1. Br. Benedict’s body will be received by the community at 8:30 AM on Saturday, 26 January. After his reception into the choir and the prayers are completed, the continuous Psalter will commence.
2. The continuous Psalter, prayers for his eternal life, is recited by two people sitting in choir for a fifteen minute “watch”; then they are replaced by the next two. Our Guests may also participate with the monks. The Psalter continues until 1:55 PM.
3. The Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated at 2:00 PM and will conclude with the procession to the cemetery, the committal of Br. Benedict’s body to the earth and the burial.
4. Afterwards, a reception with light refreshment will be available in the monastic refectory.
Because we are expecting an overflow of guests, we will be making an effort to accommodate all in the Chapter Room and Refectory, with close circuit TV to broadcast the Mass. Priests will bring communion to those locations. Special seating will be reserved for Br. Benedict’s family in the monastic church.
The Lay Cistercians of Holy Cross Abbey will be assisting with parking and ushering guests to available seating.
Since parking space is limited, please make an effort to carpool.If you require handicap access, please email ahead to frjames@virginiatrappists.org
Rather than traveling long distances to the funeral on Saturday, you may want to consider organizing and celebrating a Memorial Service for Br. Benedict in your own locale, for your particular group–for example, the publishing or dance communities in NYC, the Baltimore Friends, etc.
Thank you for your prayers, your interest, your messages of appreciation and your support of Br. Benedict’s family and his monastic community.
theresa jeffers greenlun says
January 20, 2013 at 10:55 amHow blessed are you who knew Br. Benedict! I know only two things about Br. Benedict. In December my father, sister, husband and I came to a retreat to pray for my mother who died in October. My Dad uses a walker and was unable to climb the church steps. On the directions of Br. Joseph, we drove to the back door of the Abbey and up the elevator to attend the prayer services. We then traversed a long corridor through an infirmary/dormitory to get to the church. In passing we noticed a door with an oxygen sign and the name Br. Benedict. At the time we thought how sad that behind this closed door was a monk in poor health. At the retreat center we filled out prayer request cards for our mother. Imagine how touched we were to later receive cards in the mail from Br. Benedict saying he would pray for our mother and us.His kind loving words comforted us greatly in our dark hour. Thus the two things I know about Br. Benedict: even as he was sick and dying he prayed for others and reached out to others in distress with love and hope. Thank you for posting his photograph as now I can visualize his kind and gentle face as I pray for him. He will always be linked with my prayers for my mother.
Amy Pridgen says
January 21, 2013 at 8:22 amTheresa Jeffers Greenlun, you are very right, I was so wonderfully blessed to know Brother Benedict! I am his niece, and I am simply grateful to be called family by this amazing individual. “Bro. Ben” gave life to the creative process and hope to humanity in a way that was so transformational he was clearly closely linked to a power beyond his own. Ben’s parting gift to me was his stamina to wait on the Lord and watching the good that comes of waiting. In his waiting he gave me more time. More time to be moved, by his presence in my life, closer to my Lord. He gave me more visits to the contemplative Abbey, its butterfly garden, its old farm house, its monastic silence. He gave my three children a heritage of magical childhood memories. They come to the Abbey like one enters Never Never Land – all delighted with gleeful wonder. Their “contemplation” is more kinesthetic in their leaping of hay bales, but the power of the holy space is not lost on them. I am profoundly blessed by this man who is blessed by the Lord. I take with me one last lesson from him, on waiting for God to move. Ben’s precious time was spent so well as he waited with silence, watching, listening and sharing God’s love with his people to the end.
theresa jeffers greenlun says
January 29, 2013 at 3:14 pmthank you Amy for sharing your wonderful memories.
Pat Linde Neidermeyer says
January 21, 2013 at 7:22 pmOur sympathies for the family, but peace in knowing he is sure to be with His Lord if not this day then certainly soon!