Monday
5 – Brother Graham went to Fredericton for an appointment with a specialist. He
has a problem with his gums. The specialist’s name is Dr. Coffen!
Tuesday
6 – Rhéal has started a big job on the big room of the guesthouse. The
aim is to make this room more of a pleasant place for the guests and retreatants to read in.
The main lounge is too close to the reception where there is often a lot of noise, making it a difficult place to do
any reading in.
Thursday
8 – More than half of the community was out today for various reasons, including the abbot who spent part of the day
at Assomption. Fortunately, there were no big journeys and everybody was able
to be in for the offices.
Friday
9 – Dom Bede began his first Regular Visitation at Assomption, with Mother Agnes, the Abbess of Wrentham MA, as co-visitor.
Tuesday
6 – Rhéal has started a big job on the big room of the guesthouse. The
aim is to make this room more of a pleasant place for the guests and retreatants to read in.
The main lounge is too close to the reception where there is often a lot of noise, making it a difficult place to do
any reading in.
Thursday
8 – More than half of the community was out today for various reasons, including the abbot who spent part of the day
at Assomption. Fortunately, there were no big journeys and everybody was able
to be in for the offices.
Friday
9 – Dom Bede began his first Regular Visitation at Assomption, with Mother Agnes, the Abbess of Wrentham MA, as co-visitor.
Saturday
10 – Things are growing very well in the greenhouse. We have a species
of green beans that are nearly a meter long. They are delicious and plentiful. We shal be able to start picking them next week.
Sunday
11 – Solennity of Saint Benedict. In the absence of the abbot, Father Maurice
celebrated our Mass. There was in the guesthouse an African protestant minister
with his wife.
Monday
12 – The abbot, having closed the Visitation at the sisters was back for dinner.
Tuesday 13 – Mother Agnes and Mother Rita came to dinner with us. It
was very enjoyable to be able to exchange with them.
Wednesday
14 – Brother Graham went to Fredericton again to have some skin-grafts to his gums.
Everything went off well.
The
abbot gave a presentation of the decisions of the Central Commissions of the Order, which prepare the General Chapter. Our Father Immediate, Dom Jacques of Mistassini,
President of the Region, had kindly sent them to us.
Thursday
15 - Brother Stephen has found somebody willing to buy our scrap metal. There
is plenty of it. It has been building up over the years.
Friday
16 – I received my notification to go into hospital, after a six-month wait. I
go on the 23rd to the Georges Dumont hospital in Moncton. Today I
had to go to the hospital in Miramichi for pre-operation tests. Nothing serious. No trace of cancer.
The
abbot continued presenting Dom Jacques report on the Central Commissions.
Saturday
17 – We are again saying Mass for our sisters, while we wait for the return of the new chaplain, the Eudist, Father
Clovis Chiasson.
Sunday
18 – This afternoon we had the first electrical storm of the summer. In
our neck of the woods they are rarely violent.
Monday 19 – The abbot told us about an invitation he has had from Dom Casimir
Bernas, Abbot of Holy Trinity Monastery, Utah to go and preach their annual retreat.
He thought that it wasn’t quite right to always say no to these requests.
Previous requests having come from Africa, this was easier. It will be
at the beginning of December.
The abbot got signed off by the surgeon who operated on his shoulder, Dr. David Lanoue and from his physiotherapist. They both said they did not want to see him again.
The abbot looks on this as a triumph. But he will still be carrying on
with his alternative massage therapist, Kumar Luke.
Tuesday 20 – There are two sisters on retreat here. They belong to the Congregation of the Daughters of Mary of the Assumption, founded in Cambellton. They have a branch in the Philippines which is getting plenty of new vocations.
Wednesday 21 – Br. Graham went to the airport to pick up an aspirant from
Virginia – for once a young guy – Alan Truslow, who has experience teaching French. With the website we can cast our net wide.
We heard about the sudden death, at the age of 67, of Father Ubald Thériault, a long-standing
faithful friend. Officially he was retired, but he still continued to help out
a lot.
Friday 23 – The big haymaking day. There was a whole gang of willing helpers: the abbot, Br. Graham, Michael Batten,
and the aspirant, Alan.
Monday 26 July – We used to say that one day the Africans would come to
spread the gospel among us. Well, it’s happening. Mgr. Faber MacDonald, Bishop of Saint John New Brunswick has been able to get three priests from different
African dioceses. One of them came to see us today. He was from Ghana. In Moncton, our diocese, we had two African priests several years ago, but it did not
work out.
Tuesday 27 – At the invitation of the mayor of Caraquet, the abbot went
to a reception in honor of Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the Primate of Canada, Archbishop of Quebec.
He was in the Province for the feast of Saint Ann at the sanctuary of Sainte Anne du Bocage and in connection with
the Acadian 4th centenary. Br. Gilles was with the abbot.
P. Maurice represented the community at the funeral of Father Ubald Thériault,
a long-standing friend of the community.
Wednesday 28 – In honor of the centenary of our sisters at Assumption we
are presenting them with a beautiful chasuble.
We heard of the death of one the abbot’s aunts.
Thursday 29 – The guest house is a lot busier these days; the last two
weeks all the rooms have been taken.
August
Sunday 1 August – This first Sunday of August we had our annual Mass at
the Grotto at 2 pm. The abbot presided and gave thought-provoking reflections
both at the beginning and during the homily. The singing and music were taken care of by Phil Leblanc and his group of women
singers. The celebration went well, but the crowd wasn’t very big.
After the Mass the annual general meeting of the “Friends of the Trappists”
was held.
Monday
2 – The abbot announced that an aspirant, Alan, would begin his month’s monastic experience starting Wednesday,
without returning home to Virginia first. Distance and other practical considerations
had made this the more reasonable procedure.
Tuesday
3 – Father Clovis Chiasson, the soon-to-be chaplain at Assomption, made an overnight stop here with his sister as he
traveled from one place to another on holiday.
Wednesday
4 – Father Louis Dugay, a priest who came originally from Bathurst, but has lived in Belgium for a lot of years, was
staying with us for a few days. He is a priest who exercises his ministry through
song. The abbot invited him to give us a little concert, a proposal he accepted
with enthusiasm and alacrity. He first introduced us to his guitar, which is
about thirty years old, or more. A very pleasant half hour.
Thursday
5 – After None, the abbot went to look at our forest with Alfred Gallant, who takes care of it for us. The abbot is interested in seeing what work is done and how the future management of the trees is being
planned.
At
19.20, a Mr. Sean Tobin who was here on retreat, gave a talk on how the support system works in Moncton for the homeless and
penniless. The population of this flourishing and ever-growing city is about
100,000. Last year Mr. Tobin’s organization distributed 100,000 meals. There are three permanent soup kitchens in churches and one mobile soup-run. There is also a night-shelter. The workers
are volunteers, the food is given and also provided by the central Food Bank, which has its New Brunswick distribution center
in Moncton. An interesting conference.
Friday
6 – In the refectory we are reading a history of the first years of our sisters of Notre Dame de l’Assomption,
“De Lyon en Acadie … From Lyons to Acadie. Story of an Exodus. The Diary of an Exile. First Years of
the Trapistines in Rogersville, 1904-1910.” It is very interesting.
Our
study of the Rule by way of active participation is not a success so far. It
is rare that one of us ventures to say anything. So the abbot gets on with it.
Saturday
7 – Saturday and Sunday the cook prepares the supper in the morning along with the dinner. In the evening somebody, normally Michael at the moment, puts the supper out for monks and guests. This evening he mixed up guests’ and monks’ dishes and the monks enjoyed
a delicious chicken dish, “fricot de poulet”, a delicacy in Acadie, while the guests wondered at the flat simplicity
of their potatoes and dumplings. One or two of the brethren thought it was fish,
but it really was chicken!!!
Sunday
8 – In the context of the Novena preparatory to the Assumption, the parish priest of Rogersville invited the abbot and
another priest to help give the sacrament of the sick during a community celebration at the parish church. There were several hundred received the sacrament.
Monday 9 – Our farmers started harvesting the alfalfa for
silage. It is treated as it is cut with a product that helps preserve it. Alan manned the rake; a true monk of the good old days.
Tuesday 10 – Br. Henry was trying out another specialist. He has not given up hope of finding a cure.
There was a guest in a wheelchair making a retreat. He drove himself here from Montreal. Our stairlift in the
guest house came in handy.
Wednesday 11 – An in-depth cleaning
was performed on the chapel by a group of women. We had Sext and None in chapter.
During the novena for the Assumption
there are a lot more visitors.
In chapter we discussed several liturgical
points. The discussion will be continued next week.
Thursday 12 – After supper the
schola went to the sisters to practice with them the music for the feast of the Assumption.
Friday 13 – Father Maurice has
at last finished working on the new choir-books for Vigils. A friend of the community
has offered to print them up on his laser printer, in colour.
The schola went back to the Trappistines
for another singing practice this morning.
Saturday 14 – At Vespers time Dom Yvon, the abbot of Oka, and Dom Marcel,
abbot of Prairies, arrived. They were here to take part in the celebrations for
the centenary of the trappistines and hold a mini-regional meeting. The other
abbots, of Rougemont and Saint Benoît du Lac, and Mother Marie, abbess of Bon Conseil, arrived a bit later with Dom Jacques
and went straight to our sisters.
Sunday 15 – Celebration of the Trappistines’ centenary. At 10.30 there was Mass, presided by Dom Bede, the Father Immediate, at which Dom Jacques Pineault preached.
At midday we had an excellent dinner, prepared by the caterers from the restaurant
Chez Doris. At the end of the dinner Sr. Kathleen invited different people to speak.
She also thanked Chez Doris and the ladies who had waited on the tables.
Monday 16 – The abbots and abbesses who came to our Trappistine sisters
to celebrate their centenary, spent the day meeting together and then came to us for vespers and a celebration supper.
Tuesday 17 – Early this morning our distinguished visitors left.
Wednesday 18 – Br. Stephen enjoyed a visit from his younger sister,
with her husband. They stayed three days.
Another discussion on the liturgy. No
great changes, a few simplifications.
Thursday 19 – The guesthouse is busy this weekend. Some students are among the guests.
Br. Urbain cannot work, but happily he can still get about, even outside and
on a tricycle. He often has visits, too, from good friends in the neighbourhood.
Friday 20 – It’s amazing that the abbot is onto his fourth chapter
talk on the sarabaites. What Saint Benedict condemns in them indicates by contrast
the virtues he hopes will flourish in his cenobites.
Sunday 22 – We had an interesting homily this morning. The celebrant
spoke of the gratuitous character of salvation. This is always refreshing.
This week’s chronicle is being written by someone
else. Father Adrien has been admitted to hospital for a small operation. He left me his notes and I have done my best to add to them for the final days of
the week. Brother Maurice.
Monday 23 – There seem to be people growing or preparing to grow marijuana
on our land. The RCMP was invited to look around.
This is quite a problem in the area. Then, there are the bears trampling
down our fields of corn. With the permission of rangers our workmen are going
to keep them at bay.
Tuesday 24 – Father Adrien put the first of this year’s apples out
in the refectory. They are an early type and, as he put it, “They are ugly
but nice.” It does not look as though there are going to be many apples
this year.
Wednesday 25 – Father Maurice, having business in Moncton, went round
by Shediac to see an old aunt in a home for the elderly. He said Mass there because
the lack of priests means that these old people only have it once a month.
In chapter the abbot read the last visitation card as a first step in preparing
for our next regular visitation in September. There was a short discussion afterwards
and we expect to continue next week.
Thursday 26 – Although it is still nice and warm, it is noticeable that
the trees are already beginning to change colour and a bit of brown and rust is appearing here and there. The first sign of fall. It is cooler at night. There is a bit of a break on the farm until the corn is ready – that is to say what the bears and
the racoons have been considerate enough to leave standing. Brother Stephen has
been hard put to it with his workmen to bring in a huge heap of silage, which had to be pressed down by running back and forth
over it with the big tractor and then covered with a big sheet of plastic, kept in place by lots of old tyres. It all had to be finished and closed up as fast as possible to that the rot and mould did not get a chance
to get started. They were able to get in a second cut, including some alfalfa. This is not possible every year. This
has left the whole field next to the monastery looking like a nice big green well-cut lawn.
Father Adrien, like it was no trouble, picked a huge quantity of raspberries
from the garden. Our very competent cooks were quick to make jam of them, to
brighten up our autumn breakfasts. Oh, the dura et aspera of the monastic
life!
Friday 27 – Father Adrien was finally admitted to Georges
Dumont hospital in Moncton for the operation he has been keen to get done for months.
Michael Batten drove him in. The operation was scheduled for today.
Saturday 28 – The abbot and Alan, our aspirant, went to
seen Father Adrien in the hospital in Moncton. The operation had gone off well,
no complications and with a local anaesthetic. He could possibly come out Monday. He will be with you, therefore, for the next chronicle. Have a good week!
Monday 30 – Since Father Adrien is not yet back from hospital, here I am
again with the chronicle. Like Dom Fidèle in olden times I see the world from
my attic, looking down on my tiny world from my accountants office…
Cleophas and Madeleine, a retired couple who are friends of the community, have
been working since the beginning of the summer on our flower-beds and borders. Brother
Henry had done a great job of work with all his expertise as a landscaper, and our surroundings had greatly benefited. His withdrawal into the hermitage and his ailments have forced him to give up these
activities, so that trees and bushes were threatened with extinction. But now
everything seems to have taken on a new zest for life.
Tuesday 31 – Last weeks chronicle talked about the bears
doing damage to our corn crops. Brother Urbain leaped to the defence of those
cuddly little beasts by pointing out to me that the havoc was being wrought by racoons.
In fact, our farmhands trapped a number. Nonetheless, Brother Stephen
tells me that both sets of animals are at work, each one working after its own easily identifiable fashion and leave its on
stamp.
September
Wednesday 1 – Alan, our aspirant, finished his
month’s observership. He flew back to his native Virginia, but promising
himself that he would come back even before the end of the month. He celebrated
his 28th birthday while with us. He has done a lot of studies with
master’s degrees in theology, civic administration and French. If God directs
him our way, he will be a good brother in community. The abbot also announced
that Gaston, another aspirant, but older, a retired dentist, has confirmed his intension of coming to start an observership
on the 17 September. With these newcomers in the offing the abbot saw fit to
hold a bit of a discussion about how we keep silence, particularly at the dish-washing.
Without wanting to return to any old-fashioned rigidity, we agreed that we wanted to make this rare common work a moment
of sharing silence with each other.
The abbot also told us the RCMP (Mounties) had found marijuana plants in two
places in our woods. The police are going to continue their researches. Other landowners are hosts without being aware of it to pot-growers.
An inspector from agriculture and fisheries asked us to get our fish-channel,
at the dam, repaired. It has deteriorated to the point where the salmon are not
able to get up it. Rhéal has undertaken to do it.
Thursday 2 – Father Adrien came back at last. He seems to be getting over his operation well. He did not
seem to want prolong his sick leave, since he was back in choir for the first office following his return.
After supper, we finished watching a film on King David. Recently we have watched several films about characters in the Bible.
But none of them assuaged our thirst for getting to know God and his friends.
Somebody has lent us Mel Gibson’s famous film on the Passion. With
all the horrors that strike all over the world I do not see any need to watch that… But everyone is free.
Saturday 4 – More horrors. Rino
Morin-Rossignol, a journalist with Acadie Nouvelle, our local French-language daily, writes of his complete repugnance at
the massacre of the children and innocent adults in the school in Russia and at terrorism in general. He ended his article by asking: “Well, where is God.”
I could not resist the temptation to send him an e-mail with the reply-question: “Well, then, where is man?”
Sunday 5 – The abbot presided at the Mass this morning. The gospel led us necessarily to look at our personal history in the light of Jesus’ declaration
that his disciple would prefer nothing and nobody to him, not even his own life. We
have to remember that we only develop into disciples a bit at a time, and what is brought about by our own efforts is very
little indeed.
What a load of verbiage! Take heart,
Father Adrien will be back next week.
Br. Maurice.
Tuesday 7 – Brother Gilles went home to Montreal to visit his mother who
is not in good health. He also has his brother, André, there whom he likes to
see from time to time.
Wednesday 8 – Brother Graham went to Moncton. He will soon be returning to Rome for his second year of studies for the priesthood. He is still waiting for his re-entry visa for Italy.
Brother Urbain celebrated 70 years as a novice.
The abbot told us about the situation of Holy Trinity Abbey Utah where the community
is reluctant to go ahead with a project for building a new monastery because it has serious doubts about its own future. Dom Bede is going to preach their annual retreat in December.
Thursday 9 – The little list of enquirers about our way of life by men
who might want to join us continues to grow bigger. We pray for them all.
Friday 10 – Our Father Immediate sent us a long letter to prepare us for
our upcoming Regular Visitation. Plenty of food for thought.
Saturday 11 – Father Adrien is recovering well from his operation and says
he feels better than he has for years. A number of his little ailments have cleared
up.
Sunday 12 – A big disturbance in choir at the end of Lauds. Brother Gilles,
who only got back yesterday from his journey to Montreal, fainted and fell to the ground.
An ambulance was called and he was taken to the Miramichi hospital where they are going to keep him until Tuesday and
carry out tests to verify the condition of his heart.
Monday 13 – I had an appointment with an orthopedist in Miramichi. I
took the opportunity to go and see Brother Gilles in the hospital. At this time
the doctor thought that his heart was sound. Nonetheless we continue our prayers
for him.
Tuesday 14 – At the gospel sharing we were without our usual facilitator, Brother Gilles. The abbot stood in for him.
Wednesday 15 – Patronal Feast of Our Lady of Calvary. The abbot
had invited our sister from Assomption to come and celebrate with us. They were
all here for the solemn Mass at 10 o’clock, the for combined Sext and None and finally for our festive dinner at midday. Taking part also in our festivities were Father Clovis Chiasson, the sisters’
chaplain, John Bourque, a friend who comes often to help us, and Michael Batten who has been with us for a year as a long-term
guest. The lively conversation all round the tables showed that everybody was
happy.
Robert Richard, a former novice and one of Brother Urbain’s nephews died today of cancer at the age of 62. He was a sharp businessman.
Thursday 16 – Brother Gilles is still in hospital. They are talking
about transferring him to Saint John to the heart-center of the province. There
they will assess whether he needs to have a pacemaker fitted.
Friday 17 – Gaston Babin, joined us today for a month’s observership.
He threw himself into it right from the start. Originally from Bonaventure,
where he now lives since his retirement as a dental surgeon at Rimouski.
The farm team began cutting corn silage. This will
upset the bears and the raccoons.
There was also a stir in the cow barn. The man was
there to trim the cows’ hoofs, complete with revolving chute that turns them on their sides, raising them to operating
level.
Saturday
18 – There was a large group from Miramichi in the guest house. They were
people who work in the parish pastoral ministry in the area. They were here for
a short retreat.
Sunday
19 – The abbot and John Bourque went to see Brother Gilles in hospital. No
change since Thursday. They are still waiting for the summons to Saint John.
Monday 20 – Dom Jacques arrived in time for supper. At chapter
time, this very evening, he gave us news of our mother house.
Tuesday 21 – Dom Jacques opened the Regular Visitation with the Mass of the Holy Spirit. About 9 o’clock he began to see the monks individually.
Wednesday 22 – After a long break we at last have a postulant. Alan
Truslow from Virginia, and his parents drove him all the way here in their pick-up truck.
This evening Dom Jacques presented the points raised in the interviews with the members of the community.
Thursday 23 – At 4.30 pm we had a meeting in chapter and Dom Jacques read and commented on the record of the
Visitation. Supper was a festive meal to mark the return of Brother Graham to
Rome, the arrival of Alan and to say goodbye to Dom Jacques.
Friday 24 – The guest house was full.
Brother Graham left to return to Rome. He is going to visit his brother
in Nova Scotia first, then he will fly from Halifax, via Montreal and London to Rome.
Saturday 25 – Early in the morning Dom Jacques left.
The guest house is still packed, with a group of very interesting people – among them a retired doctor who
specialized in forensic psychiatry and came originally from the Philippines.
Sunday 26 – The Daughters of Jesus in Rogersville invited us to an open house.
The abbot, Father Maurice and Father Adrien went. The Daughters of Jesus,
like our Trappistine sisters are currently celebrating the centenary of their arrival in Rogersville.
Monday 27 – Today and tomorrow we have to stand in for the chaplain to
the sisters.
This morning we began to sort the Lobo apples.
They are not exactly beautiful. We will make juice out of the better ones.
Tuesday 28 – There was a Quaker couple on retreat here. They came from Ohio and had been on holiday in Nova Scotia and decided to look around for a Cistercian
monastery in the area. They found us on the internet. They have several times spent time with our community in Holy Cross, Berryville VA.
Wednesday 29 – The abbot spoke to us about liturgy.
Thursday 30 – The doctor gave Fr. Gilles 24 hours parole from hospital. We were happy to him again, and he us, after two weeks in the hospital. He took the opportunity to catch up on his bees. He still
does not know when he will be transferred to Saint John.
October
Friday 1 October – The abbot is kept busy replying to requests for information
concerning the Cistercian way of life from people who think they might have a vocation!
Saturday 2 – There are more people coming to the guest house than has been
the case for a long time. We hope they are gaining spiritual benefit from it.
Monday 4 – We began apple-juice production.
There will be more than expected. We’ll have enough for the whole
year. The production team consists of Michael Batten, Gaston Babin, Fr. Clovis
Chiasson and myself.
Tuesday 5 – Brother Gilles was transferred to Saint John. There he had to wait his turn to have tests.
Wednesday 6 – In chapter the Abbot asked how many would be interested to
watch Mel Gibson’s film “The Passion of Christ”. There was
a lack of enthusiasm. Two had already seen it, one of them liked it, the other
didn’t. The Abbot took the same line as the French Episcopate that he had
a problem with the sufferings of Christ separated from the kerygma and contemplating only the human side of Jesus’ sufferings
prescinding from the fact that he was God.
The Abbot also read us an interesting e-mail from Brother Graham about the celebrations
in honour of the beatification of Joseph-Marie Cassant.
The Abbot also announced the possibility of our participating in a series of
sessions to be given at Assomption by Josée Maltais and Léone Goulet who work in the diocese.
The course is an original biblical catechesis called Messaje. The local
organizer is Sr. Kathleen.
Thursday 7 – With Alan as a postulant and Gaston as an observer we needed
a novice master. The abbot is fulfilling the role.
Rhéal replaced the main electric switchboard.
He started at 8.30 finished at 5 pm but had the power back on by 2 pm. The
standby generator kept power available to the cow-barn and chicken-barns.
Friday 8 – Today was the anniversary of the tragic death of Archbishop
Donat Chiasson in a motor accident half a mile from here at the junction of the route 126 with the East Collette road. At the time Archbishop Chiasson was chaplain to the sisters at Assomption. The sisters invited the Abbot to go and celebrate Mass with them.
Saturday
9 – Another weekend with a full guest house. Better like that!
Sunday
10 – The Abbot said Mass for the sisters, because the chaplain was away for the weekend.
More
news of Brother Gilles: At Saint John they discovered that his heart and arteries are in good condition, only the heart muscle
is a little weak. He was returned to the Miramichi hospital on Friday. Now they are talking about possibly sending him to Halifax or Montreal!
That’s life, I guess. The Abbot is in touch with Brother Gilles
by phone often and goes to see him every few days. Brother Gilles is experiencing
perfectly good health, all his problems are due to the slowness of the healthcare system in this province. When he told the Abbot that he was being well looked after and, though his patience was stretched, was
perfectly happy, the Abbot told him to be careful not to transfer his vow of stability to the Miramichi hospital!
Monday 11 – It was Brother Stephen’s turn to be sick.
This morning he had to get Alan to replace him milking. He seems to have
had a virus which was going round locally. But he does get bad headaches from
time to time and is not very careful about looking after himself.
Tuesday
12 – Father Maurice went to pick up Brother Gilles. He has been discharged
from hospital to await his summons to Halifax. The cardiologists there are supposed
to be very competent. But it could be a long time before he is sent for.
Wednesday
13 – Br. Stephen was back on the morning milking.
Chapter
for the professed. We discussed the length of the postulancy. The Ratio Institutionis requires each community to fix a minimum duration. Since Vatican II we have been requiring six months of postulancy.
The decision was to make the minimum three months and to consider that the normal postulancy would be three to six
months.
Friday
15 – For a while now the Canada Geese have been settling on our lake. It
is interesting to see them and to hear their chatter.
Saturday
16 – Brother Graham sent us a letter filling in the details of the Beatification of Father Joseph Cassant. He also sent the booklet produced by the Vatican for the occasion giving the details of the ceremony and
the biographies of all five of the beati.
Sunday 17 – Gaston Babin completed his observership.
He was happy with the outcome. Nonetheless he was leaving us on the morrow
to go and reflect on his experience and make a decision. We also are happy with
the way he lived this month with us.
Monday - 18 – We have a bilingual community, or, at any rate, some members from each language. At least, that’s what I thought but there is a doubt in my mind since a notice appeared above the
sacristy sink that reads:
- BIEN REFERMER LE ROBINET
-
PLEASE TURN OFF WATER TIGHT
- WELL, SQEEZEZ OUERRE LA TAP BEN TIGHT’ POUR PAS QU’A
DRIPPE !
This is because, if this faucet is left dripping it can be heard in the chapel.
Tuesday – 19 – The Abbot and I went to have an anti-flu vaccine.
Our doctor is very keen on this, especially for the old guys.
Thursday – 21 – Today we began our annual retreat. The preacher
is Father Wesley Wade, Vicar General of the diocese of Bathurst.
Sunday
– 24 – This retreat Sunday was dedicated to the Eucharist. Father
Wade’s two conferences were on that theme and from supper to Compline we had a full hour of Eucharistic Adoration. Pray for us.
Monday 25 – Our retreat continued.
The general theme was: “The Call to Holiness.”
Thursday 28 – End of the retreat.
Father Wesley Wade was principal celebrant at the Mass. We were very happy
with the retreat he gave us. Of course, we have known him for a long time.
The Salesian Sisters from Lagacéville came by.
They are the only Salesians in New Brunswick. They had one of their General
Councillors with them, a Congolese sister and her secretary who is from the Canary Islands.
They had been carrying out the Regular Visitation at the convent.
Friday 29 – A mixed group of 12 people arrived to stay till Sunday morning. They were a transcendental meditation group.
About 11 am, a group of 5th grade youngsters arrived about twenty of them and half a dozen adults. The Abbot talked to them in the chapel about the life and let them see the cloister,
chapter and guest house. They then went outside and interviewed the cows.
In the evening chapter we discussed the future of the Friends of the Trappists
Association Inc. Their current committee was of the opinion that the Association
had fulfilled its task, which was to help prepare the celebration of our centenary in 2002 and to improve the Grotto. According to the constitutions of the Association, it was for the community of Our
Lady of Calvary to take the decision with regard to its termination. Abbot and
community agreed to dissolve the Association.
The abbot spoke about the community of eight Benedictine nuns that has just begun
its five year term in the monastery of Our Lady Mother of the Church in the Vatican gardens, started with Poor Clares in 1994
at the express wish of the Pope John Paul II, who wished to have a community of contemplative prayer and the sacrifice of
praise at the heart of the Church continually supporting the mission of the Supreme Pastor.
The group preceding the Benedictines were Carmelites. Will the Cistercians
be next?