February 19 to 21 (Friday to Sunday)
Lenten Retreat: Christ Who Arouses

Led by The Rev. Martin Smith

"Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you." (Eph. 5:14) This verse from an early Christian hymn draws us into reflection on the ways in which the Living Christ shows his desire to awaken us, enliven us, and bring us into the daylight of awareness. In this Lenten retreat we will meditate on the experience of being aroused from denial, avoidance and numbness to live the awakened life. Martin Smith is a priest well known throughout the Episcopal Church as a writer and retreat leader. He currently serves as Senior Associate Rector on the staff of St Columba's parish, Washington, D.C.

Fee $250 Deposit $80

Feb 23 - 26 (Tuesday to Friday)
Beauty & Imagination as a Way to God

Led by Esther de Waal

Recovery of the religious imagination is one of our greatest needs today, It is time to feed the visual and the non-verbal. Too many of us feel battered by too many words. Too often, we feel "brain weary"!

In this retreat we shall focus on approaching God through the visual arts, poetry, image and symbol. We will aim to develop an awareness of the role that image and symbol can play in deepening our understanding of God. Special attention will be paid to Welsh religious poetry, medieval monastic architecture and stained glass, and to the way Thomas Merton used the camera as a way into contemplation.

Esther de Waal, an Anglican laywoman, has written several books, gives talks on spirituality and travels on pilgrimages. She has always lived in the Welsh Borders whose landscape she regards as having shaped her spirituality. She has written extensively on the Benedictine, Celtic and Cistercian traditions and on Thomas Merton, and she is a Companion of the Order of the Holy Cross.

Fee $300 Deposit $80

March 2 - 5 (Tuesday to Friday)
Bibliophile's Workout - Library Volunteers Retreat

Led by Br. Bernard Delcourt OHC

Holy Cross monks and their friends have been collecting books since 1884; over 15,000 volumes and counting...

In recent years, the librarians have embarked on yet another conversion experience: shifting to an on-line catalog. This is a long-term project that requires loving work. The influx of newly cataloged books also entails physical work: re-stacking, cleaning, archiving.

Come and join the librarian (Br. Adam) and his assistants (Brs. Rafael and Bernard) to continue improving the library. We will balance work, rest, prayer and recreation. Each day we will work from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. The librarians will provide the necessary training and supervision. Work in the library can be dusty; bring appropriate clothing for your work times.

Fee: $210 Deposit: $80

March 2 - 5 (Tuesday to Friday)
Paint your Faith

Led by Elizabeth Rundquist

"Paint Your Faith", a workshop focused on visual expression of the creative process as manifestation of faith. Sometimes the ideas we hold are dim and unformed. Let the beautiful surroundings and community of Holy Cross Monastery, combined with creative group process, fueled by prayer, quiet, and art materials allow your innate God-given creativity to blossom and find visual/verbal expression. You will be part of a group of seekers looking for new ways to express the life of the Spirit. Our time together will be structured to allow for both individual and group experience. Absolutely no artistic abilities are necessary, only a wish to let your own creativity and curiosity shine through. A variety of art materials, including collage and clay, will be available. Art books and journals for writing will also be available for you to explore. You are free to bring your own materials.

"Paint Your Faith" workshop will be led by Elizabeth Rundquist, MA, ATR-BC. She is a graduate of EFM, and a psychotherapist with Board-Certification in Art Therapy. She is an experienced group leader with a strong belief that every human being is creative, a God-given gift.

Fee: $260; Deposit: $80

March 9 - 12 (Tuesday to Friday)
Come & See: Monastic Living as a Vocation

Led by Members of the Monastic Community

A program for single men aged 20 to 48 who are interested in exploring Benedictine monastic life as a possible vocational path. Join the brothers of Holy Cross Monastery for three full days of prayer, work, study and conversation and discover what this ancient way of life can offer you today. Begins at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday and ends after lunch on Friday.

Fee: $50; Deposit: $50

March 23 -26 or 28 (Tuesday to Friday or Sunday)
Individually Directed Retreats for Lent

Limited Registration

Led by Members of the Monastic Community

The season of Lent calls for prayer, reflection, and simplicity of living. This time of individually directed retreats will help participants in their Lenten preparation. Participants will meet individually each day with a Spiritual Director who will assist and guide you in responding to God's movement in your life and in responding to the invitation to deeper union with God.

Participants start the retreat on Tuesday and may conclude on Friday or Sunday, depending on your needs.

As part of registering for this retreat, participants are asked to include a brief synopsis of your spiritual journey and a statement of your hopes for the retreat.

Fee: Tuesday through Friday $240, Tuesday through Sunday $400; Deposit: $80

March 27 (Saturday) 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Be Still And Know That I Am God - An Introduction to Centering Prayer

Led by Bruce Gardiner, Contemplative Outreach - Hosted by Br. Charles n/OHC

Based in the Christian contemplative heritage, and most particularly in the anonymous 14th century English classic, The Cloud of Unknowing, Centering Prayer is a method of response to God's invitation to enter into loving intimacy and ever-deepening relationship. The practice prepares us to be open, available, and present to God's action and presence in the innermost recesses of our being. It facilitates a process of interior transformation initiated by God and leading, as we consent, to divine union.

Centering Prayer has been given its contemporary expression by Trappist abbot, Fr. Thomas Keating, O.C.S.O., who also founded Contemplative Outreach in order to bring the riches of the Christian contemplative heritage to a lay audience beyond the cloister.

"An Introduction to Centering Prayer" will consist of four brief talks and two periods of centering prayer. The talks explore prayer as relationship, the method of centering prayer, and its fruits. Also there will be ample time for responding to participants' questions.

After the introductory workshop, there will be six weekly follow-up sessions, consisting of a period of centering prayer and a short video by Fr. Thomas. These videos were created to answers questions that arise as one begins the practice of entering prayer.

Bruce Gardiner is the local contact person for Contemplative Outreach in the Albany and upper Hudson Valley area. Bruce has been commissioned by Contemplative Outreach and Fr. Thomas Keating to teach Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina. Bruce is currently affiliated with the Princeton-based consultancy Kepner-Tregoe, Inc.

Fee: $35; Deposit: $35

April 1 - 4 (Thursday to Sunday)
Three Great Days - Holy Week at the Monastery

Led by Members of the Monastic Community

Join with the monastic community in the observance of this holy time. Beginning on Thursday afternoon, participants will be led through the liturgies of Maundy Thursday with the washing of feet, Good Friday and the procession to the Cross and the exaltation of the Great Vigil and the celebration of Easter. Participation in this distinctive monastic celebration of the central event in the liturgical year is a profound experience and participants report coming away with a renewed perspective on their faith in the light of the suffering and resurrection of Christ.

Fee: $280; Deposit: $80

April 9 - 11 (Friday to Sunday)
Breathe, See, Nourish, Energize - A Pathway to Healing

Led by Frances Murchison and Virginia Schenck

In these challenging times, we are encouraged to live into God's abundance and joy rather than retreat in fear and scarcity. How do we do this when things fall apart, when the stream of life exhausts us? Come and experience how practicing a few simple principles in our daily lives can liberate us into living the grace-filled lives God intends for us. By breathing, connecting to the moment, looking deeply into who we are as beloved children of God, we take care of our physical health. In practicing these principles, we are re-energized, transformed, healed. Out of wholeness, we are free to offer compassion and healing to the suffering around us.

Frances Murchison is a board certified Holistic Health Counselor and retreat leader. She has a private practice in Chicago-land and New York, coaching clients in nutrition, self-care, and life-coaching. She recently published Breathe. See. Nourish. Energize - A Pathway to Healing

Virginia Schenck, of Atlanta is a singer, teacher and music therapist. She will offer exercises that focus on breath, tone, and chant. Participants will be given the opportunity to create chants and sound creations of their own affirmations to bring about transformation and healing.

Fee: $240; Deposit: $80

April 15 (Thursday) 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Benedictine Spirituality for the Frazzled, Part 2

Led by the Rev. Dr. Jane Tomaine

Whether you work inside the home, at a wage-earning job, or as a volunteer, St. Benedict has some important ideas for you. Written 1500 years ago The Rule of St. Benedict can bring inspiration and hope to daily labor. At this retreat, a follow-up to the April 2009 retreat, we'll focus on how a Benedictine approach to work can be a path to the sacred and to a deeper connection with God. Discover how to transform the way you approach your work and do the myriad of tasks that are on your daily "to-do" list. Learn how the Benedictine spirituality of work can be a centering framework for the "business" and "busyness" of daily life. To bring the learning alive in your day-today routines you'll receive practical tools such as ways to foster prayer in the thick of work, Benedictine strategies for doing those dreaded "odious tasks" we all have from time to time, and finding the holiness in your work. We'll also consider balance and moderation. Together we'll explore how the sixth century Rule of Benedict can bring us closer to Christ-centered, Gospel-focused living in our nail-biting world!

Please bring to the retreat 1) a tool from your home, paid, and/or volunteer work such as pen, paper, computer, cooking pan, spoon, diaper, a work form, cell phone (off please!), dust rag, daytimer, etc., (No forklifts, please!), and 2) a mind open to learn and a heart open to God.

Jane Tomaine is an Episcopal priest and nationally known retreat leader from New Jersey and is the author of St. Benedict's Toolbox: The Nuts and Bolts of Everyday Benedictine Living, published by Morehouse.

Fee: $45; Deposit: $45

April 27 - 30 (Tuesday to Friday)
Building Hope with Habitat for Humanity

Led by Br. Bernard Delcourt, OHC & George Masters, AHC

Habitat for Humanity (HfH) is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry. HfH seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. This spring we are partnering with Ulster County Habitat for Humanity to offer our guests the possibility to make a difference on the issue of appropriate housing. On this volunteering retreat we will work, reflect, and pray together. After breakfast, we will grab our bagged lunch and drive to the Habitat build site. We will work under the guidance of seasoned Habitat volunteerrs from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. After our return to the monastery, you are free to relax, rest and enjoy the rhythm of monastic life. In the early evening, we will gather to briefly reflect on our volunteer work and how it relates to ous faith and hopes. On Friday, we will have an on-site Eucharist and complete our work before returning to the monastery for lunch and prepare for departure. Prior volunteering experience on similar "builds" is appreciated but not required. Everyone can contribute. You should pack work clothes for 3 days of on-site work.

Fee: $160; Deposit: $80

April 30 - May 2 (Friday to Sunday)
Dancing Our Prayers

Led by the Rev. Gwyneth MacKenzie Murphy

Movement is an essence of life. Earth travels around the sun, bringing us the change of seasons; she whirls round and round, giving us the passage from night to day. Ancient comets brought water to earth, which moves from ocean to mist to snow to water. Blood courses through our bodies, so that we may breathe and live. During this weekend we will join the cosmic dance and experience prayer through movement. We will use simple gestures to Taize chants, interpret Scripture through movement, and invite our bodies to express our prayers, creating our own Psalms. No dance experience necessary. Please wear lose, comfortable clothing.

The Rev. Gwyneth MacKenzie Murphy, a retreat leader and spiritual director, has been dancing all her life and doing Sacred Dance for over twenty years. She is the Vicar of St. Andrew's in New Paltz, NY and Episcopal Campus Pastor for SUNY New Paltz.

Fee: $210; Deposit: $80

May 7 -9 (Friday to Sunday)
The Contemplative Path Continues - Christian Meditation II

Led by the Rev. Mary Gates & Br. Bede Thomas Mudge, OHC

This retreat will continue the work done in the retreats we have offered for several years entitled The Contemplative Quest - Meditation in the Christian Tradition. Many people have asked if it would be possible to have a Christian Meditation retreat which had longer periods devoted to meditation, and this retreat will respond to that desire. There will be instruction in the various meditative practices and questions and reflections will be welcomed, but more time will be spent in actual meditation. We will also address the rewards and difficulties of sustaining a meditative practice after the retreat ends. You don't need to be an "expert" in meditation to participate in this retreat and people in the early stages of meditation practice are welcomed, but it will be helpful to have some previous experience with meditation in order to benefit fully from the weekend. If you use a cushion or bench for your meditation, please bring them with you.

The Rev. Mary Gates is a psychotherapist in private practice. She has studied with Thomas Keating and has taught Centering Prayer for more than 20 years. She is has served as a spiritual director and has a wide experience in teaching the ways of prayer.

Br. Bede Thomas Mudge OHC is Prior of Holy Cross Monastery. He has been active in the practice of spiritual direction for many years and in teaching about spiritual direction and meditation. He is the author of the widely-read booklet, Using the Jesus Prayer.

Fee: $250; Deposit: $80

May 18 - 21 (Tuesday to Friday)
Praying In The Garden

Led by Br. Bernard Delcourt, OHC & George Masters, AHC

Let's gather in the garden to consider our interdependence with all of creation. This is a mindful volunteering retreat. We will do gardening work most days 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Gardening experience is appreciated but not required. Everyone can contribute. You should pack gardening clothes for our outside work periods (sun hats and gardening gloves will come handy). We will alternate periods of mindful gardening with periods of reflection and prayer outside. In the early evening, we will gather for a short indoors session of prayer and reflection on our gardening and our care of creation as well as God's care of it all.

Fee: $160; Deposit: $80

May 25 - 30 (Tuesday to Sunday)
Benedictine Experience

Led by Members of the Monastic Community

What is monastic life really like? Fanciful answers abound. Some are amusing and some are shocking. The actual Benedictine life is an ordinary life filled with extraordinary meaning. It offers great insight to those seeking to live life more fully. The brothers of Holy Cross invite you to find out what life in a monastery is like by sharing our life for a six-day period. Anchored by the daily round of offices and Eucharist, accompanied by meditations and discussions with the monks, afternoon work periods, evening gatherings for group reflection, and community times with fellow participants and the monastic community. The Benedictine experience is always memorable and often life changing.

Fee: $425; Deposit: $80

June 18 - 20 (Friday to Sunday)
Alexander Technique

Led by Bill Connington

The Alexander Technique Retreat features three days of intensive yet relaxing study with Bill Connington, a renowned, certified Alexander teacher with more than 20 years experience. The Alexander Technique is a 100-year-old method aimed at improving the way the body is used. A few of the many benefits of the technique are learning how to reduce tension and stress, improve posture, and manage pain. Those who may benefit from the technique are people in pain, those with physical restrictions, those who want to improve their posture; performers, musicians, and those interested in the mind/body connection. The workshop will be full of hands-on work, dialogue, in-depth learning, and fun. All levels are welcome from beginners to those who have studied Alexander extensively.

Fee: $345 before April 1st, $360 after April 1st To Register or ask questions, please contact Julie Martyn-Baker at 845-227-2706 or JulieMB@prodigy.net.

June 29 - July 2 (Tuesday to Friday)
Bibliophile's Workout - Library Volunteers Retreat

Led by Br. Bernard Delcourt, OHC

Holy Cross monks and their friends have been collecting books since 1884; over 15,000 volumes and counting...

In recent years, the librarians have embarked on yet another conversion experience: shifting to an on-line catalog. This is a long-term project that requires loving work. The influx of newly cataloged books also entails physical work: re-stacking, cleaning, archiving.

Come and join the librarian (Br. Adam) and his assistants (Brs. Rafael and Bernard) to continue improving the library. We will balance work, rest, prayer and recreation. Each day we will work from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. The librarians will provide the necessary training and supervision. Work in the library can be dusty; bring appropriate clothing for your work times.

Fee: $210; Deposit $80

July 9 - 11 (Friday to Sunday)
Summer Associates Weekend

Led by Members of the Monastic Community

Each year we offer opportunities for members of the Associates of Holy Cross, and anyone interested in exploring association with Holy Cross to come together in an atmosphere of community and prayer to share their experiences of living a rule of life in the Benedictine tradition. This weekend will provide ample time for sharing and conversation as well as relaxation and recreation. Come and be a part of the community of Associates who share their lives with us and with one another.

Fee: $170; Deposit: $70

July 13 - 18 (Tuesday to Sunday)
Words Made Flesh: Deepening a Relationship with the Spirit of God In the Theater of your Imagination

Led by Br. James Michael Dowd, OHC

This workshop is intended for anyone interested in deepening a relationship with God by exploring that relationship in the realm of their imagination. Employing theatrical creativity, specifically utilizing ritual and myth, we will explore the Incarnation of our God within the Theater of our Imaginations. Lovers of the theater with any level of training or experience (or none) are welcome.

The only requirement is the willingness to be actively involved in creating theatrical pieces to assist us in understanding and communicating our deepening relationships with God, both individually and communally. A considerable amount of time will be given to improvisation, theater games, writing, rehearsing original scripts and the like. Meditation periods and talks will round out the workshop experience.

Before he became a monk, Br James was a professional theater director with more than 100 shows to his credits, a teacher, having taught theater to thousands of students of all grade and professional levels, and director of live television events seen throughout the world. He lived and worked in NYC and spent a great deal of time with writers, actors and students creating new theatrical pieces in both traditional and improvisational formats.

Fee: $430; Deposit: $80

July 23 - 25 (Friday to Sunday)
Insight Meditation Retreat

Led by Jose Reissig

This retreat is appropriate for both beginners and experienced practitioners. It consists of periods for sitting, walking, receiving instruction, listening to talks, and inquiring. Jose Reissig's teachings are inspired by the teachings of the Buddha. (Brs. Bede and Bernard have long attended Jose's weekly meditation sitting in Rhinebeck, NY).

Participants should not bring any reading materials or electronic devices, and should plan to keep writing to an absolute minimum. Sittings will occupy most of the day. Bring a cushion or a bench, and a zabuton or blanket to place underneath (unless you prefer to sit on a chair). Please bring only fragrance-free hygiene products and no perfumes.

Please note: Holy Cross Monastery is hosting this program, but registration is handled by the presenter. To register, please send an email to raquelrabinovich@frontiernet.net that includes your mailing address. Registration information will be mailed in May, 2009.

Fee: $170; Deposit: $30

Hold the dates for these future programs
(you may register for these programs now)

September 8 to 10 - Going on Before, Celtic Tradition

September 17 to 19 - Fall Associates Weekend

September 28 to October 1 - Youth Workers Retreat

October 14 to 17 - Prayerful Stitches - Co-Creation in Yarns & Needles

November 4 to 7 - Benedictine Spirituality with Jane Tomaine

November 16 to 18 - Unity In Contemplation - A Centering Prayer Retreat

November 26 to 28 - Advent Retreat