What a week!

It was a busy week for us in many ways...some exciting, some sad, some in between.

Lent started, of course, and with it comes special psalms, readings and songs that liturgical seasons such as this bring. We had a nice Mardi Gras party Tuesday night, with puzzles and prizes. The prizes for the winners were a pack of one dollar bills that we all promptly deposited into a special box we just put out that day to collect money to send to the Benedictine sisters in the Ukraine. The American communities are responding to the sisters' present and near future needs by collecting funds here and sending them to a community in Poland who can get them to the Ukrainian communities when they can.

The first full weekend of Lent found us opening the monastery to our publics--both for prayer/liturgies and overnight guests. The latest closer lasted two months. It was a very happy and excited group that joined us Sunday morning. Erie County entered the "low" rating on the CDC's latest scale this week. Alleluia--oops, Lent...no shouting Alleluia!

And finally, the weather took a turn bringing late winter teasers---not only did we experience 50s and even 60s, but warm sun and the formation of ice floes in the creeks and along the lakeshore. Here's the view along our own Glinodo shore this weekend. These huge blocks of ice that build up every year at this time never cease to amaze me.

See our community website for the prayer card and obituary for our Sister Bernadette Sullivan who died Thursday. She was a true Irish leprechaun in personality, we will miss her.