Braving
the
wintery February weather, last month Fr. John Martin Shimkus and
Br. Jacob Orcutt made a much anticipated road trip to our Holy Face
Monastery, located in Clifton, New Jersey. The visit was an
opportunity for Br. Jacob to experience our East Coast monastery and
shrine for the first time and make a brief stop in New York City which
he had seen only once before – at the age of four! “I was struck
by the amount of activity that takes place at Holy Face despite the
small size of the monastic community”, reflected Br. Jacob, “and the
devotion of the people (the church seems never to be empty of pray-ers)
was also very inspiring.”
The two monks who presently make up the
Clifton community are Fr. Bernard Schinn - who was actually born and
raised in Brooklyn - and Fr. Louis Marie Navaratne, of our Sri Lankan
Priory. They continue a tradition of prayer and service that goes
back to 1953 when Holy Face Monastery was founded. Situated on
ten tree-lined acres just opposite the Manhattan skyline twelve miles
away, this peaceful place continues to attract large numbers of people
from throughout the metropolitan area. In addition to quiet
spaces for reflection, Holy Face Monastery also offers daily Masses,
weekly novenas and a monthly healing Mass. Confessions are
available almost every day and monthly presentations on the Holy Shroud
of Turin add a unique spiritual and educational opportunity. The
enduring popularity of this monastery and shrine is a testimony to the
dedication of our confreres who live and minister there and to the
spiritual longing of its many pilgrims.
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