Below is the final report on our fund raising efforts from the Monastery and the reasons for their ongoing financial difficulties. As you can see, they are still very much in need of support:

As promised, here is the report of the donations, in exact numbers, that went into the Monastery's PayPal after your appeal in Cathinfo:

Total number of people who donated: 4
Total in USD: 665.00

Through Bishop Thomas Aquinas' Wise account we received:
- 1 Mass stipend from Australia: 30 AUD
- 1 donation from Canada (but I'm not sure if this person donated because of the post on Cathinfo, as he had already donated before): 371 CAD

We haven't yet received any communication from our correspondent in the US as to whether any checks have been sent there. I don't think so. If I hear from them, I'll let you know.

I take the opportunity to thank all those who have donated or who are yet to donate, as well as those who are praying for our monastery, and assure them of Santa Cruz prayers for their benefactors.

I didn't mention it in the previous email, because I only had more details about it afterwards, but the monastery's current difficulties are basically due to:

- renovations that the monks had to make to the roof of the current cloister, which was collapsing;
- some of the current renovations in the libraries, which are full of mold that is ruining the books;
- we're going to have to build an artesian well, because laboratory analyses have discovered serious problems with the spring water that the monks used for consumption;
- The usual costs of running the school (around 2,000 dollars a month). This school for children and adolescents is perhaps the most expensive activity for the monastery, but H.E. Bp Thomas Aquinas does not give up on this school, because he knows how important it is for the souls of the children and for the society they will form in the future.

If you would like to pass on the outline of this message in Cathinfo, please do. I will also soon be preparing an appeal to be posted on the Monastery's website.

May God bless you and reward you with all the graces you need.

In Corde Mariae,

Renato Müller
Bp Thomas Aquinas' Secretary

...

Ut in omnibus glorificetur Deus

From the Benedictines:

Dear friends and benefactors,

Those who wish can still send us to their list of deceased, because one of the priests of our monastery will offer a mass each November day in these intentions.

The monastery does not request a stipend for these Masses.

Put this in the e-mail subject, please: LISTA DE FALECIDOS

Send to: secretaria@mosteirodasantacruz.org.br


Benedictine Monastery of the Holy Cross, Nova Friburgo-RJ, Brazil

Support us: www.mosteirodasantacruz.org

Thanks for posting. That short video is very touching.
+ Williamson R.I.P. +

A good cause for Lenten almsgiving: the Benedictines are again begging for help. Here is the email just received:

Reverend Father,
Dear Sir, Dear Madam,

We are deeply grateful for the generous support you have given to our monastery. Some of you have already responded to our previous appeal, and we sincerely thank you. However, our financial situation remains critical, and we must once again turn to our benefactors to sustain our mission.
Our monastery has never known financial comfort—perhaps Divine Providence allows this so that our trust in God may be all the more evident and meritorious. Yet today, our challenges are greater than ever. In fact, we no longer have the necessary funds to cover all the expenses for the coming month, which puts at risk the normal operation of our works and the assistance we provide to those in need.
As you may know, Bishop Thomas Aquinas and the monastery are responsible for several important works here in Santa Cruz:

• A Benedictine monastery with about 15 monks;
• A newly established monastery of sisters with around 5 nuns;
• A quasi-parish serving approximately 150 faithful;
• A seminary for the formation of secular priests, particularly those dedicated to missionary work;
• A school for children and young people;
• Missions throughout Brazil and neighboring countries, served by two or three of our priests, as well as the Bishop for Confirmations;
• Several priests from the Novus Ordo who have sought refuge in the monastery and have been welcomed by Bishop Thomas Aquinas—these priests are also supported by the monastery.

Sadly, most Brazilians who have embraced Tradition are poor—many of them extremely so. Not only are they unable to contribute financially to the Church, but some even depend on the monastery for their basic needs. We regularly assist struggling families, provide housing to those in need, and exempt children from school fees, among other works of charity.
For this reason, we once again appeal to the generosity of our foreign benefactors, whose kindness has sustained us since the monastery’s founding 38 years ago.
If you are able to help us, we thank you from the depths of our hearts. Please know that you remain in the monks’ daily prayers for their benefactors.

In Corde Mariae,
Renato Müller
Secretary to Bishop Thomas Aquinas O.S.B.
Holy Cross Monastery - Nova Friburgo, Brazil