The Mass of the Lord’s Supper will be celebrated at 4:30 PM. The celebration includes the Mandatum and the transfer of the Blessed sacrament to the Altar of Repose. Abbot Robert Barnes will preside and preach. Mandatum refers to the washing of the feet and is derived from the Latin word for something that has […]

It may be no surprise to our regular readers that our commitment as a monastic community to ecological sustainability has a spiritual motivation and a history. Cistercians have a long association with the rivers and streams that run through valleys. There’s a cliche about medieval monastic sites: Benedictines inhabited the heights and Cistercians inhabited the valleys. […]

Because of the special nature of Holy Week and because of the services scheduled for the Triduum, the hours of the Gift Shop have been adjusted and are noted on the Page for the Gift Shop. The Gift Shop will be open this week, Monday through Wednesday, between 1:30 and 5:00 PM as usual. On […]

This year’s fruitcakes, baked in January and allowed to age, are now available in the Gift Shop

Because the Abbot will have a special word for Palm Sunday and Easter, his on-going comments on Ailred of Rievaulx will appear here, this week and next. Jesus teaches not only by word but by action. I might even say that Jesus teaches not so much by word as by action and his own example […]

The blessing and distributions of palms with the processional Gospel will be celebrated at 11:00 AM in church, Abbot Robert Barnes presiding. This entrance rite, as specified by the Missal, will replace the penitential act. Mass of the Lord’s Passion will follow with the solemn reading of the Passion from the Gospel acording to St. Mark; there will be […]

I’m struck by Jeremiah’s words: “I will place my law within them and write it on their hearts” (Jer 31, 33). That sounds great; but do I have any cause to presume that this promise describes my life or how I operate? Is my heart like that because I’m a baptized Catholic? Is that how […]

The feasts of St. Joseph and the Annunciation have certainly interrupted the mood of Lent; but with the Fifth Sunday of Lent, the change in tone is unavoidable. More and more the readings at Mass remind us of the Lord’s sufferings, his betrayal and especially his sacrifice. Sacrifice in every sense of the word: what he […]

This week began with a visit from our Fr. Andrew. Father Andrew has been residing at Carroll Manor for a good number of years where he can get the constant health care he needs. During his sojourn there, Br. Isaac, a monk from another of our houses, Genesee Abbey, near Rochester, NY, has been studying at […]