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The communities of New Skete are members of the Orthodox Church in America,
which belongs to the world-wide communion of Orthodox Churches.
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Come and See-Experience Monastic life
Dec. 27th to Jan 2nd
New Skete is committed to
improving our access to our friends through digital communications. In 2010 we
hope to have a new website available that will provide greater integration of
our three communities
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Recently CBS filmed a
program for their Religious section on Sundays entitled Ministry of Animals. New
Skete was one of the featured segments.
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Aug. 15 -Sept 13 Communities retreat
Monasteries closed
Except Sept 5th and 12th
Sunday Divine Liturgy
Oct 4th Animal Blessing in
PM
Oct 16th Pre- registered one day retreat
Oct 24th Feast of the Theotokos of the Sign
To view our winter newsletter
No. 14 Winter 2009 (high resolution)
No. 14 Winter 2009 (low resolution)
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My Dogs
By Charles Sprayberry
My
mother and I work for the Monks of New Skete, world-renowned breeders of German
Shepherds. Recently, the monks have been gracious enough to allow us to foster
care a Shepherd named Mercedes as part of their breeding program. The program
allows us to bring the dog home with us and when Mercedes comes into heat and is
ready to be bred she stays at the monastery. This is a great opportunity for my
mother and me to learn more about the breed and about dog care in general. Not
only are the monks reputable breeders, but also they train dogs of all breeds
and have released several authoritative books on dog care, training, and the
spiritual bond between human and dog. Being able to learn about dogs through the
monks’ vast experience and knowledge has
been a wonderful experience, for which I cannot thank New Skete enough!
For as long as I can remember, our family has always had at least one dog in
our household. The first dog I recall was a flat-faced Pekingese named Chloe. At
the time my sisters and I were very young and had no idea how to have a proper
relationship with a dog. My father was still enlisted in the Army at this time,
and we were living on a U.S. base in Germany. When we moved back to the States,
my father and mother decided that Chloe would stay with friends in Germany.
Little did I realize that my lifelong journey with dogs was only just beginning.
When we moved to Alabama and were able to rent our first home, we almost
immediately got another dog. She was a beautiful black-and-white Cocker Spaniel
named Crystalbelle—again,
another dog that we had an improper relationship with. My oldest sister, who is
about a year younger, and I were the primary caregivers for the dog, although
Crystal turned out to be my mother's responsibility after all. We never formally
or informally trained Crystal, and, looking back on the relationship, I can see
she was not given the proper amount of exercise. Sadly, one day she got loose
and was killed in traffic. I was about 12 at the time, and the experience
devastated me. When we got our next dog, my father and mother let me choose the
breed. Although I was still extremely sad over the death of Crystal, I was
excited about having a dog that was “officially”
mine.
It
was time for a new dog. I didn't do any research on breeds or learn what dog
would be suitable for our household, so yet again we got another dog that we
were unable to have a proper relationship with. Ginapher, a gorgeous purebred
boxer, was the dog I chose. Much like Crystal, she didn't get enough exercise.
She would destroy the house in protest, as opposed to chasing cars. Oh, and she
had no sense of her place in the pack and would drag me on walks, which made it
easy for me to rationalize not walking her. The amount of food and property she
destroyed made her unpopular with my father, although he got a few good laughs
when I came back covered in dirt from head to toe! Eventually she became an
outside dog; sadly, though, she was usually confined to a rather short run. The
straw that ultimately broke the camel's back was a pregnancy. Ginapher turned
out to be a wonderful mother, and watching the birthing process was
interesting...although she birthed the first few puppies on my bed. Shortly
after her first litter we found her new home, where she could get the exercise
and care she needed. Several years later, I discovered Ginapher had been
needlessly murdered. A group of teenagers came to her home and shot her for no
apparent reason. She had never attacked anybody and was a very sweet dog. Even
today I struggle with why a human being would do something so malicious and,
well, evil.
After those two experiences of losing a dog, I took a more hands-off approach
to our next pooch. I was about to be entering high school, and the last thing on
my mind was caring for another dog. In came Caesar Thor Tito, gorgeous teacup
Yorkshire Terrier and our first AKC-registered dog. "The Long-Haired Defender of
the Giants" turned out to be a good dog. Although never formally trained, Tito
had a nice temperament—until
he got a little older and turned into an ornery little devil. He became
unbreakably bonded to my oldest sister, Sarah, and this ensured that Tito wound
up moving out with Sarah and her husband, James, later in his life. Tito is
still with Sarah, and through some training and socializing he has become a much
better dog.
Tito was still running around as a young dog when Missy, a purebred teacup
Chihuahua, found a home with us. She immediately became Mom's dog. Once again,
no formal training. Missy exhibited many of the behaviors you would expect from
the breed. Of particular distress was ankle chasing when guests left. With Missy
we had something else: a pregnancy. Neither Tito nor Missy was neutered, so, as
should be expected, nature took its course. Missy turned out to be not such a
great mother, and we were very afraid that the birth would kill her. She had
only one pup, Zoe, which my mom eventually had to bottle feed to ensure her
survival. Missy, fortunately, is still with my mother and me and has become a
good little dog. She still exhibits some smaller breed behaviors, but we are
constantly being told how well behaved Missy is for her age and breed.
Missy’s pup, Zoe, was an extremely
beautiful Chorkie, a designer breed among the rich and famous. Her small size,
gorgeous coat, and spunky attitude made it pretty obvious why. She also turned
out to be much bigger than her mother. Around the time Zoe came into our lives,
I was almost completely detached from dogs. A few years later moved to Oregon,
and for almost the first time in my life I was dog free. At the time I thought
my life was better without the hassle of caring for a dog. However, it wasn't
long before I found myself back in Alabama, and around dogs again. In an
unfortunate turn of events, Zoe developed a heart problem and died when she was
only three years old.
At
this point, the last thing on my mind was dogs. I had my own personal demons to
deal with. While I was in Oregon, my mother and father decided they could no
longer live with each other and were planning to divorce. Along with this I was
trying to figure out what I to do with my life. Soon after I moved back to
Alabama, my mother and father finalized their divorce, and my mother moved to
Cambridge, New York. A couple of years later, she became employed by the Monks
of New Skete. On one of my trips to visit her, I was fortunate enough to visit
the monastery. There I had an experience with a dog, Dux, that helped change the
course of my life forever.
Dux is a well-tempered, handsome, male German Shepherd belonging to the Monks
of New Skete. He is a therapy-certified dog and is under the care of Julia
Gates. While I was visiting my mother, her "monk boss" was recovering from hip
replacement surgery. My mother was preparing to go with Julia to visit him, so
I decided to tag along. Julia brought Dux along for the visit. Seeing Dux in the
hospital was an eye-opening experience and made me realize what proper training
and care can do to the relationship one has with a dog. Not only that, but the
German Shepherd breed made me reflect back on my childhood in Germany. There,
Shepherds are a very popular security and police dogs, so we saw them almost
every day. I knew from the experience with Dux that I would eventually have to
have a Shepherd, along with the knowledge to make that relationship different
from all of my other past dog experiences.
Shortly after visiting my mother and realizing how much the monastery means to
her, and how much the monks have to offer, I decided to move to Cambridge in the
summer of 2009. After I settling in my mother's apartment, I began doing
volunteer work for the monastery, with the short-term goal of being hired as an
employee and a long-term goal of being able to care for a German Shepherd.
Fortunately, a few months after I started my volunteer work, the monks offered
me a job working with Brother David, helping with the New Skete Farms Christmas
mail order season. Working with Brother David, and for New Skete, has been an
experience in and of itself. But that is a story for another time...back to the
dogs!
At
our apartment, my mother and I discussed almost every day the possibility of
getting a German Shepherd. We knew that the apartment we were living in would
not be the right environment for raising a dog of that size. We knew that when
the lease was up in April 2010, we would have to find a new apartment large
enough to let us care for a Shepherd. We also knew that it might be years before
we could afford a New Skete Shepherd, and probably even longer than that before
a puppy was available. Little did my mother and I realize that the monks had
different plans for us.
New
Skete, with help from the consulting firm Zielinski Companies, has been in the
process of strategic planning to ensure the survival and prosperity of the
monastery for years to come. Part of the strategic action plan is to increase
the size of the dog breeding program, but to do so would require either a vast
expansion in their facilities, or provision for some dogs to receive the bulk of
their care away from the monastery, freeing up the facilities for dogs who make
their home at New Skete. The monks decided that, given the proper environment at
home, my mother and I would be capable of providing foster care for a female
Shepherd. But first, there were numerous issues to deal with. A new apartment
would be needed, and we would have to have a dog with the right temperament.
She would have to get along with Missy, the Chihuahua, and be calm around young
children, as my niece, Bayleigh, had recently joined our family. Just when I was
starting to feel that it would be years before my dream could become a reality,
along came Mercedes.
Part of the breeding expansion has been acquiring new dogs. One of the
acquisitions was a 5-year-old female with a black, tan, and red coat; a bit of
gray in the muzzle; unfortunately a mild case of Lyme disease; and the name
Mercedes. It soon became apparent that when she was healthy enough to come
home, my mother and I would be foster caring Mercedes, so my education needed to
start quickly. I immediately started reading How To Be Your Dog's Best Friend
and Divine Canine and getting some hands-on advice from the monks.
When Mercedes and I first started spending time together, she was very
headstrong and I knew right away that simply letting her have the run of the
place would not suffice. One of the biggest problems was that her past life had
not included any leash training, and she liked to pull on the leash. A brief
flashback to getting dragged by Ginapher, and I realized the importance of
establishing a relationship of trust and obedience with Mercedes.
I
started applying the techniques I had learned. It's amazing that something as
simple as changing direction could be so effective! Soon, instead of pulling,
Mercedes was walking politely on the leash. During more informal walks on the
flexi leash, if she got too far she would stop and wait for me to catch up.
Pretty soon she became healthier and started to trust me more, and our
relationship bloomed. Mercedes is a wonderful companion dog, a stern protector,
and a close friend.
It
has been almost two months since my mom and I were able to bring Mercedes home
with us. She gets along with Missy just fine, and we couldn't have a better
protector for Bayleigh. My relationship with Mercedes is unlike anything I ever
thought I was capable of having with a dog. By reading the monks’
words and applying their knowledge and experience to training Mercedes, I have
been able to have that kind of relationship. The "dog" training has helped me
with my patience, something I severely lack, and given me an understanding of
the human-dog bond. Mercedes, with her wisdom, has trained me as much as I have
trained her, if not more. Before, I simply assumed the dog was at fault for bad
behavior, but now I realize I must be able to look at the situation objectively
and see what I can do better to communicate and teach. Applying this education
to other aspects of my life has proved very beneficial.
New Skete, particularly the opportunity my mother and I have with Mercedes, has
been extremely caring and helpful to my family. After a life of improper
relationships with dogs and giving up on ever having a better one, my
experiences at the monastery have been overwhelming. For the first time in quite
some time, I'm happy to get up and go to work. And to be at peace.
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Places to stay and things to do in the Cambridge, New York area:
ATTRACTIONS
Bennington Museum West Main Street Bennington,
Vermont, 05201
802-447-1571
http://www.benningtonmuseum.org/
Bennington Potters 324 County Street Bennington, Vermont
05201
802-447-7531
http://www.benningtonpotters.com/
Hildene (home of Robert Todd Lincoln) 1005 Hildene Road
Manchester, Vermont 05254 802-362-1788
http://www.hildene.org/
Robert Frost Stone House Museum 121 Historic Route 7A
Shaftsbury, Vermont 05262 802-447-6200
http://www.frostfriends.org/
Norman Rockwell Exhibition and Gift Shop Historic Route 7A
Arlington, Vermont 05250 802-375-6423
http://www.vmga.org/bennington/normrockwell.html
Vermont Covered Bridge Museum Route 9, West Road
Bennington, Vermont 05201 802-442-7158
www.benningtoncenterforthearts.org/VtCBM/
Slate Valley Museum 17 Water Street Granville, New York
12832
518-642-1417
http://www.slatevalleymuseum.org/
Pember Museum of Natural History 33 West Main Street Granville,
New York 12832
518-642-1515
http://www.pembermuseum.com/
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LODGING
Blue Willow Motel 51 South Park Cambrige, New York 12816
518-677-3552
Email:
bluwilow98@aol.com
Rice Mansion Inn 15 West Main Cambridge, New York 12816
518-677-5741
http://www.ricemansioninn.com/welcome.htm
Peace Be Still Motor Inn 58 North Park Cambridge,
New York 12816
518-677-5524
http://www.peacebestill.biz/HOMEPAGE.html
Cambridge Hotel 4 West Main Street Cambridge, NY
12816
518-677-5626
http://www.cambridgehotel.com/
Cambridge Farm Bed & Breakfast 3 Perry Lane
Cambridge, NY 12816
518-677-0881
http://thecambridgefarm.com/
Arlington Inn Historic Route 7A Arlington, Vermont
05250
802-375-6532
http://www.arlingtoninn.com/
Candlelight Motel Historic Route 7A Arlington,
Vermont 05250
802-375-6647
http://www.candlelightmotel.com/
Valhalla Motel Historic Route 7A Arlington, Vermont
05250
802-375-2212 Toll Free: 800-258-2212 http://valhallamotel.com/
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On October 25th 2009, the communities celebrated the fortieth
anniversary of the founding of the Nuns of New Skete. At the luncheon hosted by the Chapel
Community, the celebration highlighted a historical overview in a power point
presentation. The presentation can be viewed by clicking the link below.
It will take a few minutes to load.
web/HISTORY OF
THE NUNS OF NEW SKETE.pdf
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Our Blog
We are pleased to make our blog available. We
will be using our blog to post our latest news and events.
http://www.newskete.org/articles/
Scroll to bottom of the page to see the
archives of previous reflections of Monks and Nuns or to the blog.
http://www.newskete.org/articles/
Photographs of Sr. Katrina's wake:
http://picasaweb.google.com/samsonw2000/SrKatrinaWake
Photographs of Sr. Katrina's funeral:
http://picasaweb.google.com/samsonw2000/SrKatrinaFuneral
Here are the previously sent links to the video clips from the same:
Video clips of Sr. Katrina's wake:
http://tinyurl.com/6blczz
Video clips of Sr. Katrina's funeral:
http://tinyurl.com/6dnpa9
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BOOK BASED ON
New Skete Monks’ television series, Divine Canine
Coming to your local bookstores.
Eight episodes of
Divine Canine: With the Monks of New Skete on
Animal Planet channel. One of the
ways these Eastern Orthodox monks strive to achieve devotion, obedience, and
fulfillment is by raising and training dogs. Using their German shepherd pups as
examples, the monks demonstrate their unique approach to socializing puppies to
show how most of the bad habits possessed by adult dogs can be quelled at an
early age. Using a variety of simple daily training rituals, the monks show how
a calm and stable environment can be achieved. Then follow Brother Christopher
as he trains unruly dogs at their picturesque monastery in the rolling hills of
Cambridge. Witness how New Skete’s holistic training approach can turn even the
most resilient of misbehaving dogs into loving and obedient companions, to the
delight of their previously frustrated families.
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