Holy Cross-tide

Happy (belated) feast of the Holy Cross!

Br. David Bryan was in Toronto last week, to participate in an early celebration of the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross with Brothers, Associates and friends. They also celebrated the 50th anniversary of  Br. Brian Youngward's Life Vows and the 35th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.

This weekend, Br. Randy is on a parish mission to St. Michael's Episcopal Church, in Arlington, VA.

The week before this one we received two new Associates; Joan Lindenau, of Lambertville, NJ, and Jean Fiorelli, of  Red Bank, NJ. Joan's husband Joern was present. They met here and their romance ended up in mariage. There's several of those. Thanks be to God. Have you wondered about becoming an Associate of Holy Cross? Find out more on our dedicated Associates Program web page.

Receiving new Associates. From top left, clockwise: votive candles near the statue of the Lady and Child (2 pictures); Br. Bernard and Associate Joan Lindenau; rising sun effects on the ambulatory stained glass windows (2 pictures); garden marigolds at the foot of Saint Mary; Br. Bernard with Associate Joan Fiorelli.

Yesterday, we celebrated our patronal feast of Holy Cross. The liturgy was beautiful. Br. David Bryan preached a great sermon which you can read on our Sermons Blog, and we ate a feast-worthy dinner.

Br. Anthony wore the Holy Cross bracelets that his niece made for him.

Holy Cross day. From top left, clockwise: the church with the simple wooden cross used for reverence during Holy Week on the left side (2 pictures); Br. Anthony's Holy Cross bracelets (2 pictures); a close-up on Br. Robert James floral composition for the feast.

This past week, 18 retreatants from all over the US prayed silently with Leslee Terpay and Br. Bernard leading them in a dual-track Intensive / Post-Intensive Centering Prayer retreat for 8 days. After the introductions during the initial session, it turned out that between the 20 of us, we clocked more than 4 centuries of Centering Prayer practice... 

Besides sessions of Centering Prayer and study of Fr. Thomas Keating teachings, there was free time to enjoy the monastery and its grounds. During one of her walks along our trails, one of our retreatants made an encounter with the resident fox at the rock beach along the Hudson River.

Blooms and Fox. Various flower compositions in the church (both garden harversted and florist procured). Bottom center: our friend the fox slaking his thirst in the Hudson River.

If you encounter wild life in nature, make sure to give them a wide berth for everyone's benefit (both the critters and yourself). We are blessed with the many animals who inhabit the grounds of which we are the stewards.