viewing my monastery from atop the Chama Canyon...

It is Springtime at the monastery. During this season, the monks, who were stucked inside the monastery cloister and inside the monastery compound for several cold long months of Winter, conduct series of hikes by groups atop the canyon overlooking the monastery.

The group of monks in formation, that is, the postulants, the novices and the monks in Simple Vows, went up the canyon last two weeks ago and had their bonding atop the canyon. The hike was part of their so many activities in Spring.

They erected a life-sized wooden cross at the edge of the cliff facing the monastery's Abbey Church, so much so that when inside the Church and when one looks up thru the cystal glass wall of the Church, one can view the cross so vividly, which is just perfect and ideal for one's meditations and reflections...

showing the pentagon-shaped Abbey Church on the left, the square-shaped Cloister surrounding the x-shaped garden at the middle and the old cells (matchboxes)on the right



the monastery compound in another capture



another angled capture of the monastery compound



the Chama river along the monastery property



the panoramic view of the canyons surrounding the monastery which are actually subdivided by the Chama river