A Welcome Visit from Fr Hunwicke

For several years we have been friends with Fr John Hunwicke. That he might consider travelling to us all the way from Oxford, considering the fall he had when in Rome in 2012, seemed almost too much to expect. But to our delight we were privileged to welcome him to Papa Stronsay last week, where for four days he gave us conferences on the holy Liturgy: the Sarum rite, the missal of Stowe, and the history of Papal Anglicanism culminating in the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham during the reign of Pope Benedict XVI. 

Of course we did not simply receive conferences; there is nothing like having a friend to stay; it was super! And yes of course, we are hoping he will return again. 

 Fr Hunwicke's lively and engaging deliveries!
Every word clearly articulated and set to make its mark.

 One afternoon during his visit some of the brethren accompanied Father on a walk around the island.

Father has a keen interest in early monastic archaeology.

 Father examining the ruins of the 11th century chapel of St Nicholas on Papa Stronsay
which is built over an earlier one from the 7th century.

Again in the ruins of St Nicholas's chapel.

The neighbouring island of Stronsay in the background.

Not an easy walk along the beach on the eastern side of Papa Stronsay.

Our Desert in the Pathless Sea.

In Father's Mutual Enrichment blog
 he wrote about his time with us.

Many thanks Father for coming all this way!
Wonderful days!
Haste ye back!

A Tiny Reflection of the Glory of God

Last night here in Orkney we had some of the most spectacular Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights that I have ever had the privilege of seeing.  It was very difficult to capture what we were actually seeing with the camera.  It was like a light show of flashing strobe lights.  The closest I can come to describing it is if you imagine looking into the bottom of a swimming pool on a sunny day and seeing all the shimmering patterns on the bottom caused by the light shining through the water - It was something a little like that only slower, really something to see!  Also what we saw with our eyes was slightly less of a bright green than what the camera captured.  Please find below a tiny reflection of the glory of God:

The Passing of a Friend

On 3rd February our very good friend and benefactor, Mr John Friel passed away after a long fight against cancer.

John was our first parishioner and supporter on Stronsay and had lived on the island since the early 1980s.  Over the 15 years since our arrival here in Orkney, he provided invaluable assistance in the building of our monastery as well as being a regular at Holy Mass on Stronsay.  One of our priests was with him for the hour leading up to his death repeating the prayers for the dying, and encouraging his soul in its last agony.

It was John's great wish to be buried on Papa Stronsay.  His body was brought to Papa Stronsay the day before the ceremony and laid in the chapel.

After the sung funeral Mass the procession made its way to the Monastery cemetery.

There was something very beautiful and special about the procession as it made its way along the beach, the sun setting as the day began to close.

Fr Yousef Marie conducted the burial.  John's two brothers, Philip and Glenn, were present also.

As is our custom once the burial ceremony is over the grave is immediately filled in.

All the men present take it in turns to do their part, while the rosary is prayed.

It brings finality and a sense of completion.

Br Nicodemus Mary plants the funeral processional Cross.

John's dearest wife, Marilyn, lays flowers on his grave.  Our prayers and our deepest sympathies go out to her.

A final blessing upon his final resting-place.

We owe a great deal to John Friel.  We hope we will continue to be the beneficiaries of his solicitude in the form of intercession from his eternity.

Requiescat in pace. Amen.

Upon the Ocean Waves

Today the wind has been quite high in Orkney, but the sun has been shining for most of the day.  When you don't see the sun very often, you have a much greater appreciation of it when it does deign to show its face! 

There was occasion for some of us to travel to Kirkwall, the capital of Orkney today and I would like to share some photos I took of the beautiful return sailing.

 Fr Michael Mary speaking with a Catholic from Glasgow whom we met on the ferry.  She was visiting the Orkney Islands for the third time.

 The island of Sanday on the horizon.

 Before reaching Stronsay, the boat makes a stop at Eday, another of the islands of Orkney.  Here we are just departing Eday for Stronsay which is a good 30 minutes further.

Another view of the pier at Eday.

Throwing Off the Old Man — Taking the Religious Habit

On the 2nd February, the feast of the Purification of the Most Blessed Virgin, We had the great joy of receiving a new novice into our Congregation.

Kneeling before the Rector Major, Very Rev. Fr Michael Mary, the candidate for the novitiate is questioned as to his resolve to enter our Congregation.

 He receives the Holy Habit of the Congregation of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer and then the Holy Rosary is first placed in his hands while he is exhorted to take the Blessed Virgin as his Mother, Protector and Guide throughout the time of his Novitiate and, God willing, his religious life.

 He is give the Scapular of Mount Carmel, which constitutes a part of our Habit.

 Finally the candidate is given the zucchetto or skull-cap, as well as his new religious name: Br Edmund, after St Edmund Campion.

Happily Br Edmund's mother and father came from Kansas to be with him on this occasion.

Fr Michael Mary and Br Edmund.

Congratulations Br Edmund!

Reconnected

As many of you may know, on Papa Stronsay we have been without internet access since before Christmas.  It is for this reason that our blog has been so silent.  However, thanks be to God, our internet is now restored thanks to a replacement Point-to-Point Wireless Bridge.

The Bridge transmits the internet from the neighbouring island of Stronsay, across the water of the Papay Sound and into Papa Stronsay.

 A station identical to this one is located on Stronsay and the two transmit and receive the signal back and forth.  We had previously used the same things, but there was some error with them and they had to be replaced.

As a result of our restored connection, you can expect a few updates in the coming days, so stay tuned!

This evening there have been some modest but none-the-less beautiful Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights.  I post a few photos below. It is also rather windy, and I had some trouble holding the camera still, so they are a little blurry.

 The small red dots are the safety lights atop the wind turbines on the island of Sanday.

 The vast majority of out lights are a green/grey colour, but here we see a little spot of red.