Palm Sunday

Last weekend, Br. Ephrem conducted a retreat and preached at Church of the Good Shepherd, in Bryn Mawr, PA. This week, Br. Bernard visited seminarians for spiritual direction at Yale Divinity School, in New Haven, CT. Br. David Bryan is visiting our Brothers in Toronto for a couple of weeks.

During this past two weeks, our Superior, Br. Robert James has conducted his formal visitation of Holy Cross Monastery. During that time, he has individual interviews with all members of the household to see how they are doing and how they feel our community is doing. At the end of his visitation, he writes a report that he reads in Chapter highlighting what is going well and what needs attention in our community.

Last Sunday was our postulant Jeremy Cannon's last day with us. Jeremy has chosen to withdraw from the postulancy to discern a vocation as a hospital chaplain. We wish him well in his new endeavors.

Last Sunday, we had our traditional service of Lessons and Anthems in lieu of Vespers. Kairos, a consort of singers sang a beautiful and varied program of sacred music. The anthems were interspersed by readings by a slew of our local friends.

Lenten Lessons and Anthems. From top left, clockwise: The Rev. Daniel Meeter, AHC, from New Paltz, NY; Kairos singers (2 more pictures at the bottom): the assembly; Br. Robert Leo; The Rev. Suzanne Guthrie, AHC, from Poughkeepsie, NY; center left, Kelly Fairweather, AHC, from Mahopac, NY; Trish Agar, Kairos singer, from Saugerties, NY.

Today, Palm Sunday, we started the Sunday service with the blessing of the palms in Pilgrim Hall. Then we processed with our palms to the church for mass and the reciting of the Passion according to St Matthew. As usual, we had a group of Princeton seminarians visiting and several of them took parts in a dramatic reading of the gospel.

Palm Sunday. From top left, clockwise: Br. Robert James, our Superior blessing the palms; Br. John handing out the blessed palms to the attendees: the Palms procession (first in the belltower, next in the ambulatory): Berkeley Divinity School at Yale students at a private viewing of the Portrait of a Monastery film (at Berkely Center); the Palm Sunday assembly: (center) communion being distributed.

Our grounds are progressively waking up to spring. Our local fox has been spotted a few times frolicking in our meadow (including sneaking up on Canada geese; no harm done).

From top left, clockwise: the local fox in the meadow; view of the Hudson from the Guestouse garden; croci: daffodils: well-named Lenten Roses (a.k.a. hellebores): Jeremy Cannon on his 30th birthday, in the refectory.

And finally, a request for donations. In an effort to enhance our Sunday morning Eucharistic liturgy here at Holy Cross Monastery, we are seeking generous donors to help us purchase aYamaha Clavinova (pictured below).  Our vision is to incorporate various instruments from time to time in our liturgy to offer variety of musical expression and inspire worship.  Along with the piano, a dolly on which to place it will also be needed.  The total amount of the purchase is $4600.  $1000 has already been raised.  We, therefore, are seeking $3600 more.  Our deepest gratitude to those who will consider being a part of this fundraising effort. You can make a donation here (don't forget to mention "piano" in the memo field).

Piano. From top left, clockwise: the Yamaha piano we would like to acquire for the church (two pictures): a stained glass window representing our Father Founder James Otis Sargent Huntington at Church of the Good Shepherd, in Bryn Mawr, PA.

May you have a blessed Holy Week.