This morning the conventual Chapter of Holy Cross Abbey voted Fr. Joseph Wittstock as our new Abbot. The election was declared by Dom Damian Carr, our Father Immediate and is presently being confirmed by our Abbot General, Dom Eamon Fitzgerald, in Rome. Dom Joseph was elected to a six year term. At noon today, the Chapter members will […]
What Happens At An Abbatial Election? Part Three
The Confirmation. The final phase of the election is characteristically monastic. You may have noticed already how different this is from a national election. One very important element, not mentioned so far, forms the preparation: discernment with prayer. That began for us at Holy Cross Abbey months ago, as a community exercise and, probably years […]
What Happens At An Abbatial Election? Part 2
Preliminaries: At 8:15 AM, the solemnly professed community meet with the President of the Election, the two Witnesses and the Notary (Secretary) and the Cantor reads Chapter 64 from Saint Benedict’s Rule for Monasteries, “On Constituting an Abbot.” Then the President, Abbot Damian, comments briefly and exhorts the community. The Notary next reads the roll […]
What Happens At An Abbatial Election? Part 1
Electing an Abbot doesn’t happen every day. And the Master of Ceremonies, responsible for the preparations, says: Thank God! But our readers might be interested in what happens. Our last election, which re-elected Fr. Robert Barnes for a third six-year term, happened six years ago, before this website was renewed in its present re-incarnation, so […]
Fr. Robert’s Homily for the 19th Sunday, Year C
Readings: Wisdom18:6-9; Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19; Luke 12:32-48 Today’s Gospel ends with the verse: Much will be required of the person entrusted with much and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more. I don’t think I want to speak about that Gospel text today. I would rather we look at the section […]
A Visit to Crozet
Abbot Robert visited our sisters at Crozet this past Tuesday and reports that their church is nearing completion. Fr. Methodius and Br. Hugh from Holy Spirit Abbey, Conyers, were there to install the stained glass. As some of our readers realize, Conyers has a stained glass studio run by Fr. Methodius and they have executed the windows […]
19th Sunday, Year C, 7 August, 2016
Readings: Wisdom 18:6-9; Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19; Luke 12:32-48 The community Mass is celebrated at 11:00 AM, Abbot Robert Barnes presiding and preaching. It is the first Sunday of the month and our Eucharistic Adoration begins at 4:00 PM and concludes with Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament after Vespers (5:30 PM). All are welcome to join […]
Thoughts Matter
Last post, I referred to one of Fr. Michael Casey’s books that I read to the guests in our Retreat House. Another book I read to them is Thoughts Matter: The Practice of the Spiritual Life by Mary Margaret Funk, OSB. Mary Margaret Funk is a member of the Sisters of St. Benedict of Beech Grove, Indiana, […]
A Word From The Cistercian Fathers for August
From Bernard of Clairvaux’s Homily II in Praise of the Blessed Virgin (CF 18 A, pp 30-31) …And the Virgin’s name was Mary. Let us now say a few words about this name, which means “Star of the Sea” and is so becoming to the Virgin Mother. Surely she is very fittingly likened to a […]
Fr. Joseph’s Homily for the 18th Sunday, Year C
Readings: Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2:21-23; Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11; Luke 12:13-21 It was back in 2009 that a former professor of mine at Loyola University, and her daughter, were tragically killed in a freak accident. They had been driving in the a severe snow storm and had stopped at a red traffic light when a large tree […]