Scattered thoughts

Odds and ends in this post that I will try to piece together.


Two weeks ago the Philippine Sisters had their Christ the King celebration. They had 150 Philippine people who work around the country come to mass (100 of them in the last 5 minutes of mass). They had great food, songs (sung by a Philippine choir), and friendly smiling people at their house.

Martin and Thomas eating and listening to the singers

We were hoping at this time to give them one of our countless puppies as a gift. When we gave the Sisters the puppy they were having a hard time finding a name they could all agree on.

The Sister with Br. Franciscos, Fr. Basilius, and pup

4 of the 5 loved it but having one allergic person they must think of family first. So we had to take back the gift we brought. We've got a lot of dogs here.

The singers on the steps at the Sisters

Monday the 1st Alexander left for Jerusalem to fulfill his 1 year novitiate. You cold see how much Tabgha and the "family" here meant to him. He will most likely return when he is finished at Dormition. The "family" will go to Jerusalem this coming Monday to celebrate his entering the program.

Yesterday (Thursday) Fr. Jeremias left for California. He will spend some months there, then in Germany, before returning here in May. His time here in May will be to wrap up all his work as Prior and then back to Germany. Our family yet again gets smaller.

Another pic of me and ML before our celebration Nov 8th.

We have begun the Advent season. I have not memory of Advent songs or of doing anything special for Advent (outside of Church) but here we sang songs and drank tea while making Advent wreaths. I have found myself searching for songs, events, and ideas that we as Americans feel define us or shed light on who we are and how we became what we are because it feels at times the Germans have many of them.

For anyone back at St. John's: please give Br. Dietrich my best when you see him. I keep him in my thoughts.