Holy Trinity Monastery - Suppressed, but...

[Luigi]

From their website - this is the first update in years that I've seen on this web site: 

http://www.holytrinitymonastery.org/

"What is Holy Trinity Monastery today in 2017?

Holy Trinity currently continues as a place of renewal and retreats for individuals
and groups. From 1974 until early 2017 Holy Trinity was an active Benedictine
monastery with a retreat program. The monastic community was suppressed in
February 2017 because an insufficient number of monks and most of the monks
were reassigned. [Two monks remain on the premises.] However, the Benedictine Olivetan Congregation continues to own the facilities and govern the corporation. Holy Trinity continues its mission and vision as the founder through a group of volunteers who live at Holy Trinity by maintaining the facilities and programs. The residential volunteers are financially independent and are responsible for their own needs. All donations and proceeds from any activities or ministries are applied to the maintenance of the grounds, buildings and programs.

The community invites individuals and couples who are interested in volunteering
for an extended period, say 3 to 6 months, to experience community living within 
the spirit of the Rule of St. Benedict."

The Olivetan Benedictines have two other monasteries in the US, both rather small - Mother of the Redeemer in Louisiana and Guadalupe Abbey in New Mexico, where Phatmasser Staretz is a monk. It seems the order has found a creative way to continue the monastery's ministry while still taking the needs of the order into consideration. 

[chrysostom]

On my recent tourist/pilgrim visit to Italy I stopped by the Olivetan monastery in Florence - at San Miniato al Monte which overlooks the city. It was beautiful, I got there for an early morning Mass and there were monks young and old and a handful of laypeople like myself who found a little space to the side of the choir stalls. They were chanting the Divine Office before Mass and I sat there in that gorgeously beautiful place and felt it was a little bit of heaven on earth!

Sorry to see Holy Trinity Monastery has been suppressed, Benedictines are all about stability after all, but nice to see they've found a way to continue activities there. God bless them!

[Luigi]

I've been to San Miniato, too, for evening Mass. I think the common was chanted in Latin, if I remember correctly. It was beautiful and reverent.

But some American fool sitting behind me was trying to video-record it. The presiding priest saw him and sort of waved his hand at the guy to stop it - except I didn't know the fool was behind me, so I thought the priest was trying to tell me to stop doing something. I did figure it out. Two minutes later, the same fool was off to the side, trying to hide behind a pillar and record. I walked over to him and whispered - rather vehemently - that this was a religious ceremony, and that we were here to pray, not to provide him with a movie-making opportunity. And I went back to my pew.

I thought he would probably be upset with me, but he stopped recording and got in the pew - not far from me. At the sign of peace, he shook my hand and said, "Thank you, you're right. I'm sorry. "

I've also been to the Olivetan motherhouse outside of Siena. That was wonderful, too, but we didn't get to attend Mass or Divine Office there. But since then, I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the Olivetan Benedictines.