Fall has come and gone, and we are in the midst of a cold winter. The highlight of our autumn was Larry and Carmina making their Final Oblation at  Transfiguration Monastery in Windsor, NY, officially becoming Oblates of St. Benedict. One of the sisters, Sr. Donald Corcoran, OSB, lived with Dorothy Day while studying at Fordham. Dorothy was so happy to have a companion who shared her Benedictine spirituality. Sr. Donald has been interviewed for Dorothy's canonization process, something we pray for everyday at Morning Prayer. The monastery is a beautiful community with a small retreat house, a perfect place to get away for some quiet time with God. Please support the sisters. 


With a sad heart, we report that Carmina lost her father to leukemia last month.  Henry Magnusen went home to Our Lord on December 13, the Feast of St. Lucy. He had a very strong devotion to the souls in purgatory and encouraged everyone to pray the  St. Gertrude Prayer. Please pray for his soul, so he may join his friends in heaven.


Last March, our greenhouse collapsed during the blizzard. With the help of our friend Gene, we have begun rebuilding it and hope to start planting in March. Carmina is happy to have a place to dry her wool again!

Downtime in winter gave Larry a chance to do a little writing. With our five year anniversary looming this spring, he decided to sit down and try to articulate the philosophical and theological roots of our mission here on the farm. There has been a lot of talk about the " Benedict Option" these days, but we prefer the "Maurin Mandate", the Christian vocation that is not at all optional. You can read his essay  here.




As we discern the future of the farm in light of Larry's reflections, we will be posting our plans, and our needs in fulfilling those plans. We welcome everyone to participate in our mission in a variety of ways - from volunteering to getting dairy goats (again!) to supplying some sheep feed! We are grateful for the friends we have made through our life on the farm.