Order of the Holy Cross
Encyclopedia
The Order of the Holy Cross is an international Anglican monastic Order that follows the Rule of St. Benedict.
, an Episcopal priest
, in New York City
. The Order moved to Maryland
briefly before settling in West Park, New York
, in 1902. Today the Order operates four houses: Holy Cross Monastery
, West Park, New York; Mt. Calvary Retreat House and Monastery, Santa Barbara, California
; Holy Cross Priory, Toronto
, Ontario
; and Mariya uMama weThemba Monastery, Grahamstown
, South Africa
. Mount Calvary House burned to the ground in a wildfire
on the morning of November 14, 2008.
), as well as hosting guests for individual and group retreats. The Order estimates that more than 5,000 guests stay at Holy Cross Monastery, one of the largest monastic retreat centers in the Episcopal Church, each year. Holy Cross Monastery also makes and sells incense
and religious literature. Mariya uMama weThemba Monastery operates a retreat house and is actively involved in the education of rural farm children through its scholarship programme. Holy Cross Priory, Toronto, is an urban expression of the Benedictine life where besides the Offices and Eucharist, monks are actively involved in the work of the local Church. Some members of the Order engage in occupations such as being therapists or parish priests. Mt. Calvary is primarily a retreat house. All monasteries of the Order offer spiritual direction and counsel.
and have an ongoing relationship with the Order. Associates are entitled to use the post-nominal initials AHC. Notable Associates include The Bishop of Central Pennsylvania, the Rt. Rev. Nathan D. Baxter
and The Bishop of Maryland, the Rt. Rev. Robert Ihloff.
, back in 1949.
The Order also co-published, with the sisters of the Order of St. Helena, A Monastic Breviary
, which succeeded A Four Office Breviary.
In 1957 The Order published Within the Green Wall: The Story of Holy Cross Liberia Mission 1922-1957, by the Rt. Rev. Robert Erskine Campbell, O.H.C. This book provides a detailed account of the Order the Holy Cross's missionary efforts in Liberia
.
History
The Order was founded in 1884 by the Rev. James Otis Sargent HuntingtonJames Otis Sargent Huntington
The Rev. James Otis Sargent Huntington, OHC , a priest of the Episcopal Church, was the founder of the Order of the Holy Cross, an Anglican Benedictine monastic order for men whose mother house is now located in West Park, New York....
, an Episcopal priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The Order moved to Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
briefly before settling in West Park, New York
West Park, New York
West Park is a hamlet on the west side of the Hudson River in the Town of Esopus, Ulster County, New York, United States.Holy Cross Monastery, an Anglican monastery of the Order of the Holy Cross, is located in West Park....
, in 1902. Today the Order operates four houses: Holy Cross Monastery
Holy Cross Monastery (West Park, New York)
Holy Cross Monastery is located on US 9W in West Park, New York, USA. It is the mother house of the Order of the Holy Cross, an Anglican religious order inspired by the Benedictine tradition....
, West Park, New York; Mt. Calvary Retreat House and Monastery, Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
; Holy Cross Priory, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
; and Mariya uMama weThemba Monastery, Grahamstown
Grahamstown
Grahamstown is a city in the Eastern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa and is the seat of the Makana municipality. The population of greater Grahamstown, as of 2003, was 124,758. The population of the surrounding areas, including the actual city was 41,799 of which 77.4% were black,...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Mount Calvary House burned to the ground in a wildfire
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
on the morning of November 14, 2008.
Ministries
The monks of the Order engage in various ministries, the chief being that of prayer (including the Divine Office and daily MassMass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
), as well as hosting guests for individual and group retreats. The Order estimates that more than 5,000 guests stay at Holy Cross Monastery, one of the largest monastic retreat centers in the Episcopal Church, each year. Holy Cross Monastery also makes and sells incense
Incense
Incense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term "incense" refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces. It is used in religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, meditation, for creating a mood, and for...
and religious literature. Mariya uMama weThemba Monastery operates a retreat house and is actively involved in the education of rural farm children through its scholarship programme. Holy Cross Priory, Toronto, is an urban expression of the Benedictine life where besides the Offices and Eucharist, monks are actively involved in the work of the local Church. Some members of the Order engage in occupations such as being therapists or parish priests. Mt. Calvary is primarily a retreat house. All monasteries of the Order offer spiritual direction and counsel.
Vows
Monks of the Order follow and threefold vow of obedience, stability, and conversion to the Monastic way of life. In general, monks of the Order are encouraged to develop their own ministries within their monastic vocation. They undergo periods of discernment and formation when entering the Order. The daily life of the monastery revolves around a balance of prayer, work, study, and rest.Associates
Lay people and diocesan clergy (male and female) may join the Associates of Holy Cross. According to the Associates' web site, members "intend to love and serve God through a relationship with the Order of the Holy Cross (Anglican), adapting to their lives the Benedictine principles on which the monks base their common life." Associates live under a Rule of Life developed with the help of a Spiritual DirectorSpiritual direction
Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divine, or to learn and grow in their own personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of his or her encounters of the divine, or how he or she is experiencing...
and have an ongoing relationship with the Order. Associates are entitled to use the post-nominal initials AHC. Notable Associates include The Bishop of Central Pennsylvania, the Rt. Rev. Nathan D. Baxter
Nathan D. Baxter
The Rt. Rev. Nathan Dwight Baxter, AHC, is the 10th bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania and the 1,010 in succession in the Episcopal Church. He was elected as bishop coadjutor on July 22, 2006, and consecrated on October 22, 2006...
and The Bishop of Maryland, the Rt. Rev. Robert Ihloff.
Holy Cross Publishing
The Order is best known for its publishing of the Anglo-Catholic devotional guide Saint Augustine's Prayer BookSaint Augustine's Prayer Book
Saint Augustine's Prayer Book is an Anglo-Catholic devotional book published for members of the Episcopal Church by the Order of the Holy Cross, an Anglican monastic community....
, back in 1949.
The Order also co-published, with the sisters of the Order of St. Helena, A Monastic Breviary
Breviary
A breviary is a liturgical book of the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church containing the public or canonical prayers, hymns, the Psalms, readings, and notations for everyday use, especially by bishops, priests, and deacons in the Divine Office...
, which succeeded A Four Office Breviary.
In 1957 The Order published Within the Green Wall: The Story of Holy Cross Liberia Mission 1922-1957, by the Rt. Rev. Robert Erskine Campbell, O.H.C. This book provides a detailed account of the Order the Holy Cross's missionary efforts in Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
.