Portrait of a Monastery

In the Hudson River region of New York lies Holy Cross Monastery, an Anglican Benedictine monastery whose monks follow an ancient guidebook for monastic living known as The Rule. It was written by St. Benedict of Nursia 1500 years ago during a period when the Western Roman Empire was in a state of collapse. The spirit of the Rule emphasizes pax (peace) and ora et labora (pray and work), fostering a balanced life of community, spiritual growth, and service to God. Its core values are humility, obedience, and simplicity. Producer/director John Decker crafts an ethereal meditation on the rhythms and rituals of the everyday life of 21st century monks living in community together. Portrait of a Monastery creates an ode to a way of life that is vital to this historical moment as an antidote to the division and violence that plague our world.