ABBEY NEWS
Monks’ Bread – Letter from Abbot Gerard
Dear Friends,
A few weeks ago, you read in our newsletter that due to a change in distributors Monks’ Bread would only be available in Wegmans. This is due largely to changes in the opportunities for distribution available to us. For the time being, in order to keep Monks’ Bread on the shelf in the grocery aisle, our distribution has been limited to Wegmans and a few independents.
We bake premium sliced bread from scratch. All products are made by the monks at the Abbey of the Genesee in Piffard, NY. Sales support us in our primary mission of prayer.
We highly value the loyal customers who have purchased our bread over these past 65 years and hope to cultivate more direct contact with customers to better meet their needs. For the past five years, we have worked to find ways to adapt creatively to a changing market. All varieties of bread and the full array of Monks’ products (including biscotti, cheese crisps and more) are available in our newly expanded store at Piffard and online at Monksbread.com. Direct sales best support the Abbey in its mission and allow Monks’ to maintain a relationship with our customers.
Father Gerard D’Souza
Abbot, Abbey of the Genesee
Welcome Addition
While we’re on the topic of the bakery we can take a look at a new arrival in the specialty bakery: a metal detector for packaging biscotti. Up until now we’ve had to move a large metal detector from the bread bakery which is over in another building to the specialty bakery and return it after each use. The specialty bakers, thanks to the help of a grant, are now spared the hassle of moving the larger metal detector from the bread bakery each time they need to package biscotti.
Packaging biscotti involves running each packet through a machine that wraps them in cellophane, heat seals them and sends them through the metal detector. They are then packed in individual boxes and ready for shipment.
Good News
Word from the bread bakery: 50% off all Monks’ Bread – on line store only. See monksbread.com.
Close of Visitation
Thursday evening before Compline our visitor, Abbot Elias Dietz, gave us a preview of the results of the visitation he was about to close. In it he mentioned several positive points concerning the spirit and state of the community and the progress that has been made since the last visitation two years ago. He also mentioned several items of observance that some of the brothers brought up that need to be improved. His presentation was followed by a lively discussion on several of those points.
Then on Friday morning after Mass and Terce he met with the community to formally close the visitation by reading his final report that will be sent to the Abbot General. On the whole everyone seemed satisfied with the outcome and ready to implement the suggestions he made as we move forward. He then departed for the return drive to Gethsemani.
Lectio Notebook
St. Augustine says, we are mortal human beings, fragile, weak, carrying along with us our earthen vessels, which don’t leave each other much room. We cannot live together in harmony, in a family or in another kind of community without the practice of forgiveness and reciprocal mercy.
Mercy (misericordia) is a word that comes from miserio and cor, and it means to have one’s heart moved by pity, to be moved emotionally, with regard to the suffering or the mistake of a brother or sister. This is how God explains his mercy when he sees his people going astray: My heart is overwhelmed, my pity is stirred (Hosea 11:8,NAB).
Beatitudes – Eight Steps to Happiness
Fr. Rainiero Cantalamessa, O.F.M. Cap
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