A Message from the Rector:
Dear Friends:
After my retreat to Saint Gregory’s Abbey in November, several of you asked me about the experience. This essay gives a few details about the Benedictine monastic tradition and some details about my own stay. Many monasteries are open to visitors and we are fortunate to have several close to Greencastle, including two Episcopal Benedictine communities: Saint Gregory’s (Three Rivers, Michigan), and Community of the Transfiguration (Cincinnati), a community of nuns where Terry Noble is a resident oblate.
Saint Benedict founded the order that bears his name in the fifth century, and Benedictine communities are found world-wide. They are known for their hospitality, greeting all who come to their door as Christ. In medieval times, Benedictines founded monasteries throughout Europe, forming a chain of hostels along the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. Built to provide comfort and rest for pilgrims, those monasteries became the basis for infrastructure of roads, hotels, hospitals, markets and banks of modern Europe.
The Benedictine motto is “ora et labora”—”pray and work.” Communities support themselves through work that is punctuated by set times of prayer. Each day, whether a day of work or rest, is marked by the ringing of a bell at set hours. In monastic communities that work the land, the bell can be heard in the fields, and people in towns near Benedictine communities will also hear the call to prayer through the day.
The day begins early. At Saint Gregory’s, the first bell rings at 3.50 am, and Matins, the first “Office,” or prayer service of the day, is chanted at 4.00 am. Lauds is at 6.00 am, Terce (“third hour”), with Mass, at 8.15, Sext (“sixth hour”) at 11.30 am, None (“ninth hour”) at 2.00 pm, Vespers at 5.00 pm and Compline at 7.45 pm. After Compline the monastery observes the Great Silence and refraining from conversation until after the Eucharist at Terce the next day. Monastics have an early bedtime, so they still get seven to eight hours of sleep. The first day at Saint Gregory’s I prayed all the Offices, but was afraid I’d be very off schedule back in Greencastle five days later if I kept getting up 3.50 am for Matins, so I slept in until 5.45 am and prayed six of the seven offices each day.
There is variation in the length and content of the seven Offices. Several consist largely of saying or chanting psalms; these can be very short times of prayer, 7-10 minutes in duration. Other Offices are longer, lasting 20-30 minutes. I particularly loved Vespers (in our Book of Common Prayer this is called “Evening Prayer”): at the end of the service, which ended about 30 minutes before dinner, some monks and visitors would stay in the darkening sanctuary. As the light faded I could just make out the shape of the monks (their seats are separate from those of the visitors) who stayed to meditate. Even in silence and near dark, it is different to pray in a space with others than to pray in an empty space.
The shape of the day is formed by the Office prayer. You may wonder how anyone does anything else! But work is as essential and as grounding as the prayer. Work at monasteries and convents is varied. In past times monastics often worked the fields owned by the monastic community. Today, most produce specialty items. An abbreviated list of such items includes fruitcake, fudge, cheese, incense, candles, ceramics, soaps, liqueurs, and lotions. A more unusual monastic work is found at New Skete in upstate New York where the Orthodox monks and nuns offer intensive training for dogs.
Benedictine monasteries are places of retreat and refuge for non-monastics. Visitors may come for rest and relaxation; they may have writing or work projects; most come for spiritual refreshment. I used my retreat for structured prayer and reflection as well as some projects that had been on my desk for a while. I thought I would be distracted by the constant “interruption” of the call to prayer, but found spacious time for my work, which included reading books, writing letters, and working on an on-line course that I was several weeks behind in. I also made Christmas lists for the family, took naps, and went on walks in the forests around the abbey. I was surprised to find that having short, set moments of prayer somehow made for focused and refreshing work and rest time.
Meals at the abbey were an interesting experience. On my first day at the introduction to community norms, Brother Abraham informed us that the abbey’s motto was “pray long, eat fast.” Meals typically lasted fifteen to twenty minutes (I was the slow eater). I was amazed at how compact the meals were. My first night in the refectory [the dining hall] there was a cheeseburger on a small plate at each place. If anyone desired more, there was a fruit basket, a jar of peanut butter, and an extra slice of bread for each person. I have been to other monasteries with quite different and more elaborate cuisines, but I found that what was offered at Saint Gregory’s was satisfying! Instead of chatting at the dinner table, a book is read aloud at the shared meals. I wasn’t sure anyone was listening to the reading until a delightful moment when the reader came to a passage about a church practice in the 15th century and all the brothers (they sit at a table separate from visitors) snorted with laughter. Monastic humor…
The hospitality offered by the community is sincere and deep. At the same time, monastery rules guard a life shaped by constant prayer and for those who have opted for a very different kind of life from most of us. There are only a few moments during the day where monastics and guests chat informally together: at a time for coffee after Eucharist in the morning; during tea before Vespers in the afternoon. During those social moments, I learned that one of the brothers is an avid racing fan, and he gave me all kinds of facts about the Indy 500. Another brother spoke of needing a new Chinese-style chopping knife for the kitchen, talking with local guests about what stores in the area might carry one. By and large, though, this is a place that is less about talking and chatter, and more about watching, listening, doing while in company with each other. During my retreat I found it refreshing to eat in silence and not find a topic of conversation or to say the usual things about my work and where I live.
Saint Gregory’s is a small monastery with just six brothers. This meant that chanting at the Offices was very quiet, with just a few voices threading together in the psalms that were sung responsively. At first these voices seemed as fragile as a juddering candle flame, so vulnerable and so slight. But then I noticed that I would hear the chanting and the voices all day in my head. Praying the Office, even in a small community, has a powerful impact. I love that there is no hurry to get through the Daily Offices; the prayer is much the point of the day as the work that brings in money; I so appreciated that this place helped me be present, to Be. Here. Now.
I also loved the simple guestrooms of the monastery, absolutely adequate, but reflecting a different ethos of care, environmentalism, respect for livelihood, and simplicity than a standard hotel or even household might. The blankets on the bed were visibly worn, but very warm. The clothes of the monks were typically their simple brown robes. They moved from place to place with purpose but without hurrying. In Greencastle, I am always trying to fit one more thing in and hurtling from place to place, but in this place there is a different ethos and one that reflects living out creation care and stewardship of time, treasure, talent, and natural resources.
I want to close with a somewhat extended comment about what I found most refreshing about my time on retreat. I loved that I could be just “Jen” without any other markers, designations or identities. Being on retreat is to be in a community where the basis for relationship is the communal prayer and meals, not personal stories. The focus is the collective voice. Monastics speak, chant, and sing in soft voices, taking turns leading in worship so that no one voice dominates. Members of the community wear identical robes. Different monastic orders—Benedictine, Franciscan, Dominican, Cistercian, etc.—have different robes, but within an order, all are dressed alike rather than showing favorite colors and personal styles.*
The first time I was on a retreat at a monastery, this flattening of individual personality was disorienting. I like to talk about myself (!) and I like to find out about other people. But now leaving behind all my identities is one of the things I look most forward to on my retreats. I don’t wear a collar, don’t announce that I am a priest or that I grew up in California or that I have a husband who plays Ultimate Frisbee or that my three daughters still enjoy a family game of Five Crowns. Instead, I am a visitor whose face becomes familiar through shared worship and shared meals. Monastic communities welcome the strange because each person is made in the image of God and because Jesus told us that we welcome him when we welcome others. It is very different from finding “my people” by groups of shared jobs or interests. It is a true gift to have a few days where I am not received by others through telling my particular story. You might try this experiment: the next time you meet someone new make a mental note of how much you put that person into bigger categories of difference or familiarity by learning about personal details: do they hunt? Write poetry? Come from the south? From Maine? Wear low cut blouses, or skirts that stop just above the ankle? Plaid shirts? Tees? Office wear? Do they only eat carefully sourced local food, or have a rotation of fast-food restaurants through the week? Vegetarian? Meat at every meal? Engaging others at a monastery is a very different way to be in community, and reminds me that all the things and activities I typically cling to are ultimately not essential to my identity.
I also love that spending time at a monastic community is a study in what I need versus what I want. I mentioned the worn blankets on the beds, and the small plates at lunch and dinner. I slept well; my stomach was full; everything was enough. I felt my focus slowly shifting as I went through the Office hours and days. Essentials were given; I could relish the spaciousness of time and prayer.
Perhaps you have a favorite community you visit, and your own stories. Please let me know. I’d love to organize a retreat at a monastery for Saint Andrew’s—maybe to Cincinnati’s where we could also visit the Underground Railroad museum?
In peace,
Jen+
* By the way, that is the same purpose of the altar party’s white robes and the priest’s stole and chasuble in the Episcopal Church. Yes, we want to make things “pretty for God” as one priest explained to me, but as far as is possible, the people who wear these things are interchangeable. The Word and the Liturgy are the focal point, not the individuals who lead worship.
Connect With Us

Rector’s Office Drop-In Time
Rev. Jen has set her office drop-in day as Wednesday of each week from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. for anyone who would like to stop in and visit. You are always invited to make an appointment for a time convenient for you. Mondays are her Sabbath day.

The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple
In-Person Sunday Morning Worship Service, February 2, led by The Rev. Dr. Jennifer Oldstone-Moore, 10:15 a.m. Followed by discussion of Parish 2025 Budget and Finances.
You can stream the service via St. Andrew’s Facebook Page. Click on this link to view the Live Stream. We will start the Live Stream 5 minutes prior to the start of the service.
Click here for the service booklet for February 2.

The Latest Updates
FEBRUARY 2 CANDLEMAS
If Candlemas Day be fair and bright
Winter will have another fight.
If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain,
Winter won’t come again.
If Candlemas Day be dry and fair,
The half of the winter’s to come and mar;
If Candlemas Day be wet and foul,
The half of the winter’s gone at Yule.
February 2, Candlemas, falls on a Sunday this year. It is officially the Feast of the Presentation, falling 40 days after the birth of Jesus and marking the day that Mary and Jesus would have been presented at the Temple. It is also the day that traditionally all candles for the coming year are blessed. We will bless the candles and oils used in our services, and also candles that will be part of Lenten preparation for Easter for the congregation. Bring your own candles to be blessed at this service!
FEBRUARY 2 BUDGET PRESENTATION BY ST. ANDREW’S TREASURER, DENNIS KNUTH
This Sunday, February 2, there will be a discussion of the parish 2025 budget in the sanctuary immediately following the 10:15 a.m. service. This is the first part of our Annual Meeting, and gives parishioners an opportunity to understand finances at St. Andrew’s and our 2025 budget.
FEBRUARY 16 ANNUAL MEETING
The 2025 Annual Meeting, led by Senior Warden Karen Hirt Mannon and Jen+ is a time to review the work of the previous year and to plan for the coming year. We will elect 2 new Vestry members and 2 parish representatives for Diocesan Convention. We will need a quorum of church members–please join us!
WOMEN IN THE BIBLE SERIES
You are invited to join an eight-week “Women in the Bible” study. We will meet on Wednesday evenings from 7:00-8:30 p.m. from January 29 through March 26. The series is presented by Prof. Sandie Gravett. Details are in Hamilton Hall; register b e-mail to kramer501@msn.com with “Women in the Bible Series” in the subject line.
TUESDAY BIBLE STUDY
The Book and Bible Group has begun again, meeting at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays with Evening Prayer celebrated at 4:00 p.m. The next meeting will be on February 18.
SACRED POETRY GROUP
Our Sacred Poetry began meeting again. We will meet on occasional Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m. in Hamilton Hall with the next meeting on Wednesday, January 29. We are enjoying close readings of poems by John Donne and George Herbert. All are welcome!
THIS WEEK’S SHOPPING LIST FOR NON-FOOD PANTRY
Please add baby wipes, disinfectant wipes, and Adult Depends (any size) to your shopping list for the NFP for the month of February. Meals and conversation in Hamilton Hall are going well. Patrons are now able to pick out items they most need. Your contributions help our budget go farther in helping meet the needs of those in Putnam County. The next Non-Food Pantry will be Saturday, February 22 from noon – 2:00 p.m.
KROGER COUPONS
If you have any unwanted Kroger coupons, please bring them to Hamilton Hall and place in the window ledge near the “Little Library”. We would like to make them available to our Non-Food Pantry recipients so that they might be able to take advantage of them to help extend their food budget. Thanks in advance!
VESTRY MEETING MINUTES
If any of you are interested in what your Vestry is doing, there are two copies of each month’s minutes on the top of the piano in Hamilton Hall. Feel free to read and return!
FREE DAILY DEVOTIONAL
We have some large print Day by Day daily devotionals in the sanctuary that you are free to take home for your personal devotions–and if we know that people would like copies, we can order the right amount. Many of you may also appreciate the on-line version of Day to Day. Click here.
ON-GOING COVID PROTOCOL
We continue to respond to both our county’s current CDC designation and to the current variant. Masking is optional. Decisions on COVID policy have moved from the Reconvening Committee to Rev. Jen and the Wardens.

Prayers and Reflections for This Week
We have heard that the daily reflections and scripture readings provided during Lent were appreciated. The meditations are written by persons from Gobin UMC and Beech Grove UMC. They will be in the newsletter each week. Whether you enjoy these every day or as the Spirit moves you, may this resource continue to bring you spiritual food for the journey. Blessings!
Click here to view the readings and accompanying links.

Non-Food Pantry Latest
Saturday, February 22
• Noon to 2:00 p.m.
There will be a distribution in Hamilton Hall and light lunches will be served inside. We are grateful for all those who have worked so hard to obtain supplies for the Non-Food Pantry. Items are having to be purchased from a variety of sources making it much more expensive. Donations to help offset this extra cost will be gratefully accepted!
Top 3 Needed Items

Your prayers are asked for:
Haile Bane, grandson of Joanne Haymaker
The family of Vernon Bane, father of Joanne Haymaker’s daughter-in-law
Beth Benedix, friend to many at St. Andrew’s
Kim Frank, sister of Pamalee Smith
Katie Gleichman, relative of Jim & Cathryn Ensley
Carole Greenawald
Janet Jenks, friend to many at St. Andrew’s
Tom Kaiser, friend of Jen+ & Chris
Teresa Masten, friend of Karen & Jim Mannon
Sally Motsch, friend to many at St. Andrew’s
Mary Mountz
Jeri Mucia, friend of Joanne Haymaker
Tom Mullen, father of Patti Harmless
Logan Murray, grandson of Dave & Sue Murray
Elizabeth & Natalie Sheffler, daughter & granddaughter of Page & Narda Cotton
Skip Sutton
The family and friends of Karen Swalley, friend of Thom & Gwen Morris
Dwight Ziegler, uncle of Stephanie Gurnon
Diocesan Cycle of Prayer: St. Paul’s Church, Columbus: The Rev. Aelred Dean.
Our companion dioceses: The Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil: The Most Rev. Mauricio Jose Araujo De Andrade, Primate of Brazil and Bishop of Brasilia. The people and Diocese of Haiti and Saint Andre’s in Mithon.
Anglican Cycle of Prayer: The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.
Birthdays: Alexander Gurnon, February 2.
Anniversaries: None.