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OCTOBER 2015
 Thursday 1st. The Trappistines joined us for lunch today, as did Father Maurice and Brother Henry. It was
Maurice's first trip here in quite a while. We had Yorkshire Pudding for lunch, and spoke, among others things, of the
beauty of Cape Breton. Father Doris, also present, said he intended to get there himself some day. This year marks 60 years
of profession for Sister Thérèse, hence we had this get-together on Saint Thérèse of Lisieux's
feast day.
Friday 2nd. In Chapter, Dom Bede announced that the heroic
virtues of an Italian Cistercian, Maria Benedetta Frey, had been recognised by the Vatican: she will be beatified. She was
a member of the Viterbo community and died in 1913, after more than five decades of illness.
Saturday 3rd. A friend of ours has produced a jolly sign for the sale of our apples. This sign is perched
just at the edge of the road.
Sunday 4th. The geo-thermal heating system
was switched on this week. It delivers plenty of heat. They have been fine-tuning the settings. Some common rooms that did
not get a world of heat before are amply provided for now. Any remote control will work on any heater.
 Monday 5th. Dom Bede went to Campbelton New Brunswick this morning for meetings with
the Bishops of New Brunswick. It went well he said, and the place where they met was a nice spot on the Bay of Chaleur. Today
was Brother Stephan's birthday, with quite the cake to show for it.
Tuesday
6th. Last winter, Brother Stephan told us in chapter that once the new geo-thermal heaters were hooked up they would
produce a background noise which we would have to get used to. Now that these heaters go on and off regularly in the chapel,
that sound proves soft; some say they're used to it already. Msgr. Valérie, having spent the night here on his
way home from Campbelton, visited the sisters this morning, then had lunch with the monks, which was informative and fun.
The beginnings of new sign posts appeared at the road, just in front of the old sign. Looks solid. In Moncton, Father Graham
learned that Father Maurice had been to the hospital again, returning to his residence today.
Wednesday 7th. Father Maurice was doing better today. Our refectory reading, Christendom Destroyed, discussed
the unusual case of Don Quixote and of his creator Miguel de Cervantes. Father Roger is ready to return to Ontario to visit
his mother tomorrow. He'll be gone a week, and is not looking forward to Toronto-style driving!
Thursday 8th. There are new sleeping accommodations for at least some cows: Lucien put down some new rubber
mats, which look comfortable. The old mats were finished. Over the mats is sprayed a thick layer of peat moss once a week.
Today was Father Graham's birthday. He drove Father Roger in to Moncton then had lunch with family, including surprise
guests. Josh our geo-thermal technician gave Joline instructions on how to use the new heaters in our rooms, and she passed
this on to Brother Léo.
Friday 9th. We ate some swiss chard from
the garden: good. In Chapter Dom Bede announced a soon-upcoming ‘big day' in Moncton to mark the year of consecrated
life. If anyone is interested in going, he asked that we speak to him. It also seems that the relics of Saint Brother Andre
will be in Moncton for this day. The relics will even be here, just overnight, because transport arrangements necessitate
their stopping somewhere.
Saturday 10th. Having gone to Moncton with
Stephan yesterday, Dom Bede said he found Father Maurice a little weaker. The guest house is nearly full for this long weekend.
A young family from Québec are among the nice group here.
Sunday 11th.
Father Clovis' Eudist Provincial is here for the visitation of the only Eudist present, Clovis. Father Ricardo is provincial
for North America plus the Philippines. Home base for him is San Diego. He says he is learning to like the travel his position
entails. The travel around here, and to Nova Scotia tomorrow, is he says about the most pleasant.
 Monday 12th. At lunch in the guesthouse refectory, someone broke out a guitar and
began to sing. A few guests had a song in their heart. Father Clovis, who often eats with the guests, can sing, play guitar,
accordion, too. His provincial, who sang a bit in Spanish while here, set out today for Baie Sainte Marie in Nova Scotia.
Tuesday 13th. We are now regularly shipping around 4,000 litres of milk
every two days. That is close to the refrigerated milk tank's maximum capacity. Refrigeration is going well. Brother Michael
bought some insulation and other material for building the back-up generator shed behind the monastery, starting tomorrow.
Father Jean-Marc Laporte is now in a quieter and less occupied guest house for his week's retreat. He is our only guest
now, though another group arrives in a few days. In Dieppe, Father Maurice is doing considerably better.
Wednesday 14th. Father Roger returned by plane from Toronto. Two of our farm hands cut down some tall, skinny
pine trees out front. Going out the front door, there is a row of bushier pines, the flag pole, then the yard dips in a bit
and there are the tall pines side by side. Enough are left that a person wouldn't necessarily notice any were gone.
Thursday 15th. This afternoon it was still just warm enough to go outside
in shirtsleeves. With help from Brother Mike, our friend John continued work on the generator shack begun yesterday. This
generator will mean for one thing no more running around in the wee hours trying to light up Vigils when the power goes out;
as well, no more worries of the elevator stopping with someone in it.
Friday
16th. Dom Bede accompanied Sister Kate from the Trappistines to Moncton to get Mother Daniele at the airport. Mother
Daniele is a councillor of the Abbot General and has been serving at the generalate for 16 years. She reckons this is her
fourth trip to Canada; she'll attend the upcoming meeting of our superiors. We had a pink sunset this evening, after a
rainy day.
Saturday 17th. Brother Stephan accidentally destroyed his
cellular phone at work and went to Walmart to get another one. Mother Danièle joined us for Vespers and supper. She
is staying at the Trappistines. This meal was our one chance to spend some time together and talk. When the subject of the
Atlas martyrs was brought up, she said that despite stories that the government were definitely the ones who killed our brothers,
or that the monks had actually died by accident before being beheaded, it's impossible to say who killed them and may
forever remain so. For this reason, their cause for beatification cannot advance.
Sunday
18th. The new generator shed fits nicely where it is, its roof's slant matches the back of the elevator shaft.
It is cooling off outside, but nicely, with a first, very light snow last night. Father Roger predicts a mild winter. After
Mass today our friend John took Bede North, over the Renous Road; their destination is the monastery of Val Notre Dame, for
the Canadian Regional meeting. This year Dom Elias, the Abbot of Gethsemane Abbey in Kentucky will also attend.
Monday 19th. Those who had not met her before were struck by the humility of Mother
Danièle, a long-time councillor of the Abbot General who stopped by here over the weekend. By now she is at Val Notre
Dame. Dom Bede arrived there safe and sound himself this afternoon, thanks to Trucker John. In refectory we began having read
the guidelines for a regular visitation; ours is next week. This carefully composed document says "the Regular Visitation
is a moment of communion in the common Cistercian grace, an expression of the responsibility of each community to all the
other communities of the Order aiming at a living fidelity to the Cistercian conversatio."
Tuesday 20th. Nurse Maxine was scheduled to visit us today to administer flu shots, but had to cancel for
lack of vaccine. The apple juice making was finished this afternoon. The big technical hitch this year was when the apple
press sprang a leak in the oil line. Brother Stephan was called in for repairs. Father Clovis puts a lot into this endeavour,
and rounds up a juice posse to help him each year which includes familiar faces and always someone new.
Wednesday 21st. The corn harvest has been going well. The corn is being stored in a bunker right alongside
the silage bunker. Steve had to make a farm-911 run into Moncton early one morning to get parts to repair the chopper.
Thursday 22nd. The white-tailed deer hunt begins in a few days I think, but
from my office today I heard shots close by. Who knows. Two of our farm hands recently posted new notices nearby about not
hunting on our land. With so much open land around here, not just anyone would be able to tell where our property begins and
where it ends.
Fridayr 23rd. Father Roger attended a chicken producers'
meeting in Moncton. In Rogersville today no one had anything bad to say about either the new Liberal MP or the outgoing Conservative
MP. For Old Man Winter they had harsher words. Trappers and others are predicting a mild winter, but with tremendously bad
months of March and April, giving at least as much snow as last winter.
Saturday
24th. Dom Bede and our Father Immediate Dom Clément of Mistassini arrived by car. They brought with them gifts
of chocolate and cheese from the different Canadian monasteries, as well as photo cards produced by Val Notre Dame, with photography
by their Brother Bruno-Marie.
Sunday 25th. Dom Bede and Dom Clément
went to Moncton to get co-visitor Dom Mark Scott at the airport. En route,
Mark was struck to find himself in a propeller plane; not common today, but it's how one gets from Montreal to here. At
supper we talked and caught up on news from the US and Quebec. It's a gift to have members of the order visit.
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| Dom Mark Scott and Br. Stephan |
Monday 26th.
Dom Clément presided a Mass of the Holy Spirit to help kick off the visitation. Earlier in the day, in Chapter, Dom
Clément officially opened the 2015 regular visitation, with co-visitor Dom Mark Scott of New Melleray Abbey (Iowa)
at his side. Clément briefly evoked the events of the last two years here, and the spirit to have going into a visitation.
A sign-up sheet was posted in the hall: each of us are to see the visitors over the next two days, signing up for as many
15 minute time slots as we wish. Dom Mark told us a bit about himself and his monastery. He is former Abbot of Ava, and has
also served as editor of Cistercian Studies Quarterly. He was elected Abbot at New Melleray in 2014. New Melleray's big
industry is the fabrication of wooden funeral caskets. When the previous Abbot began that industry, it was hoped that they
could at least sell some, but actually they are selling a lot. Responding to questions about his own monastery later in the
week, Clément said that the chocolate production for Easter 2016 had already begun. This year's Easter treats will
have new package designs.
Tuesday 27th. Dom Mark presided Mass and gave
a homily about hope, in the sense of our monastic life's resemblance to the mustard seed and to the leaven in Jesus'
parable. Nurse Maxine along with another nurse showed up in the guest house after None to give flu shots to the monks who'd
signed up for these. Father Clovis gave her a bag of apples as a gift, and is envisaging new signage at the road for selling
the apples.
Wednesday 28th. Father Clovis went to Moncton
for the Archdiocese's day to mark the year of consecrated life, with evening Mass at the Cathedral in the presence of
Saint Brother André's relics. This was a thank-you Mass for the presence of Consecrated Life in the area, and marked
the end of the week-long presence of Brother André's relics in the archdiocese, but unfortunately not near here.
The memory of Brother André (1845-1937) is held in very high esteem by people of the area.
Thursday 29th. Having wrapped things up, in Chapter, Dom Clément read the ‘visitation card'.
It was an upbeat, caring document and seemed to go over quite well. The two visitors signed it, and in the afternoon made
their way across the tracks to visit our sister Trappistines. We spoke during the evening meal, moving to different locations
around the table in order to make the most of our last meal with our guests.
Friday
30th. Dom Bede gave chapter and invited Clément and Mark to add their own thoughts on Chapter 2 of the Rule,
which he was commenting today. Our monastic guests headed out after Mass. En route, Mark will be visiting our mother house,
Mistasssini for the first time, as well as Québec City for the first time. The weather today seemed excellent for this.
Saturday 31st. Dom Bede has slid the two extra choir stalls out of the
chapel. Double bells rang to announce first Vespers for All Saints. A flick of a switch and you have two bells sounding outside
instead of one.
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