New Skete Monasteries News

  By Ida Williams  Shortly after my first year of employment, I was tasked with handling dog training client communications and scheduling.   I have to admit that it is one of my favorite aspects of my job.   I feel that I am instrumental in making a difference in the lives of dogs and their owners, not to the extent the brothers and the trainers do, but I like to think that I play a small role in helping save dogs from being surrendered to shelters.           Over the years, hundreds of dogs have been enrolled in the monastery’s training program: Dachshunds to Great Danes. Seven months old to seven years old.   Goofy to scary.   Each dog is loved immeasurably by the owners.   The owners’ goals are always the same: to include the dog more fully in their lives.                After a dog graduates from the program and the owner continues to ...

    It’s no secret that the expression "global warming" today elicits visceral reactions, both positive or negative, depending on how one believes. It doesn’t matter which side of the issue one falls on, believers or deniers, the topic has become so intensely politicized that constructive dialogue has become exceedingly difficult. For those who deny that the earth is headed on a perilous ecological course, global warming is code for an unproven political agenda fomented by the left which, if embraced, will have dire economic consequences. In contrast, those who believe in the reality of global warming and humanity’s role in deepening it warn that unless we change course in a radical way, the very survival of the earth could be at stake for succeeding generations. They cite the fact that 97% of scientists agree that global warming is human-caused as evidence of the urgency. And so culturally, it feels as if we’re at odds with each other, with Republicans and Democrats having v...