This past Friday, Fr. James Stewart returned to the Abbey to continue his Observership. Father had been with us for a month from Palm Sunday at the beginning of this Easter Season; that is all the time he could take from his responsibilities. It’s good to have him back at the other end of the […]
Another Response to the Refounding Retreat
Br. Joseph Vantu, our current prior, greeted the developments of our Refounding Retreat at Priestfield with a heart felt Alleluia. At one discussion he characterized the needed ability to communicate with others according to Lao Tzu’s description of the strong man: he is like water. Flexible enough to conform to a pipe, a well, a […]
Pentecost, 19 May, 2013
The community Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM, Abbot Robert Barnes presiding and Fr. James Orthmann preaching. The monastic choir will chant the proper Sequence of the Day, Veni, Sancte Spiritus (Come, Holy Spirit) before the Gospel. Second Vespers of the Solemnity (5:30 PM) will be followed by Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament […]
Other Responses to the Refounding Retreat
Thank you to all of you who follow this website and have commented on the Refounding Retreat with your support and prayers and understanding. Abbot Robert has noted that in our challenges, as ageing monks and as a small community, our grace-filled time at Priestfield helps him to see the hand of God in our […]
Observers Arriving at Holy Cross Abbey
This week we are happy to receive two men who will be joining us for three months to discern their vocation with us. We call them Observers, since they have the opportunity to observe our way of life in the concrete and observe their own responses and reactions to that experience. The two men are […]
Refounding Retreat at Priestfield, 5-9 May, 2013
This past Sunday afternoon, nine of the monks of Holy Cross Abbey drove over to the Pastoral or Retreat Center at Priestfield, West Virginia. One member of this group, Fr. Joseph Whitstock, joined us from Our Lady of the Angels in Crozet, Virginia, where he’s been serving as a chaplain to our nuns. Also with […]
Sunday, 12 May: Solemnity of the Ascension
The community mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM, Fr. Vincent Collins presiding and preaching. At 4:00 PM, the Monthly Eucharistic Adoration will be observed; Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament will be celebrated at 5:50 PM after Vespers (5:30 PM). All are invited to join us.
Monastic Immersion Week Concludes
The white choir shirts made our Monastic Immersion Week participants stand out, though, obviously not in choir. After a full week of activity including conferences with the monks, meals and prayer together, all seemed quite happy with their week of immersing in the monastic life of Our Lady of the Holy Cross. In three different […]
Monks Retreating to Priestfield, West Virginia
I suppose a Retreat is the best word to use, though we–the monastic community–will observe our annual retreat back home, the week after next. But most of the community will be going to to the Priestfield Pastoral Center for the Wheeling-Charleston Dioceses in West Virginia. Only a “skeleton crew” will be on hand at 901 […]
Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year C, 5 May, 2013
The community Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM, Abbot Robert Barnes presiding and preaching. Although it is the First Sunday of the month, the Monthly Eucharistic Adoration will be transferred to next Sunday, the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord.