In the last few additions, I’ve been offering some considerations on Ailred’s writings, as examples of his activity at various stages of his life. This post is a reflection on his Pastoral Prayer and suggests a new dimension: the inner life of Ailred. Charles Dumont, a Trappist of Scourmont, began his introduction to his edition of […]

Some of our readers, our neighbors and retreatants, like to organize their prayer according to the schedule of psalms we use for our worship. It’s possible to do this just using your Bible but Lauds presents a real challenge: the Liturgical form of the canticles can skip a few (or more) verses and that can […]

I’ve received several emails, some to my personal account, some to this site, expressing our sorrow and distress about the shooting in Aurora, Colorado. Beyond the specific tragedy lies the broader breach in our society’s moral fabric: why does this happen again and again? How do those fragile people lose touch with concerned and challenging […]

Monastery Bakery Manager, Ernie Polanskas, is once again putting out a call for Styrofoam packing peanuts. Unless you’ve been hoarding them for Christmas as a surprise gift for a not too beloved in-law (a box with nothing in it BUT packing peanuts) Monastery Bakery would be glad to take them off your hands. Most of us share […]

As regular readers of the website’s NEWS realize, it’s been a long time since any mention of Ailred of Rievaulx has been made. I had planned to make this post when Fr. Edward unexpectedly died, while this past week I did’t want to detract from the announcement of the WMU broadcast. I’ve been eager to revisit […]

The community Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM, Fr. Vincent Collins presiding and preaching. Midday Prayer follows at 12:20 PM. Vespers are celebrated at 5:30 PM followed by Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament (approximately 5:50 PM). Let us remember in a special way this Sunday the victims of the shooting in Colorado and […]

I’m not a native Virginian. When I entered the Abbey in 1977, I was more aware of the monastic culture–and it’s claim to continuity to Twelfth Century–than of the local culture. I was born and raised in New York City and New Yorkers can be as blase as we can be skeptical. I suspect we’ve […]

The Trappist monks of Holy Cross Abbey will be featured on WAMU 88.5’s award winning program “Metro Connection”. The program will air this Friday at 1:00pm (with a rebroadcast Saturday at 7:00 am) and focus on environmental and fiscal and sustainability efforts being implemented at the Abbey. “The story here has fascinated me and I […]

The response to our publishing a Benedictine/monastic/cistercian reading list has been outstanding so you better hurry up and get your copy before we run out!  Oh, wait…it’s digital…we can’t run out!  Never mind… But you are going to want to get your copy of the list. Email to companions@virginiatrappists.org and put ‘reading list’ in the subject box […]

Br. Efrain has generously agreed to assume the responsibilities of Vocation Director and Novice Director for Holy Cross Abbey. Abbot Robert Barnes announced the appointment to the community on Sunday, 1 July. Br. Efrain replaces Fr. James who was appointed Novice Director on 14 September, 1996. This post was held up until Fr. James could write […]