with contemplative days

This week: Br. Josép made a family visit to his mom in Florida; Daniel Beckham was on the second half of his postulant leave; Br. John is visiting his family in Indiana; Br. Luc is on the tail-end of his three-month visit to our South African priory.

We welcomed Lent in the midst of contemplative days (simplified worship schedule, greater silence round the clock, lightened work schedule). No Mardi Gras extavaganza for us. Br. Ephrem who is from New Orleans didn't seem to mind. On Wednesday, we observed Ash Wednesday with the laying on of ashes. 

Through the week, we had a dozen guests who savored the silence with us. Their pictures are from Sunday when I could finally ask permission to photograph them.

Lenten guests. From top left, clockwise: Br. Robert James giving out ashes; Br. Bernard marked with ashes; Associate Rick Vaughan, from Fort Lauderdale, FL (2 pictures); Janet Vetter, from Staten Island, NY (2 pictures); Lynn Sanders, from Greenville, SC; Associate Eliot Moss, from Amherst, MA.

This weekend, we had a retreat group from St James Madison Avenue, NY and several individual retreatants. It is so much easier to recognize people without their masks on.

At mass, we prayed a blessing on Br. Josép who leaves this Sunday for a three-months participation in the Monastic Formators program in Rome. He will start with a week's retreat at Monasterio de Santo Domingo de Silos, Burgos, Spain. He will be in our prayers and we promised him to pray for all our inquirers which he takes such good care of.

Sunday people. From top left, clockwise: Gretchen Price-Rude and Matthew Leaycraft helping themselves to diner; this guy, Br. Josép, is going to be gone from the monastery for nearly three months (last homemade desert for a while); Sr Annie-hannah Mancini, from Woodstock, NY, Br. Aidan, Sr Elizabeth Broyles, from West Park, NY and the Rev. Suzanne Guthries, from Poughkeepsie, NY; Sr. Shane Phelan, from West Park, NY with Sr. Annie-hannah, Sr. Elizabeth and the Rev. Suzanne Guthrie at the exit from mass.

We keep the peoples of Ukraine and Russia in our prayers. And we pray for a change of heart in those who have the power to stop the hostilities.