OCTOBER 2014

Wednesday 1st.  Léo Goudreau et Fils' truck was here from Québec. They take care of bells: maybe they were by in regards to the electronics on the gate, which was set up the same time as our small bell tower. Father Innocent had matters to see to in Richibucto and MIramichi, after replacing Father Clovis for Mass at the Sisters. He wasn't able to have lunch until 3 PM, so McDonald's was the spot, as by then he was not interested in waiting around. "Never great" is his take on this restaurant chain. The drilling began. Well number one is only a few feet north of the monastery. All began smoothly, and the crew are nice people. Then late in the afternoon, our well water was affected by the drilling. Brother Stephan switched the system to an alternate well further away.
Thursday 2nd. Our refectory book on Pius the Twelfth, Soldier of Christ, is nearing its conclusion. The author, Ontario historian Robert Ventresca, seems to want the reader to decide for himself what to make of Pius XII's wartime record. Not an easy task! Perhaps after the war Pope Pius himself felt his earnest aspirations to do good and fight evil in that situation had failed.
Friday 3rd. Father Roger offered Mass for all families, in preparation for the Synod. The first prayer at Mass asked that all families might come to know the unity and openness the Holy Family experienced. The well-drilling does not make a lot of noise, which is nice since it goes on most of the day. Drilling will last two weeks. A series of pipes in the ground now run along the east wall of the guest-house. The grass is damp, some mud, and a lot of silt.
Saturday 4th. Dom Bede is likely embarking a plane in Rome today to begin wending his way back to us. It will be good to see him again. Because we are so far east in Canada, international travel often involves flying past New Brunswick to Montreal or Toronto, waiting a few hours, then heading back east...
Sunday 5th. Brother Stephan's birthday is today. It is also the anniversary of Father Adélard Robichaud's death. Next year, 2015, will be the centenary of Thomas Merton and also of Adélard Robichaud.

Monday 6th. Father Graham's parents are here for a visit. Wednesday is Graham's birthday. One of our farm employees is back to work after a week's vacation...spent chopping wood and seeing to several other chores at his own place. The well-digging continues: seems as though they might start another series of wells going east. There will be thirty wells in all. Most important event today: Father Innocent brought Dom Bede back from Moncton after his month in Italy. He returned flu-and-cold-free, happily: sometimes the General Chapter makes people sick.
Tuesday 7th. In Moncton, Father Maurice was admitted to hospital because of a fever today. Father Clovis is gone to Québec for a week. A friend of his is staying on, looking to what's left for apple picking chores. There seem to be more apples this year than usual. It is now more fall-like outside. A month ago, geese began practising for the flight south. Then it warmed up and we heard the distinctive honking no more. Either they'll soon begin their usual fall practise runs, circling the monastery and lake, or they‘ve all slipped away in a hurry!
Wednesday 8th. In chapter here, Our Abbot gave his first impressions of the General Chapter in Rome. Though we are always at a turning point of one sort or another, this Chapter brought the superiors together in a special way, at a crucial moment. In the afternoon, Bede and Innocent made their way to Moncton to see how Maurice was doing. Maurice was still waiting to be moved from the main floor to an actual room. Bede stayed in Moncton overnight to keep an eye on Maurice's progress.
Thursday 9th. Under sunny skies, Father Graham drove Father Roger to the Moncton Airport. Roger is visiting his mother in Peterborough Ontario this Thanksgiving Day weekend. On the way back, Graham picked up Dom Bede at the hospital where Maurice was by then settled in and doing a bit better. After a quick lunch, it was back to the monastery for None, then off to the clinic for Père Adrien to see his old friend Dr. Blanchard. When the monastery was more well-stocked with seniors in the 1990's, some of whom could not easily travel, Blanchard would drop by the monastery after work to care for them.
Friday 10th. In Chapter, Dom Bede continued to share with us the results and the spirit of the Chapter in Assisi. This Chapter was the first time the order discussed how to use internet in monasteries. A little trailer of produce from Father Innocent's garden is standing near the back door. There are now about a dozen of the geothermal heating wells dug, in two rows quite close to each another.
Saturday 11th. Brother Léo's walker came tumbling down a set of stairs after him this week, fortunately not hurting him. A few monks continued viewing For Greater Glory on DVD this week. It is based on the 1926-1929 Mexican counter-revolution. With Mexican government solders shooting at Catholic freedom fighters and the freedom fighters shooting back, it is easily one of the loudest films we've watched.
Sunday 12th. No news is good news for Maurice, hopefully. On the farm, workers discussed the corn harvest, which should begin next week. The hope is always that the different equipment used to collect it will function well. The corn leaves now are looking almost white. Someone told me that after harvesting the corn, rabbits hop away from the fields, where they've been lingering, a phenomena I have yet to see. The rabbits are not considered dangerous.

Monday 13th. It was quiet in town today, Thanksgiving Day. This afternoon it warmed up just a little. Flocks of starlings appeared. Father Innocent cleared away some of the plastic anti-weed material covering part of the garden, which was placed there by Father Clovis in seasons past. Brother Mike drove Dom Bede to Moncton to look in on Père Maurice, who had recovered and was looking forward to leaving hospital soon.
Tuesday 14th. The corn harvest is off to a good start. This afternoon, Father Graham brought Father Roger back from the Moncton Airport. In residence n Dieppe, Brother Henry is finding some of the news coverage of the synod odd. Père Maurice is now set to leave hospital this week, but not today. Here at the monastery, the masons began reconstructing the broken entrance gate and are off to a good start. They are old and steady.
Wednesday 15th. Father Clovis returned to us. He brought some moose meat with him. This morning, Father Adrien had a routine blood test at the clinic. The Geo-Thermal people were downstairs this afternoon sorting out how the water lines into the monastery are arranged. Work on this project seems to be entering a slightly different stage, with a big, water-filled opening outside at day's end.
Thursday 16th. Brother Léo says he asked the person in charge of the geo-thermal installation if they would be finished by November 1st. He said he didn't think so, which sparked a debate among our old-timers, when will they finish? November? December? It all seems to be going smoothly. While they are drilling, all you hear while sitting in the empty chapel is a hum.
Friday 17th. This week, we dug into a pumpkin pie, the first of what will likely be a series of pumpkin dishes supplied from our garden. At the front door, we have sold some pumpkins. It has continued pleasantly mild, with even an October frog hopping around outside the dairy barn. Father Innocent has been checking the greenhouse's windows, which will soon have to bear up to a bit of snow.
Saturday 18th. Feast of Saint Luke and fiftieth anniversary of profession of Dom Bede. To mark the occasion, the curé as well as five Trappistines joined us for Mass, along with Father Clovis, and Brother Henry. It was striking and happy to be able to share this passage with Bede. Although Father Maurice was released from hospital Friday, he hung in in Dieppe instead of travelling here today. In the wee hours of the morning, Father Graham found a cow in the milk house. The milk house-comprising office, motors, milk storage tank, washroom, et cetera-- is the one place the cows can't get into, normally, so Olga and Graham were both a little surprised.
Sunday 19th. More sunshine, at least part of the day. The cows have begun eating the corn as this is brought in. Today Laurie Allain remarked how much better the cows run on corn, with so much protein. Olga the Cow stopped to look through the window into the milk house: could it be she is thinking of an office job?

Monday 27th. Brother Michael is working on renovations to the little bread-baking room across the hall from the kitchen. As with a few other corners of the monastery, it would be difficult to say just how long the tiles, et cetera have remained untouched for. In Moncton, Father Maurice was able to say Mass today for the first time since leaving hospital.
Tuesday 28th. A starry night last night and a bit of sun this morning did not hurt the cause. This afternoon, Father Innocent was sealing the cracks in the greenhouse, in preparation for snowfall. There are many separate panes of glass to see to. The geo-thermal people had to trim some more from the trees around the well to allow access for the equipment. Had an Abbatial Church been built here, the area they are working in would have become the enclosed cloister yard seen at other monasteries.
Wednesday 29th. The Geo-thermal crew took away their drill, leaving behind a little high-hoe and an equipment trailer. The thirty wells needed seem to have all been dug. We learned of the death of someone whose friendship towards the community would be difficult to forget, John McNulty of Dartmouth. The inspiration John drew from his visits here was deep. Health problems had kept him from making the journey for several years.
Thursday 30th. Father Graham took Brother Henry to see his specialist in Moncton. A good appointment. Medicine is advancing all the time: a brand-new Parkinson's medication might be of help to Henry in the near future. After the appointment they picked up some candles for the monastery chapel, and had a meal together.
Friday 31st. The dairy farm is receiving a few kittens: recruits for pest control. In chapter Dom Bede briefed us on the weekend's activities, as well as the end of daylight savings time which, as he mentioned, can cause a bit of confusion here. One of the senior monks explained to me that daylight savings time is not just about helping farmers do their work: it also exists in order to give ordinary folks extra time for living it up.