JUNE 2015
Monday 1st.
Father Doris, the Priest of our parish was by as he is each first Monday of the month to hear confessions of the monks. In
Dieppe, Father Maurice turned 70 today. Given the health challenges he has had to deal with and the good he does this is a
particularly happy moment. Here in the monastery Monday got underway in many ways: banking, laundry, cleaning, repairing...
Tuesday 2nd. Brother Stephan spoke to us in Chapter this morning. He told
us he'd get us together this way once a week from now on while Dom Bede is away. He told us Bede is planning to return
to us in July, after recovering from last week's surgery; and recovering from his lung condition. The four New Brunswick
Bishops arrived this afternoon for meetings and an overnight stay. They are Msgr. Valéry Vienneau, Archbishop of Moncton;
Msgr. Robert Harris (Saint John); Msgr. Daniel Jodoin (Bathurst); Msgr. Claude Champagne (Edmundston). Only Valéry
Vienneau is from New Brunswick, the other three are from la belle province: Champagne from Lachine, Jodoin from Granby; Harris
from Montreal. Although we did not see much of them, it was great to share some prayer with them in what for them is an informal
setting. They assisted at Vespers this evening where along with Father Clovis they were the only ones present in the pews.
Wednesday 3rd. The four Bishops decided to simply concelebrate at Mass,
which was ably presided by Father Innocent. Not sure whose voice is which, but at least one of them is quite musical and really
sings along. Thursday 4th. The Mass was offered this morning for the time
of planting. It was also time to bring Father Adrien's belongings back from Foyer Assomption, in particular his easy chair.
It was a surprise for many that his stay would be as brief and final as it was: 19 days. In the corridor there, two residents
were stuck because their wheelchairs had met. One old fellow lifted his fist-hard to say if he was kidding or not. As they
were helped apart, the nurse said "Hey! Pas de chicane dans la cabane" and they both complied, and laughed. Friday 5th. Father Innocent had to get better bug protection for gardening.
The net he was wearing has started letting biting bugs through. We've begun straightening up the car garage. This week
we threw away some stuff, including part of the heated cat habitat which was in use there two winters ago. A disadvantage
of this was that cold cats like to walk on top of cars when they are warm, leaving prints, to say nothing of their trying
to jump into warm cars. Overall, the cats seem to do better in the barn. Saturday
6th. Brother Michael showed Brother Stephan a miniature version of the new road sign as it might look in its
proposed metal frame, with three stylised metal crucifixes on top. The idea is to be able to drop the sign into place between
the two posts. This mock-up looks good. Sunday 7th. Today
is the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. The antiphons for the Offices are from the ‘old books': complete
liturgical office books which then-Abbot Dom Alphonse Arsenault created by typing them page by page and having the pages photo-copied.
A lot of work!
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Motorized |
Monday 8th. At the bottom
of the main staircase our twelve foot ladder is still laying neatly, as it has for months while the geo-thermal work starts
and stops. Today is the feast of Saint Medard, whom we do not celebrate liturgically. I heard about him nonetheless; someone
mentioned that Father Adélard Robichaud (1915-2001) explained it all to them long ago: if it rains on the feast of
Saint Medard, it will rain again 40 days later...unless Saint Barnabas takes a hand in matters. And apparently this has proven
true. Tuesday 9th. It did rain yesterday, however the farm team managed to begin storing sileage in
the bunkers. The sileage is eventually sealed with black plastic covering. It would be nice to wrap up this cycle of work
before Brother Stephan departs for the monastery of Vina, California on Sunday. Vina is hosting a ninth centenary of Clairvaux
seminar because by name they are the New Clairvaux. The original Clairvaux site has not housed a monastery since 1790. Wednesday 10th. Father Roger has been filling in at the Sisters for Father Clovis, who has gone away again
for a few days. The schola for the entrance at Mass this week consists of Stephan and Innocent. Brother Stephan sings the
responsorial psalm a capella at the ambo then intones the Alleluia from there. Another slight complication for the geo-thermal
heating's electrical connection: we need to see if Father Innocent's little electric kiln can fit into the (upgraded)
power grid. Thursday 11th. At Chapter this morning Brother Stephan told us that Father Clovis had not
gotten away after all: he was instead admitted to hospital in Miramichi Monday for a blocked artery and had been there since,
unbeknownst to us. Later on today Clovis, who is doing well, was transferred to the Saint John Hospital. In Chapter, Brother
Stephan also talked about how Pope Benedict is considered by some as a Green Pope because of his environmental consciousness.
This evening, we rolled a film that was released two years before Brother Léo was born. Clash of the Wolves (1925)
features French-born canine film star Rin Tin Tin. The piano score was newly composed. Fresh and cleverly done all around.
Woof! Woof! Friday 12th. In chapel this evening we could hear a distant thump break the silence at
intervals: the dump truck's tail-gate banging shut as loads of grass silage were deposited at the foot of the bunker.
Tractors then take the silage, filling the bunker to the open top and driving back and forth over the silage to compress it.
It is nice and green; later on it will be tested to see how high its nutritive quality is. Saturday 13th.
The mosquitoes now have some of us running for the door early in the morning after being outside. Sunday 14th.
Brother Léo and Brother Michael both have about no hair now. We get a monk to cut our hair, or cut our own, and even
have a barber's chair and set-up next to the basement tool room. Unfortunately, Brother Stephan's trip has had to
be called off because of complications with travel arrangements.
Monday 15th.
The sanctuary lamp next to the tabernacle, always lit, is fueled by a propane tank that hugs the building from outside. This
lamp has gone out, so we put a votive candle in place for now. Also outside there's a window (now covered) behind the
tabernacle, and windows behind each of the two stained glasses: Glorious Cross; Blessed Virgin Mary. Tuesday
16th. At Vigils for Saint Lutgard of our Order we had a reading from Thomas Merton recounting her first, life-changing
mystical encounter with Christ. It was a reminder of the late Father Chrysogonus Waddell, scholar-monk of Gethsemane and contemporary
of Merton: his favourites out of all Merton's writings were these less well-known descriptions of saints Merton was asked
to write early on. Wednesday 17th. Father Clovis returned to us today.
We were happy to see him. As well, a co-worker of Brother Léo's from sixty years ago or so dropped by to visit.
Moncton Cold Storage for all the drudgery seems to have been a fun place to work! One of the cows had serious complications
after giving birth; Brother Stephan phoned the veterinarian in the wee hours of the night and the vet arrived at 5:00 AM in
order to help. Thursday 18th. In Chapter, Brother Stephan continued reading
and commenting an article on Saint Benedict and Creation by Dom Anselm Grün OSB. Someone asked why it is that while some
employees enter the guest house to punch the time clock, others enter through the cloister. Answer: those with clean boots,
guest-house, those with dirty boots, monastery! We finished hearing read our current refectory book, Waterloo: A Near Run
Thing. Napoleon, a central figure in Europe is much less well known here, to say nothing of his decisive defeat, so a lot
of this book was news I think to most of us. Though grisly by turns (as only a British author could hope to achieve this!)
the book centered on the lives and the world of those involved. One might say it was written by someone who cared about what
happened; who wanted to know. We also heard the beginning of the next book. Christendom Destroyed: Europe 1517-1648 is part
of Penguin's new multi-volume history of Europe. Our employee Maurice and our summer student employee Marc Andre
were both riding about on mowers today. Friday 19th. Brother Michael is
working on new crosses for the cemetery which will be plain, pressurized wood instead of wood painted white as at present.
Brother Léo has been a little busier this week as visitors and guests become more frequent. This week he welcomed two
retreatants from Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and visitors from Africa as well as from various maritime locales. Saturday 20th. One of our relief cooks has decided to take up another job so I guess the search
for a cook will begin again. We have been very fortunate so far in the personnel available for this, especially considering
the size of the pool to recruit from: the town of Rogersville has a population of a bit over a thousand. Sunday 21st. Two of this week's visitors left us a box of Tim Horton's donuts. After
arriving in Canada to stay, Dom Bede made a point of learning about Canadian culture. He found this a little elusive; books
helped less than anything. The Tim Horton's phenomena on the other hand was compelling to behold.
Monday 22nd.
At Mass we saw a familiar face for the first time in a year. Back from Florida, it was one of our neighbours along Route 126.
Acadians age well. Tuesday 23rd. Before dawn a racoon was nosing around
on the lawn. These racoons are big and fast, and until you see the tail you're not always sure what the ball of fur is.
Five cars were parked at the guest-house overnight: for us, that's a lot. The flagpole in front of the guest-house has
not been used this year, as it is Dom Bede usually raises the flag. We fly Acadian, Canadian, New Brunswick and Vatican flags.
Wednesday 24th. Today, Saint John the Baptist, is the date we temporarily
stop wearing our cowls for Vespers because of the warmer season. This year everyone thought of it. At Mass Brother Stephan
played an offertory piece on the organ which used the electronic organ's chime sound: this evoked Saint John's birth
and childhood. A very special day. A lot of people showed up for Mass, and the guest-house continues busy, including several
familiar faces and a small group of Anglicans. Thursday 25th. Brother
Michael and Dom Bede visited Father Maurice in Moncton at the Georges Dumont Hospital. Maurice was hospitalised last week
for an infection and is doing well. It would be hard to estimate how many times Maurice has had to be hospitalised in his
life. He is good at kidding nurses. Friday 26th. One of our farm hands
noticed something unusual on the surface of the farm sewage lagoon this week: a mallard mother duck and her ducklings who
had taken the place as their home. Because the farm has been emptying the lagoon, we now see them on the lake instead, the
mother surveying the file of ducklings from last in line. Maybe they originally took to sewage because the lake stayed frozen
so long this spring. Saturday 27th. Our Anglican guests are preparing
for Ordinations Sunday in Fredericton, and are upbeat and nice. Father Clovis has been doing great post-surgery, in fact he
has been keeping an eye on the apple trees. With a squad of assistants, he managed to pluck a series of tiny apples where
worms had begun, in hopes of staving off greater apple damage later on. Today he made his way north to Caraquet for a few
days, and beginning tomorrow Father Roger will replace him at the sisters. Sunday
28th.Father Maurice got out of hospital yesterday and is on good form. Dom Bede continues saying daily Mass
at the residence for now, Maurice had been doing this day after day for quite some time. Monday
29th. At 3:30 this morning for no known reason the power went out. The bell to wake us up is at 3:20, the
milking begins around 3:00, Vigils is at 3:40 so this is not a good time except that the farm has its own back-up generator
stored behind the greenhouse. For vigils it was necessary to find candles and flashlights for everyone. In the barn, the lights
and all the electronics blinked then went out, the milk fell out of the milk bowl (one step shy of the refrigeration tank),
the milkers fell off the cows and the cows were quietly surprised. Then the generator kicked in and the barn became less peaceful,
more functional. Was this a planned interruption by the power company? It seemed a bit like that. After some rain the
evening was calm, no wind, the air fresh, birds singing again just quietly. Tuesday 30th.
With windows open before dawn, this time of the year we sometimes hear the sound of trucks on Route 126 while in chapel in
silence. It is usually a gentle sound: a reminder of other people's lives. Along the road, a row of pine trees was planted
several years ago to act as a sound baffler. These and the many trees on the front lawn have reduced the noise level slightly.
But traffic seems to have increased. The corn is off to a good start, row after row of slender green leaves, in several different
fields. In the course of the next few days it grew visibly.
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