Next Sunday is the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, the culmination of salvation history. Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the firstborn of the dead, the sovereign over all earthly rulers. In our day, we seem to witness the collapse of so much that our human […]

Look soon for the Fall Newsletter with great articles on the monastic community and activity here in Berryville.

Our National Observance of Thanksgiving will be celebrated as a non-work day at Holy Cross Abbey. The community Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM as on a Sunday; Abbot Robert Barnes will preside and Fr. James Orthmann will preach. Our liturgical vocabulary is, of course, derived from New Testament Greek, “Eucharist” from the word for “thanksgiving”. […]

The community Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM, Fr. James Orthmann presiding and preaching.

As we said last week, ‘keep your eye on the mailbox ’cause your Fall Newsletter is being mailed this week!  You’ll find great stories about our Monastic Immersion Weekend, the success of the natural cemetery, an interview with two monks AND a fun story about the Cistercian nuns in Crozet entitled “Nuns Too!”…and, of course, […]

Due to unforseen circumstances there are now TEN rooms available at the Retreat House for the weekend of 16-18 November. Because of the late date, if you make a reservation now for one of those rooms no deposit is required. To take advantage of those available spaces and make a reservation, please call Carol at 540-955-4383 or email […]

It won’t come as a surprise to some of you who are reading this that there are things we do, physical things, that seem to quiet us. Those of you who practice hatha yoga are aware of how quiet your mind becomes when you concentrate on your balance or breathing as you move through an asana. Some […]

The community has just announced two new MIWs for 2013, and has increased their length from a weekend to a full week!  One week is for those men discerning a monastic vocation and one is for women and men interested in totally immersing themselves in the life of the Cistercian Community of Our Lady of […]

Mepkin Abbey, Monck’s Corner, South Carolina, has re-elcted Abbot Stan Gumula for a second, six-year term on Saturday, 3 November, 2012. Congratulations to Abbot Stan and the Mepkin Community on their choice and may all our readers join us in supporting them with our prayers. Mepkin Abbey was founded by Gethsemani on the property of the […]

From Monday, 5 November through Friday, 9 November, six superiors or our Eastern Monastery will meet at the Abbey’s Retreat House for Pastoral Sharing. What is Pastoral Sharing? It is the opportunity for those in leadership to meet, talk about the challenges, the state of their community, what has worked, what could be done better […]