"Making All Things New"November 2014
In This Issue
Online Auction
Fr. Dan's Column
Voices from the Valley
Mountain Auction
Pictures from Our Past
Closing Prayer
SHOP AMAZON AND SUPPORT THE MOUNTAIN

Each time you purchase from Amazon, we encourage you to shop on smile.amazon.com where you can select Mt. Irenaeus to receive 0.5 percent of your total purchase price. This is an easy way to help support the Mountain this holiday season. Many small donations can make a big difference!


We would greatly appreciate your participation!

Thanksgiving Mass

Mass will be celebrated at the Mountain on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 27) at 11 a.m. There will be NO BRUNCH afterward so people can get back to their celebrations.  

Visit our website for directions to the Mountain. 


Mountain Companion Ministry
 
We are on a continuing search for men and women who may be at the right point in their lives to join us in the life and ministry of Mt. Irenaeus as Mountain Companions.



Fr. Dan's Podcasts

Be Still

 

Need to take a breath? Yearning for some quiet time of meditation?  

 

Then visit our "Be Still" webpage featuring helpful prayer resources to bring the spirit of the Mountain into your daily life. 

 


30th Anniversary

30th Anniversary events celebrating the history and future of Mt. Irenaeus, recently held in Buffalo and Rochester, continue across the U.S. Be sure to watch for one in your area.  

Connect with us!
Online Mountain Auction: Let the Bidding Begin!
Great gifts up for bid as the Mountain Auction fun continues online for 10 days only.  
 
Couldn't attend the Mountain Auction? Looking for a special gift for a loved one? Want to do your Christmas shopping online? The solution is just a click away!
 
Support Mt. Irenaeus and bid on unique and special items during the Online Mountain Auction.
 
The auction begins today and runs through Nov. 23.
  
Some of the items up for bid include: 
  • Rosaries blessed by Pope Francis
    A signed Brooks Orpik jersey up for bid on the online auction.
  • A San Damiano cross blessed and signed by the Mountain Friars
  • An Atlantic-10 conference package 
  • Original artwork by Fr. Dan Riley
  • Authentic sports memorabilia, including a Sidney Crosby-autographed Pittsburgh Penguins hockey puck and signed Brooks Orpik Penguins jersey 
  • A NASCAR race package
  • A package to the Austin City Limits Music Festival and other travel getaways
  • Many more gifts and travel packages
Please help us spread the word and share the following link with your friends and family: http://www.mounti.com/online-auction

Your support helps us continue our mission: To join Jesus Christ in "making all things new!" (Rev. 21:5).  
Sharing the Warmth    
Fr. Dan Riley, ofm, reflects on sharing the peace and beauty of the Mountain in all its seasons.

A bird flies overhead as Fr. Dan captures the rising sun from his view at La Paz hermitage on the morning of Nov. 11.
Life's own seasons affect us more than we are always conscious of. We feel various emotions rise and fall, unnerving us at times, possibly even today. Colors change in season, but our interior felt sense of them is quite interesting and worth observing. So much affects me, and I am more and more aware of it as I live here in a bit more solitude.

I rose this morning remembering predictions of an "polar vortex" coming our way. At least right now - which is all we have - there is no cold blast. Rather, fall rises up this morning bright and warm. Nothing has befallen me. Instead I see the blessing of a day rising here in subtle color array and warmth!

Blessed with the solitude of La Paz hermitage (from where I enjoy sharing tweets and podcasts) I watched the sun as our Earth turned to welcome its dazzling appearance a few hours ago. I wanted everyone here! How can I share all of this? So glorious, quiet, gentle with barely a breeze, I looked as this orb rose as we turned ... Read more.   
Voices from the Valley 
Maura Parda shares her "Mountain story" from northern Virginia.
Maura Parda 

How I connected with the Mountain:  

I grew up in Olean, N.Y., and come from a large family, many of whom attended St Bonaventure. I was a teenager at the time and remember my Mom's excitement when the Mountain first came to be in the 1980s, but it wasn't until my adult years that I truly "connected" with the Mountain when I returned to attend Mass with my family and my husband. From the moment I entered the chapel, I felt like I was coming home.

 

Where I am now:

I live outside of Washington, D.C., in northern Virginia.

 

How the Mountain had an impact and how I keep the connection with the Mountain alive:

The Mountain has become a part of my daily life, even though I haven't been back in more than a year. I love to read Fr. Dan Riley's daily tweets as part of my morning reflection, as his words of wisdom help me start my day with the intention of "making all things new" in Christ. I look forward to his podcasts, and often take them with me on my walks ... Read more.  
Mountain Auction Recap 

The 14th Annual Mountain Auction marks success in a new location. 

One of the festive table centerpieces, the sale of which supported local breast cancer initiatives.

Just as Mt. Irenaeus rejoices "to make all things new," this year's fundraising auction in Olean drew upon that spirit as the Mountain Auction marked its 14th year, but at a new location.

Auction chair Michael Sullivan of Elmira, SBU Class of 1989 and a Mountain board member, received a multitude of compliments from the more than 160 guests who were pleased with the additional space for gathering and conversation ... Read more.

Pictures from Our Past 
As the Mountain celebrates 30 years, we look back on its rich history. If you have old photos from Mt. Irenaeus or a Mountain event you would like to share, please e-mail them to sholfoth@gmail.com.
 
 

Recognize anyone in this photo inside Holy Peace Chapel in 1993? Br. Joe Kotula, ofm, is pictured in the back row, second from the left next to Fr. Dan Riley, ofm. Fr. Dan Hurley, ofm, is pictured in the back row, third from right next to Fr. Lou McCormick, ofm.    

Thanksgiving Table Prayer 
A prayer from "Celebrating Faith: Year-round Activities For Catholic Families," by Mary Cronk Farrell
O Gracious God, we give you thanks for your overflowing generosity  to us.  
        
Thank you for the blessings of the food we eat and especially for this feast today.   
     
Thank you for our home and family and friends, especially for the presence of those gathered here. 

Thank you for our health, our work and our play. 

Please send help to those who are hungry, alone, sick and suffering war and violence. 
      
Open our hearts to your love.    

We ask your blessing through Christ your son. 

Amen. 

Contact Us

 

Mt. Irenaeus
P.O. Box 100
West Clarksville, NY 14786
585-973-2470