Sunday 1 July – There are a number of people in the guest-house and quite a lot of people at the Mass.

Tuesday 3 – This morning, our Father Immediate, that is, the Abbot of our Mother House, Mistassini, Dom Jacques Pineault arrived for in informal visit.

Rhéal Desroches went to meet the Abbot at Moncton airport.  Father Maurice also went to Moncton for an appointment with his cardiologist.  He stayed overnight in order to complete a monitoring test of 24 hours.  Fr. Maurice has lots of health problems.  Nonetheless he still gives himself very generously to his work on the accounts.  The Abbot’s plane was due to arrive in the late evening.

In chapter Dom Jacques gave us news of Mistassini.

Wednesday 4 – We had a festive dinner with talking in honour of Dom Jacques and to celebrate the Abbot’s return.

In chapter the Abbot showed us the photos he had taken during his time in Spain.  He continued on Thursday and Friday and finished with those he had taken at Mount Saint Bernard in England.

Friday 6 – Dom Jacques said Mass for the sisters at Assomption, and met the community afterwards.

Sunday 8 – Dom Jacques was principal celebrant at the Mass and gave a splendid homily.

At dinner, Mother Alfreda, the Abbess from Assomption, joined us at table to help us give Dom Jacques a good send off.  Dom Jacques assured us that he had come in a friendly way to see how things were in his daughter house, but we think he was also looking for a rest.

Monday 9 – Everything about liturgy interests our Abbot, Dom Bede, we get the benefit.  This evening, in chapter, he did a presentation of the Motu Proprio that Pope Benedict XVI published on 7^th July on the missal published by Jean XXIII (revision of that of Pius V) and that of Paul VI.  With all the time that has elapsed since Vatican II one would have thought that this question would have died a natural death.  But the Pope pointed out in his accompanying letter to the Bishops of the world that just the opposite was the case and that he wanted to bring reconciliation and unity to the Church in this matter.

Tuesday 10 – We seem to be getting a lot of small animals making their home in our yard.  A female raccoon raised her two babies in our old honey-processing building.  They have gone now.  A mother groundhog raised two young alongside of our greenhouse.  We were able to enjoy their play quite happily.  We see a lot of little squirrels running around as well.

Wednesday 11 – Our garden looks like giving us good results this year, especially the tomatoes in the greenhouse.  Another crop that promises a good harvest is the corn for the cows.  This must be due to the new machine for weed control which obviates the necessity for pesticides.

Thursday 12 – Fr. Clovis is having the week with his sister who is very close to death.

Friday 13 – The guest house filled up for the weekend, partly with family members and with other friends.

Saturday 14 – The abundant rain of the last few days has refreshed the lawns and made everything fresh green.

Sunday 15 – It was my turn to say Mass at Assomption, our nuns across the street.  The Abbot went in the afternoon to talk to them about his journey to Spain and the Central Commission meeting.

Monday 16 – In chapter, the Abbot finished off his presentation of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum on the two Missals.  The he presented the work done by the Central Commissions on the treatment of the House Reports at the General Chapter.  This included how the reports should be prepared and emphasized the role of the Regional Conferences.

Br. Henry had his nephew with his lovely family visiting.

Wednesday 18 – The Abbot continued his explanation of the work of the Central Commissions on the house reports.

Friday 20 – The broiler chickens came in this morning, 42000 of them.  These day-old chicks come from a hatchery in Quebec.  Our chicken-barn manager, Jacques Martin, was very happy with the results of the last flock.

It rained a lot today.  It was raining when we got up and still raining this afternoon.

Saturday 21 – There was a lot of activity this weekend in the guest-house.  A group of Third Order Franciscans arrived from Antigonish.  Arthur Doucette came with his wife and family to celebrate to celebrate his 60^th Wedding Anniversary, at the Grotto and in the guest-house chapel.  Arthur was our carpenter for a number of years.  There were also a number of retreatants, among them a Jesuit, chaplain to the University in Halifax, who is spending a week with us.  With the Franciscan group, there was Father Comptois of the Friars Minor and a deacon from Ottawa.

Sunday 22 – Father Clovis was back this morning to say Mass for the sisters.  He cannot understand how his sister is holding out so long.

Thanks to the Mistassini chronicle, we can follow closely the health problems of Br. Louis Landry.  He is about 88 years old and a former monk of this community.

Monday 23 – Dialogue about community dialogues.  In our Order a lot of discussion in community is encouraged to help the community function well.  We will be coming back to this on Wednesday.

Tuesday 24 – We finished reading in the refectory the big fat book on the history of Spencer Abbey, which is the successor of Petit Clairvaux, at Monastery in Nova Scotia.  We just heard, by way of coincidence, that the Maronites, who for some years have been occupying the house at Monastery, are leaving and returning to Massachusetts.

For a change of climate, we have started reading the controversial book by Robert Pichette: Le pays appelé l’Acadie, (“The Land named Acadia.”).  This is about the history, fortunes and misfortunes, of the Acadian people of our local region.  Mr. Pichette is the author of the history of our monastery, written in celebration of our centenary in 2002: Il est heureux que nous soyons ici : Les Cisterciens en Acadie : 1902-2002, (“It is well that we are here : The Cistercians in Acadia : 1902-2002).

Wednesday 25 – We discussed how to programme our community discussions.  We reached a consensus on the time, length and frequency of these dialogues, the subjects will be provided as they arise.

A religious of Saint Vincent de Paul, a brother, was spending a few days here.  He is based in Trois Rivières.

Thursday 26 – A lady arrived for several days retreat.  She is a chaplain at the military base in Gagetown near Fredericton, for where a large contingent of troups recently left for Afghanistan.

Friday 27 – We started bringing in the bales of hay.

Saturday 28 – The Abbot had two Filipino priests visiting.  He had met them before.

Several rooms in the guest-house were being occupied by people taking part in school meetings in Rogersville.

December 29 – The holidays and the fine weather have not lessened the number of people showing up in our guest-house.  It is quite amazing.

Monday 30 – Two men are working at the necessary environmental maintenance of our woods.  Br. Henry began to fear for the area surrounding his hermitage, the men were getting too close.  Br. Stephan sorted this out.

Tuesday 31 – A guest, with the family name of Bouchard, arrived on a motorbike.  He is from the State of Maine.  It seems that there are a lot of Bouchard down that way, as there are in the Lac-Saint-Jean area.