There is much to catch up on through the lense of this blog!   Early last September I received permission to start “High Tea at St. Pauls” here on our  Monastery grounds.  We had learned of this concept from our Brother Monks at St. Michaels Abbey in Elkorn NE. where Br. Jerome has been serving guests for 30 years. The driving force behind this three month experiment was the desire to introduce people from near and far to our Monastic life here at Clyde through serving tea and lunch at St Pauls house here on our property.

Built in 1929 St. Pauls House has long been a arena of  warm and welcoming hospitality having been used for many many years as a guest house for our relatives and friends visiting Clyde.

I wondered if anyone would come…and now over 200 Tea House Guests later I would judge it a great success. It was humbling to hear of so many wonderful experiences guests were having as they shared table and warm conversation with each other.   Stories were told of having had high tea in Chicago and Saudi Arabia with neither of them comparable to their experience in Clyde, MO!

St. Benedict encourages us in his Rule to receive all guests as Christ.   Obviously that maxim was communicated through the attention to detail that was taken in our welcome, our conversations, our food and our joy!

I could not have done it  without the encouragement of my Community; my  sisters and friends who volunteered their time in preparation, serving and clean-up. I understand that no left hungry!

Since December I have had many calls wanting to make reservations for High Tea.  Due to some extensive renovation that will be undertaken in our Monastery main buildings in the coming months High Tea at St. Pauls will not be available for some time to come.   Our guest house space in buildings such as St. Pauls will become living space for our Sisters for at least the next year and a half.  We look forward someday to again sharing with you our guests the conviviality of High Tea!!