Mt. St. Mary’s
P.O. Box 48,
Waikanae (sic)
25/9/74.

Dear Mum & Dad,

Well, it was marvellous to spend some time at home. I had a good trip back in the train, & we arrived at Napier at about 7.30 p.m. The following day, Rob Devlin & I gave a class on the seminar at Silverstream.

On the Sunday morning of my leaving home, John Faisandier’s mother was killed on the Hutt motorway. John is in his fourth year here. His brother was killed on a motorcycle in Auckland 7 weeks earlier. John’s mother was looking after the sister’s children at the time she was killed. There are 9 children in the family, including the brother who was killed earlier. John’s father was also in the crash, and lost a knee cap, so he wasn’t at Mrs. Faisandier’s funeral. They lived at Silverstream. Several carloads of students went to the funeral, including Gavin Foster, who also managed to get home. John came back here last night.

Last Saturday night the Glee Club put on “Camelot”, & it was a great success. It was the first musical I’ve watched here - normally I’m involved! However, I must admit that it didn’t match “Naughty Marietta”!

Last Wednesday we were measured for our clerical suits. We’ve got the date for diaconate. Archbishop Delargey will be making me a deacon on the morning of Tuesday 12th November. It seems that it’s just a “private” affair, & they won’t be making much of it – so it seems that parents won’t be coming. Although you’d be welcome, but it’s just going to be crammed in between classes! – so to speak. I think that they don’t like to make too much of it, because they make a show with the final profession at Easter, & ordination is only 8 months away. On Monday, 25th November we will be going to Wellington to do a Pastoral Course. We will be staying at Aurora Terrace. I think I mentioned earlier, that I’m not sure when I will get holidays home this Christmas, but it will be sometime. Those to be ordained deacons are me, Paul Donoghue, Rob Devlin, Tony O’Connor, John Owens, Barry Leech and Michael Pervan.

Last Friday, Tim McCann of my band left. He had been thinking of it for a long time. Although he would have had to get a dispensation to get ordained because of his health, he left because he wanted to. That reduces my Novitiate band down to me, Tony O’Connor, Rob Devlin, & John Owens here. And at the Seminary in Fiji, there’s Maka Tatafu, John Lomu & Tony Solomone. So there’s really 7 left out of the original 16. Well I’d better go to morning tea!

Love from
Bruce




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