Father Michael Perry graciously accepted our invitation to substitute for our chaplain, Father Don Curtiss, and began celebrating daily Mass on the first of the month. Father Don in the meantime continued his recuperation from an accidental fall last month while away.
On the 6th, Br. John was authorized by the Holy See to exercise the office of Conventual Prior after election by the solemnly professed monks of Mount Saviour. Pope Francis authorized the granting of dispensations allowing non-clerics (not a priest) to hold the office of Major Superior two years ago. Last year, the General Chapter of our congregation passed legislation taking advantage of that possibility. For the past nine years, our Abbot Administrator has been Abbot Cuthbert Brogan, Abbot of St. Michael’s Abbey in Farnborough, England. His permission had to be obtained before certain decisions taken by us could take effect. Now the buck stops here. We thank Pope Francis for allowing this new legislation and Abbot Cuthbert for his administrative assistance these past several years.
The knitters group was here for their retreat from the 7th to the 10th.
Like most everyone else in the Northeast without air conditioners, we sweated out the week of the 17th. Temperatures were in the 90’s every day and the heat index frequently above 100 due to high humidity. Then came the winds. The large willow tree in the front yard of Saint Gertrude’s is no more. Half of it came down on the 24th and the remainder unexpectedly on the 29th of its own, fortunately not causing any damage.
COMING EVENTS:
August 18 Dedication Day. Mass will be at 10:00 am.
Old painting of St. Peter’s barn.