Towards the end of May, Brs Roger and Daniel departed for our Order’s annual Chapter gathering at our Holy Cross Monastery in upstate New York in the USA. A significant feature of this year’s Chapter was the election of our next Superior. Br Ephrem will serve the Order in that capacity for a 6-year term following his installation in September, just before Holy Cross Day. Our current Superior, Br Robert James, will take a well-earned sabbatical thereafter, having served in the position for 9 years. Br Ephrem has most recently served as Junior Master for the Order and as Guest Master at Holy Cross Monastery.
Apart from the Superior election, the Chapter gathering included the consideration of community reports for the past year, the approval of budgets for the coming year, and discussion of such matters as future arrangements for monastic formation in our communities. Prayer and fellowship together are always important aspects of our time at Chapter, of course.
(Superior-Elect Br Ephrem is in the front row
between Bp Andrew and Br Robert James the Superior)
While Brs Roger and Daniel were away, the 3 Juniors managed their responsibilities at home well, which included coping with the effects of a third storm, a sustained deluge of several days’ duration, which exposed various inadequacies in our buildings’ ability to keep water out. Curiously, after the storm in South Africa ended, the Brothers in the USA experienced an unexpectedly intense hailstorm during an evening outing.
After returning to South Africa, Brs Roger and Daniel attended a meeting of the Harkerville community held in response to the lingering effects of the recent extraordinary storms, in particular the long time many properties had been without grid power. It was good to meet many of the people from the surrounding area even as they voiced their frustrations and to hear from the people responsible for restoring electrical and other services, clarifying the conditions they had been struggling with. After the meeting, communication generally improved, and as it turned out many properties started to be reconnected to grid power. This included our own property, after more than a month. Other people had to wait longer still, and individual properties remain without grid power, including some friends of our community.
On Saturday 20 June, our Junior monks participated in an online workshop with young people from other religious communities within the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. This was organized and facilitated by our Br Josias, around the theme of multi-generational communities.
(Bp Edwin of George holds the crozier)
We were pleased to be asked to host a pre-ordination retreat in our guesthouse for those to be ordained from the Anglican Diocese of George in which we are now situated. Br Roger conducted the retreat for four ordinands, two preparing to be ordained to the priesthood, two to the diaconate. In addition to the input sessions, the ordinands joined us for chapel prayers and for meals, and Brothers made themselves available for individual meetings.
Our monastic community attended the ordination service at St Mark’s Cathedral in George on Sunday 28 June. Br Roger preached at the service (the text of his sermon can be found here.). It was a joyful occasion.
Two guests were welcomed to make their retreat in our guesthouse during the following week. One is an Anglican priest, the other a Methodist minister.
We have been deeply saddened to witness an increase in evident animosity towards undocumented foreigners from certain groups in this country, especially when this has expressed itself in physical intimidation and violence. We continue to pray for just and peaceful resolutions to the many complex issues that result in such misery and pain for so many.