Cistercian Families Continue to Serve in Time of Crisis

April 27, 2020 | Media

The Tarrant Area Food Bank, whose Director of Development is Cistercian alum Stephen Raeside ’89, recently received a surprise donation from Bishop Michael Olson, Bishop of the Diocese of Fort Worth, in an effort to support those in need because of the on-going COVID-19 crisis. Bishop Olson presented Raeside with the check at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Fort Worth. “Our fundraising pleas reached to the very heavens,” Raeside wrote to Fr. Abbot Peter, his Form Master.

The Cistercian Class of 2027, better known as Form I, created a thoughtful video capturing wonderfully our beautiful but now too quiet campus for their Form Master, Fr. Ambrose, diagnosed with the coronavirus last week. Please take a look at their moving salute to all of the monks, faculty, and staff of Cistercian here.

 

The Cistercian nuns in Kismaros, Hungary, sporting familiar Cistercian outerwear, send their greetings of support and love to the Abbey and School. A few of the sisters have visited our campus and students in recent years. Mother Olgi travels a great deal giving retreats at Cistercian schools in Hungary. You can read more about this convent and their history at their website.

Hawk Happenings

Form VI Gliders

Form VI students put their glider designs to the test after weeks of planning, simulations, and construction. After a month of work, they finally launched their individually built gliders, seeing their designs take flight.

BraveArt 2025

Upper School students explored a variety of artistic disciplines during the annual BraveArt Festival on Friday. From silversmithing to printmaking, students engaged in hands-on workshops led by guest artists. The day concluded with the reveal of a new senior metal sculpture, “Christ the Redeemer.”

Form III Rockets

3, 2, 1, liftoff! Form III was “out to launch” in near perfect weather conditions. After the students help one another with rocket preparation, class anticipation builds from countdown to launch to hopeful recovery of each rocket.

Publications

Herod’s trial of conscience

The death of John the Baptist is a chilling story for multiple reasons. It is a story about the fury of Herodias, who hated John so much for speaking the truth about marriage that she manipulated Herod, her would-be husband, into murdering him. It is also a story about the weakness of Herod, who just waited too long to do what he knew was right – to the point that doing the right thing required a sacrifice he felt incapable of making.

Reflections on heaven in the Lord’s Prayer

“I want to go to heaven” is a common expression by Christians when asked to give a reason for their faith. Curiously, the phrase “to go” or “to get to heaven” is not found in the Bible. While heaven is rightly considered the goal and magnetic pull on everyone’s spiritual compass, it is neither a destination nor a physical place as Jesus presents it in the “Our Father” prayer.

Reflecting upon technology and prayer in our lives

Technology is everywhere. There seems to be a gadget or app for everything. Computers for calculating; engines for ease; chemicals for control — is there any aspect of our lives untouched by instruments and processes?