August 14, 2026 | Hawk Happenings
Cistercian faculty, coaches and staff had the opportunity to tour the Abbey’s new residential wing which is nearing completion. The wing includes an expanded refectory (dining room) and new kitchen that will serve the growing monastic community for years to come.
Cistercian faculty, coaches and staff had the opportunity to tour the Abbey’s new residential wing which is nearing completion. The wing includes an expanded refectory (dining room) and new kitchen that will serve the growing monastic community for years to come.
Cistercian alumni gathered Tuesday evening at Cenzo’s Pizza & Deli (owned by alumnus Vinnie Sherman ’96) for the annual Class Agent & Alumni Board Gathering.
Cistercian students are partnering with Trinity Park Conservancy to turn hands-on watershed research into future environmental education resources for Dallas-area students.
We are deeply grateful for Kathy’s care and dedication over the last 20 years and wish her every blessing and joy in this new chapter ahead.
Form III recently hit the road for the Texas History trip, an annual Cistercian tradition. Special thanks to the dads and faculty who shepherded the boys all around Texas!
Do you ever feel like you are going through the motions without passion as you carry out your responsibilities? At times, we all can — even monks.
Jesus is the pivot point of the Hail Mary prayer. In the original Latin text, the prayer consists of two parts, each containing 15 syllables. The first part contains the biblical witness of the Annunciation and Visitation; the second features the doctrinal affirmation of Mary as the Mother of God who prays for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
Every morning, monks and nuns — and many lay people — arise early for morning prayer. The Latin name for this prayer, “laudes,” means “praises.” Often the psalms that make up morning prayer are indeed full of expressions of praise. One has inspired in me a reflection on the liturgy.
Elizabeth’s words to Mary form the bridge from the Annunciation to the Visitation in the Hail Mary prayer: “Blessed are you among women, and blest is the fruit of your womb” (Lk 1:42). After Mary’s hasty journey to her kinswoman, she, carrying Jesus in her womb-ark, receives an exuberant welcome from Elizabeth and John the Baptist. The unborn babies, Jesus and John, meet for the first time as their mothers embrace.
We have all surely experienced how difficult it can be to engage socially and politically as Catholics. Our faith pushes us into the uncomfortable position of prophetically challenging all political parties and calling everyone to conversion. Today, it can be especially difficult to exercise this prophetic mission, simply because the situations we should critique — the basic facts of the matter and their context — can be so difficult to ascertain (and contemporary media sadly makes our task even more difficult). This is a serious difficulty, since Jesus commands us not to judge by appearances (cf. Jn 7:24).