Monday 7 – In chapter the Abbot commented on the house reports of our American monasteries that had been presented at the meeting he attended in Colorado in early June.  He talked particularly about the interesting site and life-style of the monastery of Snowmass.

Tuesday 8 – In the afternoon hay was being brought in.  Several of the monks gave a hand.

Fr. Maurice came back from hospital on quite good form.  I had an appointment with the dentist in Saint Louis de Kent.  Teeth are very precious things!

Wednesday 9 – Br. Gilles left for Montreal to visit with his family and arrange certain things arising from the recent death of his mother.

Friday 11 – Feast of Saint Benedict.  He is the author of the rule which guides the life of Cistercians and Benedictines.

Eight women and two men were on retreat here for a few days, they were all teachers from all over the Province of New Brunswick.

Saturday 12 – We learned of the death of Father Germain Ladouceur, monk of Oka.  We knew him well because he came here to help us out from 1970 to 1973. He was actually Prior.  He came again on a number of occasions.

Sunday 13 – Two Fathers Gingras, blood-brothers, African Missionaries, preached this weekend in each of the parishes that comprise the Pastoral Unit of Rogersville.  The stayed here.  They reported that the churches were filled for their mission.  Father Graham’s parents were here.

Tuesday 1 – This evening our canonical visitation was closed by Dom Gérard of Melleray, in the presence of our Father Immediate, Dom Jacques of Mistassini.  Today was also Canada Day.  Dom Bede went to Fredericton to take part in a Citizenship Ceremony and become a Canadian by swearing allegiance to H.M. Elizabeth II Queen of Canada in the presence of the Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick, Herménégilde Chiasson.  71 new citizens in all were enrolled.  Fr. Graham was Dom Bede’s driver.

To celebrate all these happy events we had a special festal meal this evening.  Quite a day!

Wednesday 2 – Dom Jacques and Dom Gerard left for our nuns’ monastery of Saint-Benoît Labre in the Province of Quebec.

Thursday 3 – Br. Stephan is getting ready to bring in the bales of hay.  We do not need a lot of hay, since the basic cattle feed is corn and grass silage.

Friday 4 – Fr. Clovis came back after three weeks absence and we were happy to see him.  Doctor Blanchard, the doctor in Rogersville, sent Fr. Maurice to hospital in Miramichi.  He had an infection which was treated with antibiotics, but it has not been possible to diagnose the location of the infection.

Saturday 5 – Since the weather is ideal, maintaining the lawns is no problem and they are beautiful and green.  The vegetable garden is a bit of a sorry sight!  Nonetheless we will vegetables and fruit.

Sunday 6 – Our pre-postulant, Marc Côté, had a nice letter from our oblate, Sean Tobin.  Thanks to him for making somebody happy.

The Abbot went to see Fr. Maurice.  We were thinking that it was pneumonia again, but it is not so.  Nobody seems to know quite what it is.  He has no pain and sleeps well!

Monday 14 – The building of our new heifer barn has begun in earnest.  The concreting work has been assigned to a Collette firm.  They got onto the job this morning.  The digging for the footings had been completed last week.

Tuesday 15 – For several weeks, now, we have been reading the book “Ils sont mort pour leur foi”, by Andrea Riccardi, about the persecution of Christians in the 20^th century.  Terrible!  So many lives extinguished arbitrarily, so many martyrs across the century!

Wednesday 16 – Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.  Each feast of Our Lady sweetens our life!

Saturday 19 – We had the monthly Mass for vocations.

Sunday 20 – The feast of the Assumption is on its way.  Here in Rogersville this feast is marked by pilgrimages from the different parishes to the monument of the Assumption, as focal point of the Acadian devotion to Mary Assumed into Heaven as their particular patron.  This year, the novena of preparation for the feast will be preached by Fr. Jean-Guy Dallaire, the Vicar General of the diocese of Moncton.

Monday 21 – The work on the new barn is going ahead.  W.W. Arseneau of Rogersville, is transporting the gravel fill-in to put over the foundations around the walls and to build up the inside to the floor level.  We are expecting it to take 75 loads.  Patrick Gallant, the husband of our guest-house cleaning lady, is leveling it all out.  He has at lot of experience at this type of job.

Tuesday 22 – Our garden has begun to look better.  Things are growing, even if there are gaps.  The greenhouse is producing a good crop of lovely tomatoes.

Wednesday 23 – Our friend, John Bourque, has come back from the West, where he has been working for some time.  He has come to direct the building of the new barn.  It is his trade and he is an energetic man.

Thursday 24 – We have had a lot of rain this week.  John has begun the building work.

Friday 25 – Fr. Clovis and Father Joseph Salame left for Sainte-Anne du Bocage, to take part in the celebrations for the feast of Saint Ann tomorrow.  This shrine is increasing in popularity.

Saturday 26 – Feast of Saints Joachim and Ann, or, in Quebec, Feast of Saint Ann.  I went to replace the chaplain for the Mass at the sisters’ monastery of Assomption.  We began picking the raspberries.

Sunday 27 – Our young priest, Father Graham, presided the concelebrated Mass.

Monday 28 – When Huguette Turcotte asked Father Nicholas, the Chinese Trappist monk who died recently in his 111^th year of age, what was the secret of his long life, he replied: “I don’t smoke, I don’t get upset, I don’t drink, I don’t overeat, I try to be good, I pray, and I have never given up sports.”

Wednesday 30 – At 4.30 pm, there was a meeting of the formation council.  It is made up of the members of the Abbot’s council and the novice master, Father Graham.  This is now planned as a monthly event.

Dom Marcel Carbotte, who was making the canonical visitation at the nuns’ monastery of Assomption in Rogersville, spent the afternoon here.  At 7.20 pm he spoke to us in chapter.  His monastery, Our Lady of the Prairies, in Manitoba, seems to be taking a new lease of life with four or five in formation, of whom one is a retired bishop.

Thursday 31 – It is interesting to follow the construction work on the new barn.  For the time being Jean Bourque has three good helpers.

Fr. Clovis took the opportunity of Dom Marcel’s being at the nuns monastery to take time out with his family.  Father Joseph Salame went with him.