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Archived Chronicles 2009

January 2009
Thursday 1 January – A happy New Year to all our friends.  May the Lord bless you and keep you!The Abbot presided the Mass and Fr. Innocent gave the homily in English.
Friday 2 – Guests disappeared after Christmas, but have started coming back now: Fr. Zoël Saulnier of Tracadie came and made us a gift of his new book, “Conversatons.”  He came with Rodney Paulin who is a frequent visitor.
Saturday 3 – Br. Stephan did not manage to get the new barn completed for Christmas.  But they have begun the final clearing up to get ready to put the animals in.  Our friend, Sean Tobin of Moncton has been with us all the week.  He is one of our associate oblates and quite monk-like.
Sunday 4 – Feast of the Epiphany.  Our Cistercian sisters of Assomption invited us to lunch.  We celebrated the Office of Midday Prayer with them beforehand, and had an excellent dinner.The Abbot presided our Mass.  Father Maurice gave the homily and suffered one of his attacks of dizziness after the Mass, so that he was unable to join us at the sisters’.
Monday 5 – Father Savio Mazarolle is with us for a few days.  He is a priest who is still young and was the pastor in the Rogersville pastoral unit for several years. This evening we watched a video about Archbishop Donat Chiasson.  The video belonged to Father Savio and was produced by some of his parishioners.  The people of the diocese and ourselves have profound memories of Archbishop Chiasson. Mark Côté who had been here for a prolonged observership left us.
Wednesday 7 – This evening we had our monthly open discussion.
Thursday 8 – We heard of the death of Father Paolino Beltrame Quattrochi, son of the first married couple to be beatified, Luigi and Maria Beltrame Quattrochi.  He was a monk and priest of our monastery of Frattochie near Rome.  He was 99 years old. The Abbot celebrated his 66th birthday today.
Friday 9 – The animals were transferred to our new barn.  Br. Stephen and the farm team trucked the heifers over from the old barn this morning.  They look like they are in a palace compared with the old one.  Everybody who sees it is full of admiration for such a magnificent barn. Flu or a cold has taken root in the house.  Several members of the community and some guests have had this viral infection. The Abbot shared with us extracts from the Pope’s homilies and speeches during the Christmas season.
Sunday 11 – Feast of the Lord’s Baptism and last day of the Christmas season.  Father Innocent was the principal celebrant at our concelebrated Mass.  He preached in English.  To sum it up: By his baptism, Jesus undertook to serve the whole of humanity, to become a servant suffering for others.  He calls us, today, to serve him as parents, or teaching others his ways, to care for others and serve each other with love and in community.
Wednesday 14 - The day began more or less mild, but then the temperature began to fall rapidly in the afternoon.This evening we started watching a DVD, “The World according to Monsanto.”  This is a very powerful American company that markets products which compromise environment and health, products like the widely used herbicide Round Up.  The Abbot linked it in with our policy in recent years which has been to grow maize and grass without the use of chemical weed-control.  We have machines that hoe out the weeds at the different stages of growth.
Thursday 15 – I had an appointment with and eye specialist.  I have been using drops for a while to treat glaucoma.  Some time in the future I will need an operation for cataracts.  Just growing old.  I have a few other complaints as well.
Friday 16 – It was extremely cold during the night – minus 33ºC.  For our region this is about the lowest it ever gets.  It was forecast to last till Monday.  It is a good test for the water system in the new barn.
Saturday 17 – The intense cold continued as promised.  Records have been broken that go back to the end of the nineteenth century.  The town of Edmundston is the worst hit.  Br. Stephan got a tractor stuck near the hermitage.
Sunday 18 – This afternoon, the thermometer rose from minus 30ºC to minus 15ºC.  Plus a big snowstorm is said to be on the way and should move the cold front away.  The humeral veil fell off Fr. Graham during Benediction.
Monday 19 – As the weather forecast  had predicted, a snowstorm arrived and chased off the wave of extreme cold.  The temperature even went up to minus three.
Tuesday 20 – We kept the memoria of Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi.  This priest was a native of Nigeria in Africa, where our Father Innocent comes from.  Blessed Cyprian became a Cistercian at Mount Saint Bernard Abbey in England, our Abbot, Dom Bede Stockill’s original monastery.Br. Stephan took a few days of retreat in the hermitage by the lake.
Wednesday 21 – In Chapter talked about Barak Obama’s inauguration address as President of the United States and  comments on the occasion by the Pope.  He also talked about what the Pope had had to say about the week of prayer for Christian Unity.
Thursday 22 – In the refectory we are reading the recently published, two-volume work: “The Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance in the Twentieth Century.”  It is very interesting and informative for us.  It has been written by a variety of authors from our Order.
Saturday 24 – Feast of Saint Francis de Sales.  Here is a profound reflection of his: “It is not the greatness of our actions that is pleasing to God, but the love that we put into them.”
Sunday 25 – 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time and Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul.  According to the liturgical calendar the Sunday liturgy took precedence, but the Holy See allowed the Mass of Saint Paul because of the year being celebrated to commemorate the two thousandth anniversary of his birth.
Monday 26 – Solemnity of our Holy Founders, Robert, Alberic and Stephen Harding.
Tuesday 27 – A few people were out today: the Abbot went to Moncton;   Fr. Maurice and I went to Miramichi to have our hearing checked out.
Thursday 29 – Another big snowstorm during the night.  But it got quite nice during the day, and the temperatures are less severe than last week.
Friday 30 – A gentleman is coming to give French lessons to Fr. Innocent, who, though he manages the language quite well wants to perfect it.Another priest of the Moncton diocese died this morning of a heart attack.  He was on holiday with a priest friend in South America.  It is a great loss for the diocese which is short of priests.  Fr. Léger was a historian.  He had recently published a book.
Saturday 31 – This afternoon we were witnesses to a rare event in a Trappist monastery.  The Abbot baptised two babies, twin boys, grandsons of our friend John Bourque.  A beautiful ceremony that gave us the opportunity to meditate on the meaning of our own baptism.  The Abbot has a gift for carrying out these liturgical celebrations.
 FEBRUARY 2009
Sunday 1 February – Sr. Ida Nolan was directing another  group of retreatants in the guest house.
Monday 2 – Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple.  We had the blessing of the candles in the scriptorium then the procession with lighted candles into the chapel as the entrance procession of the Mass.In the afternoon the Abbot left for Moncton, where he spent the night.  Then, tomorrow, he takes a flight to England via New York.  He is going to visit relatives and his former community of Mount Saint Bernard.  Then he will fly on to Rome to help the Abbot Visitor at our community of Tre Fontane, one of the most ancient communities of the Order, having been founded in the twelfth century.
Wednesday 4 – With the Abbot absent life here goes into slow-motion.  There is not much news.
Thursday 5 – This evening we watched the video on Saint Thérèse of Lisieux that we began last week.
Friday 6 – The Guest House filled up for the weekend.In chapter Fr. Graham began a series of conferences on Saint Gertrude, a great mystic and nun of our Order.  She was born in 1256 and admitted to the monastery as an oblate at the age of five.  Her “Legatus Divinae Pietatis” is one of the chef-d’oeuvres of Christian mysticism.  This evening Fr. Graham spoke about mysticism in general.
Saturday 7 – We learned of the death of Fr. Clovis’ Eudist confrere, Charles-Édouard Albert.
Sunday 8 – Fr. Innocent was principal celebrant at the community Mass and Fr. Maurice preached the homily.
Our principal employee on the farm, Rémi Martin, broke his foot in an accident with an ATV.  He will be off work for a month.
Monday 9 - Father Clovis went away for a couple of days for the funeral of a Eudist colleague.  I stood in for him for the Mass for the sisters today and tomorrow.  I also want to a funeral today, that of my friend Fr. Maurice Léger.  The cathedral in Moncton was packed.  Joseph my Lebanese friend drove me.In chapter Joseph gave us an outline of the history of the Maronites, who are called after Saint Maron.
Tuesday 10 – Our farm has caught the attention of the agricultural organizations and of the New Brunswick Ministry of Agriculture.  They are giving us free publicity, especially with regard to the dairy farm.Fr. Innocent went to Darmouth, near Halifax, to get some clay for his pottery.
Wednesday 11 – For the readings at the Divine Office, each of the brothers reads in his first language.  So the readings are often in English.  This can be a bit difficult for the French-speakers.  But we will get used to it bit by bit.
Friday 13 – This evening, Joseph spoke some more about the Maronite Catholic Church and the hardships it has undergone on account of wars and terrorism.  The Maronite Church is basically in Lebanon
.Saturday 14 – This weekend we have a number of guests.
Sunday 15 – This morning Fr. Graham was the principal celebrant at the Mass and his parents were present.
Tuesday 17 – Br. Gilles was admitted to hospital with heart problems : high blood pressure, irregular and too fast heartbeat.  It is a problem that began a couple of months ago with a dose of flu.
Wednesday 18 – We started watching a video called “Doubt”.  It is about a priest accused of child abuse in a convent run by nuns.  We have yet to see the outcome.
Friday 20 – Last night we had a major snowstorm which deposited another thick layer of snow.  We have had a record-breaking winter.Br. Stephan tried, with the big John Deere and the snow-blower, to open up the road to Br. Henry’s hermitage, but he got stuck at the bottom of the hill.  In the end he got three tractors stuck and had to get a neighbour with heavy equipment to come and dig the lot out.  What a come down!
Saturday 21 – Br. Gilles came back to the monastery to collect some clothes and make some arrangements.  He went back to the Miramichi hospital this afternoon.  From there he will go by ambulance to Bathurst for a special test and from there it is not clear where he might be transferred.  However, he has no pain and is in good spirits.  Pray for him and for us all.
Sunday 22 – Br. Henry also went to the Miramichi hospital in view of a hernia operation tomorrow.The monks at our monastery of Notre-Dame du Lac, Oka, Quebec, celebrated today their last Mass in the old monastery before moving to the new one they have built in Saint-Jean-de-Matha, near Joliette, Quebec.
Monday 23 – Would you like some snow?  We have plenty to offer!  We are in the midst of the worst storm this winter.  Rhéal DesRoches our retired handyman is looking after the snow-blowing.
Tuesday 24 – Now we have a lovely sunny day.  My family took the opportunity of this Mardi-Gras to come and celebrate my sister Léocadie’s 80th birthday(28 February) and my 75th (5 March).Br. Gilles went into hospital.  He has a heart problem, cardiomyopathy.  He needs a lot of rest and to be closely watched by the doctors.Erik Towne, an aspirant, came for a month-long observership.
Wednesday 25 – The Abbot came back from Europe in the small hours of the morning, in time to celebrate the Mass of Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of Lent.Br. Henry came back from hospital.
Friday 27 – At last a warm day.  The snow is falling off the roofs.  About time!  It was becoming a worry.In chapter, the Abbot made certain proposals for the observance of Lent that the brothers discussed. 

MARCH 2009
Sunday 1 March – After Lauds, in chapter, according to ancient custom, as special chapter to inaugurate our Lenten observance of reading, prayer, silence and moderation. We had a sharing on the chapters of the Rule of Saint Benedict that deal with this topic and each one presented the book he had chosen for Lenten Reading.  The Abbot set forward the programme we had discussed on Friday.  We will have reading at supper Monday to Friday, chapter on Saturday evening only.  There will be a moment of recollection at the end of the Divine Office before we disperse.  The order of service in the refectory will be reversed, so that the juniors will serve themselves before the seniors.
Monday 2 – Fr. Clovis is away until 6th.   I have to stand in for him for the Mass for the sisters.
Tuesday 3 – In the refectory we are reading: “The Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance in the Twentieth Century – from 1892 to the end of the Second Vatican Council.”  It is interesting to hear the history of the great abbots that we heard about at the beginning of our religious life.  At the moment we are onto Dom Alexis Presse, who had a rather eventful life.
Thursday 5 – For the first week of Lent, the guest-house is pretty well full: several ladies, a parish priest, 2 permanent deacons, a pastor, an oblate, and a few others.
Friday 6 – At 7 pm we had our monthly community discussion.  The principal topic that emerged was the fittingness of having, sooner rather than later, a greater use of English in our liturgy.  We have not had any French-speaking postulants enter for a number of years.   In fact, nearly all the candidates asking to enter are English-speakers.  The continued existence of the community must be put before the continued use of the French language.  There will be further consultation on this point.
Sunday 8 – 2nd Sunday of Lent.  It was my turn to preside the Eucharist and give the homily.
Monday 9 – Three of us together went to the clinic for blood tests and other check-ups.
Tuesday 10 – Brother Stephan has bought 6 new cows.  They are not pure bred, but a Holstein-Brown Swiss cross.  Mixed breed cows offer advantages in the health and resilience of the animal and in increased butterfat content in the milk.  As it is, the herd made a better profit in the last financial year, which was something we needed to see.
Wednesday 11 – The chickens went out.  This happens every couple of months the work is done by skilled chicken-pickers from outside in the late evening and the night, and they often make their presence heard.
Thursday 12 – At supper we heard read the letter of Pope Benedict XVI concerning the lifting of the excommunication on the four Bishops consecrated illicitly in 1988 by Archbishop Lefebvre.
Saturday 14 – Br. Leo has been able to have a bit of a rest this week.  We have not had many guests.We were supposed to have a special chapter this evening about having more English in our liturgy of the hours.  But the Abbot had to put it off until tomorrow because half of the community forgot!
Sunday 15 – It is Fr. Maurice’s turn to preside the community Mass, but he is incapacitated by his illness.  The Abbot stands in for him and Fr. Maurice preaches the homily and, during the week, introduces the celebration.  Fr. Maurice preaches well.
Monday 16 – Yesterday evening we had our chapter on bilingualism and our community life.  We already function bilingually to some extent.  Recently we had a dialogue and took a vote in favour of moving in the direction of increasing the quantity of English.There is no intention of turning our community into an English-speaking monastery.  The principle is that we are bilingual.  This results from our geographical situation.  New Brunswick is the only officially bilingual province in Canada.  Bilingualism means that the two languages will always have their proper place.  Further the meaning of bilingualism seems to be that all can make themselves understood in their own language.  This supposes that everyone will make an effort to learn the other’s language.  This enters neatly into our monastic endeavour: “Not to do what is good for oneself, but rather what is good for another.”At the Divine Office, we already have as a principle that each person reading a passage solo can do it in his own language.  In addition, we are now going to have 2 of the e read psalms at Vigils in English.  We will also have the psalms of Sext in English.  However, for this we will have to wait until the Abbot prepares a booklet and we get some singing classes to practice singing in English.  This is on the way and everything else will follow!
Thursday 19 – Solemnity of Saint Joseph.  Brother Stephan’s anniversary of profession.  We had a festive dinner with talking and the company of our special retreatant, Joseph.
Sunday 22 – The 4th Sunday of Lent already.  Laetare Jerusalem!
Monday 23 – The Abbot announced that he was admitting Erik Towne as a postulant from tomorrow.  He had spent a month with us reflecting on his vocation.  He really had no need to return home, once he had decided he wanted to continue, and, given the distance – his is from Texas – he opted to continue straight into the postulancy.  His entry brings our number up to 10.
Wednesday 25 – Solemnity of the Annunciation.6th anniversary of Dom Bede’s abbatial blessing. The first-fruits of Fr. Innocent’s endeavours in the pottery were put on sale in the shop.16.30 meeting of the formation committee.
Thursday 26 – The weather is warming up.  The snow has begun to melt.  There is rather a lot that still has to thaw.
Saturday 28 – At 7 pm we had a singing class conducted by Br. Stephan, teaching us how to sing the psalms in English.  It went very smoothly.
Sunday 29 – 5th Sunday of Lent.  Father Graham presided the Mass and preached.In reception we were kept busy selling Fr. Innocent’s pots.
Monday 30 – A huge snowstorm, 30 cm.  We hope this is the last.
Tuesday 31 – Michael Galante, an applicant who has been in contact for quite some time, came from Las Vegas, Nevada for a couple of weeks, including, particularly, Holy Week. Michael already came to see us in January 2007.  He is 46 years of age.  Fr. Graham, the novice master, went to pick him up at Moncton airport. 
THE FIRST PIECES OF
 CALVARY ABBEY POTTERY
 24 MARCH 2009 

APRIL 2009
Thursday 2 April – A group of farmers from Mexico came to visit the farm.  They were given a guided tour by Br. Stephan.  In the evening we continued watching the video of Bishop Yvon-Joseph Moreau’s ordination as bishop.  Very impressive.We have begun to get the greenhouse ready for growing tomatoes.
Friday 3 – Fr. Innocent’s pottery is taking on ever more importance.  Today he went with Br. Stephan in the pickup truck to bring a load of clay back from Dartmouth near Halifax.  Br. Martin of Mount Saint Bernard, in England, is going to come and spend two weeks with us in order to share his pottery experience with Fr. Innocent.
Saturday 4 – This evening, another singing class to get up to scratch our singing of the psalms of Sext in English for week 2 of the Divine Office.  We also had a look at the music and ceremonies for Palm Sunday.
Sunday 5 – The Palm Sunday celebration, blessing procession of palms, Mass with the Passion gospel by three readers, went off well, with the Abbot presiding.
Monday 6 – Fr. Serge Comeau is here for a few days.  He is the parish priest in Néguac, the nearest parish to us in the diocese of Bathurst.  He also writes a weekly religious column in the daily “L’Acadie Nouvelle.”
Tuesday 7 – We took up again our Tuesday gospel sharings after a break for Lent, because we had reading at supper and our own personal Lenten reading.
Maundy Thursday 9 – All the retreatants were here in time for the afternoon service of Mass with Washing of the Feet and Procession of the Blessed Sacrament. The guest-house was full.
Good Friday 10 – The weather was very pleasant and the guests in a cheerful frame of mind and full of zeal; so were we, of course.  The ceremonies go off well, thanks to the Abbot who is capable in matters liturgical and organizes everything.This evening we had another singing class to prepare for the Paschal Vigil.
Holy Saturday 11 – We had the first part of the Paschal Vigil this evening at 7.30 – the new fire, procession of the paschal candle and the Easter Proclamation – then the rest at 5 am on Easter morning.  This is to encourage people to make a personal all night vigil of prayer, and it also makes it possible to fit the milking in!Easter
Sunday 12 – We had a light snowstorm that lasted all day and dumped about a foot of snow.  Not very pleasant.  But everybody seemed happy.
Monday 13 – Fr. Nocalas Thériault is with us for a few days.  He is chaplain at the hospital in Bathurst.
Wednesday 15 – I felt the flu coming on.  I hear that there are a lot of people down with it in the area.
Thursday 16 – This morning I did not feel up to celebrating the community Mass and had to ask the Abbot to replace me.
Saturday 18 – I let Father Graham say the Mass instead of me.  His parents were here and the Mass was in English, as it is every Saturday.
Sunday 19 – Octave Day of Easter.  Divine Mercy Sunday.  There were quite a number of people in the guest-house this weekend and plenty at the Mass this morning, where Father Maurice preached a stimulating sermon, and the Abbot presided.
Monday 20 – Brother Martin arrived this evening.  He is a monk of our Order from Mount Saint Bernard Abbey in England.  He will be here for two weeks.
Tuesday 21 – I went to pick up the tomato plants for the greenhouse.
Wednesday 22 – Br. Martin spoke to us in chapter this evening and replied to our questions about pottery and about his monastery.
Thursday 23 – Fr. Innocent  and Br. Martin went to Halifax, Nova Scotia, to a pottery supply company.
Friday 24 – In just two days all the ice has disappeared from the lake and the fields are clear of snow.
Saturday 25 – This year, 2009, is World Astronomy Year.  We were able to download for free a “Planisphere.”  This is a map that rotates so that you can see one constellation after another and marvel at the wonderful works of God.  Alleluia!!!
Sunday 26 – 3rd Sunday of Easter.  Father Innocent presided the Mass in French with a bilingual homily.We are getting used to the psalms in English at Vigils and at Sext.Monday 27 – Father Yvon Cormier from Moncton is with us on retreat.  At the beginning of his time as a priest he was pastor of the neighbouring parish of Collette, which has not had its own pastor for years and has been incorporated into the parish of Rogersville.  We also had a judge here on retreat.
Tuesday 28 – The Reverend Ingalls, an Anglican priest, was staying in the guest house and looking very Catholic in his apparel.
Wednesday 29 – Late afternoon the formation committee had its monthly meeting.
Thursday 30 – The Anglican priest’s family, his wife and three boys, came to join him overnight, and they all went off the next day.

MAY 2009
Friday 1 May – Father Innocent and Brother Martin have been working hard since the latter’s arrival.  They have produced some really beautiful pots.  We need to find customers.The price for live beasts is so low that there is no money in rearing calves.
Saturday 2 – The Abbot took the three newcomers, Father Innocent our Nigerian, Brother Martin of Mount Saint Bernard and Erik the postulant from Texas and other parts of the USA, to visit a beautiful and unspoilt section of the New Brunswick coast on the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, up around Shippagan and Caraquet.
Sunday 3 – 4th Sunday of Easter.  “I am the Good Shepherd”, Jesus tells us, and we are his sheep.
Monday 4 – This afternoon Br. Martin left us to go back to his own monastery of Mount Saint Bernard.  But he had to make a quick visit to the doctor first to get antibiotics for an infection in his leg.
Tuesday 5 – Yesterday evening and this evening the chickens were being loaded up.  This happens about every nine weeks.  Fortunately we do not have to do this work ourselves, a team of pickers come in and work half the night.
Wednesday 6 – This evening we had our monthly community dialogue.  There were a variety of topics, but one was the singing in choir.  Several of our best singers no longer have the strength in their voices that they used to have.  A common effort is required rather than relying on one or two to lead.
Thursday 7 – This evening I went to a workshop on biological gardening, only to discover that it was largely what we are already doing here in the garden and on the farm.
Friday 8 – A Jesuit novice from Montreal is here on retreat.  He belongs to Hamilton, Ontario, but is originally from Bogotà in Colombia.
Saturday 9 – Sr. Ida was here with another group of reteatants.  They were supposed to fill the guest-house to overflowing, but only 4 turned up, due, it was said, to unforeseen circumstances.
Sunday 10 – 5th Sunday of Easter.  Jesus tells us he is the vine and his Father the vine-dresser and we are the branches: another beautiful image of our relationships with the Father and the Son.
Monday 11 – Rev. Ford of the United Reformed Church was with us for a few days retreat.  Father Léopold LeBlanc, priest of the Moncton Diocese was also here for his annual retreat.  He was once parish priest of Collette and has also been a missionary in South America.
Tuesday 12 – Our gospel-sharing this evening was quite a lively one.
Wednesday 13 – This week, Monday to Thursday, I supplied for Fr. Clovis saying Mass for the Trappistines.
Thursday 14 – Three brothers out of the ten of us had doctors’ appointments today; I came back with three other appointments.
Friday 15 – We bought a new lawnmower.  The old machine was beginning to get a bit worse for wear.  Nevertheless we are going to try and keep it going.  It will come in useful occasionally.  Another job for Rhéal.
Saturday 16 – This morning the Abbot held a meeting of the cantors, to discuss certain observations that had been made about the unity of the singing.
Sunday 17 – 6th Sunday of Easter.  “This is my commandment: that you love one another as I have loved you.”
Monday 18 – Another priest of the Moncton diocese, Fr. Savio Mazzerolle, was making his annual retreat with us.  Fr. Savio was pastor of the Saint Benedict Pasoral Unit based on Rogersville until quite recently.  Fr. Jos Daley was staying here as part of his holidays.  He originates from Barnaby River, just the other side of Collette, but is working as a missionary in the North West Territories.The Abbot summed up his meeting with the cantors.  He said that the concern was over a certain disunity in the choir.  He gave three principles for people to attend to: 1. Each one should give out his voice to his best capacity, 2. no one should drown out the others, and 3. Everyone should listen, including the cantors, whose job was to ensure unity and not to dominate.  To achieve these objectives most of the choir changed places.
Tuesday 19 – Lots of activity these days on the farm; spreading of liquid manure, preparing the fields for the sewing of the maize forage crop.
Wednesday 20 – In chapter the Abbot presented the Pope’s summing up of his visit to the Holy Land as he gave it at today’s general audience.
Thursday 21 – We began mowing the lawns with the new mower.  To start with we found it a bit awkward, but gradually have gotten used to it.
Friday 22 – This afternoon, we were expecting a group of women for a weekend retreat under the direction of Fr. Melvin Doucet, a White Father, based in Prince Edward Island.  They came armed with fresh ocean crab for supper.
Sunday 24 – Solemnity of the Lord’s Ascension.  The Abbot presided the Mass but Fr. Maurice preached.
Monday 25 – Today Fr. Jean Bernard Malais, pastor in Cocagne, a priest of the diocese of Moncton.  He will be here until Friday for his annual retreat.  This year the priests of the diocese had their retreat along with those of Edmundston, in Edmundston, and it was just too far to go for some of the priests from around here.
Tuesday 26 – Fr. Maurice had a family visit, his sister and two brothers.  His sister lives in Vancouver.
Wednesday 27 – Br. Henry went to Moncton for a doctor’s appontment.  He took the opportunity to visit his cousin, Leo, who is very ill.  Fr. Graham drove him.
 Thursday 28 – Fr. Maurice had an appointment in Miramichi.  He went with the Abbot and his visitors caught up with him there to have a little celebration, because the 1st June is his 64th birthday.In chapter we had a discussion about the current state of the community.  The Abbot wanted ideas about how to present this the Abbots and Abbesses at the Regional Meeting next week.  He found the meeting gave him what he wanted.
Friday 29 – A bee-keeper, called Jacques Lévesque, has lent us two hives and set them up in our orchard to help with pollenisation.  Br. Gilles is delighted to look after them.Mother Danièle arrived from Rome.  She has come to take part in the Canadian Regional Meeting of Abbots and Abbesses.  She is one of the Abbot General’s councillors.
Sunday 31 – Pentecost Sunday.  The Abbot presided the Mass and Fr. Innocent preached – a long homily! 

JUNE 2009
Monday 1 – At vespers time nearly all the participants in the Regional Meeting of Abbots and Abbesses, which was to take place here, had arrived.  They are: Dom André Barbeau, of Val Notre-Dame at St. Jean de Matha, QC; Dom Marcel Carbotte, of Notre-Dame des Pairies, Manitoba; Dom Jacques Pineau, our Father Immediate, of Mistassini in Lac Saint-Jean, QC; Dom Bede Stockill, our Abbot and President of the meeting; Mother Alfreda Gaudet, Abbess of Notre-Dame de l’Assomption, of Rogersville, N.B.; Mother Marie Saint-Pierre, Abbess of Note-Dame du Bon Conseil, of Saint Benoît-Labre, QC; Mother Danièle Lévrard, of the Abbot General’s Council in Rome; Dom Raphaël, Abbot of the Cistercian monastery of Notre-Dame de Nazareth in Rougemont, QC; and, lastly, Fr. Sylvain Maillot of Val Notre-Dame, formation director and secretary of the meeting.All the meals were taken together in the community refectory, which allowed the brethren to meet and exchange with the guests.  This was well appreciated.
Thursday 4 – Our Trappistine sisters from Assumption joined us for a festive meal.Early on Friday morning, our visitors and our Abbot left for Val Notre-Dame, where a celebration had been organized for the next day, inaugurating the ministry of Dom André Barbeau as Abbot.  We expect our Abbot back on Sunday evening.Probably on account of our intensive cultivation of maize we are being invaded by racoons.  Brother Gilles is trying to keep them off his two beehives.  He caught six of these gorgeous animals since the beginning of the week.
Trinity Sunday.  It is also Br. Gilles birthday.  He is 66.
Monday 8 – Br. Martin Charles of Miraflores, our monastery in Chile, arrived for a 5 day visit.
Wednesday 10 – The Abbot showed us pictures of the new monastery of Val Notre-Dame, at Saint-Jean de Matha, QC.  Everything is new and purpose-designed, ecological and modern.
Thursday 11 – Br. Martin left to return to his monastery, but he will be visiting family in the United States on the way, because he is originally from Long Island.This evening the Abbot announced a reorganization in the novitiate.  Several members of the community will be involved with classes on the various topics on the formation programme.
Saturday 13 – After the Mass, Br. Stephan gave us a singing class, the first of a series of six.  This morning he was emphasizing keeping on the right note as fundamental and made us run through some scales.This week we have had a lot of rain.  It was much needed.
Sunday 14 – Corpus Christi.  We are having Vespers at 5 pm followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament until supper.
Monday 15 – Roger Neck, a former member of our community came to visit for a few days.  We were happy to see him again.
Wednesday 17 – On Wednesdays in chapter the Abbot gives us news from various sectors.  This time it was various things going on in the Order and some extracts from the teaching of the Holy Father, particularly the start of the Year of the Priesthood.
Thursday 18 – Fr. Graham was pleased to have a visit from his parents.  And they certainly enjoy visiting their son and the monastery.
Friday 19 – Fr. Joseph Salame left us at the end of a whole year of renewal and retreat.  He is Lebanese.I went to see a dietician.
Saturday 20 – We have completed a lot of the seeding in the garden.  The work on the farm is also going well, the first cut of silage is complete and the harrowing and weeding of the corn is on schedule.
Sunday 21 – 12th Sunday of Ordinary Time.  Rain.
Monday 22 – Two Anglican priests are staying for a few days.  They are pleasant people to have around.  The Sun hasn’t been in evidence for a few days.
Tuesday 23 – In the schools it is the time of graduation and the beginning of the holidays.
Wednesday 24 – Solemnity of Saint John the Baptist.  Congratulations to our Quebec friends.
Thursday 25 – In Moncton and other localities, this has been an exceptional week of shows and concerts, but that is not for the Trappists!
Friday 26 – The Abbot and Father Innocent went to try and find an outlet for our beautiful pottery.  There are so few visitors pass through here that sales are on the poor side.  Something might develop”
Saturday 27 – We had our third singing class in the current series.  Br. Stephan is an excellent teacher.
Sunday 28 – 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Monday – 29 – The Hon. Roméo Leblanc, former Minister of the Federal Government and Governor General died.  He left the memory of a man who was good for all who came in contact with him.T
uesday 30 – Father Wesley Wade is with us for a few days.  He is preparing another of his three day retreats. 

JULY 2009
Wednesday 1 July – We celebrated my 50 years of priesthood.  The ordination actually took place at the Trappistines where my sister Marie-Anne was then a religious.  Today’s celebration here was simple but meaningful surrounded by my family.  In the evening, in community, we recalled memories of the last 50 years.
Friday 3 – Our bilingualism is a bit of a trial.  It is difficult to get used to the various accents in both English and French.  We need patience!
Sunday 5 – 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time and the monthly Retreat Sunday.  Rain and yet more rain!  Erik Towne, our postulant, will begin his retreat tomorrow in preparation for receiving the habit and beginning his novitiate on the Feast of Saint Benedict, Saturday July 11th.
Monday 6 – Our aspirant, Michael Galante, received a difficult piece of news : his father needed to have an urgent operation for a tumour on the brain.  He was obliged to return home.  We hope to see him back sooner rather than later.
Wednesday 8 – This evening we had our monthly community discussion.  There was nothing special to discuss.
Thursday 9 – There have been some big jobs on this week.  At # 2 chicken barn they are having to relay the concrete apron under the two silos.  This turned out to be a bigger job than expected.
Friday 10 – A neighbour came with his big crane to take the roof off the old heifer barn.  Br. Stephan wants to turn it into another silage pit.
Saturday 11 – Feast of our Father Saint Benedict.This morning, after Lauds, our brother postulant, Erik, received the novice’s habit in a very nice ceremony.  He has taken the name of Br. Isaac, in honour of Isaac of Stella, for whom he has a great admiration.Fr. Jacques Bourdages, of the Missions Étrangères de Québec, arrived for a few days retreat.  Fr. Jacques was a missionary for 40 years in the Philippines and in Cambodia.  Since his return he has been infirmarian to his community in Montreal.
Sunday 12 – Father Graham presided the Mass in French, but gave the homily in English.  There were a lot of people present, despite the rain.Monday 13 – We are happy to see the chronicle of our Mother House, Mistassini, back on view again.
Wednesday 15 – Father Jean-Marc Laporte, S.J. stayed here for a few days’ retreat.  He will be with us until Friday.  He is originally from Edmundston, but has always worked in Toronto.  From here he goes to Halifax to take charge of a retreat centre and work in a parish.  It was his grandfather who provided us with the recipes for a tonic and syrups we marketed in the 50s.
Thursday 16 – The farm team was getting in a bit of hay.  The Abbot and Br. Isaac gave a hand.
Friday 17 – Tom Garvey turned up, accompanied by his son.  Tom has been connected with the monastery for a long time.
Saturday 18 – It rains almost every day!  Br. Gilles is trying to get rid of the racoons, in order to protect the bees.  Not an easy task!
Sunday 19 – The guests were quite numerous this weekend.Monday 20 – Tomato crisis.  In the greenhouse the crop got off to a very good start but this morning I discovered that the tomatoes were going rotten and the plants drying out.  It has something to do with the weather.
Wednesday 22 – The Abbot, among other things that he talked about in Chapter, announced that Fr. Innocent and Br. Isaac would be going with him to Mistassini next week.
Friday 24 – On the farm people are worried about the prospects for the corn harvest.  There is all this rain and very little sun.  This morning, feast of Saint Charbel Makhlouf.  We had the Mass in his honour.  Father Joseph Salame’s time here make us more aware and appreciative of this saint.  Fr. Joseph called in here yesterday, but since the Abbot was out, he went on his way.
Saturday 25 – Br. Stephan gave his sixth and last singing class in the present series.  He recalled to our minds the main principles of Gregorian chant, but we forget so quickly.  There will be more classes at a later date.
Sunday 26 – Our three travellers, the Abbot, Fr. Innocent and Br. Isaac are busy getting ready to take off not for the Moon but for the celebrations at Mistassini in honour of the silver jubilee of ordination of our Father Immediate, Dom Jacques.

Monday 27 – Our travellers, that is to say, the Abbot, Fr. Innocent and Br. Isaac, left this morning about 5 am, for Mistassini in the Lac Saint Jean area.
Tuesday 28 – We had our gospel sharing despite being low in participants.
Wednesday 29 – Even if the weather is not the best, the garden is growing well – the weeds especially!
Thursday 30 – On the farm they are piling up the grass silage.
Friday 31 -  Our travellers came back at about 8 pm.

 AUGUST 2009
Saturday 1 August – The Abbot spoke about the celebrations at Mistassini and showed us pictures of the activities.  After Mistassini, the Abbot and his two companions went to Rougemont, a house belonging to the Cistercian Order, but not to the Trappist reform.  There they were pleased to meet the superiors of the Cistercian houses in the United States who were holding a meeting at Rougemont.
Sunday 2 – Fr. Maurice can no longer preside the Mass because of his health problems, but he gave us a fine homily in both languages.
Monday 3 – We took one small step forward in our bilingualism.  We used to say the Angelus before dinner and supper in French, now we say it in French before dinner and in English at supper time.  In the morning we say it silently and individually, presumably in Latin.
Tuesday 4 – I went to Miramichi with Br. Gilles to by myself a pair of shoes.  I have one foot that is very painful.  I hope that these new seekers will bring me relief.
Wednesday 5 – Our raspberry plants did not produce much this summer.  So we bought a little supply of these delights.This evening we had our monthly community dialogue.  The main subject discussed was a possible modification of our timetable.  There will have to be further discussion on this topic.The Abbot went, after Compline, to pick up at Moncton airport his friend, Fr. Anthony Shryane from England.
Thursday 6 – A Franciscan made a halt here.Fr. Graham is preparing to bless his first marriage in the parish church, because the Parish priest is going to be away.
Friday 7 – The Abbot took his friend back to the airport.
Sunday 9 – 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time.  Fr. Innocent presided at the Mass and gave a homily in both languages.  Br. Isaac is doing his first week as reader at the Divine Office.Monday 10 – Feast of Saint Lawrence.  The Abbot wondered why the Saint Lawrence river was so called, and discovered that Jacques Cartier discovered its Bay on the Feast of Saint Lawrence, 10 August 1535.
Tuesday 11 – This the week of the Worldwide Acadian Congress, which is being held in the Acadian Peninsula.  Today is dedicated to the religious and priestly life with a day of reflection and celebration at Néguac.  Father Graham and I went to represent the community.  It began at 10.30 with Morning Prayer.  Then we listened to several conferences on different personalities that had made their mark on Catholic Acadia.  Then thee was dinner and, in the afternoon, a solemn Mass presided by the Bishop of Bathurst, Bishop Valery Vienneau.  It was an enriching day.
Wednesday 12 – This evening, Father Graham and I gave a résumé of the previous day’s events.
Thursday 13 – The Trappistines have asked us to use some 40 acres of their fields.  Currently we are bringing in hay from there.
Friday 14 – Father Clovis is absent for the week.  Somebody had to supply for him at the sisters’.
Saturday 15 – Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  It is the patronal feast of the Acadians, and of our Order and especially of the Trappistines’ monastery of the Assumption.  They invited our whole community to and celebrate the solemn Mass and have a BBQ dinner.
Sunday 16 – 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time.  Father Graham presided the Mass and his parents came for it.Monday 17 – The fierce heat is still with us and the garden is rich in vegetable produce.  For the time being we are submerged by green beans.
Tuesday 18 – In our Province, this year, the blueberries have been a fiasco.  We barely got a taste.
Wednesday 19 – Feast of Blessed Guerric, and Abbot at the beginning of our Order in the twelfth century.  His writings are still studied and reflected upon.  The Abbot spoke in chapter about an appreciation of St. Bernard given some years ago by Pope Benedict XVI.
Thursday 20 – Feast of our Father Saint Bernard.  He had a big influence on the Church and society of his time, despite a great fidelity to the contemplative life.
Friday 21 – Our new handmade pottery is selling a bit better now.  We have been putting it on sale in the Farmers Markets of Miramichi.
Saturday 22 – We have come to a useful agreement with a beekeeper from Charlo in the North of the Province of New Brunswick.  This involves his bringing two of his hives here in the spring when the orchard needs pollinating, and Fr. Gilles will keep an eye on them, as he enjoys working with the bees.  The main thing is to remove any extra queens.  This gentleman is also happy to allow us to sell his honey.  This will add another commodity to what we have on sale in our little shop.
Sunday 23 – 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time.We are quietly living through the outer fringes of Hurricane Bill.  It is not violent; a little bit of wind and rain.Monday 24 – Hurricane Bill did not do any great damage, except cause a power outage from just at the beginning of Vespers until bedtime.
Tuesday 25 – We finished the reading in the refectory of the History of the Cistercian Order in the Twentieth Century.  A very interesting book with a lot of detail.
Wednesday 26 – A man and his daughter are on retreat; it is very edifying to see how seriously they are going about it.  There are also several young men on retreat and a lot of coming and going in the guest-house.  We had a further discussion in chapter on the question of what time in the day is best for our chapter meetings.
Thursday 27 – The C.M.A. (Congrès Mondial Acadien – Worldwide Acadian Congress) is drawing to its close.  It has been a tremendous success from tourism point of view.
Friday 28 – After a long period of intense heat, we nearly had frost this morning.
Sunday 30 – 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time.  Most of the guests went away.
Monday 31 – As it turns out our garden will have produced more than we expected.  The green beans, especially, have been very abundant.  Moreover, the racoons did not get at the sweet corn. 

SEPTEMBER 2009
Wednesday 2 – Our farm team is ploughing the Trappistines’ big field.  The sisters are all very happy about it.  It feels to them as though their farm has come back to life.  Nonetheless the harvest will be for our cows.The Abbot announced a little experiment with the schedule, in order to have a slot for the Abbot’s chapter talks in the morning after Lauds.  The experiment will begin 13 September at Compline.
Friday 4 – Brother Henry had an appointment in Moncton.  Father Graham drove him.
Saturday 5 – A group of old friends from Miramichi came to see Brother Henry.  So the hermit was dragged out of his solitude!
Sunday 6 – 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.Father Innocent replaced Father Clovis this week for Mass at the sisters’.  This evening we begin our annual retreat, preached by Father Georges Madore, a De Montfort Father, well-known in Quebec.Monday 7 – We are very happy with our retreat-giver.  He is very lively and his lines of argument are easy to follow.  The theme is “My personal story with God in the light of the Prophets.”
Tuesday 8 – Sean Tobin, from Moncton, is with us.  He is one of our associates or external oblates.
Wednesday 9 – Our retreat continues.
Thursday 10 – Our stalwart cooks have deep-frozen a huge quantity of French beans and maize.  We actually sold a surplus of beans.
Friday 11 – Our retreat-preacher succeeds in keeping us attentive and communicates an attractive teaching besides.  He is a born actor as well.
Saturday 12 – Father Madore brought the retreat  to a close by celebrating our community Mass, and gave a fine homily.Early this morning Father Graham left for Wales to attend a course for formators.
Sunday 13 – Father Innocent was the principal celebrant at our Mass and the Abbot went to say Mass for the nuns, which he will do until Father Clovis comes back later in the week.Monday 14  – Feast of the Holy Cross.  We inaugurated our experimental timetable and had Chapter after Lauds.
Tuesday 15 – Feast of Our Lady of Calvary, patronal feast of our community.  We had a solemn Mass with a homily by the Abbot and a festive meal with fish!  We put the tables together and had a good exchange at the meal.
Wednesday 16 – Br. Stephan and I had appointments in Miramichi, him with the dentist and me with the eye specialist about my cataracts.
Thursday 17 – Thursday evenings we still have our video slot.  These last few weeks it has been “Planet Earth” produced by BBC America.  It is very interesting.
Friday 18 – Father Clovis was back with us this morning to take up his role again of celebrating Mass for the sisters across the street.  He also got straight back into his work in the orchard.  He is very energetic at this work.
Saturday 19 – We have lived through our first week with the new schedule.  It seems satisfactory, but some of us have had difficulty in remembering where we were supposed to be at a given moment.  We will get into it.Today we got everything ready for the apple-picking; we picked up the windfalls and prepared the store where the apples can be kept until we are ready to turn them into juice.
Sunday 20 – 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time.  Brother Henry was 70 today.Monday 21 – The migrant Canada geese are back in the region again.  They enjoy taking a break on our lake.
Tuesday 22 – Brother Stephan has decided to give peat-moss a try as bedding for our cows.  A big truck load was delivered today.  We had little alternative.  All the sawmills in the region have closed down, so it is becoming impossible to get sawdust or shavings.  There is a company producing peat-moss not very far away, just at the other side of Rogersville.
Wednesday 23 – Feast of Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina.In chapter the Abbot announced two significant pieces of news.  The Pope has appointed the current Nuncio in Canada, Archbishop Luigi Ventura, Nuncio in Paris.  The Pope has also announced the next International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin in 2012.Then the Abbot spoke about Saint Symeon the New Theologian, basing himself on a recent Wednesday audience catechesis of the Pope’s.
Thursday 24 – This morning Brother Stephan arrived in the barn to find the place underwater due to a burst pipe.Roger Gallant, one of our farm workers, is back on the job after a break caused by an over-excitable cow.
Friday 25 – Late this evening, Father Graham came back from his formation workshop in Wales.Saturday 26 – We had a few guests this week.  Unusually, they seemed to turn up later in the week.
Sunday 27 – 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time.  There were a lot of people at the Mass, including a large number of children.Tuesday 29 – The Abbot went to take part in a meeting of the Bishops and Major Religious Superiors of the French-speaking region of Atlantic Canada.
Wednesday 30 – In chapter this morning, Father Graham gave us a report on the formators’ workshop he had attended in Wales.  This meeting was open to various contemplative Orders and Religious Congregations.  There were four Trappists present.
October 2009Thursday 1 October – First day of apple juice production.  Several friends came to help us.  Because the apples are not very good quality we had to sort through them carefully.  This made more work.
Friday 2 – We finished making the apple juice.  We will have enough for the whole year.
Sunday 4 – 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time.  It is my week to preside the Mass.Our novice, Br. Isaac, is persevering courageously.  Pray for him.Monday 5 – Br. Stephan celebrated his 51st birthday.
Wednesday 7 – The Abbot left for Val Notre-Dame, accompanied by Mother Abbess Alfreda and Sister Ann of the Trappistine monastery down the road.  Father Graham was the driver.  They were going to take part in the consecration of the new church and a meeting of the abbots and abbesses for pastoral sharing.
Thursday 8 – We did not forget that it was Father Graham’s birthday, even though he was away.
Friday 9 – There are more apples left on the trees than we thought.  I spent the whole day picking them.
Saturday 10 – It rained all day.  Paul Lèger from Waltham, Mass., is with us for a few days.  He was a postulant many years ago.
Sunday 11th - 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time.  Father Maurice preached the homily and Father Innocent presided at the community Mass.Monday 12 – Our travellers came back.  To our surprise and joy, Dom André, Abbot of Val Notre-Dame also turned up, with the Abbot, Dom Jean-Marc, of Bellefontaine in France and Brothers Yvon and Bernard of the same monastery.  They arrived late for the evening meal, but we waited for them and all ate together.
Tuesday 13 – Our visitors spent the day with us.  Dom Jean-Marc spoke in chapter about his community.  In the evening we enjoyed a supper of exchange and discussion with them.
Wednesday 14 – Our visitors left early this morning.
Thursday 15 – The farm team was getting on with harvesting the corn grain for the cows.
Saturday 17 – This weekend there are a few retreatants in the guest-house, among them three fine young men from Prince Edward Island.  Well done!
Sunday 18 – 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time.  The Abbot was celebrating 45 years of religious profession.
Monday 19 – In chapter the Abbot spoke about the situation in our Canadian monasteries, including Rougemont and Saint-Benoît du Lac in Quebec, based on the recent exchanges he had had with the superiors.
Wednesday 21 – The Abbot finished his presentation on the Canadian monasteries.  Then he announced that he himself will continue to act as novice-master.  Father Graham will understudy Father Maurice in the accounts department in case he should have to be replaced in a hurry because of a health crisis.  Father Graham will also be infirmarian in addition to the other activities that already keep him busy.
Thursday 22 – Dom Jacques Pineault, Abbot of Mistassini and Abbot Visitor of our community, arrived before supper and we had the meal while chatting with him.  A pleasant evening!  He will be staying until Wednesday October 28.  The same day Chris McKee, an aspirant from New York City came for a few weeks observership.
This very evening, just on bedtime, Father Maurice felt ill and had to be taken by ambulance to the Miramichi hospital where the started doing tests, keeping him in emergency a full 24 hours and then transferring him to a ward.
Friday 23 – This morning we were surprised to find a full covering of a few inches of snow.  We do not normally have snow this early.  The little kids from Rogersville elementary school came to visit us in the school bus.  Father Graham received them and talked to them.
Sr. Ida Nowlan S.C. organized a weekend retreat for a group of young people, six in all.  They are all students of Moncton University from different places: 1 from Burundi, 1 from Madagascar, 1 from Haiti, a blind young lady from Caraquet with her guide dog, one from St. Ignace and a psychologist.  The theme for the weekend was: the experience of silence and monastic prayer.  Father Graham shared with them about the development of his vocation.
Sunday 25 – It is warmer today and the snow has all gone after torrential rain most of the night.Monday 26 – Father Maurice’s health problem is explained by a huge hernia.  He needs and operation, but that will have to take place in Moncton where they are better equipped to deal with the limitations his other health problems pose in face of an operation.Another load of turf was delivered.  It has proved itself useful as badding for the cattle and it runs cheaper.Dom Jacques spoke to us in chapter about his experiences in Chile, at the monastery of Miraflores.
Tuesday 27 – Dom Jacques left to return to his own monastery.
Thursday 29 – The chicken house is being got ready for another flock.  There was a big problem finding enough bedding.  Jacques, our manager, resolved the problem, which comes from the saw-mills having gone out of business.
Friday 30 – There are lots of leaves around the yards.  We have begun to tidy things up.
Saturday 31 – There were gale-force winds today, the leaves took off.

 NOVEMBER 2009
Sunday 1 November – Feast of All Saints.  It is also the anniversary of the foundation of our monastery in 1902.Monday 2 – An aspirant, Jean Pierre Groulx from Ottawa is making an introductory visit to the guest-house.
Tuesday 3 – Chris McKee from Manhattan is persevering in his observership.
Wednesday 4 – This morning we had our monthly community dialogue on the topic of whether we were happy with our new schedule.  The general opinion was favourable.  There was some question as to whether the Tuesday gospel-sharing should be in the morning.  So the Abbot decided we should try it for a month in the mornings and see what the effect was.A Camaldolese novice, Daniel Perron, from Montreal, is living with us.  His superior, at the Holy Family Hermitage in Bloomingdale, Ohio, asked Dom Bede to let him stay here until his immigration formalities are completed with the US authorities.
Thursday 5 – My brother-in-law, Édouard Savoie, died today, at the age of 97.
Sunday 8 – 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time.  There were a lot of people at the Mass this morning to hear Fr. Adrien preach.Monday 9 – I went to my brother-in-law’s funeral at Saint-Charles.  Father Mercier was the officiant, he is a Redemptorist who has been working in the area for a number of years.Jean Pierre Groulx, the aspirant who has been staying for a week as a guest reflecting on his possible vocation, went back home to reflect on his experience and, possibly, tie up his loose ends.  We would be happy to see him back.
Tuesday 10 – A priest of the diocese of Rimouski, Claude Pigeon, is here for a retreat.  He is a military chaplain.  He knows Dom Jacques Pineault and Mgr. Yvon Moreau well.
Wednesday 11 – In chapter, the Abbot gave us a certain amount of news of the Order, as usual on Wednesdays.  He also gave a résumé of the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus, on the incorporation into the Catholic Church of certain groups of Anglicans.
Friday 13 – Feast of All the Saints of the Order.  This is about those who have been sanctified through living according to the Rule of Saint Benedict.
Saturday 14 - Chris McKee, another aspirant, who has been doing the month’s observership, returned home to New York to reflect on his experience.
Sunday 15 – Three Salesian sisters are currently here on retreat.Monday 16 – Br. Gilles and I went to Miramichi to do a few errands.
Tuesday 17 – Father John LeBlanc, retired priest of the Gaspé diocese is with us for his annual retreat.
Wednesday 18 – In chapter, the Abbot commented on the Pope’s General Audience about Cluny.  It is interesting to hear what the Holy Father thinks about this renowned Monastic Congregation which had such an impact on the Church of its time.
Thursday 19 – Father Maurice and I went to the funeral of Leo Poirier of Rogersville, to represent the community.  Leo was a man who gave himself totally to the village and the parish.  He belonged to all the associations, more or less.  He was involved in the start of our association, Friends of the Trappists.  He was 79 years old.
Friday 20 – This afternoon a retreat began in our guest-house.  It is being led by Father Melvin Doucette, a White Father from Prince Edward Island.  People from Rogersville and from certain parishes in the diocese of Bathurst are taking part.  The main theme is “Contemplative Prayer”.
Monday 23 – The group of Anglican ministers arrived this evening, about 12 of them, including a bishop.  They came to study, among other documents, the Apostolic Constitution of Benedict XVI Anglicanorum Coetibus concerning the arrangements for receiving Anglicans within the Catholic Church in personal ordinariates.  Apart from their times of conference they made a type of silent retreat.  They come from all over Atlantic Canada.
Tuesday 24 – Father Jean Doutre of Val-Notre-Dame came by train in time for dinner.  He came for a meeting with the Abbot.
Wednesday 25 – In chapter Father Jean Doutre spoke about his community and how it is settling in to its new monastery at St. Jean-de-Matha.
Thursday 26 – Thursday evenings we watch a video.  Currently we are watching “Monarchy: the Royal Family at Work.”
Sunday 29 – First Sunday of Advent.  Br. Isaac set up the Advent wreath.
Monday 30 – Brother Stephan came back from his long trip to see his family in Pennsylvania.  Br. Stephan’s absence means no organ at the offices which makes the liturgy harder work.

DECEMBER 2009
Tuesday 1  – Jean Pierre has come back for a month’s observership.  There is movement in the house.  I went to Miramichi hospital for a cataract operation.  The right eye this week, then, in two weeks’ time the other.  Then, as the Abbot said in chapter, “That will be an end of it, because he only has two.”
Friday 4 – Father Innocent is still making his pottery.  The problem is finding a way of selling it.  Tourists do not come by here in droves.  We are looking for outlets.  We will be at the farmers markets in Miramichi and Dieppe.  For details see the pottery page on the website.
Sunday 6 – Second Sunday of Advent and monthly retreat Sunday.  There are no guests, but quite some people at the Mass, because a family had asked to have a Mass said.  It was the Abbot’s turn to preside and preach.
Tuesday 8 – The Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the 35th anniversary of Father Maurice’s profession.
Wednesday 9 – The organization PETA is trying to attack us over our cows and chickens.  They want us to go out of all animal and poultry production!  The Abbot says that he won’t change a thing.  He does not believe that our methods amount to cruelty to animals, nor that they are contrary to Catholic principles.  We do nothing that thousands of Catholic farmers the world over don’t do.
Thursday 10 – There was a snow storm last night.  But today all is calm.  In the refectory we are reading a book based on the writings of Mother Theresa of Calcutta.  It is very edifying.
Friday 11 – Somebody stole Fr. Graham’s credit card details and tried to buy furniture with it.  Fortunately they did not succeed and the money will be repayed.
Saturday 12 – Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas.
Sunday 13 – Third Sunday of Advent.  Gaudete.Today there was a public clinic for vaccinations against the H1N1 flu at the school in Rogersville.  Only four of us from here went to get it.  Are they afraid?
Tuesday 15 – I went to the Miramichi hospital as an outpatient to have my cataracts seen to on the second, right, eye.  Over in a few hours.  I also have glaucoma, which means that I have to keep on taking drops.  Br. Gilles drove me.
Wednesday 16 – In chapter the Abbot gave us some pointers for living the Advent and Christmas liturgy, running through the O antiphons again.
Thursday 17 – Father Jean-Marc Guérette came for several days retreat in preparation for Christmas.  He is a priest of the diocese of Bathurst.
Friday 18 – The Abbot continued his commentary on the Masses of the Greater Ferias.  The annunciations of the great saviours of Israel all lead up to that of Jesus.
Sunday 20 – 4th Sunday of Advent.  The Abbot, Father Graham and Father Clovis went to help the parish priest in Rogersville with a communal celebration of the sacrament of penance.
Monday 21 - In chapter, the Abbot continued his commentary on the Advent reading.  Today he presented the history of the bringing up of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem in the times of David and Solomon as the background to St. Luke’s infancy narrative.  This helps us to see Mary as the true Ark of the Covenant.  The Abbot and Fr. Maurice attended the funeral of Dorothée Cormier, the sister of Mother Alfreda, who is the Abbess of Assumption Abbey, the monastery of our trappistine sisters in Rogersville.
Wednesday 23 – Br. Stephan went to take a huge diesel motor to Moncton to be re-built.
Thursday 24 – Br. Isaac received an excellent fruit cake from his parents in Texas.  The Christmas night Mass was celebrated at 7 pm.  There was quite a crowd present, but the guest-house has not been very full.
Friday 25 – Christmas Day.  We have received so many gifts that we don’t know what to do with them.  Br. Gilles saw to the refectory decorations and erected the crib in the guest-house.  It is all very pretty.
Saturday 26 – With Christmas falling on Friday, it seemed to stay with us for the whole weekend.  May our hearts be a crib throughout the whole year.
Sunday 27 – Feast of the Holy Family.
Monday 28 – There is life in the guest-house: several friends, aspirants, retreatants.
Tuesday 29 – We now have our weekly gospel sharing on Tuesdays after Lauds.
Thursday 31 – Our Trappistine sisters invited us for a special Christmas dinner, with the midday office before it in their nicely refurbished chapel.  A pleasant time and an excellent turkey dinner. 

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Our Lady of Calvary Abbey
11505 Route 126, Rogersville NB, E4Y 2N9
Tel : 506 775 2331
E-mail : CalvaryAbbey@aol.com