Friday 1 – Today we had a visit from our diocesan Archbishop André Richard of Moncton.  He stayed for Sext and dinner.  Father Wade and Father Clovis, the nuns’ chaplain also joined us for dinner.  Br. Stephen was absent at a farming study day.  In chapter in the evening we continued our work on the house report, amending a draft text that the Abbot had prepared.  Once we are satisfied with this report it has to be sent to Dom Jacques of Mistassini, our Father Immediate, for his comments.

Saturday 2 – This winter we have had plenty of snow and it has been very cold.  The globe does not seem to have warmed up much.

Monday 4 – This evening we had a discussion on the novitiate programme, in a document entitled, “The Ideal Novice”.  This afternoon Fr. Marcel Gagné took the train to return to his monastery of Oka.  We enjoyed having him here for his three weeks rest.  Br. Henry came back from his convalescence with the sisters o Notre-Dame du Sacré Coeur, in pretty good shape.  Fr. Fowler, pastor of Saint Mary’s in Miramichi was on retreat here.

Tuesday 5 – This evening we continued our work on the novitiate programme.  I am not sure whether we are learning how to do it better, but our discussions go very well.

Wednesday 6 – Ash Wednesday.  Blessing and imposition of ashes.  The abbot certainly likes to make a mark.  Starting this evening we are having reading at supper.  This is a way of accommodating the tradition of Lenten reading.  We are reading the book “Je t’ai appelé par ton nom” by Pierre Van Breemen.  Each one with still have his Lenten reading book for personal reading, which the Abbot encourages the brethren to do in the scriptorium after supper.

Saturday 9 – In chapter we had the last of our discussions about the novitiate programme. By establishing this programmed the community has effectively drawn up its customary (recommended in the Statutes of the Order).  We actually do not have any novices properly so-called, but we have three very promising applicants, of whom one, Marc Coté, has been living in with us for the last six weeks.

Sunday 10 – This week there are plenty of guests and retreatants.  This morning’s Mass saw a full chapel.

Monday 11 – I had an appointment with the optometrist.  The outcome was a bit disappointing. There is a big difference between the two eyes.  There is glaucoma in one eye and the beginnings of cataracts in both.  It has become impossible to read in public and to preside the Mass.  This rather changes the physiognomy of the community and makes the celebration of the liturgy more burdensome on the few.

Wednesday 13 – We are having a terrible winter.  Not only as regards the quantity of snow, and not so much on account of the cold, but from the fact that it snows every other day.

Thursday 14 – Fr. Maurice had to be admitted to hospital.  He had a high fever.  It was rather persistent until the weekend, but he remained in good spirits and eventually the antibiotics seemed to be getting on top of it.  The doctor wanted to complete a series of tests before sending P. Maurice home.

Sunday 17 – Half of the roof of the heifer barn partially gave way under the weight of the snow.  Br. Stephan and Rémi got together a gang of local men, with our aspirant, Marc, and half-way through the afternoon enough snow had been removed to prevent the roof from caving in any further.

Monday 18 – I had an appointment with our local doctor.

Tuesday 19 – Two Korean Benedictines came to visit us for a couple of weeks.  They belong to a big monastery in South Korea and are currently spending time at the monastery of Christ in the Desert in New Mexico, studying more contemplative forms of the Benedictine tradition.  The two monks are blood brothers, Fr. Gabriel and Fr. Romualdo.

Wednesday 20 – Br. Stephan left to visit his family, in particular his aging mother.  He went via Nicolet, Qc, where his brother John lives.

Thursday 21 – Brother Gilles and the two Benedictines went to visit Fr. Maurice in hospital in Miramichi and they brought him back in good shape, to the joy of all the brothers.

Friday 22 – Our Koreans talked to us in chapter about their monastery and Congregation (St. Ottilien) and about themselves.

Fr. Zoel Saulnier, a retired priest form the Bathurst diocese is here for a few days retreat.  He has a friend with him.  During dinner I was taken sick.  I am not sure what caused that.

Saturday 23 – Fr. Graham’s parents turned up for 24 hours.

Sunday 24 – This evening, Fr. Gabriel spoke to us about some monasteries in Egypt that he has visited, with pictures.

A word for Bernard Baker: Hello and thank you for your interesting message.  Here we are having the worst winter we have had for a very long time.

Tuesday 26 – Fr. Graham’s mother came to drive him on the first lap of his journey to Rome, that is, to Moncton, where he is due to catch his flight Thursday.  She was supposed to be driving him to the airport tomorrow but had to come today because of the snowstorm forecast for tomorrow morning.  Fr. Graham has gone to Rome to take part in a course for monastic formators, organized for English-speakers by the Benedictine Athenaeum of Sant’Anselmo.  Fr. Graham is our novice-master.  The course lasts three months.

Friday  29 – There is so little work going on in the forestry industry in the region that we have not been able to buy any more shavings for the bedding for the chickens.  So we are having to use chopped straw.

The evening Father Gabriel, of Wegan Abbey in Korea, and Christ in the Desert in New Mexico, continued his presentation of the monasteries he visited in Egypt.

Br. Stephan went to take part in a farming workshop at the Lefèbvre Monument in Memramcook.  He came back armed with a trophy awarded him as New Brunswick Farmer of the Year.