Every weekend A Message From the Abbot is updated under “About Us”. During Lent, the Abbot has been talking to the community about The Mirror of Charity, a treatise by the Twelfth Century Cistercian, Ailred of Rievaulx. Each week you can find a digest of Fr. Robert’s main point from his talk that might provide […]

The community Mass will be celebrated at the main altar at 7:00 AM by Fr. James Orthmann. It is a work-day for the monks, so there will be no homily. St. Joseph, as the protector of the Holy Family, is the Patron of the Universal Church. Since he died in the company of Jesus and […]

The community Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM: Abbot Robert Barnes will preside and preach. The Fourth Sunday of Lent is traditionally known as “Laetare Sunday” from the Introit: “Rejoice, Jerusalem”. We have arrived at a point in Lent when we shift the focus from repentence and conversion from sin to the joy of […]

The first Fruitcakes baked this year–January, 2012–are now available for sale on line, by mail or phone from the Bakery. The first batch of some 650 cakes have had time for the fermentation to begin, the hallmark of a traditional fruitcake. The new fruitcakes will be stocked in the Abbey’s Shop for Easter. In the meantime, you […]

If you’re interested in discerning a vocation at our monastery, please check out the Tab: Join Us. Under that Tab, you’ll find Vocation; click there, scroll down and you’ll find a clear description of our criteria. If you’d then care to contact our Vocation Director, click on Monastic Life–also under the same Tab, Join Us–and […]

1 April, 2012: Sunday of the Lord’s Passion (Palm Sunday): 11:00 AM: Processional Gospel and blessing of Palms; Mass and the Passion Gospel according to St. Mark (Blessed Palms will be available on the Church Porch all afternoon) 4:30 PM: Monthly Eucharistic Adoration followed by (5:30 PM) Vespers and Benediction 5 April, 2012: HOLY THURSDAY […]

Eliminate the word “Fratello” from the title of this post and you could sing it to the tune of Arrivederci Roma–provided you’re old enough to remember that song! However, Br. Efrain won’t be leaving Rome but will be living in Rome for the next three months. Br. Efrain will be participating in the Monastic Formaters’ Program to prepare him for […]

It’s not unusual to hear visitors to the monastery say, “I want to simplify my life but I don’t know how!” I wish I had a good response to that exclamation. I clearly remember a few years ago a sister from another institute visiting our community and remarking that we may not appreciate how simple […]

The community mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM. Fr. Vincent Collins will preside and preach.

Nine students from Clarke County High School in Berryville visited the Abbey this Saturday, 10 March. Along with their teacher, Mrs. Stephanie McClain, these members of the Honor Society gathered for an orientation and pitched in to assist the monks with recycling. As the girls gathered between 8:30 and 9:00 AM, the early arrivals met […]