On February 2nd, we celebrated the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord—also known as the World Day for Consecrated Life—with our traditional candlelit procession from the crypt to the upper chapel. It was a festive day despite the -5°F morning and Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction of six more weeks of winter. The following day, we observed the Memorial of Saint Blaise with the customary blessing of throats.
The frigid weather intensified by the 7th, hitting a high of only 3°F with a -30°F wind chill. By the 10th, we had endured 18 consecutive days of sub-freezing temperatures. The brothers celebrated Shrove Tuesday on the 17th in different ways: some enjoyed a day away from the monastery, while others stayed for a relaxed day on-site.
On the 19th, a tiny winter “heatwave” melted the snow just enough for a surprise guest: a young black bear at our birdfeeders! We managed to snag a quick photo before it got spooked and bolted. These visits are always blink-and-you’ll-miss-it affairs—especially once the neighborhood “security team” (our dogs) starts barking!
A five-inch snowfall on the 23rd and we were back to winter again. That’s not near as bad as the blizzard that was pounding the east coast with up to three feet of snow and wind gusts peaking at 98 miles per hour.
We were happy to welcome Abbot Cuthbert and Dom Michael from Farnborough Abbey (located south of London) on the 26th to begin a “canonical visitation.” Think of a visitation as a fraternal checkup for a monastery. It is a regular practice in the Catholic Church where leaders from other monasteries visit to see how we are doing. This visit links our local community to the larger global family of monks and the congregation we belong to in particular. Most importantly, it is meant to provide us with encouragement and support the health of the community.
The month ended on a high note with beautiful sunny 60-degree weather! We’ve already spotted the first wave of geese flying home and tiny green sprouts popping up from the soil, a flock of red-winged blackbirds and a robin was heard. Truly, hope springs eternal!
COMING EVENTS:
Thursday March 19: Solemnity of Saint Joseph. We observe a Sunday schedule.
Saturday March 21: Solemnity of Saint Benedict. We observe a Sunday schedule.
Wednesday March 25: Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. We observe a Sunday schedule.