New Skete Monasteries News

By Brother Luke             Timberrr! Well, we seldom say that in the woods on our trails because the trees usually fall during wind storms and we are not out on the trails at that time. But had we been out on the trails this winter and spring during our many wind storms, we would have been calling out “timberrr” a lot. Once the ice and snow were gone, grooming the trails became a realistic priority. During the winter and early spring, I made several forays into the woods to pick up small branches and other debris and to replace fallen trail signs, but several larger trees that came down across the paths were going to require a chain saw. A daunting task I have done before, but I was not looking forward to doing it again by myself. Also, I suspected that the small chain saw I usually use would not do the job with some of these trees.   But God provides!           ...

By Brother Gregory              When I first came to New Skete in 1996, I was much younger and had a lot more energy. Back then at the monks’ monastery we did everything, and there were no employees. Br Marc did all the road plowing and road repairs. The monks did all the cooking, dog training, and puppy program cleaning; we washed the dishes, mopped all the halls and floors, cleaned the bathrooms, cut the grass, and so much more, not to mention all the work to maintain the liturgical life of the monastery. The monks would put on their boots after Matins and breakfast at 9:00 AM and take off their boots at 9:00 PM—and, of course, don’t forget all the love and attention that the beautiful German Shepherd dogs received and gave back to us. Back then, this work schedule was not a problem, and we could handle it with energy to spare. But now it’s 2018 and 22 years later, and things at the monastery have changed, with fewe...