From the Rector's Desk

Dear friends,

I cannot believe I am writing you to urge you to think about things happening in May, for heaven’s sake, but remember how recently we were talking about things happening in the fall, and that time and those events are long gone.

Have you ever been on a retreat? A retreat is a very important thing to do from time to time It is a combination of an experience in prayer, an exercise in discipline, a time for rest, and a period of reflection and stimulation. This year, we are planning a parish retreat for May 16 - 18, 2008 at The Order of the Holy Cross located in West Park, New York. The retreat will begin on Friday evening (May 16) and conclude in mid afternoon Sunday (May 18). It will be a great retreat! The exact topic of the retreat will be announced later, however for now, you should be thinking about Easter themes: The resurrection, renewal, new life, restoration and quiet reflection.

The cost will be $170.00 excluding transportation to West Park, which is up the Hudson River, not far from West Park, New York, and across the river from Poughkeepsie. In fact, we take the train to Poughkeepsie, and then a taxi from there to the monastery. It is a beautiful space, a traditional monastic building with an austere and elegant chapel, a refectory which is cantilevered out over the grounds and gives the impression of “hovering over the Hudson”. They are known for their food.

Some of you remember James Dowd. James is now Brother James, OHC, at that very community so if you know him, you can see him again at this retreat.

A retreat involves settling into the life and routine of a religious community. We wake early for prayer, which involves the chanting of psalms and canticles, coming back to the chapel for mid-day prayers, and then closing the day with evensong and compline at night. It is a little glimpse into the life of the monastic and it can be very restorative and refreshing. There will be talks scheduled, time for walking around the area, which is beautifully landscaped, and also includes many natural phenomena. The river is particularly lovely in the spring as are the spring flowers. The retreat is conducted in silence, which gives us opportunity to be quiet, reflect, and hear the voice of God within you.

Give this a thought an put these dates on your calendar: Friday 16 May - Sunday, 18 May.

Faithfully,


The Rev’d Lloyd Prator
Rector