My Weekend at Mount Saviour Monastery

For my 35th birthday, I was going to go to Vegas but then decided to do the opposite, go to a monastery.

My life is anything but slow and contemplative, but I try.

I e-mailed the “Guest Brother” Brother Bruce using the Form on their website requesting the dates I wanted to come and received a correspondence back requesting my Vaccine card which I sent.

Within a day or two, Brother Bruce wrote back, “You have been penciled in.”

No confirmation number, no check in time, but I knew I had a place to lay my head for the weekend as I sought the face of God through silence and contemplation. And if I am honest, to have some interrupted time to journal and read too.

I arrived on a Friday afternoon and Brother Bruno showed me to my room which was simple but clean and perfect for my needs.

The suite had a comfortable, single bed, full kitchen with an oven, fridge, coffee maker and toaster, a desk and chair facing the rolling hills of central New York, a reclining chair perfect for reading, a couch and full bath (shower, no tub, fine by me). They provided linens & towels and extra blankets in the closet.

The whole atmosphere of the monastery is welcoming, quiet, peaceful and tranquil. The only other people I spoke to besides Brother Bruce were a artist couple that stayed onsite the same time I did and even when we spoke, it was in soft, slow voices.

Most of my time was spent alone in my room — reading, praying, journaling, thinking, being bored (I know, shocker)!

The atmosphere of Mount Saviour is intentionally quiet, with a tactful reminder on the coffee table: you may not have come here for a silent retreat but others did, please respect their wishes.

I would avoid Facetiming my kids while in my room but instead do them in my car to respect others who were doing silent retreats. In the old home where I stayed, one of the brothers resided above my room and I heard him walking around in the evenings so I know he would have heard me singing Baby Shark to my toddler. I decided to spare him.

For breakfast, Brother Bruno showed me a small pantry with a coffee maker (even though I already made some in my room) and cereal with milk and homemade zucchini bread from one of the brothers (outstanding).

For lunch and dinner, I ate in the refectory with the brothers. The meals were homemade, delicious and nutritious. During lunch, one brother read scripture and a story about monkhood as well as sharing the chores for the afternoon.

The evenings for dinner, we listened to classical music and ate in silence.

I also spent some time walking the property and looking at the sheep, rolling hills and flowing streams. The monastery also functions as a working sheep farm and Brother Bruce told me lambing season was quickly approaching and the monks would be busy with that.

My only regret was I wished I spent an extra day or two there and asked if I could work with any of the brothers to help prepare a meal or do manual labor to help contribute to the community, but my time there was so short and within 2 days I was on the road back to The Bronx.

Overall, my weekend in the monastery was a life changing experience and I hope to return soon. Grateful to have such a holy place and holy space to rest and connect with God in silence and solitude.

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