Our Lady's Garden, 2007 - 2010. Update.

"Our Lady's Garden."

Chant of the
Salve Regina
on the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, 2010.

2007 - 2010

Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes
11 February 2007.

The future greenhouse blessed for the Queen of Heaven
as
"Our Lady's Garden"

Brother Paul Mary in the trenches.
4 May 2007
A lot of work was done.

And a few days later, same trench:

Fr. Anthony laying the raised bed over it.

Since May 2007 we have seen Our Lady's Garden
taking shape,
we are still experimenting on what works
and what doesn't.

16 July 2010
Update

Grapes were planted last year.

Pruning the Grapes.

I am the true vine and my Father is the husbandman.
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he will take away:
and every one that beareth fruit,
he will prune it that it may bring forth more fruit.
(Jn. 15:1)

Fr. Anthony's Peach Tree.

Some of us doubted
the introduction of a peach tree
to Papa Stronsay!

From the beginning,
when the tree was but a spindle in a pot,
it produced abundant peaches
although those first ones were but the size of golf balls.

This year they were large, soft and brimming with juice.

Could these be the most northerly peaches in the world?

Fr. Anthony's Peach Tree
was a very successful introduction.

...the wilderness shall rejoice, and shall flourish like the lily.
(Is. 35:1)
We have produced our own flowers for the altar since March.

Br. Yousef Marie with the Jerusalem Artichokes.

Nectarines.

The Passion Flower.

Doing well but it didn't need to be inside.

Corgettes everywhere.

The tomatoes are in abundance.

Post Scriptum.

11 May 2007
the planting of the Kiwifruit vines!
Understandable perhaps,
(rich in Vitaman C)
we were hopeful,
but alas!

It flourished
and remains fruitless
three years,
a failure!
2007 - 2010.

"Behold for three years I come seeking fruit on this and I find none.
Cut it down therefore,
Why cumbereth it the ground?"

But he answering, said to him:
Lord, let it alone this year also,
until I dig about it and dung it.
And if happily it bear fruit:
but if not,
then after that thou shalt cut it down.
(Lk. 13:6)

(2 male and 4 female Kiwifruit vines are growing together
their fruitlessness is probably due to our degrees of latitude (59.2° North).
The sun remains close to the horizon at this latitude
and there may not be sufficient sun intensity to bring forth flowers for fruit.)

The unsuccessful Kiwifruit vines
of Fr. Michael Mary!

Come ye also sons of earth, come ye and adore Him.

Solemnity of the Most Holy Redeemer.
(Third Sunday in July.)

V/. Lord, Thou hast redeemed us by Thy Blood.
R/. And hast made us unto our God a kingdom.

Answering the Matin's Invitatory.
Where in heaven JESUS reigns, Angels bow before Him. *
Come ye also, sons of earth, come ye and adore Him.
(Invitatory, Matins of the SS. Redeemer.)

Come ye also, sons of earth, come ye and adore Him.

... ipsa me deduxerunt et adduxerunt
in montem sanctum tuum et in tabernacula tua.
.... it is He who will open the way to Thy holy mount,
to Thy heavenly tabernacle.

I cried unto the LORD with my voice,
and He heard me out of His holy hill.
(1st. Antiphon, Matins of the SS. Redeemer.)

Come ye also, sons of earth, come ye and adore Him.

In the Bollandists’ life of St. Colette (6th March), who was remarkable for her great devotion to Holy Mass, we read: On one occasion, when she was assisting at the Mass said by her confessor, she was heard, at the consecration, to exclaim: “My God, my Jesus! O angels and saints, O men and sinners, what marvels are these that we see and hear!” After Mass her confessor asked what had made her cry aloud in this manner.

... When your reverence elevated the sacred host ...

She replied: “When your reverence elevated the sacred host, I beheld Christ upon the cross, the blood flowing from His precious wounds; at the same time I heard Him thus address the Eternal Father: Look upon this body of flesh, in which I hung upon the cross, in which I suffered for mankind. Look upon My wounds, look upon the blood that I shed, consider My sufferings, consider My death. All this I endured to save sinners.

... For My sake, spare these sinners, O My Father ...

Now, if Thou dost consign to perdition on account of their iniquities, and deliver them over to the devil, what compensation shall I have for My bitter passion, for My cruel death? The reprobate sinners will render Me no thanks; on the contrary, they will curse Me to all eternity. But if they were saved they would praise and magnify Me forever in gratitude for My sufferings. For My sake, therefore, spare these sinners, O My Father, and preserve them from eternal damnation.”

Come ye also, sons of earth, come ye and adore Him.
Of dying creatures are born dying creatures,
and of them that once could not die
are made beings that must die.
From Adam all men are born to die;
but JESUS, the Son of God,
the Word of God, by Whom all things were made,
the Only-begotten Son, co-equal to the Father,
was made so that He could not die,
for "the Word was made Flesh, and dwelt among us."
If then He accepted death,
and crucified death upon His Cross,
dying creatures are freed from death.
(St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo. Tract on John iii.)

The Altar, the holy hill,
to which God comes down from heaven ...
No man hath ascended up to heaven,
but He that came down from heaven.
For He came down; and died;
and by His death delivered us from death.
Death slew Him, and He slew death.
(St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo. Tract on John iii.)

Come ye also, sons of earth...

come ye and adore Him.

Feast of our holy diocese of Aberdeen.

Today, 9 July,
Feast of Our Lady of Aberdeen.
The First Class Feast of the Patroness of the Diocese.

The Coat of Arms
of the holy
Diocese of Aberdeen:
Three fish forming a triangle on a blue field
(These three fish were caught by the confrères this afternoon
and laid out in honour of
Our Lady of Aberdeen.)

The first early Christian symbol of the Fish is taken a stage
further by combining three fish within a basic triangular shape.
Each letter in Greek for "fish" (ἰχθύς)
(or in capitals ΙΧΘΥΣ
pronounced Ichthus like IK-THUS)
represented a key word related to the
identity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
He is
Jesus Christ (IX),
Son of God (ΘΥ),
Saviour (Σ).

But back to our "Ichthus-es"
on Papa Stronsay ...

... As you guessed,
the kitchen was busy again this evening.
An even larger catch than our last one,
the haul of
just three crewmen
and two fishing rods!

Br. Alfonso packs the fish for the freezer.
The question is:
How many were caught?

Br Martin Mary cuts into delicious Mackerel.
Since from the time of the Apostles
catches of fish have been counted,
we must do the same,
it's a tradition.

Tonight were counted:
202 Mackerel!
(St. Augustine might tell you the signification of this number!)
but as anyone knows
53 Coley fish ...
are
in honour
of the numbers of Aves in the Rosary.

Of course
we did not count the number of fish
that were washed overboard in the rough seas,
nor the Cod of unreported dimensions
snatched away by a ferocious sea fowl
just as it was being hauled aboard!

O Our Lady of Aberdeen
Thank you for this festive day!
Best wishes from Papa Stronsay
to all in our holy diocese!

Happy Feast day to all our readers.

Total for the Holy Madres now: $726.00 & £70.00

Thank you to the following who have kindly made donations to our
Redemptoristine Nuns Appeal:
(See the lower post for details)

I have listed the donation refceived in this manner:
Date Received,
Christian name and the first and last initial of the donor's Surname,
place of origin,
amount received:

1) 6 July: Fr John Be (UK) $25.00
2) 6 July: Dan Pz (CA USA) $50.00
3) 6 July: Paul Ss (Australia) $100.00
4) 6 July: Constance Py (CA USA) $25
5) 6 July: Sonia Mn (UK) $20.00
6) 6 July: Andrew Be. (Ont. Canada) $20.00
7) 6 July: Michael Cl (Herts UK) $30.00
8) 6 July: Brian Pi (CT USA) $25.00
9) 6 July: David Wh (TX USA) $15.00 (Message: May Our Lord bless your community!)
10)8 July: Mary Ce (England) £50

Subtotal 8 July: $310.00 & £50

11) 8 July: Mark Dr (UK) £20.00 (and £20.00 per month hereafter)
12) 8 July: David Wr (ID USA) $100.00
13) 8 July: Gina Oa (NJ USA) $25.00
14) 9 July: Fr. John H BC Canada $100.00 (Message: I am very happy to contribute to these good Sisters,
true daughters of St. Alphonsus and Mother Celeste.)
15) 9 July: Steve Tr (Ont Canada) $25.00
16) 9 July: Daniel Hr (NC USA) $50.00

Subtotal 9 July: $610.00 & £70.00 + £20.00 per month

17) 10 July Mary Pc (NE USA) $ 50.00
18) 12 July Miss JE Js (England UK) $30.00
19) 12 July Andrew Be (Ont Canada -2nd donation) $20.00

Total 19 July: $710.00 & £70.00 + £20.00 per month.

20) 20 July Jack Hs (England, UK) $8.00

24) 24 July Jack Hs (England, UK) $8.00

Total 24 July: $726.00 & £70.00 + £20.00 per month.

We continue to appeal to every generous visitor:

Please, if you could,
kindly make an offering to the worthy cause
of these enclosed Redemptoristine Nuns.

Your cheques will also be listed on this site:

Please send cheques to:
Redemptoristines
Golgotha Monastery Island
Papa Stronsay, KW17 2AR
Orkney, UK

Make cheques payable to "Transalpine Redemptorists"

Thank you for helping.

Devotedly,
Fr. Michael Mary, F.SS.R.

The traditional Redemptoristine Nuns - The holy Madres!

Venerable Maria Celeste Crostarosa.

As some may not know,
before St. Alphonsus founded the Redemptorists
he founded, with Venerable Maria Celeste Crostarosa,
the feminine branch of the Order:
the Redemptoristines,
vowed to Enclosure for a life of prayer and penance.

The incorrupt remains of
Venerable Maria Celeste Crostarosa.
~ "The Great Mystic of the Eighteenth Century" ~

These nuns are our spiritual sisters.
Today, there are very few of them left
who are attached to the old Mass,
the old Rule and even the traditional habit.
The habit had been revealed by Our Lord
to the Venerable Co-Foundress.
It was blue and red in memory of the traditional colours
that He Himself wore when on earth.

The Most Holy Redeemer in Blue and Red.

However, as a special grace,
on the feast of the Holy Family, 1987
we heard that there were traditional Redemptoristine nuns
in the diocese of Campos, Brazil.
During our early years we exchanged several letters with them.

The Archbishop wearing our Redemptoristine chasuble.

The Nuns sent us the beads for our habit rosaries
and also made us a beautiful alb
as well as
a silver and white chasuble
that Archbishop Lefebvre wore for Mass when he visited us in 1989.

1989.

Rev. Deacon Anthony Mary and Fr. Michael Mary.
~ After High Mass, 2 July 1990,
Redemptoristine Monastery, Campos. ~

Twenty years ago, 2 July 1990, we visited them in Campos.

Fr. Michael Mary giving a Conference to the Nuns.

Tragically, the then Mother Superior,
being occupied with her own personal views on the "crisis in the Church,"
was by that stage cutting off contact
with all the true friends of their monastery
including Bishop de Castro-Meyer, all the priests of Campos
and even our own community.
She took solo-control of the monastery
excluding even the spiritual ministry of priests.
It was very strange indeed.
Cruel hardship followed for several years.
The nuns, who take a fourth vow to remain inside their Enclosure,
unjustly deprived of the sacraments by their superior,
held on and prayed.

The Nuns in the Campos Monastery choir.
~ The altar is on the other side of the severe white grate
seen behind the standing nuns. ~

Campos Monastery Enclosure.
~The Nuns had only a small area of confinement
during seven years without the sacraments. ~

The classical Redemptoristine petitential procession
bearing the instruments of the Passion.
~Within the Campos Monastery Enclosure. ~

Finally four nuns resolved to seek help from Bishop Rifan
and the Apostolic Administration of St. Jean Vianney, Campos.

Bishop Rifan
kindly obtained authorisation for the Nuns
to transfer their monaastery away from Campos.

Bishop Rifan, kindly obtained from the Holy See,
an Indult to translate the Nuns to another location.
Thus on 11 January, 2004,
he re-established them in São Fidélis.
The ordeal had lasted nearly seven years.
In all, from a monastery of over twenty nuns,
only four survived to enter the new Enclosure.

The Redemptoristine Nuns of São Fidélis.
~ Our Spiritual Sisters. ~
Two of the Madres have been in the monastery for 54 years,
one for 28 years and the other for 24 years.

What has been our joy these past weeks!
We received a letter from the nuns
and have re-established contact with them.

What they have suffered in order to keep their holy vocation
will only be known on the Day of Judgment!

Inside their new monastery choir.

Dear Friends and Benefactors,
The Redemptoristine Nuns of São Fidélis
truly deserve your spiritual and financial support.

Mother Superior making altar breads.
~ Mother Maria da Penha do Divino Espírito Santo
has been in the monastery for 54 years. ~

Brazil is not an easy country for women.
These sisters rely on our support.
Please support them by sending donations
via the Paypal button labeled
"Please Help the Traditional Redemptoristines."
We will see to it that the money is sent to them
for their support and building works.

Mother Vicar in the Kitchen.
~ Madre Maria Francisca da Purificação
has been in the monastery for 28 years. ~

We have erected a blog dedicated to these Redemptoristines,
there is a button on the right,
or by clicking here.
We will post information as we receive it from the Madres.

To all our friends and benefactors we ask you to be very generous and make a financial sacrifice for these worthy Enclosed Nuns.