January 2006

Sunday – First day of the year 2006.  Br. Graham gave us a meaty homily.

A happy and blessed 2006 to all our readers.  May the Lord and his Holy Mother walk always with you.

Monday 2 – Fr. Maurice woke up about two o’clock this morning with severe pain in the chest.  He immediately suspected that the problem he has had in the past with the aorta had come back.  He has already had two operations for this.  The ambulance was called and he was taken to hospital at Miramichi, where, several days later, the doctors confirmed that the problem was with the aorta.  He has to be transferred to the hospital in Saint John where they have a specialized cardiology unit. He should have an operation but the doctors are very hesitant.

Fortunately, the ambulance service is now free.  This was the fifth time in a little over a year that the ambulance has been called here.

Tuesday 3 – Fr. Maurice is still at the hospital.  His pain has gone but his situation is very fragile.

Thursday 5 – At 7pm we watched a bit more of the film on John Paul II.  It was the period at the beginning of the Second World War and the persecution of the Jews.  A lot of violence!

Friday 6 – The Abbot gave us news of Fr. Maurice.  He now has the telephone in his hospital room.  He is expecting to go to Saint John during next week.  He might be coming back to the monastery in the meantime.

Saturday 7 – This weekend the guesthouse is nearly full.  If this helps these people to grew in holiness let us thank God.

Sunday 8 – Solemnity of the Epiphany!

But there is also another big event to celebrate: Dom Bede’s 63^rd birthday!

Monday – 9 – For days now we have had Fr. Maurice continually in our thoughts and we have been praying a lot for him.  Today the doctors took another scan. We would like to see him back among us.  He has a lot to offer as a member of the community despite his fragile health.

Tuesday 10 – Today it was decided to transfer Fr. Maurice to the Institute of Cardiology in Montreal.  He was airlifted in a special plane at 8 o’clock this evening.

Wednesday 11 – The Abbot keeps in touch with Fr. Maurice by telephone. The specialists in Montreal hope to be able to avoid a huge and dangerous operation by inserting a “stint” in the aorta – a new technique.

This evening Fr. Bede put up the following notice : « Fr. Maurice has undergone a lot of scans, X-rays and ultrasounds during the day.  The doctors have discovered that his is a case unlike any other and are not sure what action to take.  Fr. Maurice is on good form and says he is being well looked after.»

Thursday – 12 – This evening the Abbot left by train for St-Benoît-Labre near St-Georges in the Beauce region of Quebec Province, where he will be preaching the annual retreat to the community of Cistercian nuns.

Friday  - 13 – It seems that Fr. Maurice is going to have to have the enormous operation for the replacement of his aorta, next Monday or Tuesday.

Saturday – 14 – I am the only priest in the house.  This morning Fr. Tom Fowler from Saint John concelebrated with me.

Sunday – 15 – Fr. Jean-Marc Guérette dropped in for a couple of hours.

Monday 16 – E-mail from Dom Bede who had spoken to P. Maurice on the telephone.  The doctors are still dithering and dragging their heels.

Tuesday 17 – We learned of the death of Father Peter McKee, priest of the Diocese of Moncton, who had been battling against cancer for a long time.  He was well known.  He had belonged to the team of “Flying Priests”, a team of priests that played hockey in support of charities.

The Abbot informed us that Fr. Maurice had had a convulsive attack during the night, probably due to the mediation he was being given.  This development was going to delay the operation even further.

Wednesday 18– Brother Leo’s 79^th birthday.  Despite his age, Br.Leo does the porter’s job and a few other important tasks.

We had a phone call from Br. Graham; he was concerned about Fr. Maurice’s situation   He told us that he was giving a homily every fourth week at Tre Fonane.

Thursday 19 – We are having a week of mild weather.  The snowmelt is not getting away as it should be, threatening to flood the chicken barn.  We called in the road maintenance men to clear out the ditches alongside of the farm road.

Friday 20 – As regards Fr. Maurice, the doctors, after skating round the subject, finally decided to fit a stint.  According to the medical personnel this is effective.  The operation will take place on Monday next, 23 January.

Saturday 21 – The Abbot went from Quebec to Montreal to see Fr. Maurice in the Institut de Cardiologie.  He spent the night at Oka where the monks were very good and drove him twice to the hospital.  The Abbot will be coming back Monday morning.

Sunday 22 – Unity Sunday.  We heard that the Anglican Catholic Church of Atlantic Canada is going to be re-united with the Roman Catholic Church during the coming summer.  Deo Gratias.

Monday 23 – Today, at last, Fr. Maurice had his operation.  All went well.  Jacques Guimond, Fr. Maurice’s brother from Moncton, is in Montreal to be at his brother’s side.  He is keeping us informed of how things are going.  Their other brother, Georges, from Prince Edward Island, is going to take his turn.

Tuesday 24 – Fr. Maurice is recovering fast.

Wednesday 25 – We had an e-mail from Br. Graham telling us about his visit with the Pope.  Each year, the Pope blesses a pair of lambs whose wool will be used to make the pallia which are the distinctive insignia of the metropolitan archbishops, worn during liturgical ceremonies.  Traditionally, the one-time farming monks of Tre Fontane have the right of presenting these lambs.  Two brothers go every year, and, since Br. Graham is currently living there, he accompanied Bro Lodovico and Abbot Giacomo.  So brother Graham got the chance to shake hands with Pope Benedict XVI, exchange a few words and join him at prayer.  This all took place in a tiny chapel in the papal apartments on the feast of Saint Agnes, the 21^st January.

Thursday 26 – The product of two milkings was wasted because the pump which transfers the milk from the parlor into the tank in the adjacent dairy lost a capacitator.  Br. Stephan got the part and repaired it for the next day.

Continued good news about Fr. Maurice.

Friday 27 – The Abbot resumed his commentary on the Rule with Chapter 5 on Obedience.  Fr. Wesley Wade was with us for a few days of retreat.

Sunday 29 – At dinner we listened to a cassette of Bishop Faber McDonald of Saint John playing the violin in a Scottish style.

Lundi 30 –We learned of the death of Br. Graham’s grandmother at the age of 98; she was still living in her own home.

Tuesday 31 – Fr. Maurice was discharged from the Cardiology Institute in Montreal and took up temporary residence at Oka, where the community was very happy to welcome him.  Dom Yvon Joseph is happy to have him recover there as long as it takes.  Fr. Maurice is still within easy reach of the Cardiology Institute while staying at Oka.  Dom Bede wants him to stay there until he is properly well enough to come back.  Nonetheless we want to see him back soon.

February 2006

Wednesday 1 February – Two new applicants have manifested their interest in possibly joining our community.  Something is moving!

An e-mail from Br. Graham tells us that he will have a rich semester of studies, with a lot of hard work.  He is getting a sound priestly formation.

Thursday 2 – The PA system amplifier from our chapel has been away for a couple of weeks, getting repaired.  Today the technician brought it back and it is working very well.  You might think we would not need a PA system in our little chapel, but there are those who are hard of hearing and the guests are at a certain distance, and the abbot thinks you need a loud-speaker to get over the noise people make coughing and sneezing and blowing their noses.

This evening we finished the film on John Paul II.  The title of the film was “The Man Who Became Pope”.  So the story ended with the election of Carol Woytila.

Friday 3 – Eight Tibetan Buddhist monks and interpreter and a driver spend the night here.  The Abbot was able to meet them briefly.

Sunday 5 – At the time of going to press we learned of the death of Dom Fidèle, the former abbot of Oka.  During his time as abbot Oka was a great benefactor of ours.  Dom Fidèle spend a period here after he had ceased to be abbot, at the beginning of Dom Maurice’s time as abbot.  We are praying for him.

Monday 6 – A young man in his thirties is staying in the guest house for the week.  He is from Prince Edward Island where he is following the CIA course to be received into the Church at Easter.

Tuesday 7 – Two pastors, Fr. Paul Breau and Father Leo Paul LeBlanc, of the diocese of Moncton are here for a short retreat.  The one is semi-retired and the other fully retired.

Wednesday 8 – Since there is not much work at this time of year, the Abbot asked me to put our community register onto computer.  I am using the same database that he set up for the purpose at Mount Saint Bernard.

After the visit of the Buddhists, the Abbot looked at their website and shared his discoveries with us.  At their monastery, Drepung Gomang in India, there are 1500 monks.  The founders had fled Tibet after the Chinese took over the country.

Thursday 9 – This evening, those who wished were able to watch a video depicting the leprosarium at Tracadie.  What misery!  This Lazaret (as it was called) was started because of the increasing number of cases of leprosy in the region.  The Hospitaller Sisters of Saint Joseph came here to look after these lepers.  The leprosarium began around 1845 and was closed in 1966.  This documentary was a good preparation for the Liturgy of the Word of the 6^th Sunday of year B.

Friday 9 – In an e-mail, Br. Graham told us about the visit of the new Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Loreda, to the Beda College.  He confessed his feeling of inadequacy to follow in the footsteps of Benedict XVI.

People are always asking for news of Fr. Maurice.  The Abbot spoke to him on the phone this evening.  He is on good form but admits progress is a little bit slow.  He has to have blood tests every few days until the level of anti-coagulant is stabilized.  He is getting around the monastery, and attending some of the offices from the tribune.

Saturday 11 - Br. Stephan tells us that he could cope with milking another 25 cows.  We need the extra income.  But where are we going to find the money to buy the quota at $30.000 the kilo?

Sunday 12 – A mighty snow storm is forecast for tonight.  For the last few weeks we have hardly had any snow and it has not been really cold.  The temperature has not been below –17ºC even at night.  This helps with the heating bill.

Monday 13 – Last week’s chronicle ended with the forecast of a heavy snowstorm for Sunday night.  In fact we had some snow but not very much and there was no wind.  We are in a special location, or is it that Divine Providence looks after us in a special way?  May the Lord be thanked.

Tuesday 14 – The only thing anybody talks about is the increased cost of heating.  Dom Bede has taken the matter in hand and lowered the thermostats. It’s only just bearable.

From Oka, Fr. Maurice and Fr. Paul let us know that our faxes were arriving with a big black band obscuring part of the message.  The abbot ordered a new machine.  I hope that the results will be satisfactory and that it will be a faster machine.

Wednesday 15 – Our two farm workers left Br. Stephan all alone on the farm and went to Sussex for a workshop on animal nutrition.

Thursday 16 – Br. Leo is beginning to feel his weight in years.  He gets overcome by fatigue.  He has to sit down in choir.  Not surprising in his eightieth year!

Friday 17 – Br. Graham, in an e-mail, told us that his brother, Jason, will be ordained priest in Rome in April.  The whole family is going for it.  Happily Br. Graham is already on hand for this marvelous occasion.

Saturday 18 – Another one whose health is not that good is Br. Henry, our hermit.  But it seems that he has been a lot better recently.

Sunday 19 – There were a good number of faithful at the Mass this morning.  Some new faces.

Monday 20 – Further troubles for Br. Stephen.  When he went out to the heifer barn this morning he discovered that a water pipe had burst on account of the cold.  The electric device that prevents the pipes from freezing up had failed.  It was quite a job to get the drinking water supply for the young stock up and running again.

Tuesday 21 – One of our very loyal retreatants arrived this evening.  Françoise comes each year for a week’s retreat.  She comes to all the offices, even, sometimes at 4 o’clock in the morning.  She comes from France and is a teacher on the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon.  To get here she flies to Halifax (1 hour and 10 mins) and comes on by train from Halifax, which takes six hours: a total of 7 hours and 10 minutes, long enough to be able to get from Montreal to France.

Wednesday 22 – The Abbot gave us encouraging news of Fr. Maurice.  He saw his specialist today and the specialist was satisfied with his progress, but wanted to see him again in a month.  So he will have to spend at least another month at Oka.  Fr. Maurice says that he feels better and stronger all the while.

Friday 24 – To stop us hesitating whether we should remain seated for a pause or stand up for the prayer after the third nocturn reading, the Abbot introduced a minimal change for Sundays and feast days.  After the third responsory, he well say the prayer himself and give the blessing like we used to have years ago, but after the antiphon of Our Lady.  Then he began to consult us about what we should do to mark Lent.  We will be coming back to that topic.

Saturday 25 – Br. Graham’s parents arrived this morning for a short visit.

Sunday 26 – The chapel was full again for Mass this morning.

Monday 27 – The Abbot, Br. Gilles and myself had to go to Moncton for different reasons.  At Sext and None there were only two monks in choir.  That’s the meaning of the precarity we have been hearing all about in the House Reports from the General Chapter, which are still being read in the refectory.  In the refectory there were only three monks for dinner.  Br. Urbain commented that in his 72 years here he had never seen that!

March 2006

Wednesday March 1^st – Ash Wednesday. Most of us had only bread and water for dinner, but the bread was freshly home-baked wholemeal bread.  Quite a pleasure really!  Br. Urbain, who is anxiously waiting to get his new hearing aid next week, recalled 72 years since he entered, five days before Fr. Adrien was born.

Since there is not much news this week, I will talk about each of us in turn.

First of all, Dom Bede, our Abbot that we dug out from his little nest in far away England.  At the age of 63 he has seen a variety of countries and served in the Order’s central administration..  He studied liturgy in Paris.  One of the Abbot’s jobs is to give a commentary on the Rule of Saint Benedict.  This he does in depth.

Br. Stephan, 47 year old Prior, that is to say the Abbot’s principal assistant, is also leader of the choir and organist and generally in charge of singing and liturgy.  He is also the manager of our dairy operation and looks after all the mechanical side of the farm.  An all-round man.

Br. Gilles, 62, the Subprior, who was once a bee-keeper that won the admiration of people locally and gave it up to do the housework in the guest house.  He does the laundry.  He also leads the gospel-sharing we have every Tuesday evening.

Br. Urbain at 88 is still a great reader and has his rosary everywhere with him.

Myself, Fr. Adrien, 72 years old on the day of writing (5 March).  I look after the garden, the orchard and the grounds.  In winter I do bits and pieces that the Abbot finds for me.

Brother Henry, 66, lives as a hermit when he can, as his health allows.  He is the sacristan.

Br. Leo is 79 and has been porter for years.  He takes good care of the guests and retreatants.

Fr. Maurice is 60 and away at the moment, convalescing after his operation on the aorta.  He looks after the accounts normally.  He and the Abbot are the most computer literate but Br. Stephan is catching up on them.

Last but not least there is Br. Graham, 40, is completing his studies in Rome, is already a deacon and will be ordained priest here in September.  He is our librarian.  He is also a capable infirmarian.

This week we also had a visit from our friend, Reno Poirier, from Grand-Anse.  Reno is an electrician and a market-gardener.

Monday 6 – During Lent we have what we call “Lenten Reading”.  On the First Sunday of Lent there is a special chapter meeting after Lauds for the distribution of the books, during which we read what Saint Benedict has to say in his Rule about the reading during Lent.  Here, currently, each monk is free to choose his own book.  Dom Bede encouraged us to read Pope Benedict XVI’s first encyclical.  The reading takes place on weekdays for about half an hour before Vespers, all of us gathering in the cloister to read.

The Abbot gave an update on two aspirants who are hoping to join us.

Tuesday 7 – The time around vigils was rather eventful.  Brother Henry was found on the floor of the chapel, in a feint, by the nuns’ chaplain when he arrived shortly before the office.  Then Br. Urbain was looking for help because his catheter had come out.  The Abbot saw to getting him off in an ambulance to have it replaced at Miramichi hospital.  The ambulance brought him back two hours later.  Br. Urbain, as he settled down to his breakfast said: “I went to the hospital and I’ve come back.”  The Abbot was back in choir in time to do the reading at the second nocturn.

For several weeks Elmer Aucoin, one of our employees, has been busy painting the interior of the guesthouse.  He has already completed most of the upper floor.  Elmer is also getting ready to harvest the maple sap from our trees.  The resulting maple syrup he shares with us.

Wednesday 8 – This evening the Abbot talked about the traditional of Stational Churches in Rome.  It was a custom established in ancient times of assigning a particular church for the official liturgy of the diocese on a certain day.  The bishop usually was present at that church.  It was a usage known in other dioceses apart from Rome.  I cannot tell you anything about it.  The Abbot who lived 5 years in Rome is enthusiastic about everything concerning Rome, so steeped in history.

A Frenchman who lives in Moncton is on retreat here with his 12 year old son.  It reminds me of the boy oblates we once had.  There is quite a crowd of people on retreat here this week.

Thursday 9 – Br. Stephen provided me with a bit of news: he crushed his thumb while working in the garage.  Pour man!  We are having to do the Offices without organ accompaniment for the moment.

While Linda is recovering from her operation to have her gall bladder removed, her aunt, Norma Desroches Doucet is replacing her as cook and doing a good job.

Friday 10 – Fr. Adrien had an appointment in Moncton.  His doctor wanted adjust his nedication.  Br. Henry went to Prince Edward Island on pilgrimage to the Blessed Virgin to see whether he could get a cure.

Sunday 12 – This morning in the homily I spoke about the very special love of parents for their children and I think I made one mother fill up with tears!

Monday 13 – Latest news on Fr. Maurice.  He is still waiting for the second round of tests the date for which has not yet been fixed for some mysterious reason.  So he cannot make any concrete plans for getting back here.  He is still at Oka and getting better all the time.

A diocesan priest has been in contact about entering here.  He seems a serious applicant.  He is not from a local diocese.

Tuesday 14 – The snow has nearly all gone and the temperature is pleasant for this time of year.

Wednesday 15 – Stimulated by a photo in the latest number of Biblia, no. 47, in which there is a photo from the first century level under the Basilica of San Clemente in Rome which shows a place of worship dedicated to the cult of Mithras, the Abbot talked about the history of San Clemente.

Our chicken operation manager invited me to accompany him and Corade Babineau, to an “open doors” exhibition of a chicken barn for the production of chickens that will lay eggs to produce chicks for rearing as meat birds, an ultra-modern set up with everything automatic and computerized.  It is situated at Lt. Leonard, Fr. Maurice’s beautiful home town. All the installations, including the cages, come from Holland.  Most likely it is from here that we will be getting our broiler chicks in the future.

Thursday 16 – To keep myself occupied when there is not much other work, I have been cleaning up a piece of land that had been prepared for a Christmas tree project.  But this proved to be a project involving a lot of maintenance work and was abandoned.  I hope to turn it into a nice little corner where we can go and rest and reflect.

Saturday 18 – We had a meeting of the business council this evening.  It was about our photocopier which is getting a bit worse for wear and has seen a lot of use in renewing our office books.  The company that maintains it has made us an offer on a replacement machine.  Is not the time to change it?

Sunday 19 – Mrs. Hood, a lady from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, left us after a week’s retreat.  She was an example to us in her faithful presence at the Divine Office, her cheerfulness and her evident devotion.

Today Br. Stephan celebrates a double anniversary: 21 years since his first profession, 23 years since he received the habit.

Monday 20 – We learned that Br. Urbain’s sister, Emma Richard, had been admitted to hospital.  She had probably had a slight stroke.

Tuesday 21 – Br. Gilles and Br. Henry went to Moncton to see doctors and do some shopping..  The Abbot, who looks after Br. Urbain, took him to Miramichi to have his hearing aid checked out.  It ceased function despite being brand new.  So Brother has to do without his hearing aid for another couple of weeks because it had to be sent back to the makers.  Without it he hears very little.  On this expedition I was the driver and we were able to go on to the hospital so that Br. Urbain could see his sister.  She is 87 and he is 88.

The same evening, after Compline, Br. Urbain had to be taken back to Miramichi by ambulance to have his catheter put back, yet again.  He was back at the monastery an hour and a quarter later.

A very rich gospel sharing this evening.

Wednesday 22 – In an email, Br. Graham described his visit to Ravenna, in Italy.  A friend of Tre Fontane, who lives there, was able to serve as his guide.  Ravenna is a city rich in art, history and architecture.  On the way back, Br. Graham stopped off for a four hour visit to Bologna.  He really enjoyed and was enriched by this visit.

The Abbot also drew our attention to the account in the latest number of Osservatore Romano of the Pope’s meeting with the diocesan clergy of Rome.  A lot of the Pope’s interventions were spontaneous replies to questions by the priests.

Thursday 23 – This morning two geese landed on our lake, despite the fact that it is still frozen and covered with snow.  A little while after I heard five rifle shots.  Poor geese, they need the intervention of Brigitte Bardot!

Friday 24 – Brother Gilles has put himself hard to work to learn how to use the computer.  He’s getting there.

Saturday 25 – This morning instead of a proper homily for the Solemnity of the Annunciation, the Abbot asked us to sit down at the beginning for an extended introduction.  He spoke as follows: “You will recall that when I was installed as Abbot, Dom Jacques (our Father Immediate, the Abbot of Mistassini) coined the phrase, ‘Living under the sign of the Annunciation’ which I took up as an inspiration for this phase of our community life..  To live under the sign of the Annunciation is to live the mystery of the meeting between God and man.  To live under the sign of the Annunciation is to live the mystery of greeting, salutation, being able to greet all men, salute all our brothers and sisters, as the Angel Gabriel saluted the Virgin Mary: The Lord is with you.  To live under the sign of the Annunciation is to be able to say to God, with Mary: Behold the servant of the Lord, let it be done to me according to they Word.  For the religious it is to live his vow of obedience and let himself be formed by the Word of God until its fulfillment is achieved and the human person becomes the dwelling-place of the Word, the Temple of God.”  A complete program!

Sunday 26 – Fr. Maurice called this afternoon.  His ultrasound scan is fixed for Tuesday, he sees the specialist for the results on Thursday and hopes to be able to return the week of April 3.

Tuesday 28 – The doctor in Rogersville, Basil Blanchard, asked me to go and see him, so that he could tell me I had no serious health problems.  Thanks be to God.

Wednesday 29 – This coming Sunday, Br. Leo will be celebrating his golden jubilee of profession.  In chapter the Abbot outlined the program.  The Mass of the 5^th Sunday of Lent would be solemn with a homily on the jubilee theme followed by the jubilarian’s renewal of vows.  There would be a festive dinner with talking.

Friday 31 – At last good news from Fr. Maurice.  His last test proved totally positive and the specialist does not want to see him till September.  He will be coming back here next Thursday, 6 April, by plane.  We cannot wait to see him!

Our two employees, Elmer and Martin, began gathering the sap from the maple trees, but after a few days it all stopped flowing.  There will be very little syrop this year, but enough to give us a taste.

I went to the station, this evening, to pick up a retreatant who failed to appear.  As I was leaving the parking lot at the station I scratched our beautiful car slightly against a metal post.  I had to go, blushing all over, and confess my fault to Br. Gilles who has the responsibility for looking after our vehicles and takes good care of them.

April 2006

Saturday 1 April – A group of school children from Scoudouc with their minders came on a visit about 11 am.  The Abbot spoke to them about our life as usual and showed them round.  He spoke to them in the chapel and they stayed for Sext and None which we have together on Saturdays at 11.40.

Sunday 2 – 5^th Sunday of Lent and golden jubilee of Br. Leo’s profession.  Everything went off as planned.  At lunch, Br. Leo entertained us with stories of his very full life.  May the Lord keep him among us for a long time yet, amen!

Monday 3 – A panel-beater got straight onto the job of repairing our car. It will be ready for Thursday.

Tuesday 4 – We are trying books recorded on CD as a solution to the problem when there aren’t enough monks in the refectory to provide a reader and people to wash the dishes afterwards.  Currently we are listening to extracts from Pope John Paul II’s addresses during his visits to France.

Thursday 6 – Fr. Maurice came back at last.  Br. Gilles went to pick him up at Moncton airport, in spite of a slippery covering of roughly 8 inches of snow that had fallen during the night.  We were very happy to see him on such good form and he is happy to be back.  We are deeply grateful to our brothers in Oka for sending him back to us so manifestly well cared for.

Friday 7 – A group of people on retreat filled the guesthouse for a weekend of reflection led by Fr. Melvin Doucet from Prince Edward Island.  Only a few of them joined in our Offices.

Sunday 9 – The Abbot presided our Palm Sunday celebration.  The Passion was read by Fr. Maurice, Brother Leo and the Abbot.

Have a good Holy Week and a happy Easter.

Monday 10 – In chapter the Abbot spoke about Holy Week and the coincidence this year of Maundy Thursday with the Jewish Passover.  This led him to examine the comparative schedules of the passion account in the synoptics and St. John.  St. John underlines the identification of Jesus with the paschal sacrifice by having him die on the cross at the hour the paschal lamb was being sacrificed in the temple.

Tuesday 11- We had no gospel sharing.  The Abbot suggested we meditate on the passion gospels instead.

Wednesday 12 – We had a singing class, one of three scheduled, only two of which saw any attendance.  Friday’s was just forgotten by all but Br. Stephan and Fr. Maurice.  Fr. Adrien became sick and was unable to attend the services of the Triduum.

Thursday 13 – Maundy Thursday.  The Mass of the Last Supper was sung with a sense of festivity.  The Abbot washed the feet of five of the community and three guests and preached a homily on the relationship between the Mass as we know it and the Passover meal that Jesus would have celebrated.  The Blessed Sacrament was transferred in solemn procession to the guest house chapel for the solemn adoration.  After Vigils next morning it was moved to the big room upstairs in the guesthouse as a place better suited for quiet private prayer.

We heard that Sister Kathleen, the prioress of our sisters across the street, was in hospital with a broken pelvis after getting separated suddenly from her bicycle in downtown Rogersville.

Good Friday 14 – The Liturgy of the Passion was simple, but eloquent and noble.  Br. Gilles did the synagoga, Fr. Maurice Christus, and the Abbot Narrator in the reading of the Passion.  Fr. Maurice preached a reflective homily.  Just before the service people from the farm were desperately looking for Br. Stephan because the milking equipment wasn’t working.  The problem was quickly solved.

The chapel was quite full for the service.

Saturday 15 – A day of preparation.  But all was in place for the Vigil by 2 pm.  The Abbot had been on his bike in the morning to order flowers for the altar.  Expensive, but a pleasing change.  We had the first part of the Easter Vigil at 7.30 pm – the new fire outside the big red door, but it was wet and windy, so only the fire was outside, the Lumen Christi procession, and the Exultet.  Then the Abbot invited everybody to spend the night in prayer and recollection and come back for the Liturgy of the Word, the Baptismal Liturgy and the Eucharist at 4 am.  And everybody went to bed.  The chapel was full for the 7.30 celebration and an impressive 15 or so local people joined our 12 guests for the 4 am part of the Vigil.  The community sang well and gave uplifting recitals on the organ.  The Abbot incensed everything in sight and we were filled with Easter joy.

We did not have Easter Lauds until 8.30 aim and we sang our alleluias with enthusiasm.  The day Mass of Easter still saw us uplifted with Paschal joy, good singing and glorious music.  The chapel was packed with people.

The cook did us an excellent dinner of which the two centrepieces were stuffed plaice and a succulent homemade cream gateau.  The French wine from the Rogersville Co-op was also worth having.

Tuesday 18 – Fr. Adrien went to see his specialist in Moncton for his nervous problems.  The specialist took him into the hospital the next day for a more closely observable adjustment of his medication.

Wednesday 19 – Br. Henry went to see the osteopath at Miramichi, Dr. Lannou, and learned that he needed both hips replacing.  No indication was given as to how soon the operations would be performed.

Thursday 20 – The animal life around us is coming back into evidence. Bears and moose have been seen and their trcks and those of raccoons are everywhere.  The lake is completely unfrozen and looking nice and fresh with a complement of ducks and geese.  The grass is still burned out yellow, though, and not much sign of buds on the trees.

Saturday 22 – In the absence of Fr. Adrien, Fr. Clovis began to think about spraying the apple trees, but a sudden unforecast frost overnight froze the spray in the machine he had left out all ready.

The Abbot went to see Fr. Adrian, while Br. Stephen picked up Roger Proulx from the airport in Moncton.  Roger has done a monastice experience at Holy Spirit, Conyers, Georgia, but he wanted to come and see us before committing himself there.

Sunday 23 – A beautiful warm St. George’s Day.  Temperature up to 20ºC.  The Abbot says in all his four years’ experience he has never seen as many signs of moose, bears and other animal activities so early in the year!

Monday 24 – The grass seemed to turn green overnight and the cows were out in the morning.  Father Maurice read in the refectory for the first time since his long sojourn in hospital.  Dom Aurèle former Abbot of Mistassini and Father Immediate of our monastery arrived in the evening for a few weeks stay, with Eric, Mistassini’s chocolate delivery van driver.  Both of them appeared at Vigils the following morning to our great edification.

Tuesday 25 – The two day old chicks were found escaping through a hole the side of chicken barn number two while the crows sat outside and picked them off five at a time.  The hole was quickly boarded up.

Wednesday 26 – Dom Aurèle brought us up to date on Mistassini and our brethren there.

Thursday 27 – The farm crew started preparing the fields.  A new season is springing into life.  The frogs were singing chirpingly in the woods.  Br. Gilles went to see Father Adrien and found him considerably better but no where near right enough to return.

Rémi Martin was back at work after having a cornea transplant in January.

Friday 28 - A large weekend retreat group took possession of the guest house.

Saturday 29 – Everybody was marveling at the beautiful weather we are having, crisp clear sunshine and a temperature of about 10ºC.

The farm team began demolishing the silos. 

Sunday 30 – Dom Aurèle went to say Mass for the nuns at Assomption.  Father Clovis had gone to Caraquet for the annual general meeting with his Eudist confreres.

The Abbot just missed getting aphoto of a bear with was sitting beside the dirt road just where it leaves the woods in the bend behind no. 2 chicken barn.  Unfortunately, just as the Abbot was getting his camera ready and the bear was not yet aware of his presence one of our neighbors drove into the bend in the opposite direction in his truck and the bear got up and lunged into the woods.

Guests had asked what the animals were down by the river below the carpenters’ shop.  So the Abbot went down and discovered evidence of vast beaver activity.  There was no construction work, just dozens of trees felled.  The river seems to be flowing a bit slowly through the tunnel under the highway, so perhaps they are building a dam in or at the other end of the tunnel.  This will need further investigation.

May 2006

Monday 1 – Rhéal DesRoches got the cables in place throughout the house so that we can network our various computers into the high speed connection we just got set up.

Tuesday 2 – Daniel Doiron, the local IT expert from Collette came and connected us all up to the high speed modem.  Roger Proulx, from Massachusetts, moved into the community for a monastic experience of a few weeks with a view to becoming a postulant.

Wednesday 3 – The apple trees were give their first treatment with insecticide/fungicide.

Thursday 4 – Since Br. Gilles was going to Moncton for his annual check up with eye specialist, the Abbot took the opportunity to go and see Fr. Adrien in the hospital and found him very much better.

Friday 5 – Village Platt smelled heavily of chicken manure and the flies were beginning to make their presence felt.  The first thunderstorm of the year burst as Fr. Adrien was being brought back from the hospital.  In chapter, the Abbot completed his explanation of the icon of the Resurrection, which he had begun on Wednesday.

Saturday 6 – Fr. Adrien was back at work in the greenhouse, ably assisted by Roger our aspirant.  Fr. Maurice received a large group from Bouctouche and talked to them about the monastery.  Br. Stephan took delivery of a 30 ft. wide rotary hoe during lunch.

Sunday 7 – Dom Aurèle said the Mass without any confusion or hesitation over the particularities of Calvary usages (which are not very great).  He gave an easy-to-follow homily on he Good Shepherd and our being sheep whether we like it or not.  But there was a hitch at the consecration because one of the cardboard discs that the sisters use to pack the hosts had been put in the paten in place of the large host, and nobody had noticed up to that point.  The Abbot received a group of catechism class kids from Dieppe and their parents and spoke to them about the monastic life and showed them around.  They were only half as numerous as they expected to be.  The annual retreat began with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament after Vespers.

Your regular chronicler could be back on the job next week.

Monday 8 – In the heart of our retreat, we had to go and collect 100 tomato plants that were on order at Mme Haché’s greenhouse.  With the help of Roger Proulx, our aspirant, I got straight down to planting them in our greenhouse.  We got everything finished for the end of afternoon work.

In the course of the afternoon, the priests of our diocese of Moncton arrived to hold their annual retreat here.  The retreat-giver was former Archbishop of Quebec, Maurice Couture, who is also a religious of the Congregation of Saint Vincent de Paul.  He gave his first conference at 7.30 pm.  He is a very lively speaker with plenty to talk about.  The monks were following his conferences as the backbone of their own annual retreat.  22 diocesan priests took part, though two were from the diocese of Yarmouth in Nova Scotia.  Obviously we could not accommodate them all, some were lodged with our sisters at Assomption, others at the presbytery in Rogersville and some at the Motel “Chez Doris”.

Tuesday 9 – The farm team stated spreading the liquid manure from the cowbarn on the fields.  Six months’ worth of manure from 60 cows amounts to a lot of **it!

Wednesday 10 – The retreat went on.  The preacher is very interesting.  The conferences last about three quarters of an hour.  Nobody seems to get tired of listening and nobody drops off to sleep.

Thursday 11 – After the morning conference, Father Maurice took the priests around the monastery.

Our aspirant, Roger Proulx, learned of the sudden death of his mother, Lucille.  That has upset all his plans.  To begin with he had to cut short his monastic experience and return to his family for the funeral.  Then, he will have to delay his return to enter the monastery.  He is determined to enter here.  During his stay he fitted in well and all the brothers were happy with him.

Friday 12 – A crane arrived to lift the domes off the two smaller silos outside the cowbarn.  Brother Stephan wants to take them down.  Even the 70 foot one is no longer usable.

Saturday 13 – The Abbot, Mother Alfreda and Dom Aurèle left for Mistassini where the Regional Meeting of Abbots and Abbesses will take place next week.  Rhéal and Irène DesRoches were driving them.

Dom Aurèle’s stay was well appreciated by the brothers here.  His singing abilities gave a bit of a lift to our Offices.  Thank you!

Sunday 14 – A young couple completed a short retreat here.  The husband is a pastor of the Christian Reformed Church in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Monday 15 – Beautiful sunny day.  So we got the lawn mowers out and the roller.  We also harvested our first asparagus.  Edward from the US dropped on us.  He had come to see whether he had a vocation to our community.  The abbot confirmed him in his current one.

Tuesday 16 – I had an appointment with my doctor in Moncton.  Rhéal drove me.

Wednesday 17 – A huge digger spent all day knocking down our two cement block silos.  It was no small job.  The second part of the afternoon was taken up with removing the debris.

Br. Stephan’s account of the event:

Yes, the silo's came down OK, the small one was a piece of cake, but the taller one was definitely a hairy experience. The drott(as expected) could not reach the top, so he had to build himself a huge mound, climb on it, and was then able to at least demolish the face of it. So we were left with this massive structure, 40 feet high, with only the back half standing. We eventually had to wrap a cable around the top, and pull down the upper 15 ft. or so. When it came down, the whole damn earth trembled. The noise of it caused a stampede in the barn, the cows took off like lightening to the other end of the barn, tripping, stumbling, rolling over each other, and then some...Their udders were completely covered with muck, Roger was NOT in a good mood during the afternoon milking!!

The driver was a nervous wreck towards the end of it. He said he never did a job like this in his life, and AINT doin any more, PERIOD !  Case-closed.

A small section of blocks did however fall the wrong way and busted a big hole in the shed roof over the mixer.

Friday 19 – Father Augustin of Mistassini brought Dom Bede back.  They arrived about 7 pm.  Fr. Augustin will be staying till Sunday afternoon.

Saturday 20 – Exceptionally, we had chapter this evening.  The Abbot wanted to start talking about the Regional Meeting.

Sunday 21 – Dom Bede presided the Mass here.  Fr. Maurice, for his part, went to supply for the chaplain at our sisters’.

Monday 22 – At dinner we began reading the Abbot General’s circular letter: Tibhirine Today.  It was written to mark the 10^th anniversary of the killing of our seven brothers of Atlas.

In chapter the Abbot gave some news and then began talking about the Regional Meeting.  First of all, he talked about the anniversary of our brothers of Tibhirine.  Dom Yvon had made an intervention on the subject at the Regional Meeting, in particular in the line of “what the Order needs now is monks not martyrs.”

Tuesday 23 – These last few weeks we have not seen the sun much and there has been a lot of rain.  Nonetheless our farm team has got a lot of the corn already planted.

Wednesday 24 – In chapter, Dom Bede showed a video of the priestly ordination of Jason, Brother Graham’s brother.  It took place in Rome.  His parents were there, and Brother Graham assisted as deacon at the ceremony presided by Cardinal Nicora at the Chiesa Nuova.

Thursday 25 – Feast of Saint Bede the Venerable, patronal feast of Father Abbot.  Introducing the Mass, Dom Bede presented the Venerable Bede as an extraordinary personality, “Bede has been called a variety of things: Venerable, Doctor of the Church, Priest, Monk, Preacher, Commentator on  Sacred Scripture, Father of English History; and his Anglo-Saxon name means “prayer””.

For the occasion Dom Bede received several e-mails and phone calls from old friends like Dom Bernard Johnson and Dom Ambrose.

Friday 26 – Father Jos Daly, missionary in the Northern Territories, is staying a few days with us.  He has come to see his last surviving uncle in hospital Miramishi.  He grew up in Barnaby River.

In chapter the Abbot gave more news items and then continued his presentation of the Regional Meeting.  He announced that Brother Graham would be back on June 30^th.  We will be happy to have him back with us for good.

Saturday 27 – Meeting of the Abbot’s Council.

Sunday 28 – I was principal celebrant at the Mass for the first time since my stay in hospital.

Monday 29 – We have our leaning tower of Pisa!  Br. Stephan tried to topple the 70 foot high by 24 foot diameter big silo with a tractor and cable.  The silo inclined a little but the cable came off.  So the Silo is still there, but at a new angle.

Tuesday 30 – Three ladies of the same family arrived for a full week’s retreat.  This is a bit unusual; we have few guests who stay more than three days.

Wednesday 31 – Brother Gilles is getting increasingly enthusiastic about the computer.  He has his e-mail and he is constantly mastering new tricks.  He is the fifth member of the community to have an e-mail address.

June 2006

Thursday June 1 – Good news.  We are expecting two postulants during the summer.

Our friend Reno Poirier was here to help us try out some under-cover gardening.  You pout down plastic and drill in the seed through it.  This is a way of stopping the weeks growing.

Friday 2 – Just as Tierce was starting, Br. Stephan and his henchmen succeeded in getting the big silo to collapse.  This was a great relief to Br. Stephan who had spent more than a week trying to figure out how to do this.

Sunday 4 – Pentecost Sunday.  The Abbot presided at the Mass and Fr. Maurice preached.

Mr & Mrs Touchie spent the day here.  Roger Neck, a former member of the community also paid us a short visit

The big silo came down at 7.50 am on June 2nd.

Monday 12 – In chapter the Abbot continued his commentary on the Rule of Saint Benedict.  He is up to chapter 7 on humility.  Since this is a very important subject he could be at it for months.

Tuesday 13 – This afternoon we had torrential downpours of rain.  It was really amazing.

Wednesday 14 – We had an ex-superior here on retreat.

In an interesting letter (email), Brothe rGraham told us about his visit to Milan.  In Italy thee are many artistic and architectural treasures for those who are attracted by these things.  Brother Graham also gave us the results of the end of the year exams.  He came out very well in every field.  The University of Wales in Lampeter will award him the degree of Bachelor of Theology, First Class.

We get a lot of people asking for prayers from all over the place.  So the Abbot decided that once every day the first intercession in the short litany which we have at Vigils, the Little Hours and Compline will be for those who have asked our prayers.

Thursday 15 – Today the students in Brother Graham’s year at the Beda College were ordained deacons at Saint Paul’s Outside the Walls, by Cardinal Arinze.  Brother Graham read the Gospel and was microphone deacon for the Cardinal.  Cardinal Arinze is a great friend of the Cistercians and, in particular, of Mount Saint Bernard, because he was instructed in the faith and baptized by Blessed Cyprian Tansi.

Friday 16 – Father Caron, a White Father from Quebec arrived for an eight-day retreat.

A neighbour who asks us to make use of her field down the road has been complaining that it is overrun with bears.  There were five there one evening eating the remains of last year’s maize.  True, this draws them.  What a disaster!!

Saturday 17 – I went to say Mass for our sisters at the other side of the railway track.  The chaplain has gone away for a week’s break.

Sunday 18 – Feast of Corpus Christi.  Father Maurice went to the sisters.  He will carry on until Father Clovis Chiasson comes back.

Monday 19 – Br. Leo, who has been our porter for years, has found a way to amuse himself.  Bit by bit he has begun to feed the birds with seed provided by his good friends.  There are all types of birds that come to eat from the feeders, even some squirrels; even a big light grey squirrel, a little animal that we have never before seen in these parts.

Tuesday 20 – The weather has been good for bringing in silage, no rain for several days.  Unfortunately the chopper has seen better days.  Br. Stephan would love to buy another but it is difficult to find the money.  There are a few other areas that suffer from lack of funds.  We could do with a million dollars falling out of the sky.  That would really set us on our feet.

Wednesday 21 – The graduation class from École Supérieure Assomption in Rogersville came for a visit.  They only live a couple of miles from here and none of them had ever set foot in the place before.

The Abbot announced the appointment of Brother Graham as Novice Master.  He will have to start as soon as he gets back on June 30^th, because on July 2^nd Gaston Babin, of Bonaventure, Quebec Province, is coming to enter.  Another, Roger Proulx, might also be arriving in July.

Friday 23 – Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, icon of the infinite love of God for humanity.

I had an appointment with my optometrist in Richibouctou.  I was the only one there and was well looked after; he is going to adjust the lens for the left eye.  In the afternoon I had a get together with my family, most of whom live around Richibouctou.  Eight of us out of thirteen are still around.

Saturday 24 – Solemnity of Saint John the Baptist.

At the Mass there was no homily, but the introduction was a bit more substantial than usual.  We did not forget to pray for our good neighbours the people of Quebec, who celebrate their national festival today.

From this evening, a traditional date, we will no longer wear the cowl (that is the big white over-garment with the copious sleeves which is the characteristic dress of the monk) for Vespers because the weather got a bit warmer.

Father Clovis Chiasson came back.

Sunday 25 – 12^th Sunday in Ordinary Time.  The period of great solemn feasts is drawing to its close.

Tuesday 27 – There is still a lot of coming and going in the guesthouse.  We seem to have more retreatants and guests than in previous years..

Wednesday 28 – In chapter the Abbot talked about the new Israel-Europe Region that has been formed in the Order.  Those who do not know our Order need to understand that the Supreme Authority in the Order is the General Chapter which meets every three years.  In addition to the General Chapter the superiors meet in regional groupings which are free associations but ultimately approved by the General Chapter.  The Regions have a consultative function in certain matters but not legislative power.  Normally a Region is formed on a geographic or linguistic basis.  The latest approved Region is that of Israel Europe, which is compose of houses of both monks and nuns from France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Alsace, Bosnia, the Czech Republic and Israel.  17 houses in all.  The Abbot thinks that its variety is its richness.  We shall see.

Friday 30 – Roger Proulx came for a weekend visit, accompanied by his brother who wanted to see the area and celebrate Canada Day with his northern neighbours.

The Abbot took Br. Urbain to Moncton, to a urologist.  Br. Gilles drove them.

In the afternoon, Br Graham returned from Rome.  His studies finished, he is back for good.  His parents brought him.  This evening we had a celebration meal with talking to mark the return of our victorious student.  We had a good exchange.

July 2006

Saturday 1 July – The weather is very humid; it is particularly noticeable in the basement where the kitchen and refectory are.  So we got the de-humidifier working.  It is quite a success.

Sunday 2 – Each day Br. Graham will be taking part in our concelebration as deacon, while continuing to be a member of the schola.

This evening Gaston Babin entered as a postulant.

The evening we were also expecting a large group of Anglican clergy who will be staying for several days.

Monday 3 – During dinner Fr. Maurice arrived with Fr. André-Jean Saint-Louis of Oka.  He came by train and the train was very late.  Dom Yvon sent Fr. André-Jean to make up somewhat for the absence of Dom Bede who is going to the monastery of Prairies to do the regular visitation there.

In chapter, Fr. André-Jean, at the Abbot’s invitation recounted his spiritual and vocational journey.  He did so frankly and simply.  Each one has his own path through life.

Thursday 6 – The Abbot left for Prairies.  Rhéal drove him early in the morning to the airport at Moncton, whence he flew to Winnipeg to be driven from there the 150 miles to our monastery of Our Lady of the Prairies at Holland in Manitoba.

Fr. André-Jean was the principal celebrant at the Mass today and tomorrow.

Br. Stephan had to hire in another digger.  He recently noticed that the emergency drain from the dairy was blocked up.  This drain does not get a lot of use, but is needed if the submersible pump that transfers the washing down water to the slurry lagoon breaks down.  This drain is 10 feet below ground.

Friday 7 – This evening Fr. André-Jean spoke to us about Oka, especially about the members of the community.

Saturday 8 – For several days there has been a large John Deere loader in the yard.  It is on trial.  Our old Ford loader is getting worse and worse; another big expenditure.

Sunday 9 – Fr. André-Jean presided the Mass and Br. Graham gave the homily.

There is a couple on retreat in the guest house.  They are both Protestant ministers.  They come to nearly all the offices and to the Mass as well.  They live in New Richmond in Quebec Province.

Br. Henry had the pleasure of visit from his sister and brother-in-law from Florida.

Monday 10 – After several days with no rain, this afternoon witnessed a huge storm, a sort of tornado with hailstones.  We had to sing part of Vespers by candlelight, it was so dark.

In chapter, Father André-Jean spoke about Oka’s transfer project.  Very interesting!

We have seen it all!  A bishop or an archbishop of the Old Roman Catholic Church is here accompanied by his secretary and chauffeur; he is going to ordain a candidate who will be coming in a day or two.  The ordination to take place in our guesthouse chapel.  The bishop lives in Hamilton, Ontario.  The candidate in Phoenix, Arizona.  The bishop is a type of metropolitan for the whole of North America.

Tuesday 11 – Feast of Saint Benedict.  Father André-Jean presided at the Mass and gave a very nice homily.

For manual work, Father André-Jean is tidying up the bushes in front of the house; a good job.  Gaston, the postulant, is mowing the lawns.

Wednesday 12 – Father Wesley Wade is here for a few days.  He really enjoyed his experience of preaching the retreat at Mistassini.

In the middle of the night, on the way back from the airport, where they had gone to pick up the remaining three of their group, the old catholic bishop and his companions hit a moose.  The moose died and the car was a write-off.  But none of the 5 occupants of the vehicle was injured.  It was four o’clock in the morning and about 7 miles from the monastery.  The locals commented that the people were lucky to be alive.

Thursday 13 – Br. Stephan went to pick up the Abbot from Moncton airport, on his return from Prairies.

Friday 14 – In chapter, the abbot gave us news of the community of Prairies.

Saturday 16 – Father André-Jean was supposed to catch the train back to Montreal at 6.20 pm, but he got a message to say that the train from Rogersville would be replaced by a bus, because of a derailment somewhere along the line between here and Rivière-du-Loup.  But he was given another option if he could get to Moncton, from where a train taking another route would leave for Montreal at 5.20 pm.  He took this option and Br. Gilles drove him to Moncton.

Father Benoît Boudreau is with us.

Sunday 16 – Br. Urbain is not so good and needs a lot of looking after.  The Abbot and Br. Graham are caring for him at the moment, Br. Gilles did it while the Abbot was away.

Monday 17 – Our oldest member, Br. Urbain, 88, was not at all well.  For the last week he has seemed very off form.  Today the extra mural nurse spent a lot of time giving him care and taking blood and urine samples.  After supper things got sharply worse and the Abbot called the extra mural nurse who advised getting him into hospital.  The ambulance was called and Br. Urbain was admitted into Miramichi hospital.  Br. Graham spent part of the night at the hospital.

Tuesday 18 – We began to enjoy the abundance of fruit and vegetables Fr. Adrien has produced in our own garden and greenhouse: raspberries, tomatoes, green peppers etc.

Wednesday 19 – Dr. Lozier from the hospital phoned to say that they had discovered a 10 cm mass in Br. Urbain’s pelvic area.  They were not yet sure exactly what it was.  An operation could be a possibility.  But Dr. Lozier did underline that he was very ill.

Thursday 20 – This morning the Abbot went to see Br. Urbain in the hospital and was able to speak with Dr. Lozier.  The doctor confirmed that Brother Urbain had a large tumour and that it was in the bladder.  The specialist had also come to the conclusion that an operation was not possible on account of his age and general condition.  At the present time, Br. Urbain has no pain and has been moved to the palliative care unit.

Friday 21 – An African deacon, a student with Br. Graham at the Beda College, who has another year of studies to complete arrived to take up a pastoral placement during the summer break with a priest in Miramichi.  He spent several days here.

Saturday 22 – This afternoon we all went to the hospital to celebrated the sacraments with our sick brother.  He received the sacraments of reconciliation, anointing of the sick, viaticum and then the Abbot lead the prayers for the dying.  Br. Urbain as still fully alert.  Two of his nephews were present and a niece arrived just as we were leaving.

Sunday 23 – Our friend Reno came to spend the night at the hospital.  Br. Urbain is sinking a little each day.  After Mass the Abbot went to spend till mid-afternoon at the hospital.

Monday 24 – Br. Urbain gave the lie to the doctor.  On Thursday he had given him only two or three days to live.  But today he is still alive.  He has been in the palliative care section of the hospital since Saturday.

Tuesday 25 – It is striking that we can see from the Mistassini chronicles that there seems to be a pattern to the weather that they have turning up here a few days afterwards.  Our area was struck with 8 power outages yesterday, without there being any major storm.  But the water-pump in our well was knocked out.

Wednesday 26 – Sean, a 23 year old from Halifax is staying in the guest house.  He is reflecting on his vocation.  He feels very attracted to the monastic life.

Thursday 27 – At 2 pm precisely, Brother Urbain Thébeau passed away very peacefully.  The Abbot was at his side, as well as a number of his nephews and nieces.  In chapter we had an exchange about our brothers life.  He was a great worker in his days on the farm, especially with the tractors.  He could not read much but he caught up after he had to retire from the farm.  Reading and saying the rosary became his main activities.  He was renowned in the area for his immense strength.  Someone said that he had fingers the size of broomsticks, which was just about right.

Friday 28 – At the beginning of None we had the reception of the body.

Saturday 29 – The funeral was celebrated at 3 pm.  The chapel was packed.  Br. Urbain had a lot of nephews and nieces and was well known in the neighborhood.

Sunday 30 – This afternoon at four o’clock we had a holy hour with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, followed by a procession to the grotto with Benediction there.  A number of people from outside took part, less than last year, but what was impressive was that they spent an hour and a half in silent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.

Monday 31 – Our oldest member has gone to Heaven, as for the rest of us here below we have to carry on struggling with our day to day problems.  We discovered that our well is blocked.  The well-digger is expected tomorrow morning.

With the death of Br. Urbain I have gone up in rank.  At 72 years of age I am the senior member of the community.  Br. Leo, however, is the oldest.  Our average age is 61.4 and our median ages is 63.

August 2006

Tuesday 1 August – The well-digger decided that there was nothing to be done about our well and offered to dig another beside it.  We had no alternative but to accept and the well was finished by three o’clock.  Rhéal still had to install the submersible pump and disinfect the system.  So we were still buying bottled water for the kitchen and for drinking.

The hay-making has started.  There was no gospel sharing this evening.  The Abbot was helping to unload the bales.

Wednesday 2 – There was a meeting of the business council at 11 am.

Friday 4 – About 6 pm the Abbot left by train for Oka and St. Benoît du Lac where he was going to take part in the blessing of the new Abbot, Dom André Laberge.

In chapter we exchanged on the topic: what do we expect of the Abbot?  This discussion had been requested by our Abbots.  It was a good discussion.

Because Fr. Clovis was absent, Fr. Maurice is saying Mass for the sisters today and tomorrow.

Saturday 5 – In chapter Br. Stephan presented his project for re-investing in the farm.

Sunday 6 – Today I went to say Mass for the sisters.  Here Br. Graham gave the homily; unfortunately I missed out on that, but one of my colleagues told me it was a good one.

Monday 7 – In chapter we had another discussion about what we expect of an abbot.

Tuesday 8 – In the course of the morning, the Abbot came back from his journey to Quebec, Br. Gilles met him off the train.

The weather has not been so good for bailing hay.  But we managed to get in all that we needed.

In Rogersville, at the Monument of the Assumption, the novena is taking place, preached by Father Wesley Wade.  He is becoming widely known as a preacher of retreats, novenas etc.

Wednesday 9 – At nine o’clock we had a discussion for the whole community on the future of our dairy farm.  There will be a vote tomorrow.

I had an appointment with my doctor in Moncton at 11 am.

Thursday 10 – At 9 am vote on Br. Stephan’s project for the farm.  It comes down to a rather substantial loan for replacing several worn out machines, building a silage pit, and buying more milk quota to increase the income from the milk.  The voting went in favour.

Friday 11 – In chapter the Abbot spoke about the abbatial blessing of Dom André at Saint Benoît du Lac and other bits of news.  He also reflected on the discussions we had had about what we expect of the abbot and wants us to reflect at greater depth on the relationship of the monks with the abbot as father of the community.  He will develop the idea at the next chapter meeting.

Saturday 12 – We learned that our chicken barn manager has pneumonia.

At the Monument in Rogersville, there was an afternoon devoted to honouring Mgr Marcel François Richard, the great builder of the Acadian Renaissance.  A plaque has been erected at the Monument marking his recognition as a historic figure of Canadian national importance.  The Abbot and the Archbishop were both present.

Monday 14 - In chapter Fr. Bede spoke about the abbot as the fathe rof his monks according to the Rule of Benedict and other texts.

Br. Stephan has not lost any time in putting his farm project into action.  A gentleman called Noel Caissie has started moving in his machines to prepare the base for the silage pit.  It is pretty rugged ground.

Tuesday 15 – Feast of the Assumption.  It is the patronal feast of our sisters of Notre Dame de l’Assomption just down the road from here.  To mark the occasion they invited us to go sing the Mass, and we had a good dinner afterwards with them.

A bulldozer is levelling the ground for the silage pit.  The farm workers are carrying gravel from Br. Urbain’s gravel pit.  Before he retired from the farm Br. Urbain became an expert in road construction!

Wednesday 16 – In chapter the Abbot came back to the theme of the abbot as father of his community.  He wondered whether this idea was capable of being accepted nowadays. We had a debate on the theme, but not a lot was said.

Thursday 17 – Again this week there are a lot of people in the guest house; at times all the rooms are taken.  One young guy set up his small tent on the grass near the Sacred Heart and Br. Anthony’s grave.

Friday 18 – While helping with the hay a couple of weeks ago, the Abbot hurt his leg with a bad cut on the shin.  He said nothing thinking that it would heal up without medical attention, but it became infected.  He spent three hours at the hospital today getting intravenous antibiotics and has to go back for more the next two days.  He also has to take oral antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs and keep the leg up.

Saturday 19 – Br. Graham’s parents are spending the weekend here.  Mrs Touchie had made us two delicious blueberry tarts.

Sunday 20 – Feast of our holy Father Saint Bernard.

Since the Abbot was not available I presided the Mass and Br. Graham gave the homily.  We are still reading Bernard de Clairvaux by Pierre Aubé in the refectory.  There is a lot of detail in that book!  And what a character this Bernard was!

Monday 21 – The Abbot had another appointment at the hospital to see the doctor about his leg.  The doctors see progress but warn that it is going to take a long time for this wound to heal.  Meanwhile the Abbot has to keep his leg up.  Dom Bede is being careful about this so as not to prolong the indisposition.

Tuesday 22 – A police thriller!  Br. Graham went off to Moncton after asking me to pick up from the post-office his boxes that he had left to be sent on from Rome.  This I did.  After I got back the porter called me to say that the police wanted to speak to me.  The workers at the post-office had found a white powder on the floor that had come from Br. Graham’s boxes.  The police had called in an expert to analyse what the substance was.  In the meantime the boxes were sealed up in the entrance porch so that nobody could touch them or come in contact with them.  The expert only arrived at 5 o’clock in the evening.  It was neither poison, drugs, nor anthrax, but simply ENO powder, an antacid for the stomach!

Wednesday 23 – Br. Stephan went to Prince Edward Island shopping for a used tractor.  But he found it a bit too used.  It had seen better days.

Thursday 24 – From the Order’s website we learned that our Abbot General had been taken ill during a meeting of his council.  He was taken to hospital where he was discovered to have had cerebral haemorrhage.  He had a successful emergency operation followed by intensive care.  Obviously, we are praying for him.

Our Abbot, Dom Bede is on the way to healing, but it could be a long process.

Friday 25 – So far the production from our garden and greenhouse has been good.  Big red tomatoes like we haven’t seen them for a long time!

Fr. Charles Gallant from Prince Edward Island is on retreat with us.

Saturday 26 – For several years now, our Archdiocese has been arranged in pastoral units, each composed of several parishes.  The unit that includes Rogersville, Collette and Acadieville and our two Cistercian Abbeys has been baptized: Saint Benedict’s Pastoral Unit.  A nice name!

Sunday 27 – Fr. Maurice was principal celebrant at our Mass and gave an introduction in English.  There was a good number of English-speakers present.  His homily in French was also noteworthy.  Br. Leo, the server, forgot both the blessing of water and the incense.

Monday 28 – Roger Proux, our second postulant, arrived.  The novice master went to Moncton airport to pick him up.  He is a 53 year old American from Fall River, MA.

A team of construction workers began positioning the reinforcement rods for the new concrete silage bunker.

In chapter we had a discussion about our last Visitation report in preparation for the next visitation.  Dom Bede began to concelebrate again.

Tuesday 29 – I went to celebrate Mass for the sisters, our Trappistines across the street and the railway.

At supper we had fresh lobster, that means caught, cooked and eaten today.  Some people have no taste for this famous shellfish, but others rave about it.  Eating a lobster is a bit of a performance.

Bishop J. Vernon Fougère of Charlottetown stopped off here for the night and was greeted by Dom Bede.

Wednesday 30 – In chapter the Abbot took up his commentary on the Rule again.  He is still on the first degree of humility and is examining the notion of “memoria Dei” the mindfulness of God which all monks ought to have.

Br. Gilles went to visit his ageing mother in Montreal.  Br. Graham drove him to the airport at Moncton.

September 2006

Friday September 1 – Br. Gilles came back.  I went to pick him up at Moncton Airport.

Brother Graham left for Spencer, our monastery in MA, for his retreat prior to ordination on the 14^th of the month.  Spencer is one of the largest communities of our Order, with about 70 monks.

Saturday 2 – Father Owen Connolly is here for several days retreat.  He is from Halifax.

Sunday 3 – The Abbot is taking his week as principal celebrant at the Mass, a sign that he is gradually feeling better.  The gospel spoke of the Pharisees who imposed terrible burdens on the people and whom Jesus called hypocrites.  Our Father Abbot has just the opposite approach; he imposes nothing unnecessary and almost never reproves anybody.

Monday 4 – On our Order’s website we read: “Dom Bernardo (our Abbot General) is still finding his proper balance between work and rest.  He feels so weak and lacking in energy that all he can do is say Mass, take a walk in the garden and read a few letters.”  We take this as meaning that his illness is more serious that first thought and that his recovery will take quite some time.

In chapter the Abbot continued his reflections on the remembrance of God, working through the places where it is treated in Sacred Scripture.

Tuesday 5 – After a painful night, Brother Gilles discovered he had shingles.  This Dr. Blanchard of the Rogersville clinic confirmed and said it was, in fact, a bad case.  He prescribed medication to make the illness at least bearable.

Fr. Maurice had an appointment with his doctor in Moncton.  He and Gaston, one of our postulants, have a full program of appointments with a chiropractor in Bouctouche.

Wednesday 6 – Yesterday the workmen finished laying the metal reinforcement for the concrete floor of the silage pit, and today they poured the concrete: 200 rods in 6 hours.  They are on top of the job.

We had the first of three chapter talks from the Abbot on the rite of ordination of a priest.

Gaston went to Rimouski to pick up his strimmer.

Thursday 7 – The team of workmen came back to prepare the metal reinforcement for the walls of the silage “bunker”.  Br. Stephan relates to this terminology because he is German on his mother’s side.

A 9 o’clock we were all called to help collate the booklets for the ordination which the Abbot had prepared.

Friday 8 – Dom Timothy, the Procurator General of our Order, should have been coming to Br. Graham’s ordination, since he knows him well, but he cannot leave Rome at the moment on account of the Abbot General’s state of health.  Dom Timothy was also coming to preach their annual retreat to our sisters at Assomption.

There was no Chapter this evening, because the Abbot wanted to wait for Br. Graham to return from his retreat before continuing his in-depth commentary on the rite of ordination.

Saturday 9 – An ordination to the priesthood is a big event for us!  We have not had one since the ordination of Father Roger Neck in 1985 and he did not stay here.  The one before was Father Maurice Guimond in 1977.  It is going to be quite some party!

Brother Graham came back from his retreat at Spencer.  I went to pick him up at Moncton airport.

In chapter the Abbot gave his commentary on the rite of ordination.

Sunday 10 – This evening, not normal on Sundays, we had a chapter so that the Abbot could conclude his treatment of the rite of ordination.

Monday 11 – Our garden started the season badly, but ultimately we had so many vegetables that our cooks Melva and Linda were tearing their hair out.  At the moment the only things we can leave in the garden for a few more weeks are the carrots and a few turnips.

Tuesday 12 – The Abbot and Brother Stephan went to pick up Dom Giacomo Brière, Abbot of Tre Fontane, and Father Rufus of Mount Saint Bernard in England.  Father Rufus is an accomplished organist and has come to make his contribution to the celebration of the ordination.

The construction team poured the concrete for the walls of the silage bunker.

Dom Giacomo spoke in chapter and answered our questions about his community and life in Rome.

Wednesday 13 – In the afternoon, our Father Immediate, Dom Jacques Pinault, Abbot of Notre-Dame de Mistassini, arrived.

We had a supper of discussion and exchange with our guests.

Thursday 14 – Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

A day of great joy for our community: the ordination to the priesthood of our Father Graham Touchie by our Archbishop, André Richard, in the church of Saint François de Sales in Rogersville. Everything went off very well, under the capable and calm direction of the master of ceremonies, Dom Bede, in the presence of Father Graham’s parents, Boyd and Jeannette and all the Touchie family.  Our two Cistercian families were also there in full, nearly all the priests of the diocese of Moncton and several from the diocese of Saint John.  Fr. Graham’s Oratorian brother, Jason, from Rome also took part.

The ordination was followed by lunch at the village hall in Collette, a superb meal catered and served by the motel Chez Doris.

Friday 15 – Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows or Our Lady of Calvary.

Father Graham was the principal celebrant at his first solemn Mass.  He did it like a priest long ordained, with composure.  Dom Bede gave an excellent homily: after meditating a moment on the theme of the day, he went on to review the sorrows and joys of our community life during the last twelve months, but in a very positive light.

In the evening chapter, Dom Jacques, our Father Immediate, opened the regular visitation.

Saturday 16 – This morning, Dom Giacomo took his plane back to Rome.  Father Graham drove him to the airport in Moncton.  We enjoyed his visit.

The Father Immediate spent this day and the next seeing the members of the community in private interview.

Sunday 17 – Father Graham will be principal celebrant at our community Mass all week.

Monday 18 – In chapter, Dom Jacques read us the new Visitation Report, making a few comments and asking for our reactions.  We will have matter to meditate on and to put into practice for a while to come.

Tuesday 19 – Fr. Graham went to say Mass for our sisters at Assomption.  Here, Father Rufus presided our concelebrated Mass.

Wednesday 20 – The Abbot and Br. Stephan went to give a tour of a different part of New Brunswick, the region around Grand Falls and the Saint John valley.  At certain times of the year this is perhaps the most scenic part of the Province, with its huge potato fields and its sweeping mountains and valleys.

Our Father Immediate left us after having concluded a very good canonical visitation.

Br. Henry celebrated his 67^th birthday.  He is the third in order of age in the community.

Thursday 21 – The farm renewal project is nearing completion.  The extra milk quota cost us $174,000, the silage bunker $100,000 etc.  We have a new tractor-loader and a used tractor, new to us, and several machines, among them a mobile mixer.  The farm workers are delighted with these improvements.  They had begun to wonder whether we were heading for closure and the loss of their jobs.

Friday 22 – After None, we made our annual visit to the cemetery to pray for our brothers buried there.  It is also an opportunity to meditate on death.  This year we recalled especially Br. Urbain, whose grave still looks fresh and who last year was there with us.

Saturday 23 – Br. Gilles went to accident and emergency at the hospital to get more of his painkillers.  His shingles are unbearable without them.

Sunday 24 – Marina Glazov, the wife of Youri Glazov, came to visit his grave in the Sacred Heart garden.

Monday 25 – Two Anglican priests, Father Lee Whitney and Father Ron McBrien are with us on retreat.  They have been coming regularly for a long time.

The novitiate began picking the first apples.  There are not very many and they are not very good quality.

Tuesday 26 – A bulldozer ramped up the access to the bunker, while a truck brought the gravel from our own gravel pit.  There was a complication in the job in that the road leading down to the heifer barn had to be re-routed a bit.

Wednesday 27 – Latest news about our Abbot General.  He saw his specialist who put him through a series of tests and found him completely healed.  He can get back to work in so far as he feels he has the energy.  Thanks be to God.

Thursday 28 – Fr. Maurice had an appointment with his doctor in Moncton.  He took the opportunity to do a bit of shopping.

Friday 29 – Chapter discussion.  In the recent past people asked us to say Masses for their intentions and we got more requests than we could cope with.  But, latterly, there are less and less requests.  One priest would be enough to say them all and we have four priests.  We wonder what to make of this.  The practice of Mass stipends is accepted by the Church and legislated for in Canon Law.  We remain open to receiving Mass offerings and will be happy to say the Masses asked of us.  The offering indicated for a Mass in our diocese is $10.

In the refectory we came to the end of the Rule of Saint Benedict, which we read in little bits at the end of the midday meal.  We began reading our Constitutions again in the same way.  As the main book we have started the life of St. Jerome by Anne Bernet.

Saturday 30 – This morning, with the members of the novitiate, we finished the apple picking, particularly the Cortlands.  There are more of these and they are in better condition.

This evening we had a short singing class.  At the end the Abbot told us a weird piece of news.  The Abbot General of the Cistercians, Dom Mauro, fell and broke his shoulder while trying to catch a bus.  With no bike and no ice, was Dom Bede’s comment!  In the past, Dom Bede worked with Dom Mauro on the Liturgical Commission of the two Orders.

October 2006

Sunday October 1 – St. James is decidedly hard on the rich.  Happily we do not consider we fit into the rich bracket.  At least, that’s what we think, anyway.

The last three days were the moose hunting season.  Several of our employees went hunting and actually bagged a moose.

Monday 2 – We learned that our former chicken barn manager, Jacques Martin, had had a heart attack and was in hospital in Miramichi, in intensive care.  He is still young man, with a son.  He was transferred the special cardiology unit at Saint John, where they discovered an infection of the pericardium, which will take a month to heal.

It rained all day, and the farm team was unable to start the corn harvest as planned.

Tuesday 3 – We began making the apple juice, Elmer, Gaston, Fr. Clovis and me.

Wednesday 4 – Another hard day’s work making apple juice.  Elmer was doing something else but we had Fr. Graham and Roger and a guest.  So we got this chore behind us for another year.  We have quite a good supply of juice.

Thursday 5 – The farm team has started to use the new machines and the new silage bunker for the corn harvest.  It was off to a bit of a slow start with several adjustments having to be made, but it will be more efficient and save a lot of time.

Brother Stephan’s 48^th birthday.  We also remembered Fr. Adelard who died 5 years ago today.

Friday 6 – The Abbot decided that we would have some discussions on the points raised in the visitation report.  This evening we talked about possible improvements to the liturgy.  Only a few insignificant details emerged.

Saturday 7 – The guest house has been fairly full this weekend.  For they most part people who have been coming for many years, like Robert Pichette and Fr. Graham’s parents.

Sunday 8 – Fr. Maurice was the principal celebrant at the Mass and gave us a very fine homily on marriage.

Fr. Graham celebrated his 41^st birthday.  We had the second of two marvelous birthday cakes made by our cook this week.  But Fr. Graham joined his parents in the guest house for dinner.

Monday 9 – The Abbot announced yesterday evening that Gaston Babin was leaving after several months as a postulant.  He is a man of lively faith and a competent worker; we were counting on him for the future.  May God bless him in his new direction.

This evening the Abbot took the train to Oka, our monastery near Montreal, to take part in a meeting of Abbots and Abbesses for a few days.  He had something else to do at the weekend and was due to return to Oka for the whole of next week to take part in a study-session on John Cassian.

Tuesday 10 – This morning and tomorrow morning Fr. Graham said Mass for our sisters at Assomption, because Fr. Clovis, the chaplain, is away seeing his brother who is dying.

Wednesday 11 – At the request of the Abbot, Father Graham gave us a conference, this evening, on the Prologue of the Rule of Saint Benedict.  He had already given this to the postulants.

Thursday 12 – Br. Henry was admitted to Miramichi hospital for an operation on his right hip.  They are going to replace his right hip; the left one will be done later.

Friday 13 – Father Graham gave us another conference on the Saint Benedict’s Prologue.

Brother Gilles is still having a lot of pain from his shingles.  This has been going on now for five weeks.  Poor man!  Since he cannot come to the night office, with the Abbot being away, there are only five of us there.  But we manage quite well, nonetheless.

Sunday 15 – The guesthouse is quite full.

Monday 16 – Our retreatants often express their appreciation for the wonderful hospital they receive from Brother Leo.  They seem particularly grateful for the guidance he gives them in finding their way around our choir books.  Brother Leo is certainly diligently and patiently attentive to that, motivated, presumably, by his zeal for the Divine Office, as recommended by the Rule of Saint Benedict.

Brother Graham spoke again on the Prologue of the Rule, particularly about the “fear of God”, a term we often find used in the Bible.

Tuesday 17 – Early this morning, Father Maurice left by car, with Rhéal and Irène Desroches, for Montreal and Oka.  He has an appointment with the specialist who operated on his aorta in January.  They will come back on Saturday, bringing our Abbot, Dom Bede Stockill.

Br. Henry was operated on today for a replacement of his right hip.  Everything went well.  He had a moment of low blood-pressure but it returned to normal.

Wednesday 18 – Despite our tiny number, because of those who are away, we celebrate the offices without too many hitches.

Father Graham and Roger were able to go and see Brother Henry this morning.  He passed out while talking to them but the nurses revived him.

Thursday 19 – Brother Stephen went to see Brother Henry.  He found him on well on the road to recovery.  He could be back in 5 to 10 days, but will need some medical assistance.  He will not be able to return to his hermitage just yet.

Friday 20 – Father Graham had to pontificate on his own this morning; I had to go an say Mass for our sisters at Assomption.

Saturday 21 – A group of boys and girls arrived for a few days retreat.  There is a priest with them.  They are from Halifax where they attend the university.

The Abbot and Father Maurice came back.  They were here for supper.

This morning, Father Clovis Chiasson, the Eudist chaplain to the nuns at Assomption, lost his brother Rhéal, after a long illness.  May the Lord receive him into glory.

Sunday 22 – Scarcely back in the house, the Abbot presided our Mass and gave a homily in both languages.  The chapel was full.

Exceptionally, for a Sunday, there was a chapter this evening.  The Abbot has a lot to talk about after two weeks away.

Monday 23 – Patrick Gallant, husband of our guesthouse cleaner Lea, is working with his bulldozer to direct the rainwater into the river.  It was running into the barn.

We have several big leaf-bearing trees which produce a huge quantity of leaves.  You cannot just leave them all where they fall.  You have to pick them up and take them somewhere else. A good fall job for an old guy like me.

Tuesday 24 – Our friends the beavers, with no ill will on their part, they don’t know what they are doing, have been causing us problems.  They closed off the 4 ft. diameter pipe that lets us cross the little creek dry-shod to get to the woods or to Br. Henry’s hermitage.  Rémi Martin said he would fix it.  He did so successfully.  But the beavers got to work again.

Wednesday 25 – Br. Henry came back this afternoon.  Thanks to the elevator, he can manage to do everything for himself, using a walker.

Thursday 26 – Fr. Maurice had an appointment with his doctor in Moncton.

Friday 27 – This morning, the Abbot celebrated the opening Mass for the canonical visitation of our nuns at Assomption.  He does the three kms back and forth on his bike.

Sunday 29 – 30^th Sunday of Ordinary Time.  Bartimaeus, the blind beggar in the gospel had a few things to teach us: he had a lot of confidence and faith in Jesus.  His prayer is unwavering and insistent despite objections etc.

Monday 30 - In chapter the Abbot shared with us the points that had most impressed him from the conferences on John Cassian that Dom Guillaume, Abbot of Mont-des-Cats, in France had given at Oka.

Tuesday 31 – Fr. Graham drove Br. Henry to a nursing home run by the sisters of Notre-Dame du Sacré Cœur in Moncton.  Br. Henry’s cousin, Sr. Rita, is a member of the community there.  Br. Henry hopes that this will facilitate his recovery.  He will be there for a month.  The home was built so that the sisters could look after their aging parents.

November 2006

Wednesday 1 November – Feast of All Saints and the 104^th birthday of the community of Our Lady of Calvary.  I went to the hospital in Miramichi to have an x-ray done on my left foot.

Thursday 2 – The farmers are having difficulty in bringing in the corn grain harvest.  In addition to the rain which falls almost every day, the chopper for this type of grain has proved a bit difficult to get adjusted.  But I think they have got it right now.

Friday 3 – The corn grain harvest really got underway this morning and everything worked well all day.

Br. Gilles had an appointment in Moncton.  He was able to go see Br. Henry who had had a bit of a temperature during the morning, but it had gone down again.

In chapter we discussed which abbot we wanted for the next regular visitation in two years time.  Dom Jacques of Mistassini, our Father Immediate, wants to delegate another abbot and asked our opinion.  We also discussed the place of the crucifix in our chapel.  There were about as many opinions as monks.

Saturday 4 – This morning we had the first ice on the lake.  Has it come to stay?

Sunday 5 – Four Salesian sisters, from the tiny parish of Lagacéville in the diocese of Bathurst, are here for a day of recollection.

The ice has gotten thicker on the lake.  We have not seen any snow yet this fall, but a possibility is forecast for tonight.

Monday 6 – We had our first snow, but not very much, just enough to cover the fields in white and dress the trees in the woods.  It disappeared as quickly as it came.

Tuesday 7 - The Abbot and Brother Gilles went to see Br. Henry in Moncton, at the residence of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.  They found him on good form and being well looked after.  Sr. Lucia, who is in charge of his care is very firm with him about doing his exercises, so that he is making rapid progress.

Wednesday 8 – After discussion and trying out a few ways of incorporating the crucifix into our sanctuary arrangement, the Abbot decided to keep thins as they are, and that went for the arrangement of the stalls as well.

Thursday 9 – The Abbot, Fr. Maurice and I went to the clinic for a flu vaccine, as well as one against pneumonia.

Friday 10 – Fr. Clovis Chiasson, the chaplain at Assomption, went to Yarmouth N.S. to help with a Cursillo type of retreat.  He will be back on Wednesday: meantime we have to stand in for him.  According to the system which sees a priest preside the eucharist at Calvaire one week, minister as deacon the next, and be available for the Trappistines the next, the Abbot replaced him today and tomorrow, and I will do it the necessary days next week.

Saturday 11 – Doctors seem to be drawn to our monastery.  Currently we have in the guest house one doctor’s husband and a doctor-psychiatrist.  In addition a lady who is making a retreat with our sisters at Assumption came to visit us and she is a doctor in natural medicine.  We have other doctors who come for a few days every now and again.

Sunday 13 – Father Graham was our principal celebrant.  He was able to preach the Word of God in the presence of his parents who have been here since Friday.

Monday 13 – I learned yesterday that my sister Léocadie had suffered a stroke and was in the Georges Dumont Hospital in Moncton.  It does not appear to be too serious and she should pull through.

This morning I had the joy of celebrating the Mass at Assomption for the two jubilarians, Sr. Jean Marie and Sr. Anne Marie.  It was their golden jubilee of profession.

Tuesday 14 – The Abbot went to Moncton to visit two people in care and rehabilitation, Sr. Émmanuelle of our sisters at Assomption and Br. Henry convalescing with the Sisters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Dieppe.  Father Graham was the driver.  I took advantage of the trip to go visit my sister.  She seemed on pretty good form.  Br. Henry is really getting on very well after his hip-replacement operation.

Two inspectors, one from the Chicken Farmers of New Brunswick and another from the government department of agriculture came by.  The aim was to see that our farm was taking precautions against the much-feared bird flu.  They were not satisfied with our situation.  There were two many wild birds around our farm, especially pigeons.  These birds represent a threat of infection.  The monks were asked to stop putting out food for the birds.

Wednesday 15 – The Abbot asked us to fill in forms with the telephone numbers and addresses of our next of kin in case of accident or demise.

We are going to try making some pottery.  A little experiment, but you never know how it will develop.

Thursday 16 – It rains virtually every day.  The corn harvest is still unfinished.

The last vegetable to be produced in the garden is the pumpkin.  We have a dozen.  We have never had so much pumpkin pie.

Friday 17 – The beavers have dammed the big pipe under the road below the heifer barn again.  They are a bit stubborn, these beavers!

Fr. Graham received the certificate of his degree from the University of Wales in Lampeter.  He was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Theology with First Class Honours.  Bravo!!

Saturday 18 – At last a nice sunny day!  But the fields are way too wet to get the machinery on them.

Monday 20 – Before continuing with his commentary on the Rule, the Abbot delivered several messages.  The first one was a letter form our Father Immediate about the choice of a delegated Abbot Visitor for the next canonical visitation in 2008.  We will discuss this on Wednesday evening.  Then he read us a ltter sent to all comtemplatives, monks and nuns, by Cardinal Bertone, asking our prayers in connection with his recent appointment as Secretary of State by the Pope.  He feels he needs to be supported in his heavy responsibilities.

Tuesday 21 – This morning the Abbot and I had appointments in Miramichi, the Abbot for his leg which is still not completely healed and me for my foot.

Wednesday 22 – The Abbot renewed his Council.  He re-appointed Br Stephen as prior, and Br. Gilles as subprior and the community voted for the third member.  Father Maurice was re-elected, which means that the Council is the same as before for the next three years.

The Father Immediate, Dom Jacques of Mistassini asked us to provided him with a bank of names of Abbots who might do our Visitation.  Our first suggestion fell down because the Abbot concerned was unable to accept.  We suggested several names.  Let us hope that at least one will accept.

Friday 24 – In chapter the Abbot announced a new distribution of the various elements of the Night Office.  The aim was to take some of the load off Br. Gilles who is hoping to come back to Vigils, although he still feels not quite back to his full vigour.

Saturday 25 – This afternoon the Abbot and Br. Gilles went to see Brother Henry.  They found him well on the way to complete recovery.  He will be coming back to the monastery on November 30^th.

Leo Proulx, Roger’s brother, came to deliver a pottery kiln.

Sunday 26 – Feast of Christ the King.

As on all solemnities, the Abbot presided the Mass, and gave a very nice, multi-lingual homily.

Monday 27 – As a preparation for Advent, we are reading in the refectory an article from the October-December number of Nouvelle Revue Théologique : « La Mère de l’Emmanuel » by J. Radermaker S.J.

This morning Br. Stephan withdrew to the hermitage for his annual retreat, until Friday.  When we had our community retreat it was right in the busy planting season on the farm.  We keep him in our prayers.

In chapter, the Abbot began by reading to us the Pope’s message at the Angelus of the 19^th November 2006.  The Pope spoke great words of encouragement for those who lead the cloistered life.  His text is well worth reading and is to be found on our webite.  Follow the link: http://www.calvaryabbey.com/id95.html

Tuesday 28 – Dom Timothy, Procurator General of our Order, who is preaching the retreat for our sisters at Assomption came and spent the evening with us.  He came for vespers, then we exchanged with him during supper.  He was very interesting.

The machines were able to get onto the fields and cut the rest of the corn harvest.

Wednesday 29 – We had with us for several days, Fr. Emery Brien, a Holy Cross Father of the Moncton district.  He is the pastor of the only French-speaking parish in Fredericton, which ministers to all the French-speaking Catholics of the capital: more than 800 families.  The parish is dedicated to “Sainte Anne des Pays Bas.”

Thursday 30 – Br. Henry had another operation.  This afternoon the Abbot went with Br. Gilles to the hospital but was able to see neither Br. Henry nor the doctor.

December 2006

Friday 1  – This afternoon the Abbot went back to the hospital, with me, to see Br. Henry.  With the new operation the period of re-habilitation will have to be done over again.  The doctor is not yet certain, either, that he has been able to get all the infection out of the prosthesis.

Saturday 2 – Two groups were resident in the guesthouse at the same time.  The first had been organized by people from the Acadian Peninsula and was directed by Melvin Doucet M.A. of Prince Edward Island.  This priest has an ever increasing following.  Besides the people from the peninsula, a good number of people from the neighborhood attended the conferences.

The second, smaller, group was led by Kenneth LeBlanc, a Legionary of Christ and native of Rogersville.  We are happy that so much good is being achieved by means of our guesthouse.

Sunday 3 – The sun came out this morning to mark the beginning of the new liturgical year.  Our concelebrated Mass began with the sun streaming through the windows.  This helped us revive our desire and expectancy, as the preacher exhorted us to do.

Tuesday 5 – Br. Henry has had no fever since his second operation.  He is being treated with intravenous antibiotics.  This treatment will have to continue for at least six weeks.  Otherwise, he seems to be getting better quite satisfactorily.

Wednesday 6 – During the Advent and Christmas season the Abbot is going to talk to us about the liturgy of these beautiful seasons at the Wednesday chapters.  Liturgy is his specialty.

Thursday 7 – For the last few Thursdays we have been watching on video a performance of Handel’s Messiah.  It is absolutely wonderful!

Friday 8 – Solemnity of Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception.  We made a great festival out of it without making it a holiday.  In the old days this used to be our day of Thanksgiving, with a special focus on our jubilarians.

This morning our roads were all icy.  There is the danger of falling and breaking something.

Saturday 9 - It is really like winter.  Minus 13ºC.

Sunday 10 – Fr. Graham was the principal celebrant and took his turn at giving the homily in the two languages.  There are always a few people at our Mass who know only English.  Besides, five out of the nine brothers have English as their mother tongue.  However, all can get by in both languages, at least for day to day matters.

Tuesday 12 – In our area, even in the whole province, it is cold time, and flu and other virus time.  Visiting has been restricted in the hospitals on account of an outbreak of the Norwalk virus.  Here, I was the first to catch a cold that took away my voice, two or three weeks ago.  Then our postulant, Br. Roger Proulx caught it.  And now, Fr. Graham is in bed with a gastro-intestinal virus.  A gentleman I met in Ricibouctou, put all these illnesses down to the lack of cold weather.  Sure thing, everybody agrees that we have had an exceptionally mild fall.

Wednesday 13 – An aspirant, Daniel Boudreau, is staying with us for the week; he is making a really serious retreat.

Thursday 14 – Br. Gilles brought Br. Henry back from the hospital in Miramichi.  He looks well.

Friday 15 – Br. Gilles took Br. Henry back to the recovery home run by the sisters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, who received him with open arms, very happy to have him back again.

In chapter the Abbot started reading with us and commenting a bit an article from the latest number of Collectanea Cisterciensia (Tome 68, 2006, number 4) L’Accès au Christ selon la Règle de Saint Benoît, by Sr. Aquinata Böckmann O.S.B which he found stimulating and hopes will stimulate us.

Rémi Martin took advantage of the especially mild weather to unblock the big pipe that he beavers had blocked again.  The beavers themselves seem to have disappeared from the scene.

Sunday 17 – 3^rd Sunday of Advent, called Gaudete or “rejoicing” Sunday.

At dinner we listened to a CD loaned by our parish priest, Fr. Savio Mazzarolle.  It is a French version of the Akathistos Hymn to the Mother of God from the Byzantine rite.  It was very good in that you can hear the words very clearly.

Monday 18 – In chapter the Abbot continued his reading and commenting on Sister Aquinata Böckmann’s article: L’accès au Christ dans la Règle de Saint Benoit.  She thinks Saint Benedict’s community at Monte Cassino must have been a pretty rough one.

Tuesday 19 – The temperature has dropped a bit, but the forecasters promise us a Christmas without snow.

Wednesday 20 – Several people were absent today: the Abbot and Father Maurice had medical appointments around 11 am in Miramichi and Brother Gilles had one in Moncton and had some errands, as well as going to visit Brother Henry.  There were not many of us at Sext and None.

An e-mail from Dom Jacques of Mistassini, our Father Immediate, informed us that the Abbot of La Melleray, in France, has accepted to come and do our canonical visitation due in summer 2008.  We are happy because some of us here already know him well.

Friday 22 – Our Chrysler car has an unusual problem.  The windows don’t want to de-mist.  Br. Gilles went to see the dealers.  It is a defect with the “Recirculate Door Motor.”  When we get the part from BC all will be well.

This afternoon the Abbot went to see Br. Henry with Jean Bourque.

Saturday – 23 – This evening we had a singing practice to prepare for the Christmas Masses, as we should have.

Sunday 24 – This afternoon we had the first Vespers of Christmas a half-hour earlier than our normal Vespers time.  Our sisters from Assomption will be coming to join us for supper and for the Mass of Christmas Night at 7 pm.  Happy Christmas!

Monday – 25 – Christmas.  At the night Mass which we had Christmas Eve at 7 pm, the public part of the chapel was full.  At the Day Mass there were not quite as many, but the chapel was still fairly full.  At the end of this Mass Br. Stephan played a lovely piece on the organ and won himself a round of applause.

Tuesday 26 – The snow turned up.  Quite a nice covering fell.

Wednesday 27 – My family came to dinner.  There were twelve of us.

Father Clovis came back from spending time with his family.  He went to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of his ordination.  He should be good for a few more anniversaries yet!

Thursday 28 – This evening we had the annual Christmas dinner with our employees.  The meal was prepared and catered by the personnel of the local restaurant, “Chez Doris”.  The whole community joined our guests in the visitors’ dining room.

Friday 29 – The temperature fell to minus 15º Celsius.  This afternoon the Abbot went to see Br. Henry again.  He found him on good form.  He is expecting to return to the monastery on January 11^th.

Sunday 31 – After we had celebrated a very nice Mass for the Holy Family and had time to recover, we took up the invitation of our sisters at Assomption to have dinner with them at their place.  A great dinner it was too.

May the Lord grant you all a happy and holy New Year!