Our friends at New Camaldoli Hermitage in Big Sur, which has hosted our iconography retreats for a number of years, are in pretty dire straights following the catastrophic rains of the past months. Highway 1, leading to and from the Hermitage, has been washed out in a number of sections, as has their own entrance road. One monk with a medical emergency recently had to be airlifted out in order to receive medical care. They have been unable to receive regular deliveries of food and fuel, and they are unable to welcome retreatants, which is their main source of financial support. Please keep the monks, and all the people in the area in your prayers. If you are able, the monks are also grateful for any donations for their support during this challenging time. Their gofundme page can be found here. We very much hope that we will be able to return to the Hermitage next year (March 6-14, 2018). In the meantime, we also thank St Alberts Priory in Oakland, CA, which warmly welcomed our group on very short notice.