Saturday 1^st. This morning we practiced for the special Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion Mass, tomorrow. 

Sunday 2^nd. At lunch, we listened to music recorded at Sainte-Anne-des-Pays-Bas, our provincial capital’s French-language parish. 

Monday 3^rd. Brother Paul is re-doing some of the ceramic tiles in the refectory serving area, on the north side, where we file in after meals, and deposit our dishes for washing and; enjoy Brother Leo’s wit, as he does so.

Tuesday 4^th. Dom Innocent was able to take part in the Archdiocese’s Chrism Mass, in Moncton. This was well-attended, and was preceded by a Priest’ meeting and meal.

Wednesday 5^th. More work was done on the chair lift at the front door. With snow gradually melting, as robins hop about, older and dustier layers of snow reappear; less pretty, but a hopeful sign.

Thursday 6^th. After Lauds, we had a brief singing practice for this afternoon’s celebration, and outlined how things would go during the day.

Friday 7^th. Celebrations have been prayerful, and inspiring; and today there was an older couple present, whom we don’t know. In such a quiet corner, that is quite a moment. 

Saturday 8^th. We had a singing practice for tomorrow. Brother Paul has been experiencing Holy Week here for the first time, and sharing how the big celebrations usually go in his home community, Genesee.

Sunday 9^th. Easter 2023 brought its freshness and newness our way, and celebrations today went well, once again. A bit less wind at the chapel doorstep made lighting the paschal flame simpler this year.

Monday 10^th. Easter flowers adorn our Chapel, and look lovely against the blue-green tiles, and other features. The light this time of year brings to mind the first springtime with the Glorious Cross stained glass in the center of the Chapel, around the turn of the century.

Tuesday 11^th. Dom Innocent shared news about different monasteries in our Order, and asked our prayers. Brother Paul plowed  some stubborn snow from behind where the guesthouse and monastery meet, in order to clear a path for drainage when it all melts.

Wednesday 12^th. The chickens shipped out, once again.

Thursday 13^th. The sound of woodpeckers, and geese, emerged from around, and over the lake. In Miramichi, I met a young family who visit the monastery just for walks on the grounds, and to admire the religious statuary.

Friday 14^th. Today marked the 38^th anniversary of Priestly Ordination for Father Roger.  

Saturday 15^th. Fruit jellies for Easter from the monastery of Gardes, France are nearly gone. The purée for them is prepared one pot at a time by the Sisters, when fruit is in season. 

Sunday 16^th. Brother Paul is stil waiting to see his first Canadian moose, and is becoming skeptical as to their prevalence.

Monday 17^th. The guest-house is coming to life somewhat, with  new faces appearing, and prayers added to our own.

Tuesday 18^th. Today marked 51 years of Priestly Ordination for Father Bede. Life brought Brother Paul to the hub of the maritimes today: Moncton, New Brunswick. He noticed that motorists in Moncton honk their horns, just about never, which is not the case where he is from.

Wednesday 19^th. The inside of the two-story poultry barn is being carefully cleaned before receiving the next flock, with much water being sprayed about.

Thursday 20^th. Bede had matters to attend to on the Miramichi today; lovely, with its broad river this time of year nicely visible.

Friday 21^st. From over the waters, our friend Françoise sent us the French version of Scottish shortbread, ‘Sablés Bretons pur beurre pointe de sel.’ France 1, Scotland 0.

Saturday 22^nd. Dom Innocent has updated the roster for selecting  music to accompany Sunday lunch. Monks each take their turn.

Sunday 23^rd. Altar server emeritus Brother Leo ably trimmed  wicks on the six altar candles after Mass.

Monday 24^th. Our pick-up truck is getting some mechanical attention. Meanwhile, two burst underground water pipes on the property, are getting some attention, too.

Tuesday 25^th. At Chapter, Dom Innocent sketched out the schedule for May, a time of year when life begins to stir again.

Wednesday 26^th. Brother Leo, often astounded by his dreams, was musing today on God’s omniscience; how it extends even to every dream, of every person.

Thursday 27^th. We learned of the passing, at the age of 100, of Dom Bernard Lefevre, the last living monk of our now-defunct motherhouse, Bonnecombe, its last Abbot and as such our former Father Immediate. Among many monastic friends to Calvaire over the decades, Dom Bernard  was in an exceptional way a part of us, though with his humility I suppose he would have been at home anywhere; as well, he surprised Brothers like Leo, for example, with his gentle and sly humor.

Friday 28^th. Things are greening up slowly, lifting people’s hearts in the village, while snow is still visible here and there from our windows.

Saturday 29^th. ‘The Story of Religion in America’, which we are listening to at lunch, has reached the late 1960’s, a period which, according to the authors, set the tone for our neighbours to the north, to this day: “The year 1968 was hard, yet it was the shape of things to come, a foretaste of the American religion and American culture experienced to this day.”

Sunday 30^th. DJ Father Bede selected songs based on Psalm 117, in Hebrew and English, for our lunch music.