January 2006

Sunday – First day of the year 2006.  Br. Graham gave us a meaty homily.

A happy and blessed 2006 to all our readers.  May the Lord and his Holy Mother walk always with you.

Monday 2 – Fr. Maurice woke up about two o’clock this morning with severe pain in the chest.  He immediately suspected that the problem he has had in the past with the aorta had come back.  He has already had two operations for this.  The ambulance was called and he was taken to hospital at Miramichi, where, several days later, the doctors confirmed that the problem was with the aorta.  He has to be transferred to the hospital in Saint John where they have a specialized cardiology unit. He should have an operation but the doctors are very hesitant.

Fortunately, the ambulance service is now free.  This was the fifth time in a little over a year that the ambulance has been called here.

Tuesday 3 – Fr. Maurice is still at the hospital.  His pain has gone but his situation is very fragile.

Thursday 5 – At 7pm we watched a bit more of the film on John Paul II.  It was the period at the beginning of the Second World War and the persecution of the Jews.  A lot of violence!

Friday 6 – The Abbot gave us news of Fr. Maurice.  He now has the telephone in his hospital room.  He is expecting to go to Saint John during next week.  He might be coming back to the monastery in the meantime.

Saturday 7 – This weekend the guesthouse is nearly full.  If this helps these people to grew in holiness let us thank God.

Sunday 8 – Solemnity of the Epiphany!

But there is also another big event to celebrate: Dom Bede’s 63^rd birthday!

Monday – 9 – For days now we have had Fr. Maurice continually in our thoughts and we have been praying a lot for him.  Today the doctors took another scan. We would like to see him back among us.  He has a lot to offer as a member of the community despite his fragile health.

Tuesday 10 – Today it was decided to transfer Fr. Maurice to the Institute of Cardiology in Montreal.  He was airlifted in a special plane at 8 o’clock this evening.

Wednesday 11 – The Abbot keeps in touch with Fr. Maurice by telephone. The specialists in Montreal hope to be able to avoid a huge and dangerous operation by inserting a “stint” in the aorta – a new technique.

This evening Fr. Bede put up the following notice : « Fr. Maurice has undergone a lot of scans, X-rays and ultrasounds during the day.  The doctors have discovered that his is a case unlike any other and are not sure what action to take.  Fr. Maurice is on good form and says he is being well looked after.»

Thursday – 12 – This evening the Abbot left by train for St-Benoît-Labre near St-Georges in the Beauce region of Quebec Province, where he will be preaching the annual retreat to the community of Cistercian nuns.

Friday  - 13 – It seems that Fr. Maurice is going to have to have the enormous operation for the replacement of his aorta, next Monday or Tuesday.

Saturday – 14 – I am the only priest in the house.  This morning Fr. Tom Fowler from Saint John concelebrated with me.

Sunday – 15 – Fr. Jean-Marc Guérette dropped in for a couple of hours.

Monday 16 – E-mail from Dom Bede who had spoken to P. Maurice on the telephone.  The doctors are still dithering and dragging their heels.

Tuesday 17 – We learned of the death of Father Peter McKee, priest of the Diocese of Moncton, who had been battling against cancer for a long time.  He was well known.  He had belonged to the team of “Flying Priests”, a team of priests that played hockey in support of charities.

The Abbot informed us that Fr. Maurice had had a convulsive attack during the night, probably due to the mediation he was being given.  This development was going to delay the operation even further.

Wednesday 18– Brother Leo’s 79^th birthday.  Despite his age, Br.Leo does the porter’s job and a few other important tasks.

We had a phone call from Br. Graham; he was concerned about Fr. Maurice’s situation   He told us that he was giving a homily every fourth week at Tre Fonane.

Thursday 19 – We are having a week of mild weather.  The snowmelt is not getting away as it should be, threatening to flood the chicken barn.  We called in the road maintenance men to clear out the ditches alongside of the farm road.

Friday 20 – As regards Fr. Maurice, the doctors, after skating round the subject, finally decided to fit a stint.  According to the medical personnel this is effective.  The operation will take place on Monday next, 23 January.

Saturday 21 – The Abbot went from Quebec to Montreal to see Fr. Maurice in the Institut de Cardiologie.  He spent the night at Oka where the monks were very good and drove him twice to the hospital.  The Abbot will be coming back Monday morning.

Sunday 22 – Unity Sunday.  We heard that the Anglican Catholic Church of Atlantic Canada is going to be re-united with the Roman Catholic Church during the coming summer.  Deo Gratias.

Monday 23 – Today, at last, Fr. Maurice had his operation.  All went well.  Jacques Guimond, Fr. Maurice’s brother from Moncton, is in Montreal to be at his brother’s side.  He is keeping us informed of how things are going.  Their other brother, Georges, from Prince Edward Island, is going to take his turn.

Tuesday 24 – Fr. Maurice is recovering fast.

Wednesday 25 – We had an e-mail from Br. Graham telling us about his visit with the Pope.  Each year, the Pope blesses a pair of lambs whose wool will be used to make the pallia which are the distinctive insignia of the metropolitan archbishops, worn during liturgical ceremonies.  Traditionally, the one-time farming monks of Tre Fontane have the right of presenting these lambs.  Two brothers go every year, and, since Br. Graham is currently living there, he accompanied Bro Lodovico and Abbot Giacomo.  So brother Graham got the chance to shake hands with Pope Benedict XVI, exchange a few words and join him at prayer.  This all took place in a tiny chapel in the papal apartments on the feast of Saint Agnes, the 21^st January.

Thursday 26 – The product of two milkings was wasted because the pump which transfers the milk from the parlor into the tank in the adjacent dairy lost a capacitator.  Br. Stephan got the part and repaired it for the next day.

Continued good news about Fr. Maurice.

Friday 27 – The Abbot resumed his commentary on the Rule with Chapter 5 on Obedience.  Fr. Wesley Wade was with us for a few days of retreat.

Sunday 29 – At dinner we listened to a cassette of Bishop Faber McDonald of Saint John playing the violin in a Scottish style.

Lundi 30 –We learned of the death of Br. Graham’s grandmother at the age of 98; she was still living in her own home.

Tuesday 31 – Fr. Maurice was discharged from the Cardiology Institute in Montreal and took up temporary residence at Oka, where the community was very happy to welcome him.  Dom Yvon Joseph is happy to have him recover there as long as it takes.  Fr. Maurice is still within easy reach of the Cardiology Institute while staying at Oka.  Dom Bede wants him to stay there until he is properly well enough to come back.  Nonetheless we want to see him back soon.

February 2006

Wednesday 1 February – Two new applicants have manifested their interest in possibly joining our community.  Something is moving!

An e-mail from Br. Graham tells us that he will have a rich semester of studies, with a lot of hard work.  He is getting a sound priestly formation.

Thursday 2 – The PA system amplifier from our chapel has been away for a couple of weeks, getting repaired.  Today the technician brought it back and it is working very well.  You might think we would not need a PA system in our little chapel, but there are those who are hard of hearing and the guests are at a certain distance, and the abbot thinks you need a loud-speaker to get over the noise people make coughing and sneezing and blowing their noses.

This evening we finished the film on John Paul II.  The title of the film was “The Man Who Became Pope”.  So the story ended with the election of Carol Woytila.

Friday 3 – Eight Tibetan Buddhist monks and interpreter and a driver spend the night here.  The Abbot was able to meet them briefly.

Sunday 5 – At the time of going to press we learned of the death of Dom Fidèle, the former abbot of Oka.  During his time as abbot Oka was a great benefactor of ours.  Dom Fidèle spend a period here after he had ceased to be abbot, at the beginning of Dom Maurice’s time as abbot.  We are praying for him.

Monday 6 – A young man in his thirties is staying in the guest house for the week.  He is from Prince Edward Island where he is following the CIA course to be received into the Church at Easter.

Tuesday 7 – Two pastors, Fr. Paul Breau and Father Leo Paul LeBlanc, of the diocese of Moncton are here for a short retreat.  The one is semi-retired and the other fully retired.

Wednesday 8 – Since there is not much work at this time of year, the Abbot asked me to put our community register onto computer.  I am using the same database that he set up for the purpose at Mount Saint Bernard.

After the visit of the Buddhists, the Abbot looked at their website and shared his discoveries with us.  At their monastery, Drepung Gomang in India, there are 1500 monks.  The founders had fled Tibet after the Chinese took over the country.

Thursday 9 – This evening, those who wished were able to watch a video depicting the leprosarium at Tracadie.  What misery!  This Lazaret (as it was called) was started because of the increasing number of cases of leprosy in the region.  The Hospitaller Sisters of Saint Joseph came here to look after these lepers.  The leprosarium began around 1845 and was closed in 1966.  This documentary was a good preparation for the Liturgy of the Word of the 6^th Sunday of year B.

Friday 9 – In an e-mail, Br. Graham told us about the visit of the new Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Loreda, to the Beda College.  He confessed his feeling of inadequacy to follow in the footsteps of Benedict XVI.

People are always asking for news of Fr. Maurice.  The Abbot spoke to him on the phone this evening.  He is on good form but admits progress is a little bit slow.  He has to have blood tests every few days until the level of anti-coagulant is stabilized.  He is getting around the monastery, and attending some of the offices from the tribune.

Saturday 11 - Br. Stephan tells us that he could cope with milking another 25 cows.  We need the extra income.  But where are we going to find the money to buy the quota at $30.000 the kilo?

Sunday 12 – A mighty snow storm is forecast for tonight.  For the last few weeks we have hardly had any snow and it has not been really cold.  The temperature has not been below –17ºC even at night.  This helps with the heating bill.

Monday 13 – Last week’s chronicle ended with the forecast of a heavy snowstorm for Sunday night.  In fact we had some snow but not very much and there was no wind.  We are in a special location, or is it that Divine Providence looks after us in a special way?  May the Lord be thanked.

Tuesday 14 – The only thing anybody talks about is the increased cost of heating.  Dom Bede has taken the matter in hand and lowered the thermostats. It’s only just bearable.

From Oka, Fr. Maurice and Fr. Paul let us know that our faxes were arriving with a big black band obscuring part of the message.  The abbot ordered a new machine.  I hope that the results will be satisfactory and that it will be a faster machine.

Wednesday 15 – Our two farm workers left Br. Stephan all alone on the farm and went to Sussex for a workshop on animal nutrition.

Thursday 16 – Br. Leo is beginning to feel his weight in years.  He gets overcome by fatigue.  He has to sit down in choir.  Not surprising in his eightieth year!

Friday 17 – Br. Graham, in an e-mail, told us that his brother, Jason, will be ordained priest in Rome in April.  The whole family is going for it.  Happily Br. Graham is already on hand for this marvelous occasion.

Saturday 18 – Another one whose health is not that good is Br. Henry, our hermit.  But it seems that he has been a lot better recently.

Sunday 19 – There were a good number of faithful at the Mass this morning.  Some new faces.

Monday 20 – Further troubles for Br. Stephen.  When he went out to the heifer barn this morning he discovered that a water pipe had burst on account of the cold.  The electric device that prevents the pipes from freezing up had failed.  It was quite a job to get the drinking water supply for the young stock up and running again.

Tuesday 21 – One of our very loyal retreatants arrived this evening.  Françoise comes each year for a week’s retreat.  She comes to all the offices, even, sometimes at 4 o’clock in the morning.  She comes from France and is a teacher on the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon.  To get here she flies to Halifax (1 hour and 10 mins) and comes on by train from Halifax, which takes six hours: a total of 7 hours and 10 minutes, long enough to be able to get from Montreal to France.

Wednesday 22 – The Abbot gave us encouraging news of Fr. Maurice.  He saw his specialist today and the specialist was satisfied with his progress, but wanted to see him again in a month.  So he will have to spend at least another month at Oka.  Fr. Maurice says that he feels better and stronger all the while.

Friday 24 – To stop us hesitating whether we should remain seated for a pause or stand up for the prayer after the third nocturn reading, the Abbot introduced a minimal change for Sundays and feast days.  After the third responsory, he well say the prayer himself and give the blessing like we used to have years ago, but after the antiphon of Our Lady.  Then he began to consult us about what we should do to mark Lent.  We will be coming back to that topic.

Saturday 25 – Br. Graham’s parents arrived this morning for a short visit.

Sunday 26 – The chapel was full again for Mass this morning.

Monday 27 – The Abbot, Br. Gilles and myself had to go to Moncton for different reasons.  At Sext and None there were only two monks in choir.  That’s the meaning of the precarity we have been hearing all about in the House Reports from the General Chapter, which are still being read in the refectory.  In the refectory there were only three monks for dinner.  Br. Urbain commented that in his 72 years here he had never seen that!

March 2006

Wednesday March 1^st – Ash Wednesday. Most of us had only bread and water for dinner, but the bread was freshly home-baked wholemeal bread.  Quite a pleasure really!  Br. Urbain, who is anxiously waiting to get his new hearing aid next week, recalled 72 years since he entered, five days before Fr. Adrien was born.

Since there is not much news this week, I will talk about each of us in turn.

First of all, Dom Bede, our Abbot that we dug out from his little nest in far away England.  At the age of 63 he has seen a variety of countries and served in the Order’s central administration..  He studied liturgy in Paris.  One of the Abbot’s jobs is to give a commentary on the Rule of Saint Benedict.  This he does in depth.

Br. Stephan, 47 year old Prior, that is to say the Abbot’s principal assistant, is also leader of the choir and organist and generally in charge of singing and liturgy.  He is also the manager of our dairy operation and looks after all the mechanical side of the farm.  An all-round man.

Br. Gilles, 62, the Subprior, who was once a bee-keeper that won the admiration of people locally and gave it up to do the housework in the guest house.  He does the laundry.  He also leads the gospel-sharing we have every Tuesday evening.

Br. Urbain at 88 is still a great reader and has his rosary everywhere with him.

Myself, Fr. Adrien, 72 years old on the day of writing (5 March).  I look after the garden, the orchard and the grounds.  In winter I do bits and pieces that the Abbot finds for me.

Brother Henry, 66, lives as a hermit when he can, as his health allows.  He is the sacristan.

Br. Leo is 79 and has been porter for years.  He takes good care of the guests and retreatants.

Fr. Maurice is 60 and away at the moment, convalescing after his operation on the aorta.  He looks after the accounts normally.  He and the Abbot are the most computer literate but Br. Stephan is catching up on them.

Last but not least there is Br. Graham, 40, is completing his studies in Rome, is already a deacon and will be ordained priest here in September.  He is our librarian.  He is also a capable infirmarian.

This week we also had a visit from our friend, Reno Poirier, from Grand-Anse.  Reno is an electrician and a market-gardener.

Monday 6 – During Lent we have what we call “Lenten Reading”.  On the First Sunday of Lent there is a special chapter meeting after Lauds for the distribution of the books, during which we read what Saint Benedict has to say in his Rule about the reading during Lent.  Here, currently, each monk is free to choose his own book.  Dom Bede encouraged us to read Pope Benedict XVI’s first encyclical.  The reading takes place on weekdays for about half an hour before Vespers, all of us gathering in the cloister to read.

The Abbot gave an update on two aspirants who are hoping to join us.

Tuesday 7 – The time around vigils was rather eventful.  Brother Henry was found on the floor of the chapel, in a feint, by the nuns’ chaplain when he arrived shortly before the office.  Then Br. Urbain was looking for help because his catheter had come out.  The Abbot saw to getting him off in an ambulance to have it replaced at Miramichi hospital.  The ambulance brought him back two hours later.  Br. Urbain, as he settled down to his breakfast said: “I went to the hospital and I’ve come back.”  The Abbot was back in choir in time to do the reading at the second nocturn.

For several weeks Elmer Aucoin, one of our employees, has been busy painting the interior of the guesthouse.  He has already completed most of the upper floor.  Elmer is also getting ready to harvest the maple sap from our trees.  The resulting maple syrup he shares with us.

Wednesday 8 – This evening the Abbot talked about the traditional of Stational Churches in Rome.  It was a custom established in ancient times of assigning a particular church for the official liturgy of the diocese on a certain day.  The bishop usually was present at that church.  It was a usage known in other dioceses apart from Rome.  I cannot tell you anything about it.  The Abbot who lived 5 years in Rome is enthusiastic about everything concerning Rome, so steeped in history.

A Frenchman who lives in Moncton is on retreat here with his 12 year old son.  It reminds me of the boy oblates we once had.  There is quite a crowd of people on retreat here this week.

Thursday 9 – Br. Stephen provided me with a bit of news: he crushed his thumb while working in the garage.  Pour man!  We are having to do the Offices without organ accompaniment for the moment.

While Linda is recovering from her operation to have her gall bladder removed, her aunt, Norma Desroches Doucet is replacing her as cook and doing a good job.

Friday 10 – Fr. Adrien had an appointment in Moncton.  His doctor wanted adjust his nedication.  Br. Henry went to Prince Edward Island on pilgrimage to the Blessed Virgin to see whether he could get a cure.

Sunday 12 – This morning in the homily I spoke about the very special love of parents for their children and I think I made one mother fill up with tears!

Monday 13 – Latest news on Fr. Maurice.  He is still waiting for the second round of tests the date for which has not yet been fixed for some mysterious reason.  So he cannot make any concrete plans for getting back here.  He is still at Oka and getting better all the time.

A diocesan priest has been in contact about entering here.  He seems a serious applicant.  He is not from a local diocese.

Tuesday 14 – The snow has nearly all gone and the temperature is pleasant for this time of year.

Wednesday 15 – Stimulated by a photo in the latest number of Biblia, no. 47, in which there is a photo from the first century level under the Basilica of San Clemente in Rome which shows a place of worship dedicated to the cult of Mithras, the Abbot talked about the history of San Clemente.

Our chicken operation manager invited me to accompany him and Corade Babineau, to an “open doors” exhibition of a chicken barn for the production of chickens that will lay eggs to produce chicks for rearing as meat birds, an ultra-modern set up with everything automatic and computerized.  It is situated at Lt. Leonard, Fr. Maurice’s beautiful home town. All the installations, including the cages, come from Holland.  Most likely it is from here that we will be getting our broiler chicks in the future.

Thursday 16 – To keep myself occupied when there is not much other work, I have been cleaning up a piece of land that had been prepared for a Christmas tree project.  But this proved to be a project involving a lot of maintenance work and was abandoned.  I hope to turn it into a nice little corner where we can go and rest and reflect.

Saturday 18 – We had a meeting of the business council this evening.  It was about our photocopier which is getting a bit worse for wear and has seen a lot of use in renewing our office books.  The company that maintains it has made us an offer on a replacement machine.  Is not the time to change it?

Sunday 19 – Mrs. Hood, a lady from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, left us after a week’s retreat.  She was an example to us in her faithful presence at the Divine Office, her cheerfulness and her evident devotion.

Today Br. Stephan celebrates a double anniversary: 21 years since his first profession, 23 years since he received the habit.

Monday 20 – We learned that Br. Urbain’s sister, Emma Richard, had been admitted to hospital.  She had probably had a slight stroke.

Tuesday 21 – Br. Gilles and Br. Henry went to Moncton to see doctors and do some shopping..  The Abbot, who looks after Br. Urbain, took him to Miramichi to have his hearing aid checked out.  It ceased function despite being brand new.  So Brother has to do without his hearing aid for another couple of weeks because it had to be sent back to the makers.  Without it he hears very little.  On this expedition I was the driver and we were able to go on to the hospital so that Br. Urbain could see his sister.  She is 87 and he is 88.

The same evening, after Compline, Br. Urbain had to be taken back to Miramichi by ambulance to have his catheter put back, yet again.  He was back at the monastery an hour and a quarter later.

A very rich gospel sharing this evening.

Wednesday 22 – In an email, Br. Graham described his visit to Ravenna, in Italy.  A friend of Tre Fontane, who lives there, was able to serve as his guide.  Ravenna is a city rich in art, history and architecture.  On the way back, Br. Graham stopped off for a four hour visit to Bologna.  He really enjoyed and was enriched by this visit.

The Abbot also drew our attention to the account in the latest number of Osservatore Romano of the Pope’s meeting with the diocesan clergy of Rome.  A lot of the Pope’s interventions were spontaneous replies to questions by the priests.

Thursday 23 – This morning two geese landed on our lake, despite the fact that it is still frozen and covered with snow.  A little while after I heard five rifle shots.  Poor geese, they need the intervention of Brigitte Bardot!

Friday 24 – Brother Gilles has put himself hard to work to learn how to use the computer.  He’s getting there.

Saturday 25 – This morning instead of a proper homily for the Solemnity of the Annunciation, the Abbot asked us to sit down at the beginning for an extended introduction.  He spoke as follows: “You will recall that when I was installed as Abbot, Dom Jacques (our Father Immediate, the Abbot of Mistassini) coined the phrase, ‘Living under the sign of the Annunciation’ which I took up as an inspiration for this phase of our community life..  To live under the sign of the Annunciation is to live the mystery of the meeting between God and man.  To live under the sign of the Annunciation is to live the mystery of greeting, salutation, being able to greet all men, salute all our brothers and sisters, as the Angel Gabriel saluted the Virgin Mary: The Lord is with you.  To live under the sign of the Annunciation is to be able to say to God, with Mary: Behold the servant of the Lord, let it be done to me according to they Word.  For the religious it is to live his vow of obedience and let himself be formed by the Word of God until its fulfillment is achieved and the human person becomes the dwelling-place of the Word, the Temple of God.”  A complete program!

Sunday 26 – Fr. Maurice called this afternoon.  His ultrasound scan is fixed for Tuesday, he sees the specialist for the results on Thursday and hopes to be able to return the week of April 3.

Tuesday 28 – The doctor in Rogersville, Basil Blanchard, asked me to go and see him, so that he could tell me I had no serious health problems.  Thanks be to God.

Wednesday 29 – This coming Sunday, Br. Leo will be celebrating his golden jubilee of profession.  In chapter the Abbot outlined the program.  The Mass of the 5^th Sunday of Lent would be solemn with a homily on the jubilee theme followed by the jubilarian’s renewal of vows.  There would be a festive dinner with talking.

Friday 31 – At last good news from Fr. Maurice.  His last test proved totally positive and the specialist does not want to see him till September.  He will be coming back here next Thursday, 6 April, by plane.  We cannot wait to see him!

Our two employees, Elmer and Martin, began gathering the sap from the maple trees, but after a few days it all stopped flowing.  There will be very little syrop this year, but enough to give us a taste.

I went to the station, this evening, to pick up a retreatant who failed to appear.  As I was leaving the parking lot at the station I scratched our beautiful car slightly against a metal post.  I had to go, blushing all over, and confess my fault to Br. Gilles who has the responsibility for looking after our vehicles and takes good care of them.

April 2006

Saturday 1 April – A group of school children from Scoudouc with their minders came on a visit about 11 am.  The Abbot spoke to them about our life as usual and showed them round.  He spoke to them in the chapel and they stayed for Sext and None which we have together on Saturdays at 11.40.

Sunday 2 – 5^th Sunday of Lent and golden jubilee of Br. Leo’s profession.  Everything went off as planned.  At lunch, Br. Leo entertained us with stories of his very full life.  May the Lord keep him among us for a long time yet, amen!

Monday 3 – A panel-beater got straight onto the job of repairing our car. It will be ready for Thursday.

Tuesday 4 – We are trying books recorded on CD as a solution to the problem when there aren’t enough monks in the refectory to provide a reader and people to wash the dishes afterwards.  Currently we are listening to extracts from Pope John Paul II’s addresses during his visits to France.

Thursday 6 – Fr. Maurice came back at last.  Br. Gilles went to pick him up at Moncton airport, in spite of a slippery covering of roughly 8 inches of snow that had fallen during the night.  We were very happy to see him on such good form and he is happy to be back.  We are deeply grateful to our brothers in Oka for sending him back to us so manifestly well cared for.

Friday 7 – A group of people on retreat filled the guesthouse for a weekend of reflection led by Fr. Melvin Doucet from Prince Edward Island.  Only a few of them joined in our Offices.

Sunday 9 – The Abbot presided our Palm Sunday celebration.  The Passion was read by Fr. Maurice, Brother Leo and the Abbot.

Have a good Holy Week and a happy Easter.

Monday 10 – In chapter the Abbot spoke about Holy Week and the coincidence this year of Maundy Thursday with the Jewish Passover.  This led him to examine the comparative schedules of the passion account in the synoptics and St. John.  St. John underlines the identification of Jesus with the paschal sacrifice by having him die on the cross at the hour the paschal lamb was being sacrificed in the temple.

Tuesday 11- We had no gospel sharing.  The Abbot suggested we meditate on the passion gospels instead.

Wednesday 12 – We had a singing class, one of three scheduled, only two of which saw any attendance.  Friday’s was just forgotten by all but Br. Stephan and Fr. Maurice.  Fr. Adrien became sick and was unable to attend the services of the Triduum.

Thursday 13 – Maundy Thursday.  The Mass of the Last Supper was sung with a sense of festivity.  The Abbot washed the feet of five of the community and three guests and preached a homily on the relationship between the Mass as we know it and the Passover meal that Jesus would have celebrated.  The Blessed Sacrament was transferred in solemn procession to the guest house chapel for the solemn adoration.  After Vigils next morning it was moved to the big room upstairs in the guesthouse as a place better suited for quiet private prayer.

We heard that Sister Kathleen, the prioress of our sisters across the street, was in hospital with a broken pelvis after getting separated suddenly from her bicycle in downtown Rogersville.

Good Friday 14 – The Liturgy of the Passion was simple, but eloquent and noble.  Br. Gilles did the synagoga, Fr. Maurice Christus, and the Abbot Narrator in the reading of the Passion.  Fr. Maurice preached a reflective homily.  Just before the service people from the farm were desperately looking for Br. Stephan because the milking equipment wasn’t working.  The problem was quickly solved.

The chapel was quite full for the service.

Saturday 15 – A day of preparation.  But all was in place for the Vigil by 2 pm.  The Abbot had been on his bike in the morning to order flowers for the altar.  Expensive, but a pleasing change.  We had the first part of the Easter Vigil at 7.30 pm – the new fire outside the big red door, but it was wet and windy, so only the fire was outside, the Lumen Christi procession, and the Exultet.  Then the Abbot invited everybody to spend the night in prayer and recollection and come back for the Liturgy of the Word, the Baptismal Liturgy and the Eucharist at 4 am.  And everybody went to bed.  The chapel was full for the 7.30 celebration and an impressive 15 or so local people joined our 12 guests for the 4 am part of the Vigil.  The community sang well and gave uplifting recitals on the organ.  The Abbot incensed everything in sight and we were filled with Easter joy.

We did not have Easter Lauds until 8.30 aim and we sang our alleluias with enthusiasm.  The day Mass of Easter still saw us uplifted with Paschal joy, good singing and glorious music.  The chapel was packed with people.

The cook did us an excellent dinner of which the two centrepieces were stuffed plaice and a succulent homemade cream gateau.  The French wine from the Rogersville Co-op was also worth having.

Tuesday 18 – Fr. Adrien went to see his specialist in Moncton for his nervous problems.  The specialist took him into the hospital the next day for a more closely observable adjustment of his medication.

Wednesday 19 – Br. Henry went to see the osteopath at Miramichi, Dr. Lannou, and learned that he needed both hips replacing.  No indication was given as to how soon the operations would be performed.

Thursday 20 – The animal life around us is coming back into evidence. Bears and moose have been seen and their trcks and those of raccoons are everywhere.  The lake is completely unfrozen and looking nice and fresh with a complement of ducks and geese.  The grass is still burned out yellow, though, and not much sign of buds on the trees.

Saturday 22 – In the absence of Fr. Adrien, Fr. Clovis began to think about spraying the apple trees, but a sudden unforecast frost overnight froze the spray in the machine he had left out all ready.

The Abbot went to see Fr. Adrian, while Br. Stephen picked up Roger Proulx from the airport in Moncton.  Roger has done a monastice experience at Holy Spirit, Conyers, Georgia, but he wanted to come and see us before committing himself there.

Sunday 23 – A beautiful warm St. George’s Day.  Temperature up to 20ºC.  The Abbot says in all his four years’ experience he has never seen as many signs of moose, bears and other animal activities so early in the year!

Monday 24 – The grass seemed to turn green overnight and the cows were out in the morning.  Father Maurice read in the refectory for the first time since his long sojourn in hospital.  Dom Aurèle former Abbot of Mistassini and Father Immediate of our monastery arrived in the evening for a few weeks stay, with Eric, Mistassini’s chocolate delivery van driver.  Both of them appeared at Vigils the following morning to our great edification.

Tuesday 25 – The two day old chicks were found escaping through a hole the side of chicken barn number two while the crows sat outside and picked them off five at a time.  The hole was quickly boarded up.

Wednesday 26 – Dom Aurèle brought us up to date on Mistassini and our brethren there.

Thursday 27 – The farm crew started preparing the fields.  A new season is springing into life.  The frogs were singing chirpingly in the woods.  Br. Gilles went to see Father Adrien and found him considerably better but no where near right enough to return.

Rémi Martin was back at work after having a cornea transplant in January.

Friday 28 - A large weekend retreat group took possession of the guest house.

Saturday 29 – Everybody was marveling at the beautiful weather we are having, crisp clear sunshine and a temperature of about 10ºC.

The farm team began demolishing the silos. 

Sunday 30 – Dom Aurèle went to say Mass for the nuns at Assomption.  Father Clovis had gone to Caraquet for the annual general meeting with his Eudist confreres.

The Abbot just missed getting aphoto of a bear with was sitting beside the dirt road just where it leaves the woods in the bend behind no. 2 chicken barn.  Unfortunately, just as the Abbot was getting his camera ready and the bear was not yet aware of his presence one of our neighbors drove into the bend in the opposite direction in his truck and the bear got up and lunged into the woods.

Guests had asked what the animals were down by the river below the carpenters’ shop.  So the Abbot went down and discovered evidence of vast beaver activity.  There was no construction work, just dozens of trees felled.  The river seems to be flowing a bit slowly through the tunnel under the highway, so perhaps they are building a dam in or at the other end of the tunnel.  This will need further investigation.

May 2006

Monday 1 – Rhéal DesRoches got the cables in place throughout the house so that we can network our various computers into the high speed connection we just got set up.

Tuesday 2 – Daniel Doiron, the local IT expert from Collette came and connected us all up to the high speed modem.  Roger Proulx, from Massachusetts, moved into the community for a monastic experience of a few weeks with a view to becoming a postulant.

Wednesday 3 – The apple trees were give their first treatment with insecticide/fungicide.

Thursday 4 – Since Br. Gilles was going to Moncton for his annual check up with eye specialist, the Abbot took the opportunity to go and see Fr. Adrien in the hospital and found him very much better.

Friday 5 – Village Platt smelled heavily of chicken manure and the flies were beginning to make their presence felt.  The first thunderstorm of the year burst as Fr. Adrien was being brought back from the hospital.  In chapter, the Abbot completed his explanation of the icon of the Resurrection, which he had begun on Wednesday.

Saturday 6