The
picture shows the Brothers doing some clean-up on the Grotto
site which, built under Fr. Wailliez last year, has a fish pond
which goes underneath the actual grotto in a U-shape. The concrete
walls were threatening to collapse so the months of January
and February were spent putting steel ties reinforced with with
concrete to pull the two walls together. This meant digging
up the whole area in front of the grotto which we can now plant
a few shrubs and flowers. The Grotto is popular especially for
the Flores de Mayo, the floral offerings given every day during
the month of May to Our Lady.
This recently
built guard house was built by the some local farmers for about
5000 pesos or $100 US. It is made of bamboo which grows most
everywhere and the roof of nipa leaves, which we do not have
on our own property but is readily available. The guard house
is just a shelter for the rainy season which is due to start
now in May or June. It is also a cool place (relatively speaking,
it has not been cool by even South African standards let alone
Canadian) to go out and read even during the heat of the day.
Hopefully our next guard house will not need to be armour plated.
Our
kitchen and wash area is really just the end of the refectory
with no separation in between. The plan is to build a separate
kitchen and wash area which will be built for Filipino conditions.
The wooden cupboards are falling apart under the humidity and
damp conditions of the kitchen and the weather. It is also a
breeding area for 3 inch cockroaches. So not the healthiest
area. We need some stainless steel cupboards which are only
available in Manila. So there is always greater cost out here
in the provinces to acquire these things. A real stove with
an oven is the dream of our cooks.For the moment the cooking
is done on two cupboard top gas cookers. 2 professed Brothers,
Br. Ignatius and Br. Cornelius Joseph both took a simple course
in cooking at the Western Visayas University for about 4 months.
However the class was so full they ever actually got to do any
cooking until there exam, for which they got 91%. Good enough
to start in the kitchen. Also a cup of real coffee on a feast
day is a dream of the Prior, but until we have a proper kitchen
for a coffee machine he will have to live with plastic coffee.
An
April women's retreat at the Noviciate. Here they are making
an outdoor Way of the Cross with Fr. Aurelito Cacho, who was
the main retreat master. 19 women attended which was small in
comparison to earlier retreats of 30 or 40. The Brothers and
priests on the top floor of the Noviciate vacate their rooms
for the week and the woman take over the whole floor, some 2
or 3 to a room or in the open area, on camp cots.
The
retreat conferences are usually given outside under the partially
covered veranda which has a bamboo structure supporting a tent
awning. Here Fr. Carlo Magno Saa gives a conference which Bin
Laden, a miniature Japanese Spitz looking on. Probably in the
hopes of getting something to eat.
So
what are you looking at? he is probably saying. It is too hot
out there so I want to keep cool as well. Bin Laden (I am not
sure who chose the name) is more bark than bite, but at least
he can do that.
A
group photo of the April 2003 women's retreat with Fr. Cacho.
Frs. Saa and Gerspacher also gave conferences or instructions.
The photo is under the bamboo veranda, intended to keep out
the rain.
Fr.
Gerspacher in his office just after his return from 4 weeks
at home in Vancouver, Canada. Now some 8 months in the Philippines
he has yet to learn the local languages of Ilongo, or Kiraya,
or Cebuano, or Tagalog. So what he is doing with all his free
time between midnight and 6.00 am.? Fortunately the Brothers
and 3 resident Filipino priests do consent to speak English
some of the time. Otherwise the language of choice is any of
the above. The local population around us are reluctant to speak
English save for a few words. So one must have an interpreter
to conduct business with them. It is hoped however that he will
soon learn a few words of Ilongo.
