Abbot's Archives

After more than twenty years of "wear and tear", a number of our roofs are being replaced at this time. The extremes of cold and heat add to the stress on New Mexico roofs, and it's a miracle the roofs have lasted this long In any case, because of the roof work...

Community While “community” may be a well-worn word in this day and age, that is no reason to stop using it or to cease pondering on its meaning. At the core of the word “community” is the idea of “communion,” a state of being that we hopefully all want to possess and...

Of course the plant and flowers in today's photo have another name than "Thanksgiving Cactus" (do you know the correct name?), but their blooming at this time of the year causes us to call them "Thanksgiving Cactus." These cacti (or cactuses) are growing in large pots...

Over the past many weeks we have been making an extra effort to increase the variety and enhance the quality of books for sale in our Giftshop. Guests and visitors to the Monastery Giftshop will find a wide selection of books on prayer, Benedictine spirituality, lives...

While Autumn is still going on, before we know it, Winter will arrive. For us in the Chama Canyon wilderness, these days mean chilly mornings, often below freezing, but very pleasant temperatures by midday and throughout the afternoon. Sunset for us at this time of...

Our annual monastic community retreat is now drawing to a close. As mentioned in the last News Page, the retreat has been conducted by Sister Margaret Michael Gillis, FSP, a member of the Daughters of Saint Paul, who currently resides in their convent in Saint Louis,...

As Autumn progresses, with leaves having changed and now fallen, we carry on toward an eventual Winter and whatever it may bring this year. We had good rainfall in August and September, and are praying more moisture will come this Winter, either as rain or snow....

On the other hand, it is always Easter for Christians, since we believe that Christ is truly Risen, and we strive to live in that truth. Today's photo is a splendid expression of our joy at Easter, celebrated in a particular way in our abbey church each year. Prior...

With the amount of rainfall in September, welcome as it was, we wondered if the cottonwood trees along the Chama River would change color in their usual Autumn fashion. True to form, they did, and have not disappointed. We've still not had a morning frost, so the...

Our beautiful landscape never disappoints, and for the attentive eye, there is always something worth seeing, day and night, on the land and in the sky. Today's twilight photo captures the essence of a "fading day," and the promise of a star-studded sky in a matter of...

We are nearing the middle of October and enjoying very fine weather in our high desert setting. The combination of rain and sun and mild temperatures makes the possibility of walking, running, biking and riding (horses!) a very pleasant experience for those so...