Mount Saviour Monastery

August 2022

  News:
We celebrated the feast of the Transfiguration on the 6th. That is the titular feast day of the monastery so for us it ranks as a solemnity. It also serves as a reminder for us that summer is waning, though it would be hard to tell from the daily high temperatures this year. And the nightly too. On the night of the 8th the temperature 'bottomed' out at 76 degrees.

Brother Pierre was finally able to travel to Canada for a few days to visit family members after three years of COVID restrictions. Brothers Francis and Bruno also visited relatives this month. Many of the brothers have now had a second booster administered, hopefully making it safer for them when they travel. We continue to ask that all monastery guests with reservations be vaccinated.

 

Our second artist guest group of the summer arrived on the 15th. Coming from Canada and several states including Florida and Nevada, the group of 15 men and women were with us for a week. Our 'extended' choir grew progressively louder in volume as the week progressed. The hills, and chapel and Common Room where we have two pianos, were alive with the sound of music. Others set up their palettes on the lawns or in the Arts and Crafts shop, took walks and time to regroup. A guest this month reminded us that Father Damasus would say that a time in the monastery was never wasted and would send us off a much better person for our future life.

The sound of a few brief rain showers were also music to our ears while the artists were with us, though it occasioned some quick scrambles to get under cover. The brown grass quickly reverted to green again though our area remains in a moderate drought situation.

This year's lambs were weaned from their mothers mid-month as is usual. The lambs are quite vociferous for a day or two as they make their separation anxiety known to all, but then it seems all is quickly forgotten. Also as usual, at the end of the month we resumed lighting the pillar candles in the upper chapel for Compline. The candlelight helps the brothers to navigate the chapel as daylight fades earlier each evening.