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“Cassidy Hall found silence in an Iowa monastery and brought her discoveries to a new documentary” Des Moines Register

April 5, 2017

“A cricket chirped in the monastery’s library. That and the swish of a turned page, Thomas Merton’s “New Seeds of Contemplation,” was about it for sound. Cassidy Hall stopped on page 81. Merton did not write on the absence of sound on that page but the abyss of solitude in the soul: “You do not … More “Cassidy Hall found silence in an Iowa monastery and brought her discoveries to a new documentary” Des Moines Register

Faith and Doubt in the Labyrinth

March 25, 2017

I am easily led to anxiety in unfamiliar situations. I don’t like to do things with other people, and though I recognize the necessity in community, I’d almost always prefer to go about my day on my own, for comfort’s sake. Like most of us, I like certainty. Like most of us, I realize life … More Faith and Doubt in the Labyrinth

A Poetic Hope

February 8, 2017

“I don’t care to wake up in the morning without hope. Hope is a survival mechanism.” Norman Lear, Producer I’ve been sleeping more than I usually do, and not because I need it. I’m waking up every day to the latest news alerts reminding me of our country’s status and that things can dramatically change … More A Poetic Hope

I Wasn’t Ready To Write This

August 4, 2016

“Love alone could waken love.” Pearl S. Buck There are moments in life that I won’t be ready for. That doesn’t mean they won’t happen. That doesn’t mean I should sit back and do nothing. I wasn’t ready to write this. This isn’t another article about names in politics; this is an article about you and me. The … More I Wasn’t Ready To Write This

The Sacredness of Now

June 29, 2016

In a world that bombards our senses, where is the sacredness we’re so desperate for? … More The Sacredness of Now

The Great Anesthetic of Modern Day Life

May 12, 2016

(Originally posted on The Huffington Post Blog.) “The world is like an anesthetic… people are not going beyond the superficial to the meaning of life — they don’t even ask that question because they’re caught up in that anesthetizing process.” A Monk of Holy Trinity Abbey, Utah I woke up this morning with an overwhelming … More The Great Anesthetic of Modern Day Life

Slowing Down to Listen

January 29, 2015

Just a couple of months ago, in November of 2014, I was on a work trip in New York City. Naturally, and true to New York City, my days were filled with travel, organizing, preparing, and little to no down time. While I was there, my friend Bill called and left a voicemail on a … More Slowing Down to Listen

Silence Is Speaking… Will We Listen?

October 29, 2014

Originally posted on my HuffPost Blog: As much as society tells me noise is more golden than silence; silence still whispers mystery to my mind and heart. I’m continually engulfed in modern day life with beeps, vibrations, commercials, news feeds — a variety of attacks on all my senses. Yet, silence’s mystifying self still delicately … More Silence Is Speaking… Will We Listen?

To Be OK with the Blank Page

October 17, 2014

Originally posted on my HuffPost Blog “You can’t anticipate a garden. Stuff won’t grow until it’s time to grow and when the season’s finished, it’s all over.” -Father Anthony, OCSO My friend Dave told me once that to be ok with loneliness, you have to be ok with the blank page. Most of us can’t stop … More To Be OK with the Blank Page

Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey

April 12, 2013

Guadalupe Abbey is amid the valleys of wine country in Oregon, just southwest of Portland and inland from the brilliant Oregon coastline. Appropriately so, the abbey grounds were in full bloom for Easter weekend, and the forest that rested in the background was aglow. I wasn’t sure what to expect at Our Lady of Guadalupe … More Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey

Cassidy Hall

Author • Filmmaker • Photographer

Category: Uncategorized