Our Simply Professed Students

The statue of St. Joseph, which stands on our front lawn, needs a lot of help. Our volunteer ”restorers” did wonders on Our Lady’s statue and want to work on St. Joseph as well. They needed help to start this project. The tree that embraces the statue needed trimming back and the plants which surrounded the statue needed to be relocated until the work is completed.

So Brother Nathanael volunteered to do the job. The restorers “cracked” the old paint on the statue and will leave it to winter to loosen the paint. They will return in the Spring to finish the job and stain the statue.

Although the simply professed students going to Boston College (BC) and St. John’s Seminary work hard there, they have Monastery duties as well. They helped harvest our crop of leaves this year. They even had a leaf blower to polish off the work.

Solemnly Professed News

Br. John-Mary returned from his Solemn Profession and is back with us. He wants to run in the Boston Marathon while he is living here. But to qualify, he must have a record of racing experience. So he raced in the Newport, Rhode Island Marathon and won first place.

So we are all wondering how well he will do next spring in Boston. He continues his studies at BC and his other ministries, including treating us with his cooking and bread baking.

Thank you for your help in supporting these young Carmelites.

Please pray for our young men.

Special Mass during the Pandemic

You may recall that a Mass is celebrated here on the first Saturday of each month to help us all through the pandemic. We will pray for all those infected with the COVID-19 virus, their caregivers, the deceased, their families and friends, and all of us waiting for the vaccine/booster shots.

Please join us, if you will, in praying to the Blessed Virgin Mary to intercede for us all. If you wish your intentions to be included, please send them to us at pauldfohlin@gmail.com They will be placed by the tabernacle. We have received hundreds of intentions already and there is plenty of room on the altar for many more.

The Monastery has not yet been decorated for Christmas. We always delay it. Advent must remain until the last moment. Then the big rush to bring on the joyous season of Christmas. We focus on three rooms. The Chapel is pictured above. Also, the recreation room gets a tree and lots of extra decorations. The dining room receives a special Christmas creche that belonged to Fr. Leonard’s family. A whole village of figures and buildings—a little Bethlehem that fills the west end of the dining room.

From the Prior’s Desk

Advent Greetings and Christmas Blessings to you all from your OCD Brothers at the Brighton Carmel.

As we prepare and receive the God of Self-Giving/the God of Self-Donation, let us always be conscious that we, as disciples of God's Gift to us, have been empowered to do as the Infant was born to do and that is to transform ourselves and the world into the Heart of Jesus, which is the constant "gift" of Christmas to all creation!

May the New Year bring you all a bundle of Blessings and a wealth of good Health!

Prior & Community of Brighton Carmel 

Fr. Ralph-Elias Haddix, O.C.D.
Prior

Visit our Website brightonfriarsocd.org to learn more.