In May our students participated in the Interprovincial Student Summer Seminar here at our Monastery.

Our new Postulants are in the FRONT ROW: [from the left] Vincent Graziano from Covington, LA; Luke Heffron from Omaha, NE; David Ottersen from Norway EU; and Alec Baryenbruch from Appleton, WI. They reside at Holy Hill, Wisconsin.

SECOND ROW: Br. Nathanael, Fr. Michael-Joseph [the Seminar presenter,] Fr Bonaventure [Student Master], Br. Vladimir [from the Southern Province].

THIRD ROW: Br. Moses, Br. Isaiah, Br. Jonathan-Maria [from Denmark EU] Br. Joseph-Teresa, and Br. John-Magdalene.

You should notice that the statue of Christ the Teacher behind the participants was covered with moss. It is now clean through the generous efforts of Leona Green & Catherine Soondeuk Byun Min.

On May 30th, all the students attacked our overgrown Station Way. There were a few aches and pains the next day. But they did a great job. 

The two remaining students are Br. Nathanael and Br. John-Magdalene. They will spend their summer in Brighton. Br. John-Magdalene began his summer with a private wilderness retreat on Iron Mountain in northern New Hampshire.

If you recall, last year he was warned about bears and in the Autumn Newsletter he was photographed being “attacked” by a wooden bear. Well, he met live bears on Iron Mountain. From his tent [see below] he saw a bear moving along a ridge, not too far away. Later that night, he was frightened by a sound and thought the bear was nearby.

In the morning as he went off to attend Mass, he discovered three bears near a house and took these pictures. A mother bear was investigating a grill with one of her cubs. Her other cub climbed up on the porch railing to raid the bird feeder. Fortunately, he was not attacked.    

Br. Nathanael has a very important summer project. In the past year or so, he has been learning to make habits under the direction of Br. Augustine, our Provincial Taylor. Br. Augustine has been away in a nursing home for a few years. We miss him here a lot.

He has given much time to train Br. Nathanael and his efforts have paid off. See the habit Br. Nathanael is wearing. That is his first effort. It looks great. In the picture, he is in Br. Augustine’s room with the four postulants from Holy Hill [see above].

The Postulants will need habits when they become novices soon. So, Br. Nathanael is charged with making four habits this summer. In the picture, Br. Augustine is teaching Nathanael how to measure their habits properly.

While most of this community was at the Provincial Chapter,
our driveway and parking lot was crushed into gravel by large machines and new asphalt was laid down in just a few days. 

That is all the news for now. Thank you for your help in supporting these young Carmelites and us old-ones as well.

MASS SCHEDULE & PRAYER REQUESTS

The Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is scheduled for Sunday, July 16th with Mass at 8:00 AM. We will hold our annual Triduum to Our Lady in our chapel at 7:30 AM on July 14th & 15th and 8 AM on the 16th (Friday to Sunday). You are most welcome to attend.