Falling Upwards

This week, Br. Ephrem was on vacation in Hunter, NY, in the Catskills, before heading North for leading a weekend retreat at St Eustace Episcopal Church in Lake Placid, NY. Br. Carl was on an at-home retreat.

On Wednesday, our men in early formation went on a pilgrimage outing to the Catskills. They visited the Cragsmoor Stone Church in Pine Bush, NY. Later, they went to Stony Kill Falls in Wawarsing, NY. The views at Cragsmoor were beautiful but the Stony Kill Falls was down to a trickle for lack of rain lately. They said the mid-day office of Diurnum in the church.

Novices, postulant and formator at Cragsmoor Stone Church. On the selfie, from left to right: Bros. Raphael and Josép, Postulant Jeff and Br. Will.

Several of us participated in Christine Hiester and Associate Chris Amy's retreat at the monastery entitled "Mirrors to Windows; Falling Upwards" about the spirituality of the later years. Many of us are of the appropriate age after all. Br. John was a retreatant and Bros. Bernard, David Bryan and Robert Leo offered one-off spiritual direction.

Monastery people. From top left, clockwise: the formation team at Stony Kill Fall: Christine Hiester (second from left, front row) and Associate Chris Amy (right end of front row) with their retreat group in St Gregory's meeting room; the centerpiece of light in (2 pictures); a 4-sail sailboat passing by on the Hudson.

Peace and every good to you.