A Perfect Storm

5th December 2013 saw an impressive storm hit large parts of the UK.  Here is how it looked on Stronsay, the island next door to Papa Stronsay.  Gusts were estimated at up to 80 mph, causing flooding in the village of Whitehall.

Notice to Friends

Until the end of February when the weather is bad or westerly, 

it is not possible to moor the monastery boat
at our Papa Stronsay pier. 

 For the next three months 

I am looking for a friend of the monastery who would 

moor the boat at Whitehall Stronsay during bad weather 

and oversee it at the pier;

 then during breaks in the weather,
return the boat to Papa Stronsay.

Could any interested friend please contact me.

Fr. Michael Mary, F.SS.R.

Contact address: contact@the-sons.org

The Pronouncing of Vows

On the feast of the dedication of the Archbasilica of the Most Holy Saviour, 9th November, we had the great joy of witnessing Br Peter pronouncing his temporary vows.  This date is of special significance since it marks the 281st anniversary of Saint Alphonsus founding the Redemptorists.

Brother pronounced his vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience for a period of three years, taking the religious name: Brother Peter Mary of the Listening Heart of Jesus, F.SS.R.

Br Peter, a native of Montana, USA, kneels before the Altar during the beginning of the ceremony.

 Representing death to the world and the things of the world, Brother is covered with the funeral pall.

 Brother is questioned by the Rector Major:
What do you ask?

Reverend Father, having finished the time of my probation,

I desire to consecrate myself to Jesus Christ

and to enter this Congregation...

 Then, in the presence of his Saviour and Judge, Brother says the great words:

...Therefore, having spent several days of reflection and prayer, now, in the presence of Thy Divine Majesty, of Mary most Holy and Immaculate, my Mistress and Mother, of Saint Joseph, Saint Alphonsus and the whole Court of Heaven,, prostrate on my knees, I promise and vow for three years: OBEDIENCE CHASTITY and POVERTY...

Receiving the monastic pallium.

Brother Peter Mary signs the certificate of profession upon the altar, of great mystical symbolism as by his vows he begins the sacrifice of his life to Our Lord.

 Brother Peter Mary with some of his confrères.

Happily both brother's father and mother made it to Papa Stronsay all the way from America to be with him on his great day!

We wish for Brother every grace and happiness, but especially that grace of perseverance.

Sweet Mother Mary, pray for him and obtain him this grace,

for it is thy special charge to do so. 

Blessing the Pilgrimage Cross

Many of you will remember our two cycling pilgrims, Sam and Wojciech, who made a pilgrimage by push-bike of over 600 miles finishing on Papa Stronsay a little over a week ago.  While here, they planted a Pilgrimage Cross.  If you missed that story, you can read it here.

The 14th September (on which we held the Religious professions featured in the previous post) was the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (the finding of the True Cross in Jerusalem by St Helena in A.D. 326), and therefore seemed a most apt occasion on which to bless the newly planted Pilgrimage Cross.

From the Rituale Romanum:

 If a cross is to be exposed for public veneration, it should be solemnly blessed.

 Oremus
Rogamus te, Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, sempiterne Deus: ut digneris benedicere + hoc lignum Crucis ut sit remedium salutare generi humano...

Holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, be pleased to bless + this cross, that it may be a saving help to mankind. Let it be the support of faith, an encouragement to good works, the redemption of souls; and let it be consolation, protection, and a shield against the cruel darts of the enemy; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 Oremus
Benedic, + Domine Jesu Christe, hanc Crucem, per quam eripuisti mundum a potestate dæmonum, et superasti Passione tua suggestorem peccati...

Lord Jesus Christ, bless + this cross by which you snatched the world from Satan's grasp, and on which you overcame by your suffering the tempter to sin, who rejoiced in the first man's fall in eating of the forbidden tree. Here it is sprinkled with holy water. May this cross be hallowed in the name of the Father, + and of the Son, + and of the Holy + Spirit; and may all who kneel and pray before this cross in honour of our Lord find health in body and soul; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

After the blessing is completed, each person present genuflects before the newly blessed Cross...

...and venerates it with a kiss, as the sign of our redemption.

STV (Scottish national television station) were also present on the island to film for a news feature.  They also filmed the professions.  Here they are pictured interviewing Very Rev. Fr Michael Mary, F.SS.R. following the blessing of the Pilgrimage Cross.  When the video which they made is available, it will be posted on this blog.

Two Pilgrims and a Cross

Recently we have had the pleasure of making two new friends: Sam and Wojciech from Doncaster, England.  They had decided to make a cycling pilgrimage from Doncaster to various churches and shrines, ending up on Papa Stronsay.  The over 600 miles took them 12 days to complete!  The pilgrimage was made for the intention of the teaching of solid doctrine to return to the Church, and for the faithful to receive this teaching.  They stayed on Papa Stronsay for 3 days during which time they erected a Pilgrimage Cross.  Following in the tradition of the "Vow Cross", we invited Sam and Wojciech to erect this Pilgrimage Cross as a permanent memory of the completion of their pilgrimage. 

Sam and Wojciech with Fr. Michael Mary, F.SS.R. as they prepare to concrete the steel support which they had spent many hours preparing.

 Making sure the steel is straight now is important, as once the concrete is in it cannot be done.

 Sam prepares to pour the first load of concrete which will secure the steel support into the ground.

 All done.  Now it must be left over night to dry.

The first Pilgrimage Cross to be erected on Papa Stronsay.

  

 A worthy testimony to the effort and devotion of these two pilgrims!

The Cross will now be painted and blessed for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on Saturday.

Something to warm you up!

 Thanks to a benefactor's kind donation of seeds, this year Br Jean Marie, F.SS.R. has grown a whole selection of chili peppers.  He has grown a selection of the different seeds which were so kindly sent to us, one of which is currently ranked as the third hottest variety of chili in the world!

The first batch of chilies to be ready for harvesting have been picked.

 Brother has grown eight varieties so far.  The only one which has not turned-out as well as it could have is the Basket of Fire variety.  The particular variety of the Bhut, or Ghost Pepper, which Brother grew is the third hottest chili in the world.  You can click the image if you would like to see it in greater detail :).

The chilies having been sampled, they are now going to be made into a hot sauce.  Here Br. Seelos assists in preparing the peppers.

 The Bhut pepper is in the foreground.

 Gloves are worn as capsaicin (the chemical in chilies which makes them hot) can burn the skin.

 Removing some of the seeds.

Br. Seelos drops some chopped chilies into the bowl.

 In case the chilies are too hot for you, Br. Gerardo Maria, F.SS.R. has some other greenhouse produce.  No, these are not marrow, but courgette/zucchini!!  They are also the average size of all our courgette/zucchini.  "They must be tough having left them on the plant so long" I hear you cry.  Not so.  These Courgette/zucchini were picked just one week after they were pollinated!

Or perhaps some beets?  Our beets have also grown with great rapidity and to a large size, not so far off the size of Br. Alphonso Maria's head in fact!

Behold the birds of the air, for they neither sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns: and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not you of much more value than they? Matt. 6:26

DEO GRATIAS ET MARIÆ!

New Life on Papa Stronsay

Just over a month ago our goose, Duchess, began sitting on a clutch of eggs.  Yesterday, on the First Saturday of the month, her eggs hatched.  The last of the little goslings to hatch was exiting its shell as these photos were taken.  Of the seventeen eggs that she sat on Duchess hatched thirteen goslings.  One of these died, and the remaining unhatched eggs were unfertilized.

 Duchess sitting on her nest with her little ones gathered under her wings.

This morning, the whole family was out to enjoy the sunshine!

 Duchess takes her little ones...

 ...to be introduced to the water.

Br. Seelos filling up the water.

Thank you Blessed Lady, Mary, for this wonderful First Saturday blessing!

Repair works at the Pier

Over the past few months of winter

a small hole under the bridge of the pier

grew bigger and bigger.

We are doing some extensive work to repair the hole
and build up the sea bed to protect the wall's foundation.

 Six inch concrete blocks are brought to the place of operations

 One by one the blocks weighing 15kg are passed along a chain of brothers

to the centre of the damage

In cave like conditions our young strong postulant lays the blocks in a stable pattern

 This is not easy work!

 The JCB digger is used to gather together stones from the sea bed at low tide.

The gathered stones are piled up to cover the work done

and protect the pier from further attack by the sea.