Taking vows
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Taking vows |
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 Mt. St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 43, Taradale. 22nd April ’74. Dear Mum, Dad & Leo, Well, a week’s gone by already since Easter. I was a great delight to have so many of the family up. Thank you all for coming. The jersey and socks fit perfectly. I haven’t spent the $10 yet, but will wait until I get a good chance to scout around a few shops. I might get some music. The tree is safely planted, and now it is simply a matter of waiting for it to grow! On Easter Monday we had a Free Day, but I stayed at home and wrote my Massey Assignment on the Theories regarding the Migrations of the Pacific Peoples. It was a relief to get it done because it was due on Wednesday. However, it wasn’t too much of an anti-climax, for in the evening Fathers Woodcock & Jones (from S’Stream) took me out, and we had a meal at the Leopard Inn in Napier. I must admit that I was a bit surprised at the new visiting day rules myself. The changes came in last year while I was at Aurora Tce, & I’ve just caught up with them. The story now is that there are no more “official” visiting days, but parents can come up twice a term for a weekend, one day of which you can go out. However, at the moment my weekends seem to be the busiest time of the week! I think in the mid-winter holidays I will be in the Wellington area for a week’s teaching so will get home then probably. But it would be wise not to pin too much hope on it because it’s not automatic that you go to Wellington. The year before last only some went to Wellington. The rest went to Whangarei and Christchurch! Our retreat began last night. Fr. Kevin O’Donoghue S.M. is giving it. He has been in Australia giving retreats for a number of years, but now he is stationed at Hobson St. in Wellington. Hobson St. is where the Marist Parish Mission Priest live. On Sunday Bishop Finau of Tonga will be here, as I mentioned to you at Easter. The weather is perfect today, after a full day’s rain yesterday. Easter Monday was a bit showery, so we were lucky with the weather on Easter Sunday. On Friday the Schola is going to give a short concert at Napier Cathedral (9 p.m.). It is part of the Floral/Choral Festival celebrating Napier’s 100th year. We have a lot of preparation to do for it yet, but we should be ready in time. Most of the things we are singing we prepared for Easter – mainly Latin Chant, with a few Latin part motets. Judging from concerts of previous years, the thing most appreciated by the audiences was Latin Gregorian Chant. I suppose a lot of people have never heard it before, & find it fascinating. Well I must go back to retreat. Thanks again for everything over Easter. Love from Bruce |