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Bringing the geothermal into the house. |
Monday 3rd.
In Chapter this morning, Dom Bede presented us with "guidelines for the use of internet, mass media and the new communications
media", drawn up at the General Chapter in Assisi. One page in length. The goal set is that new technologies may serve
our communities, and foster communion. Our spaces and silence, our monastic days and nights as well as the formation of community
members are all considered. Tuesday 4th. Dom Bede said Mass at the sisters,
because their chaplain Father Clovis is headed to northern NB to celebrate the milestone of a beloved family member. Dom Clément
of Mistassini arrived to us by car this afternoon. He will stay here while carrying out the regular visitation of our sisters'
community. As described by the order's constitutions, "the purpose of the regular visitation is to strengthen and
supplement the pastoral action of the local abbot/abbess, to correct it where necessary, and to motivate the brothers/sisters
to lead the Cistercian life with a renewed spiritual fervour." The reality of the visitation is gentler and more personal
than the description can sound. Thursday 6th. At lunch the reading we're
listening to is house reports from the General Chapter. These 178 reports from monasteries of men or women all over the world
let us know how things have progressed everywhere over the last three years. One community it is always striking to hear about
is the Atlas community. In their house report they mention that the popular French movie "Of Gods and Men", based
on the story of their martyrs, has been sparking new vocations to their monastery. Friday
7th. The snow from Sunday has remained, with just a bit more having fallen since, putting a fresh face on things. The
geothermal heating installation is moving along. Now they are putting connections from the wells to where the pumps will be
inside, one pump for every three wells. Linking the wells three by three has required a bit of digging. Our elders are impressed
with the skill of the high-hoe operator. Saturday 8th. Dom Clément
wrapped up the visitation at the sisters this morning. He will spend a few more days with us, and hopefully speak to us in
chapter. Sunday 9th. In the course of the day we learned of the deaths
of Mother Alfreda's mother Ernestine Gaudet, who was 100, and of Father Robert Allain, 62, Vicar-General of the Archdiocese
of Moncton, both impressive people. Robert had recently moved in to the residence where our Father Maurice and Brother Henry
stay.
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Geese on ice. |
Monday 10th.
In Chapter, Dom Clément thanked us for our hospitality and let us know how some of old friends are doing. After celebrating
Mass for us, he left for Québec. Christmas cards to send have shown up in our scriptorium. Each year, Dom Bede designs
and produces a new card. This year's theme is Franciscan. Tuesday 11th.
Father Adrien has been spending several mornings cutting up what is left from our apples, for the kitchen to make apple sauce
with. This may be contributing to the ongoing presence in the building of fruit flies, but they were already cheerfully flying
about before Adrien started. One of our cooks has created a fruit fly trap mix which we leave out. As well as being Remembrance
Day and the feast of Saint Martin, today is the 35th anniversary of priestly ordination for Père Maurice. Because of
his health at the time, the date of his ordination was advanced to make sure he would be able to celebrate at least a few
Masses in his time. These days, he is celebrating a much-appreciated daily Mass for those gathered at the residence in Dieppe.
Wednesday 12th. In Chapter, we discussed the order's guidelines for
usage of the internet, and remembered the different reactions of monks to -the daily newspaper, when simply having access
to that was something. In town this morning, people were remembering Robert Allain's sense of humor. Generosity seems
to go hand in hand with a gentle but keen sense of humor for Acadie's parish priests. Thursday 13th. Brother Glic has been cleaning the inside of the milking parlour with a pressure washer. Bravo!
This week the chapel also got a cleaning, also thanks to Glic. Father Innocent cleared out the summer's tomato plants
from the greenhouse. Our employees cleaned the chicken barn. Father Innocent mopped the dining room floor. Even the septic
tank truck got a good hosing down, after several days spreading liquid manure on our fields. Friday 14th. Having attended the funeral for Mère Alfreda's mother on Wednesday, this afternoon
Dom Bede went to Father Robert Allain's funeral in Cap Pelé, accompanied by Father Doris, the curé from
town. Cap Pelé is roughly two and a half hours from here. Saturday 15th.
After Mass, the community met to discuss the internet and guidelines. To be continued. A good and lengthy discussion. Dom
Bede told us a bit about yesterday's funeral: the reactions and attendance indicate to what degree Robert Allain was loveable
and of help. Sunday 16th. Father Maurice and Brother Henry joined us
from Moncton for Mass and lunch together. In the barn before afternoon milking, a calf was born, then made its way out of
the calving pen to the alley, where it was already walking about. A bull! By the end of the milking, another cow had given
birth to a female, who was more sedate. Often, however, the females are markedly more animated just after birth than are males...
In late afternoon, Brother Stephan drove Brother Glic to the train station, so that Glic could catch the 5:15 train for a
short visit to Montreal, his former home town.
Monday 17th.
At 8 AM on the dot the geo-thermal team was back to work outside. They seem to be filling in the last open trench along with
the opening along the wall. Guess they will begin the work inside next. Using a tractor this afternoon, Brother Stephan turned
over Father Innocent's garden, then worked some other, farm fields as a light snow began to fall. Tuesday 18th. At our three-story chicken barn this morning, workers were shovelling sawdust into the machine
that blows this bedding up through an exterior pipe then through an open window, in preparation for the new flock. Yesterday's
snow melted, and the lawn showed green beneath it. Wednesday 19th. Update
on the fruit fly situation: other people in the area are experiencing the same phenomena in their homes this year. Is it an
after-effect of the verdant summer of 2014? In the scriptorium today Dom Bede posted Mass duties for Christmas Season. From
December 24th to January 4th there will be five homilies, from four priests. Thursday
20th. It snowed a bit this morning, but by afternoon Dom Bede was able to get out to Collette on his bicycle. Father
Graham took the Kia for its servicing in Moncton, then took Brother Henry to the Optical to choose some frames. With a half-hour
to wait, they went over to watch part of Moncton's oldest shopping center, Highfield Square, being demolished. Henry said
he hoped whatever they build next will be as nice as Highfield Square was. Friday
21st. This morning dozens of starlings settled on one of our apple trees and on the lawn, and on the power line next
to it, and warbled, producing quite a lively sound. Does this have something to do with a forthcoming change in weather? Supposedly,
after dipping down, temperatures will bounce back up in the upcoming days. These starlings (or their relatives) have taken
to wintering in our dairy barn. Though they make it through winter, it does not seem as happy a life for them as life outdoors
is. Saturday 22nd. Dom Bede prepared to set out for Europe this morning.
He will assist Dom Guerric of La Trappe with the regular visitation of Tre Fontane in Rome, then visit his sister Marie and
her family in England, then the community of Mount Saint Bernard. Father Stephen of Mount Saint Bernard celebrates 50 years
of profession, December 8th. He and Dom Bede made profession in 1964 within two months of one another and will be together
again for Stephen's day. Sunday 23rd. Father Adrien helped himself
to some of our home-made apple jelly for breakfast. It is good and sweet. Brother Léo says the guest-house looks quiet
for the next month, only two bookings up to Christmas week. The guest-house usually remains fairly quiet most of winter and
spring, but with variations to that pattern. At lunch we listened to a CD of music for the Royal Wedding of William and Kate,
and ate salmon provided by Father Clovis, chaplain to the Trappistines. He has fish connections unknown to us that never seem
to fail.
Monday 24th.
An exceptionally quiet and still day. Thanks to the woods, the barn, the fields and the lake, mornings are pleasant to look
at even when the sky is solid grey. It was this morning, then the stillness was broken by rain. A crack in the steps leading
up to the big, red doors caused a bit of water to leak into the basement entrance. Tuesday
25th. The geo-thermal crew have not been around in several days. They seemed to be on the verge of beginning the indoors
work when they stopped. As organised as they are, it will probably be a blitzkrieg approach. In Dieppe today Brother Henry
watched a program on EWTN about the experiences of novices to the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word. It took years
to get him the cable connection for this channel, the only one he wanted. Wednesday
26th. Unfortunately, Dom Bede's luggage reached its destination 12 hours after Bede did. Aside from that, things
seem to be going smoothly. Bede is now at the monastery of Tre Fontane in Rome. Father Roger went to Moncton on business today,
leaving six of us here. At noon we prayed the Office, had lunch with reading, then did the dishes. Half the monks wash the
serving vessels in the kitchen and store the left-overs. The other half wash the dinner dishes in the food service area.
Thursday 27th. Big snow overnight. Our video this evening was about
the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hahn. We saw photos and footage from his days as a novice in Vietnam then followed his story
and message to the 1990's at Plum Village Monastery near Bordeaux, France. A dynamic and humble person. Friday 28th. Visitors to the area say that though the driving was not always easy this week, the snow and
winter itself is beautiful. Because P. Adrien's brother-in-law showed up in late morning, Adrien invited him to share
lunch with him in the guesthouse. Then he showed him around the monastery a little. People are interested in our geo-thermal
heating system. Saturday 29th. Pope Francis' Apostolic Letter on
the year of consecrated life appeared in French and English translation. The year begins tomorrow. To date, this particular
‘year of' has not suffered from an excess of publicity: more than a few of us had no idea it was about to begin.
The letter is organised according to aims, expectations and horizons for the year of consecrated life. Waking up the world
is one of the expectations Pope Francis relates in his letter, "since the distinctive sign of consecrated life is prophecy."
He expects us to live lives that, as regards Christian joy especially, are "eloquent". Sunday 30th. After lunch, Father Innocent was thinking of getting out on our frozen lake. The temperature
climbed however; the lake surface grew watery, the lake and the sky became the same grey-blue except for the shadow of the
trees. The Advent antiphons for Lauds and Vespers have a nice ring to them, they show to good advantage the style of their
composer, a monk formerly based in Rougemont, Québec.
Our Lady of Calvary Abbey 11505 Route 126, Rogersville NB, E4Y 2N9 Tel : 506 775 2331 E-mail : CalvaryAbbey@aol.com
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