Into the season of Pentecost

Br. Aidan came back from his retreat at Mepkin Abbey early in the week. Br. Randy was on retreat this week in Cornwall, CT at the Trinity Retreat Center. Br. Robert Leo completed his Canadian vacation.

The gardens are delightful to visit in this season; lots of blooms, clement weather. Many a guest (and monk) has taken respite in their beauty.

Blooming gardens. From top left, clockwise: Br. Josép's little paradise nestled between the church and the enclosure (three top pictures, and middle bottom picture);  a guest enjoying the river view under the copper beech; variegated Japanese maple and columbines just on the left of the guesthouse entrance; coordinated irises and columbines on the driveway.

This week, we received Susan Elliott, of Washington D.C. as our newest Associate. Susan has visited the monastery for decades either alone or with her parish of St Columba's. Recently, she decided it was time to become an Associate. Have you long visited us and wondered what that Associates thing was all about? Don't be shy, ask Br. Bernard, our Director of Associates about it.

Monastery people. From top, clockwise: Susan Elliott, of Washington D.C. being receive as an Associate: the same Associate with Br. Bernard; Br Randy preaching for the feast of Pentecost; Br. Aidan doing his cleaning duties with a smile (it might be the music in his earphones); our intern, Jim Huston, proudly bringing the biggest bible he could find in the library to bible study (two pictures) the bigger the bible, the better the interpretation, right?

Work on the renovation on our guesthouse kitchen continues. After the demolition of the old floor and laying down of new plumbing in trenches, a new floor basis has been prepare and poured. The kitchen is starting to look like a room again.

Laying down a new floor in the guesthouse kitchen. From top left, clockwise: the concrete mixer truck piping the concrete inside the kitchen (two pictures); the work gang flattening and smoothing the concrete on the ground; fresh concrete filling in one of the trenches that contain the new plumbing pipes.

As the gardens deliver an abundance of blooms, our church is graced with many bouquets. It's definitely an irises week, but peonies are on their heels.

Irises of many kinds and peonies in the church.

We wish you a blessed season of Pentecost.