Abbot's Archives

An easily overlooked but worthwhile black and white film from 1940 is called BROTHER ORCHID, starring Edgar G. Robinson. It tells the fictional tale of mob boss Little John Sarto, played by Robinson, who gives up his turf to another mobster, played by Humphrey Bogart....

The Holy Season of Lent has begun and we monks, along with all Christians, see it as a special time of prayer, fasting and good works. Saint Benedict says a monk's life should always have about it a "Lenten character," implying some degree of asceticism and sacrifice...

Over the night of February 10th--the Lunar New Year 2024--we received a generous amount of snow in the Chama Canyon Wilderness. We are grateful for any amount of moisture in the desert Southwest. Last night's snowfall measured in at about half a foot. This morning we...

Every day, rain or shine, we monks gather in the chapter room at 8:30 am. There we hear announcements from the Abbot or if another monk has an announcement, such as a request for help in a work project or a request for prayers for someone in need, a family member or...

Men, including monks, are not always famous for "clutter-free" environments, but we try to do so here, with some areas in the Monastery better at this than others. For us, the corridors within the cloister, connecting our various buildings, are an opportunity to...

While we're neither a hotel nor a spa, we do routinely enjoy healthy and savory meals, prepared by our monks. In today's photo, Brother Chrysostom (who wears many hats here), and Father Zachary (who also wears many hats here), are preparing lunch, stuffed peppers. We...

Popularly called "Christmas Cactus" (technically termed Schlumbergera), because they usually bloom around Christmas time, we have several of these potted plants inside, flowering nicely just now. They are all in front of large (double-paned) windows along our cloister...

During the winter months, our livestock (sheep, donkey and horses) depend on hay we purchase from local ranchers, some of which is on display in today's photo, ready to be stored at the "Good Shepherd Inn," as we call our sheep and donkey barn. Sometimes the...

While nighttime temperatures in the Chama Canyon can drop to freezing or lower during December and January, thankfully after sunrise they can rise to the mid or high 40s by noon. We are blessed with an abundance of sun throughout the year, and no less so in the winter...

Abbot Christian has named Brother Elias Sanchez Chavez as the new Prior of the Monastery of Our Lady of Solitude (La Soledad), near San Miguel de Allende, in the State of Guanajuato, Mexico. Brother Elias succeeds Father Ezequiel Bas Luna, who has served as Prior of...

A young mountain lion from across the Chama River has been eyeing our flock of sheep and even gave them a "run for their money" in broad daylight. However, intrepid guard-donkey Matty chased away the predator for now, but that's  no guarantee the lion won't return. We...

It is still Christmastide, up to the Feast of the Epiphany (the visit of the Magi) on January 6th, and concluding on Monday, January 8th with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. After that we return to "Ordinary Time" until Ash Wednesday on February 14th this year....