In-Person Snowstorms and Retreats

-

 

By Ida Williams


The vintage phrase “in like a lion, out like a lamb” comes to mind as I think about March 2023. 

            After a three-year hiatus from hosting the Lenten retreat in person, the monks and nuns decided it was once again time to gather with friends old and new to share monastic perspectives on the Great Lent.  The date of March 18th was selected, and the title for the conference was determined: Tilling the Lenten Soil. 

            I felt a little rusty in my role as event coordinator for this retreat.  Getting the word out, setting up pre-registration, planning meals, and staging the settings for maximum occupancy—all the while keeping in mind the need for ample space so everyone felt comfortable.  All planning went well, and we met our goal of 40 people registered for the retreat.  

            As any seasoned event planner knows, you have to watch the weather forecast.  News outlets and online weather sources were predicting a severe weather event for March 14th: heavy, wet snowfall and high winds.  Unfortunately, they got it right.  Our area reported snowfall up to 36 inches.  Tree branches fell on power lines, and New Skete was not spared.  Thanks to the National Grid linemen, power was restored the next day. 

BUT, no internet, no phones. ETA for restoration: Saturday, March 18th between 10 am and 12 pm.

An email went out to all registered attendees.  The best way to contact anyone at the monastery was via email, and we apologized in advance for delays in responding because we needed to leave the mountain to retrieve messages. 

            The second part of the email was in regard to parking.  The snow was not melting quickly.  As we’ve mentioned in previous newsletters, the monks’ monastery is under renovation.  With the construction materials and equipment occupying the space we would typically use for overflow parking during events, I was concerned.  Thanks to the good folks who plow the monastery, Josh skillfully snow-blowing paths, and attendees carpooling when possible, parking was not a problem.

            March 18th arrived, and it was a beautiful day.  Partly sunny skies, highs in the mid 40’s.  The day went without a hitch.  Following Matins, guests were invited into the monks’ dining room for a light breakfast.  Sister Rebecca started the conference with her talk “Revisiting the Garden of My Inner Life: Listening and Receiving the ‘Seeds’ of the Word of God.”  After her talk, she guided attendees in a time of silent meditation.  Lunch was served, and the Moroccan Chickpea Stew was a hit.  Many asked for the recipe, and you will find a link to it at the bottom of this article.  Next, Brother Gregory gave a short talk on the history of New Skete, a tour of Holy Wisdom Church, and a surprise visit to the puppy kennel to meet the puppies that would be going home the following weekend.  The final conference of the day was by Brother Christopher: “Transforming Everyday Life through Spiritual Practice.”  We were not able to record the presentations as we had planned.  At some point we will recreate Brother Christopher’s presentation and have it available for online viewing.  

The day came and went, and yet, still no internet or phones.  Upon further investigation, Verizon crews found that a pine tree had fallen and taken down the fiberoptic cable.  On Monday, March 20th, the updated report was that several thousand feet of cable was on the ground and that the area in the woods where the cable runs looked like a war zone.  On Tuesday, five Verizon trucks lined the road to the monastery.  A large spool of fiberoptic cable, as big as a kitchen table, was ready to be installed.  By 5 pm the fiberoptic cable had been run, and the workers were waiting for the connectors to arrive to finish the job.  At 8:30 pm, internet and phones were back on at the monks’ monastery.  Yay!!!

My hope… March departs like a lamb.

 

Easy Moroccan Chickpea Stew (https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/easy-moroccan-chickpea-stew)






Comments

New comments are not allowed.

Popular posts from this blog

Monks on the Move

-
Image
  by Brother Christopher   It is not often that monks get to travel, given that our focus is on living the monastic life in this particular community. However, occasionally situations come up when travel is warranted, and one such opportunity presented itself recently for Brothers Christopher and Theophan. The Institute for the Study of Eastern Christianity at Catholic University of America was hosting a conference titled “Ascetic Practices and the Mind: Mental Healing in Eastern Christianity” on March 1-2. We found out about the conference when Robin Darling Young, one of the theology professors at Catholic U and an organizer of the conference, paid a brief visit to New Skete last fall. During the course of her visit she learned that Brother Theo had a background in neuroscience, and she mentioned to us how the conference planners were looking for an Orthodox participant(s) whose interests were in both spirituality and neuroscience. She took advantage of the synchronicity...
Read more

Seeking God

-
Image
  By Sister Cecelia Seeking to do God’s will in all things is what monasticism is all about. It encompasses all the nitty-gritty happenings in all our lives. At the Nuns’ monastery, after 30-plus years the door and door frame opening to a second-floor deck had succumbed to all the snows and rainfalls and was rotting along the bottom. It took 3 months for a replacement door to arrive and another few months for it to be installed. Further investigation of the deck itself revealed extensive rotting that needed attention. Through many years of repairs to the wooden deck itself, it appeared to be a lost cause. How long would the wood last, since so many coats of stain and preservative had been applied and the wood floor and railing were still cracked with so much snow and rain on it? How long would a repair last before someone leaned against the railing and went tumbling down? Or a floorboard gave when stepped on? We do trust in God, but we also know that God expects us to use our hea...
Read more

Liberty and Belonging

-
Image
  By Br Brennan Just over a year ago I was planning an early retirement with an eye to monastic life. While I can’t say that I had one of those great careers and was at the top of my game, I had come to know some really amazing people over my years in the last job. Among those, I always enjoyed truly close relationships marked by great mutual respect. However, I was also one of those artists with a day job, and as a dancer/instructor/choreographer I had come to notice in recent years a certain status of “esteemed eldership” of sorts (at least in my particular genre, that of East European ethnic dance), however awkward I felt about it. After numerous visits to New Skete over the years, I knew the transition to postulancy and novitiate would involve quite a shake-up in my sense of self. And I was correct. First, I was not going to jump in and wow anyone with any diligence, knowledge, or finesse, as I might try to do in a new job. All I could do was pay attention, and learn what t...
Read more