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January 2012
Sunday
1 - New Years Day. A happy 2012 to all our readers.
| Saint Brother André Bessette |
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| In house sculpture by Mike Perry |
Monday 2 - Yesterday, my brother Dolphé passed away
at the age of 85, as a result of Alzheimer's disease.
Tuesday 3 - Monthly community discussion. The suggestion was
made that we spend some time discussing the monastic values that we heard about in the house reports on the monasteries of
the Order that we have been listening to in the refectory.
Wednesday 4 - Funeral of my brother Dolphé at the church
in Acadieville. There were a lot of people present. This reflects the fact that we were 13 children.
Thursday 5 - At
the weekly video session we have started watching "Of Men and Gods.", the prize-winning film about our monks of
Tibherine murdered in 1996.
Friday 6 - The lake has iced over for the first time this winter and is solid enough to walk,
skate and ride snowmobiles and ATVs on.
Saturday 7 - Feast of Saint André Bessette, the first one since the canonization
of this Montreal brother of the Congregation of the Holy Cross. Birthday of our postulant Michael Perry.
Sunday 8 -
Feast of the Epiphany. The Abbot's birthday. He is 69 and marked the occasion by taking a 5 mile bike ride on the snow.
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 Monday 9 - Father Arthur Bourgeois, former pastor of Rogersville,
was staying here on retreat.
The civic building of Rogersville, containing the council offices, the police station and
the firefighters department was burned to the ground in the early morning. A terrible loss for the local community. Forty
years of history and archives went up in smoke. The Abbot went down on his bike in the afternoon to look at the still smouldering
ruins.
Tuesday 10 - The Rogersville firefighters took over the garage that we own at the extreme end of our property
near the village.
Wednesday 11 - The Abbot told us about the Year of the Faith that the Pope had proclaimed with his
Apostolic Letter "Porta Fidei" of 11 October last year. The year will begin on October 11, 2012 and continue until
November 24, 2013, feast of Christ the King. It is to mark the 50th anniversary of the start of the Second Vatican Council
and the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Thursday 12 - Saint Marguerite Bourgeois,
foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame, and of the city of Montreal. The Abbot happened to be in Rogersville again, on his
bike, and met the mayor. She seemed on very cheerful form saying that everything was all right and that they had reorganized
themselves in three days!
Friday 13 - We keep the liturgical memoria of Saint Aelred of Rievaulx on this day. Outside
of Canada this falls on the 12th., but here we have to observe the feast of Saint Marguerite Bourgeois. The Abbot is always
happy to recall that he, himself, was born only 17 miles from Rievaulx.
Sunday 15 - Fr. Maurice had his brother, Jacques,
and sister-in-law to dinner.
 Monday 16 - Father Savio Mazerolle was here for a five day
retreat. He is a priest of the diocese of Moncton, works in Bouctouche and was once pastor in Rogersville, so an old friend
of the community.
Tuesday 17 - Brother Gilles took me to the medical centre in Miramichi for a glaucoma test.
Wednesday
18 - Brother Leo's 85th birthday. He is still in hail and hearty form.
Thursday 19 - We held our monthly day of prayer
for the departed. The first one since the beginning of Advent.
Friday 20 - Feast of Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi,
a Cistercian monk beatified by John Paul II. He was the first Nigerian to become a monk of our Order. He entered at Mount
Saint Bernard Abbey where our Abbot knew him.
Saturday 21 - Feast of Saint Agnes, virgin and martyr. The Abbot of Tre
Fontane and several of the monks of our Order in Rome presented to the Pope the lambs whose wool will be used to make the
pallia for the archbishops.
Sunday 22 - 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time. Father Graham presided at the Mass and preached
a poetic homily in both languages.
TUESDAY 24 –
We heard that the firefighters have moved out of our garage into one within the village limits. They originally
took refuge in ours after the fire that destroyed their operation centre in Rogersville on January 7. But
they had to conform to regulations that they should be within the village limits. WEDNESDAY 25 – Feast of the Conversion of St.
Paul. We started using a new edition of our choir books for feast days. Father Maurice
has put a lot of time and effort into getting them out. THURSDAY 26 – Solemnity of our Holy Founders, Robert, Alberic, and Stephen
Harding, who started the monastery of Cîteaux in France in 1098, thereby giving birth to the Cistercian Order.
Our Trappistine sisters honoured us with their presence for lunch. So did Brother Henry, coming
in from his care home in Moncton. He looked a lot better. Our cook, Melva, did us a
magnificent meal. SATURDAY
28 – Feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas, the greatest theologian of the Latin Church. We woke up to more
snow than we have seen so far this winter, but still nothing compared to other years. SUNDAY
29 – 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Abbot presided at the Mass and preached, all in
the two languages.
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| Potter's wheel built by Br. Stephan |
MONDAY 30 – Fr. Nicolas was here on retreat. He is a priest of the
diocese of Bathurst who works in the North of the Province and comes regularly.
TUESDAY 31 – Rogrique Landry, one of our external oblates, was here for a few days. He also
comes faithfully a couple of times every year and has done so for many years.
Our Lady of Calvary Abbey
11505 Route 126, Rogersville NB, E4Y 2N9
Tel : 506 775 2331 Fax : 506 775 6220
E-mail :
CalvaryAbbey@aol.com
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