|
|
|
 Mount. 17/8/75. Dear Mum & Dad, Imagine having snow! We haven’t had anything like that up here, in fact, it’s been quite mild. I’ve already written to some of the names you mentioned – the Kershaws. But will write to Mrs. Bob Twiss, & to Thora & Skin. And I hope to call in & see Thora & Skin too. So far we’ve all escaped the ‘flu up here. But a lot of people in the area have it. It sounds like it’s going around your area too. Today I gave a Day of Recollection for St. Patrick’s Parish Napier. I helped Fr. Weaver, although he did the preaching. It was held at Sacred Heart on the hill. Last Tuesday the 7 of us new priests went to say Mass for the Nuns & Boarders. Afterwards we had dinner with the Nuns. It went very well. Sister Lawrence & the Chinese Sister Lea were there. They were 2 of the 3 nuns who were captured by the Viet Cong & the papers made a fuss of a little while back. Sister Lea didn’t speak English & I couldn’t speak French, but I know how to say “Hello! How are you?” in Chinese, so that saved the day! I learnt it at Varsity, where there are a number of Chinese. Fr. Delaney is here at present on visitation. Last Thursday evening the St. Thomas More Parish Ladies’ Guild came out, & I had to give a ¼ hour organ recital – which they thought was lovely!! Yesterday, Michael Unverricht SM was ordained at Hastings. He did his studies in Australia because he was a Brother (Br. Simon) here at Greenmeadows before that. So there will be 8 new priests for the N.Z. Province next year. The Ordination was at 10 a.m. (at the Sacred Heart Church). At 9 a.m. we had a Requiem in the same Church for the father of Fr. Austin. Fr. Austin was one of the priests at Aurora Terrace while I was there. His family live at Whakatu. I saw Nola at the Ordination. A couple of weeks ago, Rod had the ‘flu & was going down to the bathroom when he slipped and broke some bones in his face. At present he is still in Napier Hospital, but is due home shortly. He still has his face wired up. Nola said that he’s starting to recover now because he’s grumbling! Mum, I think I left my black belt & a pair of good, shiny, dark brown trousers at home when I was down for Ordination. I was wondering if you could send them up as they’re my only pair of good, non-clerical trousers! Next week, (31st following) the students are having their retreat. The Young Fathers have already made theirs at “Highden”, so we’ll be going away for the week. I will probably be working with the Redemptorist Fathers on a Parish Mission, but it’s not finalized yet. My photos (15) have come back. Some of them are quite good. I will send them in a few days. I can’t send them yet because a couple of them are being used in a Mount photo display at the moment. I will send the negatives too. I was wondering if you could take the copies off the negatives & send the photos back! But I’ll send them all. If none are suitable, we’ll try again – but I think they’re O.K. Two of them are taken with a telescopic lens, which accounts for the effect. One of these would have been quite good but it shows out my beautiful warts! I think that the best one is of my head against a stain glass window. You can see the top of the chasuble. So I’ll send them in a couple of days. Well, I must be off. Love from Bruce P.S. I’ve killed 56 rats with a knife & a torch & a dog in the fowl house in the last week! Fr. McVerry from Fiji was here the other day. |