The rescheduled Day of Recollection, Anglicans, Awake!, was held on Saturday, October 24, 2009. Offered in response to the request of a small group of Anglicans, the day offered an opportunity to explore the Orthodox faith and ponder next steps in the pilgrimage of faith. Abbot James moderated the discussion, which was punctuated by attendance at the services chanted by the monks and a lunch generously provided by Reader Polycarp Sherwood and his wife.

Mark Chaffee, from St. Catherine of Alexandria Mission (Antiochian) in Ann Arbor, MI, visited the monastery on the weekend of October 24-25. Prior to becoming Orthodox, Mark was a regular visitor to the Episcopal Benedictines in Three Rivers, MI, and he was very interested in becoming acquainted with the Benedictine tradition as it is observed in Holy Orthodoxy.

From October 17 to 21, John Bryan Thomas Puterbaugh, a member of St. Gregory’s Orthodox Church (Western-Rite Antiochian) in Washington, D.C., visited Christminster for a personal retreat. Bryan is an Oblate of St. Benedict, affiliated with the group of oblates at St. Michael’s Orthodox Church (Western-Rite Antiochian) in Whittier, CA.

Dom James and Reader Polycarp attended a conference between scholars of the Anglican and Eastern Orthodox traditions will be held at Nashotah House Theological Seminary on October 8-10, 2009. Entitled “In the Footsteps of Tikhon and Grafton - Anglican and Orthodox Identity, Ministry and Mission in the 21th Century.” The conference featured discussions and addresses by representatives of Nashotah House and St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Yonkers, NY. The keynote speaker was His Beatitude Jonah, Metropolitan of Washington DC and all America of the Orthodox Church in America.

Work is underway in preparation for the arrival of Oblate Sister Sophia to take up residence at St. Benet House, across Steven Street from the Monastery. We expect sister to be here in mid-November to begin life in closer association with the monastery and to help provide accommodations for additional guests, especially women (since they are not able to stay in the guest room within the cloister).

We fly to thy patronage,
O holy Mother of God!
Despise not our petitions
in our necessities,
but deliver us from all dangers,
O ever glorious
and blessed Virgin.

—Oldest extant prayer
to the Virgin Mary

September 2009

Abbot James went to Massachusetts to assist his younger brother, who is ill. During his absence, Holy Mass was not being celebrated at the Monastery; the monks visited the other Orthodox Churches in the area on Sundays and joined Fr. Geoffrey of All Saints’ Church (OCA) in his Domestic Chapel for major feasts.

The Day of Recollection, Anglicans, Awake!, originally scheduled for September 26th was postponed until Dom James is able to return to Hamilton. A new date will be announced, hopefully in October.

On Sunday, September 27th, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the monks and regular communicants of Our Lady of Glastonbury Church journeyed to Christ the Savior Cathedral (OCA) in Toronto for the Hierarchical Liturgy and Veneration of the miraculous Icon of the Theotokos of Pochaev (pictured to the left), which is now making a pilgrimage through Canada. It was a great joy to venerate and pray before this ancient and beautiful Icon of the Mother of God and feel such a connection to our Orthodox brethren of the Pochaev Monastery.

In September the Abbot received word from the group of Oblates of St. Benedict that meets at St. Michael’s Orthodox Church, Whittier, CA, that they had voted unanimously to petition for corporate reception as Oblates of Christminster. We were very pleased to receive this request and are in the process of working out details.

August 2009

Here in Hamilton, we have had an unusually cool and rainy summer. While we don’t mind the lower temperatures, the rain has brought several new leaks to our attention — very persistently!

Handyman Sean has made three trips here to try to locate and repair the leaks, and to repair the damaged ceiling and floors in the Scriptorium. Just when we thought the problem was solved — plop, plop, plop — water all over the table and floor again in the midst of a major downpour. Maybe the fourth time will be the charm...

July 2009

Oblate Sister Sophia, from St. Mark’s Antiochian Orthodox Church (Western Rite) in Denver, Colorado, came and spent a week with the monks in order to participate fully in the daily discipline of monastic life. Sister made her oblation to Abbot James at St. Mark’s on June 31, 2006, but this is the first time she has been able to journey to Christminster.

With the blessings of Abbot James and of her Diocesan Hierarch, Bishop BASIL of Witchita (AOANA), Sister, who is a widow, has been allowed the privilege of wearing her habit “full-time.” This is unusual, but particular circumstances made it appropriate in her case.

While with us, Sister helped out with ironing linens, caring for the garden, and bringing cheerful encouragement to the monks. Discussions with the monks led to a decision that Sister would move to Hamilton, to live near the monastery and, perhaps, help provide guest quarters for women who wish to come on retreat. Please pray for the guidance and blessing of the Lord on this challenging and exciting opportunity!

June 2009

On Sunday, June 21st (8th, O.S.), the Feast of Corpus Christi, Frs Joseph and Michael traveled to the United States with Reader Polycarp (Sherwood) to attend Matins and Mass at Holy Incarnation Church (AOANA—Western Rite) in Detroit, Michigan. Our group was warmly received by Fr. Fenton and his parishioners and Fr. Michael was honored to be invited to chant the Sequence for the Feast.

After the Mass and outdoor Procession of the Blessed Sacrament, we joined the parishioners for a lovely coffee hour and conversation. It was a pleasure to see their newly renovated sanctuary and learn about this Orthodox outreach to the people of Detroit.

Fr. Benedikt blessed the monastery with the gift of a plaque of St. Benedict (pictured to the left), carved by the man who did the work for his chapel, along with two sets of vestments: A white and blue Marian set from Czestochowa, Poland; and a green set custom made for us by the Sisters of St. Elizabeth’s Convent, Minsk, Russia — the first vestments they ever made for Western Orthodox services!

On the day before his departure, Fr. Benedikt was received as a novice-oblate, thus becoming formally affiliated with Christminster in prayer and fellowship. May the Lord bless his time of discernment and bring him back to us again in health and peace!