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APRIL 2015

Wednesday 1st. Father Roger has glasses now. When he has them on he looks a bit like Val Notre Dame (Québec) monks do; the beard helps.
An old friend of ours arrived today for a three week observership in community: Paul Leger was just in time to hear Bishop David Edwards speak to us in the chapter room, and answer questions. Bishop David is certainly clear-minded and positive about his role, which he took on six months ago. It was one of the best such talks we've had.
Thursday 2nd. We had a longer-than-usual singing class this morning, led once again by Brother Stephan, with Dom Bede giving indications as to how the celebration of the Mass of the Lord's Supper would go. At this Mass there are special songs to sing during the washing of the feet.
Friday 3rd. After lunch, Innocent and Bede stopped in to see Father Adrien, who appreciated the gesture. Though it is for practical reasons, having services later in the afternoon than is the practice elsewhere seems to give them extra impact, partly because of the quiet afternoon time before prayer. Today and yesterday the liturgy kicked off at 4:45 PM. There were quite a few people in the chapel this evening.
Saturday 4th. Sometimes it's P.E.I. that supplies us with Grade A guests, but for Holy Week we welcomed two Nova Scotians instead. Another singing class this morning after Tierce, the last one for a bit. Strange but true: now there may be yet more bad weather tonight, preventing Brother Maurice and Father Henry from visiting us once again.
Sunday 5th. After some wind and snow overnight, the full moon emerged in a cloudless sky. The paschal fire wood had been set up in the sacristy, but then shortly before 4:30 AM Father Innocent, our dauntless fire marshal, cleared the snow and ice from in front of the red doors so we could start things outside instead. The vigil Mass took two hours nearly to the minute. Brother Henry and Father Maurice did make it in, and Father Doris also joined the community for lunch. In the afternoon the Abbot went with Brother Glicerio to see Father Adrien in the hospital.

Monday 6th. Our Paschal Candle looks nice: guests walk up to look at it. We use a new, plain white candle which the Abbot marks for the year with steel parts Brother Stephan made in the garage. The monks seem to be going with the Easter flow after an intense few days. Brother Léo is bouncing back nicely from a busy week as guest master. Unfortunately, Brother Léo lost his younger sister Jeannette today, we prayed for her this week. In Chapter this morning Dom Bede announced he'd be attending the Beatification of Blessed Marie-Élizabeth Turgeon in Rimouski the last Sunday of the month. The Order she founded in Rimouski, the Sisters of the Holy Rosary, are organising the celebrations.
Tuesday 7th. Signs have been posted over the urinals on the second floor: Uncle Sam pointing at us and urging us to flush the urinals. American influence everywhere!
It seems as though the geo-thermal work will have to wait until the snow melts around the transformer on the front lawn so they can hook up more power.
A hi-hoe has been excavating snow from around the barn, especially around the mouth of the tunnel the cows use to walk under the road to their pasture.
Wednesday 8th. Brother Stephan has been busy with repairs. The tank from the septic truck is on its back in the garage, the long bottom half removed, a newly built bottom section about to go on. In days of yore we had a small business emptying people's septic tanks. Let's say it was not a big money maker! Nowadays we just use this truck for the sewage lagoon from the barn.
Thursday 9th. Brother Glicerio built a wooden step for milking. Solid. We are a few feet lower than the cows, so sometimes things are a bit of a stretch. We're trying out some new hymns for Easter Time. Brother Stephan records a rendition of the hymns and e-mails it to members of the schola so they can practice before the hymn appears for the first time. There are other new hymns in our hymnal still awaiting a trial run. Paul Légère our aspirant decided the monastery was not for him and returned to Massachusetts today.
Friday 10th. Unbeknownst to us, Dom Bede was taken to hospital in the night, we were not sure for what reason until later on in the day, and so this was an unusual day. As it turns out he has blood clots in his lungs and will be staying in the Miramichi for the next few days. He called mid-day to say his condition should not be that difficult to treat.
Saturday 11th. Father Roger re-emerged after a 24 hour flu. Father Adrien is still in hospital and doing well. There is little real news on Bede; the hospital is calmly working to clear the blood clots. We have been praying for him, and I think he must be praying or us. To see him, as a few of us have, is to be re-assured. He is feeling well enough to be entertained by the endless ‘television show' of the emergency room, though a room of his own would be nicer and more restful.
As the light changes outside you can see the trees across the lake more clearly. One gets the impression the snow will lose, the trees, the grass and other vegetation will soon win.
Sunday 12th. Shortly before Lauds, Brother Michael lit the Paschal Candle. It is on a home-made, telescoping stand and was weaving back and forth. We understand how you feel, Paschal Candle!
Monday 6th. Our Paschal Candle looks nice: guests walk up to look at it. We use a new, plain white candle which the Abbot marks for the year with steel parts Brother Stephan made in the garage. The monks seem to be going with the Easter flow after an intense few days. Brother Léo is bouncing back nicely from a busy week as guest master. Unfortunately, Brother Léo lost his younger sister Jeannette today, we prayed for her this week. In Chapter this morning Dom Bede announced he'd be attending the Beatification of Blessed Marie-Élizabeth Turgeon in Rimouski the last Sunday of the month. The Order she founded in Rimouski, the Sisters of the Holy Rosary, are organising the celebrations.
Tuesday 7th. Signs have been posted over the urinals on the second floor: Uncle Sam pointing at us and urging us to flush the urinals. American influence everywhere!
It seems as though the geo-thermal work will have to wait until the snow melts around the transformer on the front lawn so they can hook up more power.
A hi-hoe has been excavating snow from around the barn, especially around the mouth of the tunnel the cows use to walk under the road to their pasture.
Wednesday 8th. Brother Stephan has been busy with repairs. The tank from the septic truck is on its back in the garage, the long bottom half removed, a newly built bottom section about to go on. In days of yore we had a small business emptying people's septic tanks. Let's say it was not a big money maker! Nowadays we just use this truck for the sewage lagoon from the barn.
Thursday 9th. Brother Glicerio built a wooden step for milking. Solid. We are a few feet lower than the cows, so sometimes things are a bit of a stretch. We're trying out some new hymns for Easter Time. Brother Stephan records a rendition of the hymns and e-mails it to members of the schola so they can practice before the hymn appears for the first time. There are other new hymns in our hymnal still awaiting a trial run. Paul Légère our aspirant decided the monastery was not for him and returned to Massachusetts today.
Friday 10th. Unbeknownst to us, Dom Bede was taken to hospital in the night, we were not sure for what reason until later on in the day, and so this was an unusual day. As it turns out he has blood clots in his lungs and will be staying in the Miramichi for the next few days. He called mid-day to say his condition should not be that difficult to treat.
Saturday, April 11th. Father Roger re-emerged after a 24 hour flu. Father Adrien is still in hospital and doing well. There is little real news on Bede; the hospital is calmly working to clear the blood clots. We have been praying for him, and I think he must be praying or us. To see him, as a few of us have, is to be re-assured. He is feeling well enough to be entertained by the endless ‘television show' of the emergency room, though a room of his own would be nicer and more restful.
As the light changes outside you can see the trees across the lake more clearly. One gets the impression the snow will lose, the trees, the grass and other vegetation will soon win.
Sunday 12th. Shortly before Lauds, Brother Michael lit the Paschal Candle. It is on a home-made, telescoping stand and was weaving back and forth. We understand how you feel, Paschal Candle!

Monday 13th. Someone was buying hay this morning, managing two of the big, round bales on a trailer on their pick-up. What is left of the snow around the apple trees is now hard enough to stand on thanks to partial melting, making Father Clovis' orchard work easier. It's a delight for some locals, when the conditions are just right (and they rarely are) to walk easily in the woods still in winter and walk anywhere.
Tuesday 14th. Good news: Dom Bede was released from the crowded hospital this morning. After thanking the hospital staff, he was back just in time for lunch: no one at table knew he was on his way and so they were pleasantly surprised to see him walk on in. Bede finds the monastery more restful than the hospital, in particular because of the cot he was on there.
Wednesday 15th. Dom Bede is off to a good start, getting his activity (walking especially) back gradually as the blood thinners work away.
Our walk-in freezer failed completely this evening, obliging Father Roger and Brother Glicerio to disperse its contents to smaller freezers, with the intention of making something soon with the frozen tomatoes. Looks like we need a new compressor.
Thursday 16th. Dom Bede went to Dieppe this morning, to spend a little while recovering from his condition at the residence where Father Maurice and Brother Henry live. The plants Father Innocent started indoors have grown so well that he needs to get them into the greenhouse soon. The necessary water pipe under the road is frozen, so this week he has been working at thawing it out. Left as is, similar pipes have sometimes stayed frozen until June! Father Adrien went to have a look around hospital in a wheelchair today. The top, cafeteria floor has a good view of the Miramichi River. In the sun, he watched cars crossing the Miramichi Bridge.
Friday 17th. There was concern that the guest-house basement might flood because of all the digging done for the geo-thermal, but so far everything is ship-shape. The birds are really starting to appear again. Our sisters nearby normally have a more spectacular array of birds in their yard, thanks to their feeders.
The New Brunswick tourism department was by recently and spoke to our brave Joline. Back in 2009, we had briefly considered creating a monastery museum on our front lawn, and some department staff dropped by then. Nice people. Steve had to go to Québec on farm business, so we were six at Mass this morning.
Saturday 18th. Brother Stephan made it back from a successful used farm-implement search in Québec. Though the temperature only really climbed to real warmth for one day, some of our neighbours are neatly raking, clearing away the little of their yards that are now snow-free. Still in hospital, Father Adrien has decided to let his beard grow, and it looks good.
Sunday 19th. Happy as we were to have Bede back, it is not happy to so soon be without him again, but things are going good both here and in Dieppe.

Monday 20th. At the Residence in Moncton, Dom Bede is settled into a sunny room. Mass there is currently celebrated by P. Maurice, with Dom Bede, and Wesley Wade concelebrating. Bede says he feels better some days than others. Everything seems to be on track. It is nice to see him at table with Maurice and Henry.
Rémi was seen climbing up the lake-slope this afternoon: the water drainage pipe from the barn was plugged, so he had to climb down and open it.
Tuesday 21st. The technician was in today regarding the new compressor for the walk-in freezer. He was just in time for the food to return from the refectory to the wash-up area, and so snagged a piece of banana bread. Yesterday he was here in time for bread pudding.
This evening, there was wood smoke from the greenhouse chimney for the first time.
Wednesday 22nd. At his introduction to Mass for Blessed Maria Gabriella of our Order, Father Innocent spoke of the importance of living and praying in unity, especially now when Christians in several countries are being killed simply for belonging to Christ. Father Innocent successfully transplanted his tomato plants into the greenhouse, a good start! The greenhouse was made with individual planes of glass someone gave us many years ago. Brother Michael had to go to the Miramichi this afternoon to get some supplies for cutting tile for the bread room.
Thursday 23rd. The walk-in freezer broke down again, the repair person came back again, this time he had an entire lunch! It's good to be in maintenance!
Dom Bede went to the Miramichi to take part in Father Adrien's discharge assessment today.  Bede's presence must have meant a lot to Adrien.
Downton Abbey this evening featured a scene Brother Léo might regret having missed: Lady Mary had to spend most of a night fetching water for the pigs!
Friday 24th. A priest friend was here for a retreat. Given the demands placed on them, we don't see priest guests as often as we once did. It is chilly but fresh outside. The half-hour before dawn (before the clouds and icy lake dominate) is sometimes the loveliest or most interesting part of the day outside.
Saturday 25th. The equipment Brother Stephan found in Québec got here, thanks to a good trucking company and a little help from farmer friends. The geese returned, flying by close to the ground. With so little of the lake clear of ice they've now gone elsewhere.
Sunday 26th. At lunch we listened to an archival CD of instrumental music from the southern Appalachians. Brother Léo was surprised by the variety of distinct and rich musical sounds, like the dulcimer or the fretless banjo, and wondered what it all was: someone took a trip there with a tape recorder in the 1950's and recorded people playing as they always had in their homes.

Monday 27th. Brother Léo has now read the life of Saint Thérèse de Lisieux, and that of her sister Céline and one of their sister Léonie, and one of their sister Marie. Now he wants to complete the dossier by also reading the life of their sister Pauline, better known as Mère Agnès. We don't seem to have that biography here but we'll keep looking.
Tuesday 28th. Brother Michael has cleared out the electrical room in the guest house to make room for the needed geothermal heating power upgrade. In ‘storage' in the electrical room there was a bed frame, an unused exit sign, ductwork, some sections of pipe, a motor, some old telephones...
Our two eagles have been more in evidence around the lake. One of our farm helpers claims they're just biding their time around here until they can start catching salmon on the Miramichi. He also jokingly suggested the eagles might be obliged to respect the catch and release order!
Wednesday 29th. Little beavers...some say they're otters...still others say muskrat...have been popping in and out of the openings in the ice on the lake. Joline was looking for a light bulb and says she saw another little animal near the bulbs. It was not a mouse: too big. Not a rat, seemingly. Was it a weasel? Outside, the milder April weather has permitted us to witness the barn cats as they emerge from their den. These noble hunters lead a life all their own. One black cat in particular would be hard not to like, even if you don't like cats.
To round out the wildlife report, Father Clovis, according to Joline, discovered a mysterious cocoon outside, with a little creature moving around inside it: let's hope there is no extra-terrestrial activity involved.
Thursday 30th. Dom Bede is in good cheer in Dieppe, and of course in good company. We started watching a documentary this evening about the environmental movement: ‘Earth Days.' Though it gives a very good idea of the history (in the U.S.) and the pain expressed is legitimate, the music seems a little over the top, making the film seem a bit like propaganda.

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