|
|
 Mt. St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 43, Taradale. 17th Sunday 3/74 Dear Mum & Dad, How time seems to be flying. It only seems like yesterday since I last wrote, but I think it’s 3 weeks. In ½ an hour’s time the Non-cricketers are going to have a game of cricket. “The Team”, as it’s called, is playing “The Other Team”. I’m in “The Other Team”. Everyone is so terrible at the game that even I’m going to have a go at bowling! I’ve told them that I’ll bowl only if the batter comes halfway down the wicket, because that’s about as far as I can throw. Anyway, in a few minutes, my talent in this area, which has been hidden under a bushel for years, is about to be brought out into the open! My Final Profession will be on April 14th – Easter Sunday – at 9 a.m. You can stay for dinner at midday - & for the rest of the day. The others to be finally professed will be Paul Donoghue, John Owens & Barry Leech. Tony O’Connor & Tim McCann have put theirs off for a few months. You can come to the other Easter Ceremonies too if you want to – Easter Vigil at 11 p.m. the night before. On the 21st of April we begin our retreat, & on April 28th Bishop Finau of Tonga will be coming. Nisi ‘Ota’ota will be made a Deacon, & I’m getting the ministry of Acolyte – which means I can give out Communion. I wrote a letter to Sonia, after I got your last letter. I hope she is getting better. No doubt Francie’s getting more excited everyday about going to Australia. The weather looks very overcast. I wouldn’t be surprised if it rained any minute and put an end to the cricket. Anyway, I’d better go now, & get ready just in case. Sunday Night. Well, we played the cricket after all – one hour before lunch & ½ an hour after lunch, & then it rained. On the last bowl of the last over before lunch I got Paul Avery out by throwing the ball at the stumps while he was making a run; & in the afternoon when I bowled (only for an over) one person was caught out from my bowl! We got them all out for 60 just as the rain started. Next Tuesday afternoon we hope to finish the game. Because I was wearing all green, they reckon that when I was bowling, all that could be seen was a pair of dirty sandshoes running along! I saw Nola today. She brought her mother over to see the Seminary. I think that she thought it would be better to bring her over on a quiet day, rather than let her be bowled (excuse the word but I’ve got cricket on the brain) over with the crowds on Easter Sunday. Also, I suppose it was a good excuse to see Lawrence. Fr. McHardy arrived yesterday to join the staff. He is fairly old now and has retired here. For the last 20 years he has been Provincial Bursar. He’s just back from a trip round the world – shouted by the Travel Agency on his 50th Jubilee because of all the priests he had booked on the Agency over the years. That means that the staff this year is as follows:- Fr. Connolly - Rector Fr. Weaver – Dogma teacher Fr. Scully – Moral teacher Fr. F. Durning – Philosophy teacher Fr. Reader – Bursar Fr. O’Meeghan – Scripture teacher Fr. Justin Taylor – History teacher Fr. Cody – fills in all the gaps with Fr. Taylor, on such subjects as Logic, Scripture, & Psychology. Fr. Cody will eventually be the Moral teacher. My pen seems to be running out of ink, which seems a sure sign that I’ve written enough, so will sign off. Love from Bruce |