On December 9, Brother Bruno made his final trip to a New Jersey auction with 21 sheep. That morning, the local airport recorded a temperature of six degrees below zero—the second sub-zero reading before the official start of winter.
Monastery Christmas preparations began on the 17th, coinciding with the start of the O Antiphons at Vespers. Two days later, an overnight high of 59 degrees melted most of the month’s snow, though snow squalls returned that same evening.
Brother Luke underwent knee replacement surgery on the 23rd. He returned to the monastery on Christmas Day but faces several months of intensive physical therapy. On Christmas Eve, a large crowd gathered in the chapel for candlelight Vespers, the blessing of the crèche, and the singing of “Silent Night.”
On the 26th, guests from the Servants of the Word arrived from Michigan. Their journey through New York coincided with a severe ice storm, leaving their cars completely encased in ice upon arrival.
Happy New Year
!COMING EVENTS:January 6: The solemnity of the Epiphany. We will follow a Sunday schedule.
