CAMBRIDGE, N.Y. -- Whether it's for the pups or for the cheesecake, the New Skete Monastery is world-renowned.
"When the community first began, there wasn't a sense of how big this might actually get," Brother Christopher said.
This year marks 50 years since the monastery first opened.
Tucked away in the Taconic Mountains near Cambridge, the Eastern Orthodox monastery is distinctive.
"I think what people experience when they come to New Skete is a very human dimension to the Monastic life that's lived here," Christopher said.
"Just to experience a refreshing experience of the Christian Life lived 24/7 simply, but authentically," said Teva Regule, friend of New Skete.
Although the invigorating ambiance attracts many, the cheesecake is pretty alluring too.
"They have a good friend in Rachel Ray," New Skete director of marketing Ida Williams said. "She has been really nice and has supported them by, she loves their cheesecake, so every once and while she mention them and we always love that when she does that. Or she'll come up and visit the nuns and spend an afternoon baking with them."
Playful German Shepherds aren't half-bad either.
"When we bring in a couple of six week old puppies, you just see people melt," Christopher said.
Although a half-century existence brings change, some things will definitely continue.
"Cake making is still happening and in fact the nuns actually produced a new flavor this past year," Christopher said. "It was call 'creamsicle.' When I first heard about it I sort of went, 'creamsicle?!' But then I could see that, oh my gosh, it's to die for."
"When we look at this as the future of New Skete, I look at this and go, 'They're rebuilding for the future, they're preparing for that next wave of New Skete,'" Williams said.