Brother Sixtus Roslevich, writing while on the road and himself experiencing the hospitality of others, reflects on the role of hospitality at Portsmouth and in the Rule of Saint Benedict.
 

The Abbey Guest House

Last week’s issue of The Current looked into some of the various offices of the week which the Rule of Saint Benedict assigns on a regular rotating schedule among the brethren. The story focused on the office of “hebdom,” short for hebdomodary, from the Greek word for “seven,” a title referring, as we learned, to tasks assigned each week. One of those weekly assignments is that of the “reader at meals.” In addition to reading a secular or spiritual book at evening dinners, this hebdom also regularly reads to the community a section of the Holy Rule. This has prompted for me this week a reflection inspired by Chapter 53 of that Rule: On the Reception of Guests. The chapter opens a dimension of Benedictine life that extends beyond the week and fully encompasses monastic life: the offering of hospitality.

St. Benedict begins by writing, “Let all guests who arrive be received like Christ, for he is going to say, ‘I came as a guest, and you received Me.’ And to all let due honor be shown, especially to the domestics of the faith and to pilgrims.” Many monasteries around the world, and not just Benedictine houses, have free-standing, dedicated guest houses. Often, a truncated phrase of Chapter 53’s first sentence is prominent at the main entrance, perhaps engraved in stone, etched on glass or painted on a sign. Several times, as a guest, I have seen this, being welcomed by the motto, “Let all who arrive be received like Christ.”

We have been blessed with a steady flow of guests at Portsmouth since the summer months, especially once travel and spacing restrictions had been alleviated or lifted altogether. Some are returning visitors, others are first-timers, but under the supervision of our Guest Master, Brother Joseph Byron, we do our best to roll out the red carpet and either provide them the space and quiet for which they came, or else we tour them around the campus and inside the various buildings on the grounds. The summer restoration of the 1860’s Manor House has been a particular point of pride for us and a jaw-dropping moment for some visitors.

Vespers prepared for guest

In light of the many generous comments we have gratefully received about the quality of our hospitality services, I began to think further about the meaning of hospitality and the etymology of the word itself. We read about the “hospitality industry” in the business and travel sections of the newspapers and about how things are beginning to rebound. A quick internet search pulled up a couple of sentences on Study.com which encapsulate its importance: “Hospitality is an industry that includes restaurants, hotels, casinos, amusement parks, events, cruises, entertainment, and other tourism-related services. As such, this industry isn't just important to businesses, but also to customers, employees, and economies.” This industry also bears connections to the care of health, and the roots of the existence and importance of health care facilities around the world can be linked to one historical definition which equates the word “hospital” with “hospice,” and “especially one run by the Knights Hospitaller.” Their official title was The Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, which developed as a medieval and early modern Catholic military order, dating to the 12th century.

Our own visitors on their various pilgrimages to Portsmouth have arrived in quite a variety of conveyances. A St. Louis couple pulled onto Cory’s Lane in their shiny Tommy Bahama Airstream recreational vehicle after traversing a part of Canada, Maine, and New Hampshire. By the time Deacon Charlie and his wife Penny set foot here, they were happy to have accommodations for the week in St. Brigid’s House, before departing for the Pell Bridge on the last extended leg of their journey to the Midwest. Another intrepid couple arrived after paddling their kayaks one morning for Mass from Prudence Island across Narragansett Bay. After a fortifying breakfast in the Stillman Dining Hall, they set out on their return trip home. More common means of arrival were cars, of course, but also planes and Amtrak trains.

Regardless of how they get here, their hospitality needs are also seen to by the various departments of lay staff who assist the monks in the areas of food and beverage, housekeeping and IT needs. We monks attend to liturgical needs, setting up choir books in church for the various components of the Liturgy of the Divine Office, which the public is always cordially invited to attend. In fact, speaking of etymologies, the word “liturgy” is derived from the Greek liturgia which means “public works,” or “to work for the people,” an activity itself resonating with the concept of hospitality.

The main entrance

The monastic community has made available various venues to handle our guests. Male guests above the age of 21 are often housed in the monastery itself. The Manor House has a number of available rooms where married couples may be assigned. Finally, the separate Guest House is a short walk from the Manor House and convenient to the running track. It has four bedrooms, two baths, a full kitchen, a dining room and living room area. It has been perfect for families and often houses our visiting groups from Chile for extended periods when they are in residence to work with our students in the lectio divina program, as they will be during the winter months this year. On some occasions, with the weather right and conditions in place, some guests who feel hearty and fit enough have even had the opportunity to climb up the inside of the Abbey’s towering wind turbine (appropriate to mention given this week’s article on wind power). Supervised by Br. Joseph, these rare adventures afford an incomparable view of the campus and its surrounding areas and provide an enviable photo op.

A 2020 visitor from St. Louis expressed to us her experience this way: “It was pure peace and joy, and I felt as if I was in heaven and just didn’t want to leave. I was treated as if I was royalty. Nothing, no matter how small a detail, was overlooked and I understood that anything could have been made to happen for my comfort.” While we cannot offer such a guarantee to each guest, we do remain grateful for visits and hopeful that we can continue to pay attention to Benedict’s Chapter 53 and its call to show “every kindness” to those arriving at our monastery.

Br. Sixtus and frequent guest Paul Zalonski on the turbine