Monday, July 16, Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Happy Feastday!  Today all Carmelites celebrate our patronal feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.  It was a beautiful day here and we were blessed with the presence of our Fr John Landy, from Mount Carmel in Israel.  He and Tony Vaughan came to the grand parish celebrations yesterday and today John preached at the Eucharist with the Carmelite nuns up the hill.  We then had a very enjoyable lunch before John and Tony set off back to Gerroa via Mittagong.

While we are still moving into the new priory work has not stopped on the priory.  The last four bedrooms and the offices and varius rooms are now being completed.  The roof is up and the walls are rising.

A view from the outdoor sitting area to the last four bedrooms

The walls of the bathroom take shape

As the building is being completed it is becoming longer and therefore the views change.  In the photo below you can see the gate through which we mostly access the property.  In the distance you might be able to glimpse St Gregory's Marist Brothers Agricultural College.

View south from the new section

As the builders are still hard at it the issue of privacy for those in the south facing rooms needed to be addressed.  This is especially so as we do not have any curtains yet.  So Maurie had a privacy screen set up.  Curtains meanwhile are on the way.

South facing rooms with screen

As well as preaching at the nuns' feastday Eucharist today John Landy gave great service in helping to get our new dining room into order.  Darren Mackie and I teamed up with Pat Cullan to bring a lounge setting to the new priory.  John and Tony helped move our dining setting into place and had helpful suggestions as to where to place things. 

John, Paul and Tony in the new dining room

John, Paul and Tony try out the new lounge chairs

View of the room over the dining table

We brought a few things from our refectory in the old building and will bring more over the new few days.  The priory is feeling more and more like our home.  It is certainly a privilege to live in it.

Crucifix catches the afternoon sun

John with the kitchen behind

I will be out of action for a week or so due to a medical procedure this Wednesday.  I hope to continue this blog sooner rather than later depending on my recovery.

Tuesday, July 10

Everyone knows moving is hell.  We have been hard at it.  Eight bedrooms have been completed and we were able to move in.  On Wednesday 4 July Paul, Darren and I began to move our furniture, clothing, books, computers and what not into the new priory.  We had enough in place to be able to sleep in the new priory that night.  So the fourth of July is an historic day.

Lugging furniture and so on is very physical and tiring.  But it is also satisfying.  Personally I was not impressed by the amount of stuff I had acquired.  I promised myself to sort through it all when I had moved in.  Robert Love came for the weekend to help.  He encouraged me with an often repeated one word exhoration: "Cull".  On Saturday morning he found all the carrying and exhorting tiring so I offered him a seat outside my room.  Soon he was very relaxed and then fast asleep.  The brethren found Rob a congenial and welcome guest.


Rob Love flat out helping

 Gabriel moved in on Thursday.  Then Aloysius who had been in Perth visiting the ailing Fr Joe Kelly returned on Friday morning and began to organise the great move.  He actually moved in on Saturday.  Gerard began his move on Saturday but it was a close thing as he went off on a holiday to Lake Eyre on Sunday.  I don't think he has spent a night in the new priory as yet.  Meanwhile Shane was missing all the excitement as he was in New Zealand.  He returned on Monday night and quietly slipped into his new room.  

Paul and Aloysius with the trolley

One of the things that strikes one about the new priory is the lovely views over the property through the extensive windows. 


Fig Tree



View north



View south

On Saturday we were delighted by a gang of boisterous lorikeets frolicking in our fountain.  If you click on the photo below it will enlarge and you can actually see the birds.

Fountain with lorikeets

If the fourth of July is an important date then today, the tenth of July, is also memorable.  Tony and Andrea Ward from Bundanoon brought down the crucifix for our oratory.  Tony made the cross out of a unique piece of beautiful red cedar from northern New Soth Wales.  There were some nervous moments as Maurie and Matthew placed the crucifix.  However the results speak for themselves.  We are grateful to Tony for the skill, time and spirit which he spent on the cross.

The figure of Christ n the crucifix is personally special.  I first saw it in an antiques shop in Melbourne while with my late cousin Sr Margaret Reed, FMM.  Graham Geddes sold it to my family at a greatly reduced price.  We then donated it and other sacred art to the Box Hill community in memory of my father and other deceased family members.  It is wonderful to be able to live with it and meditate on it once more.  It is a 17th century Spanish polychrome wood carving from New Castile.

Matthew and Maurie are on the ladder while Tony is on the right

The oratory is slowly coming together.  It is our hope it will be a place of beauty and prayer at the heart of the community.