Chronicle 2012 Archived
January
Monday 2 - Yesterday, my brother Dolphé passed away at the age of 85, as a result of Alzheimer's disease.
Tuesday 3 - Monthly community discussion. The suggestion was made that we spend some time discussing the monastic values that we heard about in the house reports on the monasteries of the Order that we have been listening to in the refectory.
Wednesday 4 - Funeral of my brother Dolphé at the church in Acadieville. There were a lot of people present. This reflects the fact that we were 13 children.
Thursday 5 - At the weekly video session we have started watching "Of Men and Gods.", the prize-winning film about our monks of Tibherine murdered in 1996.
Friday 6 - The lake has iced over for the first time this winter and is solid enough to walk, skate and ride snowmobiles and ATVs on.
Saturday 7 - Feast of Saint André Bessette, the first one since the canonization of this Montreal brother of the Congregation of the Holy Cross. Birthday of our postulant Michael Perry.
Sunday 8 - Feast of the Epiphany. The Abbot's birthday. He is 69 and marked the occasion by taking a 5 mile bike ride on the snow.
Monday 9 - Father Arthur Bourgeois, former pastor of Rogersville, was staying here on retreat.
The civic building of Rogersville, containing the council offices, the police station and the firefighters department was burned to the ground in the early morning. A terrible loss for the local community. Forty years of history and archives went up in smoke. The Abbot went down on his bike in the afternoon to look at the still smouldering ruins.
Tuesday 10 - The Rogersville firefighters took over the garage that we own at the extreme end of our property near the village.
Wednesday 11 - The Abbot told us about the Year of the Faith that the Pope had proclaimed with his Apostolic Letter "Porta Fidei" of 11 October last year. The year will begin on October 11, 2012 and continue until November 24, 2013, feast of Christ the King. It is to mark the 50th anniversary of the start of the Second Vatican Council and the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Thursday 12 - Saint Marguerite Bourgeois, foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame, and of the city of Montreal. The Abbot happened to be in Rogersville again, on his bike, and met the mayor. She seemed on very cheerful form saying that everything was all right and that they had reorganized themselves in three days!
Friday 13 - We keep the liturgical memoria of Saint Aelred of Rievaulx on this day. Outside of Canada this falls on the 12th., but here we have to observe the feast of Saint Marguerite Bourgeois. The Abbot is always happy to recall that he, himself, was born only 17 miles from Rievaulx.
Sunday 15 - Fr. Maurice had his brother, Jacques, and sister-in-law to dinner.
Monday 16 - Father Savio Mazerolle was here for a five day retreat. He is a priest of the diocese of Moncton, works in Bouctouche and was once pastor in Rogersville, so an old friend of the community.
Tuesday 17 - Brother Gilles took me to the medical centre in Miramichi for a glaucoma test.
Wednesday 18 - Brother Leo's 85th birthday. He is still in hail and hearty form.
Thursday 19 - We held our monthly day of prayer for the departed. The first one since the beginning of Advent.
Friday 20 - Feast of Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi, a Cistercian monk beatified by John Paul II. He was the first Nigerian to become a monk of our Order. He entered at Mount Saint Bernard Abbey where our Abbot knew him.
Saturday 21 - Feast of Saint Agnes, virgin and martyr. The Abbot of Tre Fontane and several of the monks of our Order in Rome presented to the Pope the lambs whose wool will be used to make the pallia for the archbishops.
Sunday 22 - 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time. Father Graham presided at the Mass and preached a poetic homily in both languages.
TUESDAY 24 - We heard that the firefighters have moved out of our garage into one within the village limits. They originally took refuge in ours after the fire that destroyed their operation centre in Rogersville on January 7. But they had to conform to regulations that they should be within the village limits.
WEDNESDAY 25 - Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. We started using a new edition of our choir books for feast days. Father Maurice has put a lot of time and effort into getting them out.
THURSDAY 26 - Solemnity of our Holy Founders, Robert, Alberic, and Stephen Harding, who started the monastery of Cîteaux in France in 1098, thereby giving birth to the Cistercian Order. Our Trappistine sisters honoured us with their presence for lunch. So did Brother Henry, coming in from his care home in Moncton. He looked a lot better. Our cook, Melva, did us a magnificent meal.
SATURDAY 28 - Feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas, the greatest theologian of the Latin Church. We woke up to more snow than we have seen so far this winter, but still nothing compared to other years.
SUNDAY 29 - 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Abbot presided at the Mass and preached, all in the two languages.
MONDAY 30 - Fr. Nicolas was here on retreat. He is a priest of the diocese of Bathurst who works in the North of the Province and comes regularly.
TUESDAY 31 - Rogrique Landry, one of our external oblates, was here for a few days. He also comes faithfully a couple of times every year and has done so for many years.

February
WEDNESDAY 1 - A big snowstorm that lasted all day and part of the next day.
THURSDAY 2 - Feast of the Lord's Presentation in the Temple. Candlemas Day. Procession with candles at the start of the Mass. Homily by the Abbot.
FRIDAY 3 - The current flock of chickens was shipped off. We do six flocks a year.
SUNDAY 5 - 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time. We keep up the practice of our monthly day of recollection with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament after Vespers.
TUESDAY - 7 - Father Abbot went to Moncton where he will catch a plane for Rome.
THURSDAY - 9 - Brother Stephen had to go to the hospital because of a bad pain in his shoulder caused by strenuous work he had been doing.
FRIDAY - 10 - Feast of Saint Scolastica, sister of Saint Benedict who wrote our monastic rule. Sister Ida Nolan from Moncton arrived with a group of 13 people for a retreat led by Lorraine Bourque on the subject of "transformation at the heart of one's being".
SATURDAY - 11 - Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and World Day of the Sick. Father Maurice is taken to the hospital where he is diagnosed with pneumonia.
SUNDAY - 12 - Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time.
MONDAY 13 - The anniversary of the death of Dom Chérubin Lensen, our former superior. This brings back many memories. The Abbot went and prayed for us at the tomb of Saint Paul on the Via Ostiense in Rome.
TUESDAY 14 - Feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius and of Saint Valentine. The Abbot accompanied the Abbot of La Trappe to the tombs of Saint Peter, of Blessed John Paul II, of Blessed John XXIII and of Saint Pius X in the Vatican Basilica. We hope that the whole group is praying for us.
THURSDAY 16 - We had our monthly Mass for vocations.
FRIDAY 17 - The Abbot arrived back. He had been helping with the canonical visitation of the Abbey of Tre Fontane in Rome.
SATURDAY 18 - The Abbot went to see Father Maurice in the hospital at Miramichi. Father Maurice is recovering well after his bout of pneumonia.
SUNDAY 19 - Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Abbot put up a notice inviting us to think about what we should do for Lent. This evening the Abbot said a few words about his trip to Rome and showed a small number of photos.
MONDAY 20 - A pastor from Miramichi who runs two or more parishes took some time out here.
TUESDAY 21 -Father Maurice came back home. He seems a little weak, but getting over his pneumonia quite well.
WEDNESDAY 22 - An email from Dom Clément notified us of the death of Father Achille, of Mistassini, of which he was prior for many years. We pray for the repose of his soul and for his community.
THURSDAY 23 - There were some problems with the internet, but our IT consultant, Brett Gallant, came and sorted them out.
FRIDAY 24 - Brother Stephan went to Prince Edward Island to get a machine for making round bales.
SATURDAY 25 - The Abbot and Brother Stephan went to see a neighbouring farmer, the local president of the National Farmers Union.
We thought that winter was nearly over, then this morning we were treated to a mighty blizzard. (May God be praised.)
SUNDAY 26 - 1st Sunday of Lent. We had the traditional chapter for the beginning of Lent, with the reading of the sections of the Rule of Benedict where he talks about Lent. Each one presented the book he was taking for Lenten reading and the time for doing the Lenten reading was fixed for after Lauds in the scriptorium. In addition, during Lent we will be experimenting with a daily chapter for the reading of the day's passage of the Rule, with the possibility of a short discussion afterwards. This is because the Abbot thinks that we need more community sharing in order to build up our community bonds. Instead of the Rule being read at the end of lunch, the Constitutions of the Order will be read.
MONDAY 27 - We revised our schedule for Lent. The Abbot came up with the idea of trying out a short daily chapter, for the reading of the rule and a time of community exchange. After chapter we do our Lenten reading for half an hour.
TUESDAY 28 - Father Innocent went to get a new kiln for the pottery. The one he has currently is too small and rather worn out.

March
FRIDAY 2 - The guest house was filled up with a group of 13 Franciscan Tertiaries from Prince Edward Island.
SUNDAY 4 - Father Graham went to get Brother Henri for his monthly visit to the monastery. This allows him to see the brothers, to be present at the conventual Mass and share the meal with us.
MONDAY 5 - The folk from Prince Edward Island seem to be taking over the monastery. There were three more this week.
TUESDAY 6 - Rodrigue Landry, one of our external oblates, spent several days here as well.
FRIDAY 9 - Robert Pichette, author of the history of our monastery, arrived with the mock up of his latest labour of love, his book about the Moncton Cathedral. A very impressive piece of work. Well so far we have only looked at the pictures and not read M. Pichette's text!
We seem, at last, to be emerging from winter. We have had one or two days where it has been extraordinarily warm for March.
SATURDAY 10 - We had an exceptionally lively discussion in chapter this morning about a practical point where the issues are not so easily reconciled.
SUNDAY 11 - 3rd Sunday of Lent. Fr. Graham presided the Mass and preached in both languages about purifying our temple and the renewal in depth he sees taking place in the Church of our times.
MONDAY 12 - A priest from Bonaventure in Gaspésie spent the whole week with us.
TUESDAY 13 - I had an appointment with an optometrist.
WEDNESDAY 14 - Two Anglican priests from Fredericton were here for a few days.
FRIDAY 16 - Father Doucet from Prince Edward Island was here with a large group of his followers for their time of retreat, sharing and prayer which they do several times a year. The size of the group, which fills the guest-house, puts the cooks under pressure. The kitchen drain got blocked up and this did not help.
SATURDAY 17 - The feast of St. Patrick did not seem to make much of an impact. Father Innocent left for Nigeria, to visit his family for two weeks.
SUNDAY 18 - 4th Sunday of Lent or "Laetare" Sunday. The Abbot presided the Mass and invited us to find our joy in the triumph of the Cross of Christ.
TUESDAY 20 - The Abbot and Brother Stephen took the pick up truck and a trailer on the 640 mile trip to the Abbey of Saint-Benoît-du-Lac on the Vermont border south of Montreal. The monastery was celebrating the centenary of its foundation and the trailer was to bring back a big hay tedder from Saint Jean de Richelieu, in the same part of Quebec.
THURSDAY 22 - My sister Flora Landry died this morning at the age of 87, but after years of difficult health. The funeral took place at Acadieville, and were conducted by the pastor of Rogersville, Collette and Acadieville, Father Guy Legendre. Our two travellers came back from Quebec loaded with gifts from the monastery, cheese and preserves produced by the monks.
FRIDAY 23 - The Abbot offered the community Mass for the repose of my sister.
SATURDAY 24 - Two members of the Voluntas Dei Institute came for several hours to talk about their religious concerns.
SUNDAY 25 - 5th Sunday of Lent. The Abbot presided at the Eucharist, while Father Maurice read the Gospel, preached and led the intercessions. In the evening, the Abbot showed us some pictures and played us some recordings of the celebrations at Saint-Benoit-du-Lac.
MONDAY 26 - Judge Alfred Landry, spent several days in retreat in our guest house, as he does every year.
WEDNESDAY 28 - Thank you to Mr. Guy Savoie, who wrote a letter of sympathy to me on the deaths of my brother, Dolphé, and my sister, Flora. It was comforting.
THURSDAY 29 - Mlle José Maltas, a long-time friend of the community, who gave us some courses in biblical studies in the past, was staying in the guest-house for several days.
FRIDAY 30 - This week saw the shipping out of our meat chickens. They are the principle source of our income.

April
SUNDAY 1 - With Palm Sunday and its ceremony we started the Great Week of the Liturgy.
MONDAY 2 - There were plenty of guests throughout Holy Week. All the rooms were filled most of the time.
TUESDAY 3 - In order to assure a good celebration of the Holy Week liturgy we had several singing classes. Br. Stephen directed our rehearsals of the singing and the Abbot informed us about the other aspects of the celebrations.
WEDNESDAY 4 - A little team of courageous workers worked all week at pruning the apple trees.
FRIDAY 6 - The car refused to start and had to be taken on a trailer to the garage.
SUNDAY 8 - The Lord's Day of Resurrection. Whatever happens the Lord is Risen, Jesus is Alive! It snowed all the Holy Night and all Easter Day. Fr. Roger courageously brought Br. Henry from Moncton for the day. But, because of the storm, Br. Henry had to stay overnight here. Our oldest member, Brother Leo, celebrated his 85th birthday. He says he is longing to get away from this earth to get to a better place.
MONDAY 9 - Father Maurice received a visit from his family.
Father Wesley Wade, Vicar General of the Diocese of Bathurst, came to spend a few days on retreat.
TUESDAY 10 - Father Abbot left for England where he will celebrate with a confrere the 40th anniversary of their ordination.
WEDNESDAY 11 - Father Adrien is having trouble with his ears. They don't want to behave!
SUNDAY 15 - 2nd Sunday of Easter. Sunday of the Divine Mercy. "Let us welcome the gift of peace that the risen Jesus offers us, let us fill our hearts with His mercy!......In this way, with the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who raised Christ from the dead, we too can bring these Easter gifts to others. May Mary, Mother of Mercy, obtain these things for us." Pope Benedict XVI
MONDAY 16 - It's time to plant in the greenhouse and already we have 72 tomato plants in. Other varieties like cucumber and bell pepper will follow. Our greenhouse isn't in great shape but in spite of everything we are still able to grow beautiful produce there!
TUESDAY 17 - We finished trimming the apple trees. This year we pruned quite a bit.
WEDNESDAY 18 - To make things look more appealing outside, we cleaned up some nooks and crannies of the grounds in front of the guesthouse.
FRIDAY 20 - The farm has lots of work to accomplish in the fields and as usual everything is going smoothly.
SATURDAY 21 - The ice has completely disappeared from our lake, a sign that fair weather is just around the corner.
SUNDAY 22 - The 3rd Sunday of Easter. Father Graham's parents came for a visit.
MONDAY 23 - We had quite a long and abundant rainfall.
TUESDAY 24 - Brother Stephen celebrated the anniversary of his solemn profession.
WEDNESDAY 25 - We started work on the little dam at Brother Urbain's Lake and all should be completed by the middle of next week. Many have worked together on this beautiful project.
THURSDAY 26 - Father Maurice took a little tumble in the refectory but quickly got up again. Just a bump on the head. The Abbot arrived back from England.
SATURDAY 28 - Father Abbot and Father Graham left for the monastery at Mistassini to take part in the Canadian Regional Conference of our Cistercian Order.
SUNDAY 29 - The 4th Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday and World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
MONDAY 30 - The little dam has been completely installed at Br. Urbain's lake. We still have to fight with the beavers who want to take over this part of the lake!
This morning we have begun more extensive work on the farm, for example, spreading manure on the fields etc.

May
TUESDAY 1 - I had a big surprise. Two beautiful foxes passed by close to the greenhouse where I was working. Wild animals are becoming more and more at ease with our presence: foxes, groundhogs, squirrels!
THURSDAY 3 - The feast of Saints Philip and James, apostles.
SUNDAY 6 - The 5th Sunday of Easter. We are looking forward to the return of Father Abbot and Father Graham after their trip to the monastery at Mistassini.
MONDAY 7 - The Abbot and Father Graham arrived back from Quebec with Dom Richard, Abbot of Mount Saint Joseph Abbey, Roscrea, Ireland. Dom Richard is 36 years of age and was elected abbot three years ago. He will be staying with us until Thursday.
TUESDAY 8 - Dom Richard spoke to us in chapter about his monastery, a community of 20 monks of whom half are over 80. He also spoke about the situation of the Church in Ireland. Dom Richard presided our community Mass.
WEDNESDAY 9 - Dom Richard and the Abbot went to celebrate Mass with the sisters at Assomption and to visit them. In the afternoon the Abbot took Dom Richard on a tour of Rogersville and to meet Mme Flora Thibodeau, the sprightly 111 year old who is the oldest resident in town and the oldest person living born in Canada.
THURSDAY 10 - The Abbot and Br. Michael took Dom Richard to the airport for his flight to Winnipeg, whence he will visit our monastery of Our Lady of the Prairies in Manitoba. They then went to see Brother Henry.
FRIDAY 11 - Mr and Mrs Touchie came to spend a few days with Father Graham. Father Roger went to Moncton to take Br. Henry to a medical appointment.
SUNDAY 13 - 6th Sunday of Easter. We are reminded how God loves us and how we are to love him by keeping his commandment to love one another. This fits very well with Mothers' Day, celebrated today in Canada. Happy celebration to all Moms!
TUESDAY 15 - Father Roger celebrated his birthday, insisting that he was 39. "A young one", we said, of course.
WEDNESDAY 16 - The Abbot went to Saint John, NB, for the day to be available to the diocesan clergy on retreat at Villa Madonna.
FRIDAY 18 - The community celebrated my 60th anniversary of monastic profession. Members of my family joined us in the refectory for a splendid festive dinner. Father Roger concelebrated at the Mass for the first time since he came back.
SATURDAY 19 - Brother Henry and a friend came, the driver to see the monastery and Brother Henry to clear his personal effects out of hermitage he used to occupy.
SUNDAY 20 - Together with the Church in Canada we celebrated the Solemnity of the Ascension. In many parts of the Church this is still celebrated on the Thursday in the 6th Week of Easter. The Abbot presided the Mass and Father Graham preached. Some elements of the community lamented the fact that we only had a moderate amount of festivity in the refectory.
Monday 21 - There is a lot going on in the greenhouse. The tomatoes are growing apace.
Thursday 24 - We shipped off three big truck loads of chickens.
Friday 25 - Feast of the Venerable Bede. The liturgy records him as restoring his talents to his Master with a hundredfold gain and living his life on earth with his mind and his heart in the eternal fatherland. The farm is preparing for the first cut of silage.
Saturday 26 - Michael Driscoll, once a hermit on our property, invited by the Abbot, gave us a conference on the life of prayer, drawing on the disciplines of psychology, philosophy and theology.
Sunday 27 - Pentecost. We had a festive dinner, with Brother Henry present. Chris, an aspirant who has been in touch with us for quite a while arrived for another monastic experience.
MONDAY 28 - The farm has already started bringing in silage, the staple diet for our dairy herd. The corner has started popping up in rows. There is a lot of activity in the chicken barns, because they are cleaning out between flocks. This produces big piles of chicken manure in the fields, but that is what makes the corn grow!
THURSDAY 31 - Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The monks who get out into the woods report sightings of beavers, bears and moose tracks.

June
FRIDAY 1 - There has been discussion in the community about the trees between the monastery and the lake. The Abbot decided to cut down two of them that blocked the view of some of the brothers over the lake. He wanted to keep the others so that the monks have somewhere to sit in the shade if ever the summer arrives. But those trees have grown too fast and will not be very resistant to stormy weather. Fr. Roger began cooking and the result was quite delightful. He will be looking after alternate weekends from now on.
SUNDAY 3 - Trinity Sunday. The weekend was enlivened by having a group of Franciscan Tertiaries on retreat here. They were about twenty in all, representing four groupings of lay Franciscans. They included Fr. Maurice's brother, Georges, and his sister-in-law. The Abbot, being British, thought that we needed to celebrate the Holy Trinity well in the refectory, because it is the weekend of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
MONDAY 4 - This morning's chapter discussion was very lively around the topic of separation from the world, a value essential to the monastic calling.
We are currently reading in the refectory, in French, "Mémoires d'un Prêtre-Ouvrier", by Robert Dumont; in English, we are reading "The End and the Beginning", by George Weigel, about the ministry of Blessed John Paul II. Robert Dumont has had a very varied experience and shares with us the basic insights that transformed his thinking and his belief about our times and the Church at the beginning of the third millennium.
TUESDAY 5 - We decided to take out two big maple trees from right in front of the monastery that overshadowed the statue of Our Lady of Calvary, obscured the view of the lake, brushed against the bell tower and interfered with the layout of bushes and lawns. To compensate the environment we planted a number of trees on another part of the property.
WEDNESDAY 6 - We had four priests and two seminarians staying at the same time in our guest-house.
THURSDAY 7 - Brother Gilles' sixty-ninth birthday.
FRIDAY 8 - After several days of continuous drizzle, the sun came back out. Everybody scurried outside like ants to catch up on the garden and farm work.
SUNDAY 10 - Solemnity of Corpus Christi. The Abbot presided the Mass and Father Roger preached his first homily since his return, nourishing us with spiritual invigorating ideas about how we carry the presence of Jesus beyond our Eucharistic celebration to each other.
In the evening, we began our annual community retreat, guided by Dom Bernard Johnson, who has served the Order in a number of important roles over many years.
MONDAY 11 - Thanks to the nice weather in the last few days, we have been able to get on with work outside, like cutting the lawns and keeping the yards tidy. Brother Gilles has taken on the responsibility for this since Father Adrien can no longer manage it.
WEDNESDAY 13 - Half-way through our annual retreat. Preached by Dom Bernard Johnson, who shared with us, in his own winning way, his experiences of life within several United States monasteries.
FRIDAY 15 - Sacred Heart of Jesus. The retreat concluded before lunch to allow Dom Bernard Johnson to be driven to Moncton by the Father Innocent and the Abbot in the afternoon, where they visited with Brother Henry and Dom Bernard stayed the night in order to catch his early morning flight back to his monastery in California, where they produce prunes, walnuts, grapes, wine and beer.
SUNDAY 17 - Fathers' Day did not seem to make much impact in the monastery. In fact, only Father Graham has his father still living. But we prayed for fathers everywhere, living and dead.
MONDAY 18 - Father Maurice went to the optometrist, Dr. Conrad Doiron, in Miramichi to find out what was happening to his vision which seems to have deteriorated more rapidly this last year. The outcome was a new pair of glasses and a recommendation for a specialised scan.
Our driveway was a bit worse for wear, so a team of workers came and filled up the holes with asphalt.
WEDNESDAY 20 - Our Father Immediate or Father Visitor, Dom Clément Charbonneau, Superior of Mistassini Abbey in the Lac Saint-Jean district of Quebec, spoke to us this morning in Chapter and brought us into full communion with his community.
THURSDAY 21 - During the morning, having first presided the Mass here, Dom Clément went with the Abbot to call on our sisters at Assomption, and, in the afternoon, they went to see Brother Henry in Moncton. During supper we were able to bid Dom Clément goodbye until the next time.
FRIDAY 22 - After Mass, Dom Clément left us to return to his community.
SATURDAY 23 - There were a few welcome showers of rain.
SUNDAY 24 - Brother Henry came to Mass and dinner to celebrate the Feast of Saint John the Baptist. This is the National Festival of the people of Quebec, a branch of France in America. An ocean of cultures and communities live together in Quebec happy and at peace.
MONDAY 25 - Dom André Barbeau, Abbot of the monastery of Val Notre-Dame near Joliette in Quebec Province, to where the community transferred from Oka, came to visit us for 48 hours. He was accompanied by Mother Geneviève-Marie, the Abbess of the monastery of Bonne Espérance at Échourgnac in the department of the Gironde in France. Mother Geneviève-Marie made Assomption, our sisters' monastery, her centre while in Rogersville, while Dom André stayed with us. We very much appreciated their visit and their encouragement! They seemed to have enjoyed their stay.
TUESDAY 26 - Father Graham went to accompany Brother Henry to his specialist for a check on the state of his kidneys which were affected by the cancer he had a couple of years ago. One kidney no longer works, but the specialist was well satisfied with the other one.
This morning there was a routine meeting of the Formation Council.
THURSDAY 28 - The Abbot went with Brother Stephan to have a look at the piece of land we own in Shediac.
FRIDAY 29 - Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, the two apostles at the origin of the Church of Rome. They gave their all for the spread of the gospel and their inspiration is with us still, showing us what is required of the friends of Jesus.

July
SUNDAY 1 July. Canada Day. "Our land glorious and free!"
This evening we marked our monthly day of recollection with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.
Tuesday 3 - Father Graham took me to see my doctor in Moncton for a check-up. We took the opportunity to take Brother Henry out for lunch.
Wednesday 4 - Brother Gilles looked after taking Father Maurice for his annual CT scan to make sure there are no clots in his system that could be life-threatening. Normally this would be a fairly swift procedure, but there were complications with setting up the intravenous procedures. So the whole thing took several hours. However the two were bravely back for Vespers.
Thursday 5 - The Abbot and Brother Gilles battled with the beavers to keep the outlet from Br. Urbain's lake clear. Eventually the beavers withdrew in disgust.
Friday 6 - Feast of Saint Maria Goretti, who, in the year Calvary Abbey was founded, was martyred by her would be sexual assailant. One who died for ever valid principles and who, on her deathbed, forgave her attacker and said she wished to have him in Heaven with her. He attended her canonization in 1950.
Saturday 7 - Brother Gilles took up the mowing of the lawns again, and was stopped by a tropical downpour.
Sunday 8 - 14th Ordinary Sunday. The homily, by Father Maurice, was all about getting to know each other as the gateway to knowing The Eternal.
TUESDAY 10 - It has been very hot and humid around here recently. The huge vans that cool down the barns rather overloaded our electrical system and it was touch and go for the chickens. But Brother Stephan was able to sort out the electrics and the team at the chicken barns provided more air by opening windows and installing grids. The greenhouse needed more watering.
WEDNESDAY 11 - Saint Benedict, Patriarch of Monks. In a world where noise is supreme and silence feared, eager for freedom, individualism and self-fulfilment, Benedict tried to face the challenges of this world rather than its praises. He undertook the menial, rather than bask in the luxuries of this life. Moved by God's grace, Benedict looked ever more longingly towards the good things of Heaven. For his homily, the Abbot gave a commentary on chapter 72 of the Rule.
THURSDAY 12 - Our new hay baler is working very well. We bought it last spring. It has taken a lot of back-breaking work out of hay-making and reduced the number of people needed. Our old square-bale machine was showing signs of wear and getting the bales into the barn loft was real drudgery. The new machine makes big round bales and is controlled by a computerized system from the tractor-cab. You can make the bales tighter or looser, larger or smaller. One of these big bales is the equivalent of ten of the little square ones. You can pick them up and deliver them to the loft with a prong on the front of the tractor. The baler also wraps the bales in plastic mesh to keep them together.
SUNDAY 15 - 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time. Father Roger presided the Mass and preached on the place of the monk in the Church. The Abbot and Father Graham went this afternoon to the cathedral in Moncton take part in a celebration of thanksgiving for the ten years of ministry as Archbishop of André Richard, who has reached the age of retirement.
MONDAY 16 - Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Carmel is a mountain in Lebanon. The Christian hermits who took the prophet Elijah for a model and who became ultimately the Carmelites built on Mount Carmel a monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary. At Nazareth Mary lived a life of work and contemplation and so is an inspiration to all monks. As the day's prayer says, with her aid and protection may we come to the true Mountain which is Christ.
TUESDAY 17 - This morning there was a meeting of the business council to discuss the possibility of putting up for sale 25 acres of land we have at Shediac some 60 miles away, too far to be of any real use to us. It was given to us in 1989. With the proceeds we would be able to buy more milk quota.
THURSDAY 19 - Brother Gilles went to see his eye specialist, who was quite satisfied that his eyes had healed well from the trouble he had some years ago.
FRIDAY 20 - The farm has harvested a lot of good hay and the team is now sowing grass and alfalfa, as well as picking up rocks with the machine that Brother Stephan built.
SATURDAY 21 - The Abbot has been working in the woods opening up a footpath along the side of the lake, between the grotto and the village, for the benefit of our guests and the local people.
SUNDAY 22 - 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time. On Sundays we have music at dinner. The brothers take it in turns to choose it. Today we had part of a CD of Cajun music sent to us by Dom Bernard Johnson, who grew up in Louisiana. Lively music! Brother Stephan was missing from all the offices during the day due to a difficult calving.
MONDAY 23 - We have rather a large area of lawn to maintain. In all it takes about 10 hours to mow. But Brother Gilles manages very well. The last few days he has been rolling it with a spiked drum to get oxygen beneath the surface.
TUESDAY 24 - The farm team have been pressing on with the second cut of silage. The corn is coming on really well, an extremely good year. The corn-grain silage should be exceptionally good. Brother Stephan is working on the big articulated tractor, which has broken down, but the full repair may have to wait until the winter. There are problems with the transmission.
THURSDAY 26 - We had the feast of Saint Anne to whom there is a lot of devotion in certain parts of the country. Actually, on our calendar it is the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus. Together they are venerated as people of great faith, because they did not know where their daughter's life was going to lead them, but put their trust in God and his Word nonetheless.
FRIDAY 27 - The Abbot and Fr. Innocent went to see Br. Henry and spent some time searching for Cameron's, the Kitchen equipment suppliers, because the roads were up in many parts of the centre of Moncton and confusing diversions in effect. Br. Henry was on good form.
SUNDAY 29 - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Father Graham preached a homily of reflection on the Eucharist as sharing what we receive, the Spirit of Love.
MONDAY 30 - We have Chapter three times a week after Lauds, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. This morning we were reading the end of the Prologue of the Rule of Saint Benedict. The Abbot commented that the monastery is a school for listening to Christ's teaching as Master, discovering the way of Truth for each one of us. Patience, rather than suffering enables us to share in the sufferings of Christ.
TUESDAY 31 - Regular monthly meeting of the formation council. Important occasion for reminding everybody of what we should be doing, a very effective means of assuring the peace of the community, without offending against Charity.

August
WEDNESDAY 1 - Father Graham's parents and his Brother Jason, an oratorian in Rome who works at the Vatican, are hear for the long weekend. Brother Stephan is also enjoying a visit from his brother, John. They have been going for long bike-rides together. Brother Gilles has levelled up the ground in the cemetery. A salute to those who heroically fought the fight in the history of our community.
SATURDAY 4 - Sister Kathleen, of our sisters at Assomption, invited the Abbot to accompany her to the airport to meet Dom Thomas Davis, the former abbot of our monastery at Vina in California. Dom Thomas was coming to preach the annual retreat to the sisters, which begins tomorrow. We expect him to come over here and talk to us. Mr. Luc Bourque of Balmoral brought Brother Henry over for the afternoon.
SUNDAY 5 - 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Abbot preached the homily. Commenting on the first reading he said that murmuring out not to figure in the life of the monk, according to Saint Benedict, nor in the life of any Christian. The true Christian knows how to give thanks to God in all circumstances.
Monday 6 - Feast of the Transfiguration. The icon appeared in the chapel, to be replaced the following day with the one of the Dormition, because the people of Rogersville have already begun their annual novena at the Acadian National Monument leading up to their patronal feast on the Solemnity of the Assumption. We opened ourselves to the feast of the Lord's permeating light.
Tuesday 7 - Our raspberries are nearly all picked and eaten, now we are working on the green French beans. Both items have been really delicious this year.
Wednesday 8 - Dom Thomas Davis, for 38 years Abbot of our monastery of Vina in California, now retired, was in Rogersville to preach the retreat for our Trappistine sisters at the monastery of Assomption. Dom Thomas came over for the afternoon, saw around the place, met everybody and stayed for Vespers and a festive supper that everybody seemed to enjoy.
FrIday 10 - Feast of Saint Lawrence. The Abbot pointed out in his introduction to the Mass that the feast has a special significance in Atlantic Canada, since it was on the feast of Saint Lawrence in 1534 that Jacques Cartier sailed into the Bay of St. Lawrence.
Saturday 11 - After the farmer's market in Rogersville, Father Innocent and the Abbot took Dom Thomas Davis to Moncton to catch his plane. On the way they called in to see Br. Henry, whom they found just as well as ever he is and can be, and in good spirits.
The footpath along the lakeside, to the village from behind the grotto, is nearing completion, thanks to Trojan work by Br. Stephan's brother, John. Fr. Graham spent the day in Moncton dealing with family matters, and the truck would not start for his return journey.
Sunday 12 - Father Maurice delivered the homily. God is always at work transforming us. We keep on hoping for rain, and the heavens keep on trying, but never with any great result.
Tuesday 14 - The feast of Saint Maximilian Kolbe.
Wednesday 15 - The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, patron feast day of the Acadians and much celebrated in the village of Rogersville. We were invited to the Trappistines for a delicious BBQ meal.
Thursday 16 - We have two deacons from Halifax staying with us right now, Brian Macmillan and Michael Grace.
Friday 17 - Father Abbot left to go to the Monastery of Our Lady of Prairies for a meeting of superiors and the celebration of 50 years of monastic profession of the abbot of that monastery, Dom Marcel.
Sunday 19 - The 20th Sunday and also the birthday of our Nigerian brother, Father Innocent, who is 46 years old today!
Monday 20 - Feast of Saint Bernard, renowned Abbot of the Cistercian Monastery of Clairvaux, in France, in the first half of the 12th century, councillor of Popes and Kings, prolific spiritual writer. Father Maurice remembered his solemn profession made on this day in 1978.
A priest of the diocese of Halifax was staying, with two of their students for the priesthood.
Thursday 23 - The Abbot came back from the Monastery of Prairies in Manitoba. They had been celebrating the 50th anniversary of the priestly ordination of Dom Marcel, the abbot. They seem to have splendid ceremonies and activities, excellent meals, nice weather and some sight-seeing.
Saturday 25 - My sister, Eveline, came to visit me with her daughters, and I was very happy about that.
Sunday 26 - 21st Sunday of the Year. Chris Mckee, an aspirant to our way of life, came to stay for a couple of weeks.
Tuesday 28 - Br. Stephan chopped down four or five trees and installed a culvert, to bring the new lakeside walk to near completion. It still needs a bit of work with a bulldozer to make the ravine where the culvert is easier to get across. We are still waiting for the new statues for the grotto. The work there is a little bit behind schedule.
Wednesday 29 - Fr. Innocent, Fr. Graham, Br. Michael and the Abbot spent the afternoon and evening in Moncton celebrating the installation at the Cathedral of the new Archbishop, Mgr Valéry Vienneau. He was received into the Cathedral by his predecessor, Mgr André Richard, in a symbolic transfer of responsibility. Then he received the pallium from the Papal Nuncio. The new Archbishop was a frequent visitor here while he was Bishop of Bathurst. Fr. Wesley Wade, the new Administrator of the Diocese of Bathurst is a great friend of our community. We wish everybody a happy and fruitful apostolate in their new appointments.
Thursday 30 - There was a priest and a Redemptorist brother from Prince Edward Island staying in the guest-house.
Friday 31 -Fr. Roger will be returning definitively to the community before the end of the year. This provides one more priest, which is useful. The French beans have been a great success and we had to close the U-pick so as to keep some for ourselves. Fr. Innocent has also flooded the market with vast quantities of huge cucumbers. The local people are expecting the pumpkin crop to be huge this year. The extra heat of these couple of days cause problems again with an overloaded electric system.

September
Saturday 1 - There seems to be a bit of tourist activity in the locality.
Sunday 2 - We nearly forgot the monthly retreat we have on the first Sunday of the month.
Wednesday 5 - The Abbot and Father Graham went to Moncton. Father Graham took Brother Henry to see his cancer specialist, who was satisfied that there was no sign of a return of his illness. Brother Henry still has to struggle with his Parkinson's Disease. The Abbot set up a computer in Brother Henry's room so that he can, eventually, be linked to the offices in our chapel.
Thursday 6 - The farm team did a third cut of alfalfa. The summer weather has been such that the quantity is abundant but the quality leaves something to be desired.
Friday 7 - After a couple of weeks' further monastic experience, Chris McKee returned home to reflect further. Our apples were turned into juice.
Saturday 8 - Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Two of our brethren were remembering their day of entry into the monastery, Father Maurice 40 years ago, and Brother Leo 59 years ago. The Abbot went to the Farmers' Market. Our novice, Michael Perry, decided to leave.
Sunday 9 - The Abbot went to Moncton to spend the afternoon with Brother Henry and to take part in a meeting of Bishops and Major Superiors the following day.
Monday 10 - The Abbot was in Moncton for a meeting of French-speaking religious superiors and bishops of New Brunswick. The new Archbishop of Moncton, Mgr. Valéry Vienneau, was there. He hopes to be able to find enough money to save the Cathedral. The religious in the area are all affected by falling numbers and aging of members, but are determined to live generously their commitments and find their apostolic outlet in what they have to live.
Tuesday 11 - September sees the corn coming to maturity. This attracts the bears. They attract the hunters. The new lakeside walkway was completed with a little bit of bulldozer activity.
Wednesday 12 - A priest from Gaspé, who comes annually, was here on retreat.
Thursday 13 - Claude Hébert from Moncton brought along a group of four or five people for an experience of what the monastery has to offer.
Saturday 15 - Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows or Our Lady of Calvary, patronal feast of the monastery. We had a solemn Mass at which Brother Henry was present. Then we had the company of our sisters from Assomption for dinner. A joyful feast was had by all.
Sunday 16 - 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time. There was a full hour of thunder last night that did not seem to have interfered with anybody's sleep. This year we have not had very many thunder storms. This one put an end to the heat of summer and gave us a feel of autumn.
Monday 17 - After the Office of None the community visited the cemetery to pray for our deceased brethren.
Tuesday 18 - Some of the monks have worked hard in the gardens over the summer. As a result we have had an abundant harvest of many varieties of fruit and vegetables.
Wednesday 19 - This year we have done a lot of work to improve the landscape and it looks quite beautiful.
Thursday 20 - Father Abbot and Father Roger went to Moncton to visit Brother Henry for his birthday.
Friday 21 - The feast of St. Matthew, apostle and evangelist.
Saturday 22 - This week our guesthouse has been very busy with people visiting from many different places.
Sunday 23 - 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time. Father Abbot left by train this evening to give a retreat at one of our Canadian monasteries, Our Lady of the Prairies, in the province of Manitoba. He was accompanied by Glic Jalea who was returning to Montreal after staying with us for over a week. He likes to work and this really showed during his stay. He is very interested in our monastic way of life here at Rogersville.
MONDAY 24 - Father Graham drove me to Moncton for an appointment. We called in to see Brother Henry, who is always happy to see his brothers.
TUESDAY 25 - We are buying another pick-up truck, to replace the one we have, a 1998 Ford. This one is a 2004. We cannot afford to buy new at the present time.
WEDNESDAY 26 - Saint Jean de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues and their companion Canadian martyrs. A retired priest of the Moncton diocese, who still does a lot of work was here for a time of spiritual refreshment.
THURSDAY 27 - When the weather permits we carry on with our apple picking. The apples are big and plentiful, but not of very good quality.
FRIDAY 28 - We made apple juice.
SATURDAY 29 - Saints Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and All the Angels.
SUNDAY 30 -26th Sunday in Ordinary Time. In the refectory we are currently reading the life of Pope John Paul II by George Weigel, and, on the days we have French reading, "L'Esprit de la Musique" by Benedict XVI. The reading at dinner currently terminates with a passage from the Constitutions of the Order.

October
MONDAY 1 - Feast of the ever popular St. Thérèse of Lisieux, her spiritual way is so uncomplicated. Brother Stephan had business on Prince Edward Island.
TUESDAY 2 - We learned of the death of Father Jean-Marie Dumont, a fellow Eudist with Father Clovis Chiasson, who is chaplain to our nuns across the street and lives with us. The Abbot returned from Manitoba.
THURSDAY 4 - Feast of St. Francis. His home town of Assisi seems now to have become the regular place for the General Chapters of our Order. I went to Moncton to see an eye specialist. We had another day making apple juice.
FRIDAY 5 - Brother Stephan was celebrating his 54th birthday. He went with the Abbot and Brother Gilles to pick up our new car in Moncton. The one we had and the truck were in danger of costing too much to repair.
SUNDAY 7 - 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Abbot showed us photos and played some recordings of our community in Manitoba.
MONDAY 8 - One of our oblates from Moncton came to spend a few days at the monastery.
WEDNESDAY 10 - We completed the reading of our Constitutions at the end of dinner. Since we now deal with the Rule of Saint Benedict in a very specific way three times a week in chapter, the Abbot came up with the idea of reading the Sayings of the Desert Father.
After being full for a week the guest-house emptied today.
THURSDAY 11 - In solidarity with the opening of the Year of the Faith, by the Pope in Rome, recalling the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, we had a special Mass presided, with homily, by the Abbot. Throughout the Year of Faith, we will be using the Nicene Creed at the Mass.
FRIDAY 12 - A priest of Voluntas Dei, who works locally and also as a cruise chaplain, was here to concelebrate at the Mass.
SUNDAY 14 - 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time. I want to thank Br. Colombo Weber of our monastery of Gethsemani in Kentucky for his kind words about our chronicle. We are grateful, too, for all his work for the good of our Order.
TUESDAY 16 - Feast of Saint Marguerite d'Youville, from Montreal, foundress of the Grey Nuns. The Abbot gave the important elements of her life at the beginning of the Mass.
THURSDAY 18 - Dom Bede's anniversary of profession, simple profession in 1964 and solemn profession in 1967. The Abbot and Brother Gilles went to Moncton on business concerning the new car. Br. Stephan went to Prince Edward Island in search of parts for his machines. Father Graham took me to Miramichi to see a specialist about my eyes.
SATURDAY 20 - Torrential rain all day. Nonetheless the Abbot went to the Farmers' Market in Rogersville, on his bike; and there sold honey, egg-plants and carrots. Scores of Canada geese took a break on our lake.
SUNDAY 21 - 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Canonisation of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha took place in Rome. The is the first saint from among the First Nation peoples. She was kept in mind during our Mass.
MONDAY 22 - We had a whole day of wind and rain.
WEDNESDAY 24 - Brother Stephan left at six o'clock this morning, driving down to Pennsylvania to visit his mother and family. He will be back in a week. The 4-wheeler Kawasaki mule got stuck in the mud on the new lakeside path. Then the tractor that got it out got stuck. Quite a performance getting that out!
THURSDAY 25 - Father Roger went back to Toronto to see to his personal affairs in view of his definitive return to the monastery. We expect him back at the beginning of December.
SATURDAY 27 - New faces and old in the guest-house. Migrating geese are stopping over on our lake in their hundreds.
SUNDAY 28 - 3th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Despite the absences and without organ, we, nonetheless, did not do too badly at the sung Mass. There is a lot of talk of Hurricane Sandy expected to hit New York and the area around it and then finish up here. Brother Stephan has cut short his visit to the States and is fleeing back up here ahead of the storm.
TUESDAY 31 - Br. Stephan had to cut short by two days his visit to his mother and relatives in the United States. The Superstorm Sandy was on his heels all the way back. But he got here safe and sound, and Sandy hardly affected us at all.

November
THURSDAY 1 November - Solemnity of All Saints. Here is the timetable:
Mass at 9 am.
Br. Henry joined us for the day.Sext and None together at 11.40
Festal Meal with talking.
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament after Vespers.
FRIDAY 2 - Solemn Mass for the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed. The Abbot presided with crozier and incense.
SATURDAY 3 - Father Edmond Richard of Tracadie Sheila came for a short stay. He is a retired priest who has a lot of relatives in Rogersville and even among the deceased members of our community. Brother Gilles worked hard at removing the foundations of a fence which impeded the smooth passage of his lawn mowers. This evening we remembered to turn back our clocks an hour and so got an extra hour's sleep.
SUNDAY 4 - 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time and monthly retreat Sunday. There still seems to be a post-hurricane character to the weather, grey and drizzly.
MONDAY 5 - Our new Archbishop, Valéry Vienneau, of Moncton joined us for dinner. He updated us on the situation of the Church in Moncton and talked about how he saw his new ministry. He had previously been bishop of the suffragan see of Bathurst. It was a very pleasant exchange.
TUESDAY 6 - Father Graham took me to Moncton for a medical appointment! The Abbot called all the professed of the community to council this morning.
WEDNESDAY 7 - We had a long letter from our former Father Immediate, Dom Bernard Lefebvre, last Abbot of Bonnecombes. He gave us a lot of news about his monastery of Aiguebelle.
THURSDAY 8 - Our IT consultant came and installed a computer in the scriptorium which will allow us to set up a link that will allow Brother Henry to follow the services in our chapel from his room in the care home where he resides in Moncton.
FRIDAY 9 - The Abbot went with Father Innocent to complete the installation of the link between Brother Henry and our chapel. When he got back it was not right and he will have to go again!
SATURDAY 10 - We have found the right place to burn branches and trimmings from trees. With the help of the wind the vast quantity that had piled up really took off this afternoon!
SUNDAY 11 - 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Father Maurice was recalling the anniversary of his ordination as a priest. He is still active despite his infirmities, and still working at providing us with new choir books. He preaches, reads the gospel and concelebrates, but no longer presides at the Eucharist.
MONDAY 12 - The two deacons about to be ordained priest for the diocese of Moncton were here all week for their pre-ordination retreat.
TUESDAY 13 - The Abbot succeeded in establishing a link, via Skype, that will enable Brother Henry to listen to the offices in our chapel from his room in the nursing home in Moncton. This was a suitable way of celebration the feast of the Saints of the Order. The Abbot went to Brother Henry's with Father Graham. Fr. Graham took Brother Henry to an appointment with his cancer specialist. The doctor was satisfied that there was now no sign of the cancer. Meanwhile, the Abbot worked on Brother Henry's computer. Since Br. Henry does not have a great deal of experience with computers, the Abbot has found a way of operating Br. Henry's computer for him from back at the monstery.
THURSDAY 15 - We bought a truck, in way better condition than the one we had. It is a 2006 model and looks real good, red on the outside with white seats!
SATURDAY 17 - The guest-house has been very full this week. The Abbot went to the farmers' market to sell pottery and sold honey.
SUNDAY 18 - Most of the guests went home, but not before complementing Father Maurice on his well thought out sermon and saying how they appreciated that he preached in both languages. They were also very impressed with the music at the Mass.
TUESDAY 20 - The garden was very productive this year, so we have lots of vegetables. Thanks be to God.
WEDNESDAY 21 - Milk production has also gone up. We are milking 70. This is a record in the history of our dairy operation! The main fodder for the cows is corn. This complicates life because it attracts bears and racoons.
FRIDAY - The Abbot is busy with the canonical visitation at our Trappistine sisters, across the road and the railway track.
SATURDAY - The Abbot went to Shediac to inspect the piece of land we have there that we would like to sell - 25 acres, for $50,000.
SUNDAY 25 - Feast of Christ the King. The Abbot presided the solemn Mass, Father Innocent preached an enthusiastic sermon, and Father Graham went to the Trappistines, because the chaplain was in Quebec. We had a cheerful community meal with Brother Henry present and some very tasty salmon.

Throughout these last few weeks we have been following with our prayer and sharing the pain of our sisters at Bonneval in France, which is, as we are, a former daughter house of Bonnecombes. Their Sister Lydwine disappeared without trace on 5th November. For more information see this link: http://www.ocso.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=526%3Abonneval&catid=37%3Ageneral-news&Itemid=77&lang=en
TUESDAY 27 - Father Graham took me to see Dr. Riveros, the eye specialist. My eyes are not getting any worse and I can see better. The doctors are also keeping an eye on the quality of Fr. Maurice's blood.
THURSDAY 29 - We learned that our former worker, Rhéal DesRoches has a serious and sizeable tumour on the brain. Today's tests showed that it is not cancer, but it will need treatment. We keep him in our prayers.
FRIDAY 30 - We are very happy with our little new Korean car - a KIA. It is more exciting to drive than our old Chrysler.

December
SATURDAY 1 - Father Roger came back. The Abbot greeted him at the station because he happened to be across the street at the Farmers' Market. The Abbot took the opportunity to adjust the places in choir with an eye to balancing the voices.
SUNDAY 2 - 1st Sunday of Advent. The Lord is waiting to come to us everyday if we will open the door and let him in. We had a typical start of winter storm with wind and snow, turning to freezing rain and ice pellets, then to rain.
TUESDAY 4 - Mother Alfreda, Abbess of our sisters at Assomption, shared with us the news from Rougemont, the Cistercian monastery south of Montreal. There, the former Abbot whom we all know, is courageously struggling with cancer. After 10 days in hospital he is feeling better, but we keep him in our prayers. The district nurse is attending him at the monastery. He still attends choir sometimes and insists on being present with the community in the refectory. Courageously, he says: "It's like palliative care in the monastery."
I went to the local clinic for a blood test and was vaccinated against influenza.
Our neighbour and former worker, Rhéal DesRoches had to be rushed to hospital. They discovered he had a non-malignant brain tumour. He says: "They found out I have a brain." He was our handyman for many years.
THURSDAY 6 - The Abbot went to Miramichi with Fr. Graham. While the latter did his shopping, the abbot got healed of an injury he had done to his thorax, by Kumar Luke, the massage therapist.
FRIDAY 7 - The Abbot went to Moncton, with Brother Gilles, to see Brother Henry.
SATURDAY 8 - Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The Abbot spent the morning at the Farmer's Market and sold unprecedented quantities of honey. In the evening, the choir from Collette put on a concert for us of seasonal songs in the French carol tradition. It was much appreciated, and a very pleasant evening was enjoyed with our guests.
SUNDAY 9 - Second Sunday of Advent. Father Roger presided and preached at Mass. Father Innocent looked after the Mass for the nuns at Assomption, because their regular chaplain had to have a routine surgery.
TUESDAY 11 - The doctor is adjusting my tablets. I feel better every day. Deo Gratias.
WEDNESDAY 12 - Our first winter storm hit. It was quite impressive.
THURSDAY 13 - We decided to start selling our apple juice in two litre jugs. We have plenty of it.
FRIDAY 14 - We had an interesting discussion in chapter about giving some time in community to the study of the psalms.
The interior bell system has been adjusted. It was too short and quiet. This caused people to be late for the office and, sometimes, miss offices altogether.
SUNDAY 16 - 3rd Sunday of Advent. Gaudete. We had a festive Mass presided over by the Abbot.
Faith is a response. We are celebrating ten years since our Abbot was elected and said "Yes". "Have no fear, Bede, I will be your shield and your reward will be great." The Abbot continues his dialogue with the Lord.
MONDAY 17 - We managed to get all our Christmas decorations up for the 17th December, the beginging of the O Antiphons. We have a magnificent Christmas tree in the refectory.
TUESDAY 18 - Father Maurice and I had an appointment at the clinic in Rogersville. We took the chance to have a look at the progress of the new civic building that will house the village administration, the fire department and the police, replacing the one that burned down. The Abbot also went to get an anti-flu injection.
FRIDAY 21 - We got a great Christmas gift from one of our regular guests, John Bourque, in the form of a Keurig coffee maker. Bravo, John, we are going to enjoy that!
SATURDAY 22 - The Abbot went with John to visit Br. Henry and do some shopping for our Christmas table in Moncton. The rain washed out a lot of our snow, but then it all froze up and snowed again.
SUNDAY 23 - 4th Sunday of Advent. The was a planned power outage for maintenance purposes from 5 am to 7 am this morning. This developed into an unplanned outage for another two hours! We had breakfast and Lauds by candlelight.
MONDAY 24 - Christmas Eve. After First Vespers of the Feast of the Nativity we had a festive meal of local delicacies. This was followed, at 7 pm, by the Solemn Night Mass of Christmas, presided by the Abbot and at which he also preached.
TUESDAY 25 - CHRISTMAS DAY. Feast of the Nativity of Jesus. Vigils of the Nativity was at the usual time of 3.40 am, with Lauds or Morning Prayer at 6.20. The Solemn Mass of Christmas Day was at 9 am, presided by the Abbot, but Father Roger preached the homily. Br. Henry was with us for the Mass and for the festive lunch that we had after midday prayer. To round out the day we had another festive supper with traditional Acadian meat pies.
WEDNESDAY 26 - Feast of the Proto-Martyr Saint Stephen. Somebody recalled that the term "martyr" meant a witness to Jesus - what we all hope to be.
FRIDAY 28 - We had the annual Christmas Dinner with our employees. Everybody enjoyed a superb meal and a very happy atmosphere. The day was marked by a heavy snowstorm but Rémi cleared the driveways with the snowblower well in time for the evening festivities.
SUNDAY 30 - Feast of the Holy Family. It snowed all day, leaving an extra two feet of snow, heavy drifting and a wind chill during the night of -17ºC.