Photo "Nunning"

One of our "new" past times ~ you know when we have a spare minute~ we have been doing some of our own picture printing and framing. But I think that Sr. has taken it a bit far......It is our new type of interactive art.

Pope Francis "Nunning"

God bless you!

Shrove Tuesday in the Monastery

So What do the Sisters do for Mardi Gras?

We love to dress up and have a good time!

This is our time to "Twinkle and Shine "

Monday mornings....

Every year the seminarians from St. Vincent Seminary come to our Retreat House for their retreat. We look forward to hosting them, they stay with us for a week.

It is an honor and a pleasure to serve the future priests. The Church is in their hands.

But.... we have all agreed that they might need a course in bed making ....

"before" 

1

2

3

4

done....

 They need our prayers and support.

 God Bless 

The Bed Making Nuns.

Chant Nunning

O God, come to my assistance.  With these words we begin our times of prayer during The Liturgy of the Hours.  While our liturgy is in English, we have maintained the format of antiphons, psalms, hymns, and melodies found in the Antiphonale Monasticum, simplifying some of the complex melodies of the antiphons and updating the challenging chant modes to the simplified eight modes by Dom Gregory Murray, OSB (of Downside Abbey). 

These antiphons and hymns, proper to each season enrich our prayer, transport us through the liturgical year both forming and transforming us as we seek an ever deeper union with God. 

Dinner Nunning

 

This evening is our annual Fundraising Dinner and Silent Auction to raise monies to help with our operating expenses.  What makes our event different than most is that we bring folks to the monastery -- instead of holding it at a local hotel or country club.  And, they are invited, their schedule permiting, to begin the evening in prayer with us at Vespers.

It's an enjoyable evening for all, and includes a delicious served dinner by a local caterer who absolutely loves our kitchen. 

The baskets for the silent auction are crafted largely by our volunteers from items donated from various companies, organizations and individuals and have fun themes and great content.  We are indeed blessed that so many are generous to us.

Something we started last year and that was a definitely worth repeating was our dessert idea:  a sunday bar!  Who doesn't like ice cream and an array of toppings to choose from?

B & B Nunning

The words "hospitality" and "Benedictine" go hand in hand -- so for us offering hospitality through our Bed & Breakfast is just another exspression of our welcoming guests as Christ. 

We opened our Bed & Breakfast last May after renovating the house our founding Sisters purchased in 1943.  It has seen various uses over the years:  a place for our Sisters to come for some days of rest and renewal, the residence of our first diocesan bishop (he came for three weeks and stayed seven years!), and the residence of our community's chaplain.  Since August 2010, we have a commuting chaplain from St. Vincent Archabbey and the space became available.  A volunteer commented that it would make a beautiful Bed & Breakfast and well, the rest is history!

Most of our guests have commented on the peacefulness, many say they felt at home from the first moment they stepped across the threshold.  Everyone says it couldn't be nicer and that they are telling all their friends about it. 

What makes their experience so special:  our prayer and our presence.  We pray for them and their intentions.  We offer an open ear if they want to share a burden.  We welcome them "home" -- and treat them as a very special part of our family.  We think St. Benedict would be proud...

Historical Nunning

On February 25, we marked the milestone of the 81st anniversary our Sisters arriving at St. Vincent Archabbey, College and Seminary, Latrobe, PA where they worked in the kitchens and dining rooms until 1987.  Countless monks, collegians and seminarians recount stories about their favorite Sister and we are sure we have not heard them all!

It is thanks to the vision, faith and sacrifices of these women that provides us with the firm spiritual foundation on which we build today.  We owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude and pray that they continue to intercede for us now from the other side of the veil.

Vergeltes Gott (may God reward you!), dear Sisters, for all you have done in paving the way for us in this current generation.  May we never forget you and all that you have done to make our monastic life possible.

Snow Fun Nunning II

Another part of the walk that brought about the mischevious snowball, included a visit to our Last Supper Shrine.  We were intrigued at how the blowing wind had caused the snow to drape over Jesus' shoulder. 

It was tempting to go over and put your arm around Jesus and give him a hug, and with camera in hand we "captured the moment."

If you are ever in the area, you would be most welcome to visit with Jesus, sharing with Him all that is happening in your life.

Snow Fun Nunning

At the end of last week, temperatures dipped and we received several inches of snow.  Several of us have been trying to do the "healthy" thing several times each week and go out and enjoy fresh air, sunshine and make several laps around our beautiful grounds. 

Alas, even an innocent walk can be lead some innocent mischief!  Unfortunately, the snow proved to be too dry to make a really good snowball, so we contented ourselves with simply enjoying the wonder of God's creation covered with a blanket of pure white snow.

Hello! Nunning

Believe it or not, this was not a staged photo!  On hold on one line and another incoming call on the other!

Hospitality has many faces.  Not only do we welcome Christ in the guest at the door, but also welcome Christ in the guest via the telephone, an email, or a letter equally.  The reality of all of them is that Christ is being made present to us, to our concern, whether the individual is calling with a prayer request, making a retreat reservation, inquiring about accommodations at our bed and breakfast, looking for an item in our gift and book shop or just has a question or needs a listening ear. 

In all of it, we encounter Christ if we are attentive to the moment.

Rosary Nunning

While all that we do is in some way related to prayer, as we try to keep our attention centered on Christ, some occupations do seem to keep prayer more to the forefront of our thoughts. 

In her spare time, one of our Sisters has "revived" the art of handmaking rosaries -- and assuredly each bead is a prayer as she works to take the "raw materials" of beads, links, pins, crucifix and center and make it into something beautiful to help raise someone's heart and mind in prayer.

Cleaning Up Nunning

Unless you eat a lot of take out, you know from experience that pots and pans at the end of a meal don't do themselves -- you need to roll up your sleeves and tackle the job.

It's no different at the monastery, except our pots and pans tend to be larger (our usual number for an ordinary meals is about 20 including volunteers).  Add a retreat group -- or two, and the number can climb to 60, 70, 80 or more!  So it definitely can be a bigger task.

Work in the monastery isn't viewed so much as a "job to be done", although it is that as well.  We try, sometimes better and sometimes needing improvement, to see every task as a manifestation of our love for God and for our neighbor.

Concert Nunning

Once again this Christmas season, we enjoyed the musical talent of the Igou Family String Ensemble.  This family of talented young people traveled with their parents from the Somerset area last evening to provide an outstanding evening of string music for our community as well as for those who were able to join us.

It's been a tremendous joy for us to get to know their family, see how the younger ones grow from "concert to concert" both physically as well as musically, and be part of their faith journey.

Our prayers go out to Abby, who is now an aspirant with the Sister Servants of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

May God bless you all, and our thanks!

Nativity Nunning

The creche in our chapel, while containing the same basic elements (i.e. same figurines and stable) always seems to ends up with a new "effect."  This year is no different -- in fact you could say this year it grew. 

Grew?  Well, this year we added a starry sky.  Our plain white walls needed some color and light.  So consulting with one of our ever loyal volunteers, several engineering discussions having occurred, a check on what might be in house and a trip to the lumber store, Sears and JoAnne Fabric brought about the elements needed to achieve our goal.

First two of our guys hauled in the three sheets of 4' x 8' particle board and stood them in place.  Next 4' x 6' nets of LED lights were strategically stapled to the boards followed by dark blue fabric being draped loosely over them to create the twinkling night sky.  Then we stapled some beige-tone fabric to the base of the particle board to create the "horizon" and then we went for it with more fabric, boxes, dried grasses, and, yes, even more lights!  We think the effect is quite dramatic -- and even better experienced in person. 

Stop by the Cor Jesu Chapel to pay Jesus a visit!

Here's a sneak preview of the Creche before
we placed the figurine of the Christ Child.

Tannenbaum Nunning

The erection and decoration of the various Christmas trees throughout the monastery and its environs calls forth various gifts and talents.  This year has been no different thus far, and it all started with the placement of the star...
This beautiful 12' tree pictured above was given to us this year.  One of our volunteers assisted a Sister in assembling it.  It was known (though not widely), that the bottom of the pole was "somewhat" bent, but it assembled well and looked really terrific -- and most importantly, stood erect! 

A few days later, one of us began to decorate the tree by putting the star on the top, with the necessity of tilting the top slightly in order to reach it from the 10' ladder.  All went well until Sister was down ladder and moved it to a better location to begin decorating.   You guessed it, the tree began to fall...

Three of us and two of our strong-armed male volunteers then began the nearly hour long task of making the tree stand erect on its own.  When shoring up the base didn't help, we switched the tree to a different style holder, and adding stronger shoring up material, i.e. rocks.  When that didn't work, the engineering mind said we needed to wire it.  Thankfully, the recessed area in the ceiling had four screws placed in the architecture that were in the exact places needed to attach the wires, and now our tree is standing wonderfully erect! 

And as you probably have already guessed, our minds are already thinking of what needs done to make this task to erecting and decorating this particular tree easier next year...

Advent Nunning

You can tell its Advent in the monastery:  large Advent wreaths are set up in the chapel, the refectory (monastic dining room), our recreation room as well as several other locations.  Wherever you look, it seems that you have the visible reminder in purple and pink that there are four weeks to prepare your heart to receive Christ in a special way at Christmas.

Advent is about waiting and preparing.  Preparing to celebrate the Birth of Christ that happened 2000 years ago, the coming of Christ when He returns, and the coming of Christ in the here and now of Christmas 2011. 

How do we prepare?  For us, today is a day of recollection, a day of prayer.  Just as one would spend time with friends or loved ones, we spend time today and during these days of Advent in a special way with our Divine Bridegroom asking Him and inviting the Spirit to make our hearts even more like unto His own Sacred Heart and an intimate dwelling place for Him.

What are you doing this Advent to make your heart a home for Christ?  Take some time today to ask the Lord what He most desires for you.  Who knows, you may be very surprised at the gift Christ gives you for Christmas...

Stitchery Nunning

Our days are full of ora et labora, a Latin saying meaning prayer and work.  While this is true, it is not exclusive of being able to spend time doing those things that we find relaxing and enjoyable and at the same time create beauty. 

Some of us do have hobbies that are sold in our gift shop or in the little "boutique" that we have in our bed and breakfast.  Other hobbies appear for use in the chapel, which is the project being worked on above -- a new pall for the chalice.

No matter what we do, the saying in the Rule prevails:  In all things, may God be glorified!

Christmas Shoppe Nunning

Photos cannot begin to show all the aspects of our annual "Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe" held this weekend.  Consisting of items that can be gifted for the upcoming holidays, the days include food, fun, and great deals. 

With the help of our very dedicated volunteers who do work for several weeks tirelessly displaying the items to best enhance their beauty and pricing them, they spend three days with us during the actual sale doing the "whatever it takes" to make the days go smoothly.

Our photos give you a "peek" into the kitchen and several of the sale areas.  Besides the wonderful fun it is for everyong, it is also a bit of "undercover evangelization" -- individuals who would not normally visit a monastery come.  The hook may be the pierogies or the pizza -- but it is the peace of Christ that we pray they experience.

Hospitality Nunning

Mother Mary Anne giving a tour of the Robertshaw Country House Bed and Breakfast.

In his Rule, St. Benedict directs his followers to welcome all guests as Christ.  It was so important that he devotes one chapter, Chapter 53, to it which is entitled The Reception of Guests.  In this, he tells how they are to be welcomed and their needs seen to.

For us, hospitality is a special charism that we extend through our retreat house, monastic guest house, bed and breakfast, as well as in answering the phone, the door and through our website and this blog.  It is seeing the guest through the eyes of faith and seeing Christ that is within them.  Yes, it can be challenging and stretching at times, but by no means is Christ less present.  The reality in those moments is that we need to remove the blinders that we are wearing so that we can see Christ shining through.

It is hospitality that makes us see the guest not as a strange, but a friend that we have just met.