On Saturday after the board meeting finished and on Sunday I had nothing scheduled so I had free time to start catching up on various work projects I brought with me. I went over to the seminary and used some of their liturgical resources to prepare for next weekend's mass and then this morning I went to the Maryknoll Sisters Center for mass. The rest of the day was spent in front of the computer.
The Maryknoll sisters, the Maryknoll priests and brothers, and the Maryknoll lay missioners have three headquarters complexes all within site of each other on the outskirts of Ossining, New York. The chapel at the sisters' center is arranged in what is called the choir style. In an earlier time, the congregation would be divided into two parts and the facing sections would sing alternate verses of psalms and prayers.
Originally the Bethany headquarters of the Maryknoll Lay Missioners was a family estate which was converted into a nursing home for the sisters. Later it became the center for the lay missioners. It still has its large commercial kitchen downstairs from the days when meals were prepared for the retired sisters. I am the only person staying in the building right now and have the huge kitchen to myself, but I am only eating warmed up leftovers from the board meeting.
Right outside the dining room windows at Bethany a bunch of squirrels have been busy at all the things squirrels do. Here are three of the five that were running, playing, and eating while I was eating my lunch.
Because I am staying at Bethany for almost a month, the center manager gave me one of the small apartments to live in instead of one of the single rooms. The apartments are nice because I can spread out my work.
