Tuesday 28 February

I missed my usual weekend posting due to a seminar on grief I did in Port Kembla which took up Saturday and left me tired.   The seminar itself went very well.  On Sunday I had mass in the parish and then three baptisms before I headed off to Bowral straight after lunch.  Be that as it may, apologies for my neglect of the blog.

It has been a sunny week, if humid.  It was interesting to watch the car park take shape over the week.  First of all a 'blanket' was fixed to the ground.  Then very large trucks with trailers called 'dogs' came from Cronulla full of recycled concrete in balls which were poured over the surface and then energetically pushed and rolled into place. 

Truck going one way his dog going another

There were only a couple of trucks at a time but we had a traffic jam and cars had to be moved so they could turn.  The curbing was put in after the recycled cement was laid down.  Then another blanket was put on top of that and then the asphalt on top of that.  The point of all this is to make the car park greener.  It is a semi-permeable membrane and water can flow through the concrete 'rocks'.

Nowhere to move- our traffic jam

One day when we were working out cattle fences, gates and swales around the building I walked up the hill with Peter Coad, Alex's associate architect.  It had been a while and was impressed by the view of the site.

The new priory as seen from the hill

A little closer I took another shot which shows the building more clearly.  One thing is clear is that this has been a great year for grass.  Our property is cow heaven and grazier heaven too.  Even Marist Br Luke can't remember a better year for growth.  And he has been the farmer at St Greg's except for a few, short breaks, to before the Second World War. 

The priory

The car park now will now cure for a week.  No one is allowed to park on it.  The the 32 car spaces will be painted and and it will be complete.

Carp Park almost complete

There is now the new walkway beside the chapel up to the new priory.  You can see the brick pillars rising from the concrete.  The walkway will match the walkway between the retreat house and the chapel.  The garden will now feel more like a courtyard with the two walkways.  We will place park benches there with pleasant views over the water (of the dams).

Walkway to the new priory with brick pillars

The photo below shows how the walkway comes up to the entrance to the priory.  The pebbles are over the old path next to the chapel.

New path to the new priory

 The building is progressing.  The corridor is now beginning to look and feel like a corridor. 

Corridor with bedrroms to the right and kitchen and dining room on the left

The photo below looks past the first four bedrooms to the oratory with the cross tower behind.  The small brick piers are to hold the rain water tanks between the rooms. 

Accommodation block with oratory and cross tower beyond

The photo below is looking through the shell of the dining room to the kitchen. 

Dining room

This last photo is over the planting outside the entrance to the priory with the chapel beyond.

Looking to the chapel

Protect the Scenic Hills 

Every now and then we mobilise ourselves to protect our environmentally protected area.   Recently the local paper, the Macarthur Advetiser call me and I got Paul Maunder and Darren Mackie to come as volunteers to demontrate our convictions.  In the report below you, if you look at the photo you will see Paul on the left and me on the right in the white hat, Darren is to my left in the brown shirt.  Here is the link to the article and photo.

http://www.macarthuradvertiser.com.au/news/local/news/general/mps-urged-to-protect-the-scenic-hills/2448211.aspx

The weather forecast is heavy rain.  It has certainly been a wet summer.  

Saturday, 18 February

The first part of the building is now nearing lock-up.  The kitchen, dining room and guest room section is ready for its roof.  The landscapers, the twins Wes and Beau, have been in preparing the ground and planting the bank between the library and the cemetery as well as out front.

The building takes shape- kitchen dining and guest room to the left

The ceiling in the chapel is now in place and we can begin to imagine the chapel space as it will be.

Chapel- with curved ceiling

There are three large windows which face north and which will have a lovely view over the property.

Chapel windows

The first of the bedrooms (number 4) of the brethren now almost has its walls complete.  It is now possible to get the feeling of the room.

Bedroom 4- looking north

The bank outside the library has now been landscaped.  Closer to the house a number of grevilleas have been planted. We asked for native plants that would attract birds.  As we already have many birds it could be said we asked for plants that will attract more and different native birds.  One of the new delights of the property is the sound of bell birds. 

Newly landscaped bank

The car park is now taking shape.  The heavy machinery is very noisy.  This is not that helpful to those on retreat.   This week we had the seminarians from Good Shepherd Seminary, Homebush on silent retreat.  They were admirably silent.  Unfortunately our site wasn't.  Well at least from 7.00am to 3.00pm.  St Teresa's hermitage is very close to the car park.  We will make sure it is private by the use of landscaping.

Car park

Saturday, 11 February

Now what was I saying about the weather?  Well this week we again had more than our share of rain but this afternoon we had the mother of all storms.  It was dark, the noise was intense, there were lightning strikes around us and a huge fall of rain along with some hail.  We had to rush around closing windows. 

Our creeks in the rain.

Paul and I watched from the top balcony and neither of us could remember seeing so much water on the property.  Given that I first came here as a postulant 43 years ago today this is quite something.  The water flowed in rivers.  When the storm passed it became a brilliantly clear afternoon full of light and peace.  Paul said it was like the Judgement Day.  This is using the storm as an allegory.

The first dam is full to overflowing

When the sun came out Aloysius also appeared and remarked there had not been much rain! 

Aloysius had written earlier today to the OCD friars, nuns and OCDS telling us of Fr Peter Dowd's decision to seek leave from the friars to join the diocesan clergy of Broken Bay diocese.  Aloysius wrote: "We will surely be surprised and saddened by Peter's decision, but we respect it and support Peter with our prayers."

After the storm- peace and beauty

After the storm- an allegory?

The driveway to the priory

We had rain during the week as well but a lot of work was completed.  Here you can see the driveway leading to the entry to the new priory.  If you click on the photo you can make out the timbercrete wall in front of the chapel.  It borders the new walkway to the chapel and retreat centre.

 

New roofs

The oratory- note the curved line of the ceiling

Looking to the entry to the oratory

The blockwork in the oratory is now more or less complete.  It is an impressive room.  The brickies have moved on to putting up the walls of the guest room and the kitchen. 

Looking to the oratory

Below is the view across the property from the common room which now has a roof as well.

View from the common room

Suunday, 5 February

The weather was not kind to us this week.  We had rain on Thursday when the verandahs were poured.  This explains the extraordinary means in the absence of downpipes to keep the water from the roof off the new concrete.  It rained heavily on Friday as well.  A complete washout of a day.

We now have verandahs

Now that we have the verandahs around the entry of the building, the meeting room and the library we can move ahead with the external works and landscaping which will include the driveway and walkway to the retreat centre.

The oratory this week

The oratory has been slowed for the brickies as the did not have the blocks they needed to finish the windows.  It is also detailed time consuming work.  However the special blocks arrived on Friday and it will be a busy week this week.  If, that is, it doesn't rain us out again.

The roof line takes shape

The Courtyard

The courtyard is now taking shape as well.  This week the brickies have start on the first accommodation block to the left of the picture above.  It should be easier going than the entry block.

During the week the Carmelites from around Australia gathered for our bi-annual assembly.  This was worthwhile in a number of ways.  We discussed the completion of the priory and the refurbishment of the retreat centre.  When these are complete it will be something of a new beginning for our life and ministry here in Varroville.  We also discussed our life together and how to improve it.  It was a full two days and we were glad to have finish by Wednesday evening.

During the meeting we also celebrated the silver jubilee of profession of Frs Greg Homeming and Shane Kelleher.  As well, Fr Gabriel will celebrate his 70th birthday in February and in March his 50th anniversary of profession while Fr Johny will celebrate his 40th anniversary of profession and 60th birthday (100 years of Johny) in March.  We celebrated the jubilarians with special Eucharists and at a festive meal.  At this meal we also asked God's blessing on Greg Chee as he takes time out from the community.  Here are some snaps from the festive meal.  There are no action shots of our discussion.

Around the table: Greg Chee, Sunny, Paul, Greg Homeming, Gabriel

Shane and Greg Burke

Aloysius, Tadgh and Bernard

Gerard, Des and Peter

Greg Homeming, Gabriel, Johny

Tadgh, Bernard, Darren, Greg Chee, Sunny

Bernard has an empty glass, Darren is amused