*please call or write for reservations:
guestmaster@idahomonks.org at (208) 324-2377 ext. 210.

Elderhostels for 2009

Registration for the Elderhostels will open about January 1, 2009. See the Elderhostel website.

June 1-7: Hiking amid Nature and History of the Snake River Plain

A choice of 4-8 mile hikes each day; in Wood River Valley, Craters of the Moon, City of Rocks, as well as a boat trip to observe birds in the Snake River Canyon. Lectures on bus and in evening by biologists and a geologist.

June 22-28: Medieval Murder Mysteries and their Settings

Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael Mysteries; Margaret Frazer's Sister Frevisse stories, and Sharan Newman's tales of Catherine LeVendeur. Evening power point presentation on the Br. Cadfael sites in and around Shrewsbury. Presentation on Br. Cadfael's herbs. Brief introduction to other authors; bibliography.

July 13-19: Windows into the Lives of Medieval People

Who were medieval people and how did they think about themselves and the world?

To answer these questions we will look at life in a medieval village, and less, thoroughly, at life in a medieval castle, monastery and university; how they portrayed themselves in their arts (pictorial art; dance; music) and in their literature (Chaucer, Piers Plowman, lyric); the books they read (especially books of hours and bestiaries).

July 27-August 2: Murderous Feasts and Literary Treats

Mystery stories which feature sleuths involved in the world of food (cooks, caterers, food critics and food writers). A chef will serve us some recipes from the books. One day devoted to an outing to a local family dairy/cheese factory and to a family dairy/creamery famous for its ice cream, with a picnic at a state park along the Snake River in between, Presentations on history of detective fiction, and authors such as Rex Stout, Virginia Rich, Laura Child, Joanne Fluke, Diane Mott Davidson, Claudia Bishop, Philip Craig, J. Pence. Susan Wittig Albert.

August 10-16: Clerical Mysteries: Detective Fiction by and about Clergy

G. K. Chesterton, the author of the Fr. Brown mysteries, launched a genre that has turned ecumenical. We will study Chesterton's stories and their author, and the life and mysteries of Ronald Knox, who like Chesterton belonged to the Detection Club. More contemporary authors whose sleuths are Episcopalian clergy women, rabbis or their wives, and priests.

August 31-September 6: Hiking amid Nature and History in the Snake River Plain

Like the June hiking Elderhostel, this one will include hikes to Craters of the Moon and City of Rocks, but the other hikes will be different.

Sept 8-11: Mining, Salmon and Natural History in the Stanley Basin

Stanley is situated 125 north of the monastery at the foot of the majestic Sawtooth Mountains. A dredge and several ghost towns and cemeteries are relics of the gold rush that occurred there. Idaho Fish & Game, which is deeply involved in an effort to save wild Sockeye salmon, has a fish hatchery there. We will visit these sites, have lectures on mining history, plants, birds and geology, hear from a local person, and visit several local restaurants. We will stay at a motel in Stanley. We can provide transportation to and from the monastery, Twin Falls or the Hailey/Sun Valley airport.

Non-Elderhostel Programs

June 29-July 5: The History of the Christian Church: 1780 – 2009 AD.

After eight years spent working our way from the beginnings of Christianity 300 years at a time, we have reached the modern world. We plan to look at the years between the French Revolution and the present thematically and dialectically, emphasizing how modernity influenced the Christian churches and vice versa. The topics on which we plan to focus are biblical interpretation, what it means to be human, economics and social justice (wealth, poverty, development) globalization and pluralism (and what it means for Catholicism and to some extent other Christian groups to be world-wide communities), gender issues, the arts, and education. In our consideration of the challenges facing the church in modern times, we will combine lectures, panel discussion and dialogue. (Cost: $600, double occupancy). Presenters: Lawrence Hundersmarck (Pace University), Don Saunders (Appalachian State University), Susanna Lundgren (Warner-Pacific University), and Fr. Hugh Feiss (Monastery of the Ascension).

October 3-17, 2009: Pilgrimage to the California Missions

Our plans are still somewhat fluid still, but here is what we envisage. The bus will leave from Jerome and Boise on Saturday, October 3, and drive south in two days toward the most northerly missions around San Francisco. We will then travel south, visiting about half the mission as we go, and the other half on the way back. We will try to stay several nights in one place, whenever that is possible. We will arrive back in Boise and Jerome on October 17. If people wish to arrange to meet the bus in California, we will try to work out a way to do that. Our guide for this tour will be John O'Hagan, one of the oblates of the monastery, who is currently researching and writing a book about the missions. Vanessa Butterfield will again make the travel arrangements. We estimate that the cost of the tour will be about $1500. We will stay in motels most of the time, but hope to be able to stay at least one mission. If you are interested in this trip please let Fr. Hugh know so he can keep you informed as we firm up our plans: hughf@idahomonks.org - 208-761-9389.

The Monastery Of The Ascension 541 East-100 South Jerome, ID 83338 208-324-2377 Would you like more information? Or just want to drop us a note? We would be happy to attempt to answer. It would be nice just to know that someone has looked at this Web Site!