The monastic community of Holy Cross Abbey will observe it’s annual Retreat this coming week between Monday, 23 March through Friday, 27 March; the retreat will be directed by Sr. Cecilia Dwyer, OSB, Prioress of St. Benedict’s Monastery, Bristow, Virginia. During those days, the Retreat House will be closed and the Gift Shop, undergoing renovation […]

Readings: Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 5:7-9; John 12:20-33 The community Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM, Fr. Vincent Collins presiding and preaching. Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament follows Vespers (5:30 PM).

Palm Sunday, 29 March, 11:00 AM: Mass with the blessing and distribution of Palms and celebration of the Lord’s Passion according to St. Mark Holy Thursday, 2 April, 4:30 PM: Mass of the Lord’s Supper with the Mandatum and transfer of the Blessed Sacrament Good Friday, 3 April, 11:00 AM: Good Friday Psalter 4:30 PM: […]

Recently I came across one of those images (inspired by the writings of Saint John Climacus) depicting that mystical ladder extending from earth to heaven upon which struggling souls valiantly battle their way up to Christ who looks down upon them from the top of the ladder and the heights of heaven. On either side […]

Readings: 2 Chronicles 36:154-16, 19-23; Ephesians 2:4-10; John 3:14-21 The community Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM, Fr. Joseph presiding and preaching; the participants in the Monastic Immersion Weekend will be filling the choir stalls–that’s who those people in grey are! Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament follows Vespers (5:30 PM).

A beautiful mass in the Abbey church with Father Joseph presiding and our cantor Father James in full voice was the culmination of our Monastic Immersion Weekend. Father James is the key to the MIW because he not only prepares us to chant with a short choir practice but he also takes all the guesswork […]

We ask your prayers for the sixteen men and women coming to the abbey for the MIW this weekend.  Pray for a successful retreat and that each person attending will experience the joy of monastic silence, prayer and balance.

Readings: Exodus 20:1-17; 1 Corinthians 1:22-25; John 2:13-25 Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. All these years I’ve been hearing, “If someone destroys this temple, in three days I will raise it up.” In other words, everything the Temple of Jerusalem signified would be fully realized in Jesus himself. […]

Readings: Exodus 20:1-17; 1 Corinthians 1:22-15; John 2:13-25 Daylight Savings Time begins this Sunday. I mention this first from memories of people appearing at 12:00 noon, sitting patiently through Midday Prayer (12:20) and asking, “what happened to Sunday Mass?!!!!” We will reset our clocks one hour ahead. Even if it seems otherwise (should you forget […]

We had been reserving the rooms in the Retreat House for an expected group retreat from 6 through 13 March, but we just learned that the retreat would not materialize. We apologize to those we’ve turned down for those dates and invite all our readers to reconsider a retreat either on the weekend of 6 […]