The chapel bells remained silent into the second week of December as COVID and an assortment of other ills made their way through our community. Community prayer shifted to prayer in private. Five more brothers tested positive on the 2nd in addition to the three from last month. Possible reopening was pushed back from the […]
The month began with the solemnity of All Saints Day with the thermometer registering a pleasant 66 degrees. On the 2nd, All Souls Day, the community and guests gathered in the monk’s cemetery as is our custom to pray for our deceased brethren and to bless the graves. On the 6th the overnight low temperature
News:This year the first of the month coincided with the first Sunday of October. That is our yearly cue to switch from summer to winter hymns. Because the weather turned decidedly cooler, it was also our cue to put the refectory and chapel fans away until we need them again next year. Three names’ days
Tomatoes, tomatoes everywhere, or so it seemed. Such is to be expected after planting more than 120 multiple varieties. After the sauce, salsa, salads and sandwiches, several trips, nevertheless, had to be made to our local food pantry with the superabundance. Some years it has been apples instead but this year the apple trees took
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
The thermometer topped out at 94 degrees on the 1st. The high temperature was just a hint of what was in store for the rest of the month. On the 4th, we enjoyed a holiday schedule and inside picnic. On the 6th we enjoyed an evening recreation with Brother Isaiah to celebrate his name’s day.
On the first of the month, we noticed and could hear our trees being eaten by what used to be known as gypsy moths, now known as spongy moths. Two pictures of the large oak tree on the road to St. Gertrude’s were taken on June 3rd and again on June 27th. Many trees in
On the first day of the month, we held our first public event since the pandemic began. The Damasus Winzen Memorial Lecture was given this year by Father Richard Vosco of the Diocese of Albany. Father Richard committed to the talk back in 2019 and patiently awaited the right conditions to do so safely. The
On the 4th, the community took the final decision on the triptych, which has been missing from behindthe Blessed Sacrament altar for the past two years. Work on restoring the focal piece was put on hold due to the pandemic. Our final decision to stabilize the art work as opposed to full restoration means the