Monastery Chronicles

Fr. Clement Mary, C.SS.R., ringing the new monastery bell.
The village of Whitehall on Stronsay is visible in the distance.

Sea spray from Whitehall harbour flies across the road, dashing windowpanes with salt water.
Photo taken during a mid-December storm with gale force winds.

From the Rite of Blessing in the Rituale Romanum:
“Hear our supplications O Lord, and bless this vessel and all who sail in her with Thy holy right hand,
as Thou didst deign to bless the ark of Noe as it set forth in the deluge. Support her, O Lord, with Thy right hand,
as Thou didst support Peter as he walked on the sea. Send forth Thy holy angel from Heaven,
that he might deliver and preserve her and all who sail in her from every peril ...
Thou Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the Unity of the Holy Ghost for ever and ever. Amen”
The boat is named the Stella Maris in honour of Our Lady,
whom sailors have honoured as the ‘Star of the Sea’ from time immemorial.

August 2001

Professions on Papay

On 9 June 2001, our religious community increased its ranks as two novices made their first profession in the Chapel of the Holy Face on Golgotha Monastery Island. Reverend Brother Yousef Marie, C.SS.R., originally of Sydney, Australia, and Brother Columba Maria, C.SS.R., from Dublin, Ireland, took their first vows of Obedience, Chastity, and Poverty. This first profession will be followed in three years’ time by their final profession, when they will make these three vows for life, and add the vow and oath to remain in the Redemptorist Congregation until death.

The Brothers made their vows during the Mass of Profession on the feast of St Columba, the great Irish monk who sent St Cormac to the Orkney Islands from his monastery of Iona on the west coast of Scotland during the sixth century. Reverend Fr Michael Mary offered the Mass, and preached on the significance of the step which these two men were taking: by their monastic vows, they have freed themselves from the slavery of the world, and have bound themselves to the sweet yoke of Jesus Christ – a yoke which promises the eternal happiness of Heaven to the soul that perseveres in serving God with a pure heart all the days of his life. Please remember to pray for our two new Brothers, as they also remember to pray for all the friends and benefactors of our Monastery.

Sean, our Visitor from New Zealand, feeds the three orphan lambs.

June 9th 2001, Feast of St. Columba:
The First Religious Profession of (left) Br. Columba Maria, C.SS.R. from Dublin, Ireland
and (right) Rev. Br. Yousef Marie, C.SS.R. from Sydney, Australia.

	Two of our seven postulants set out on what may be a lifetime’s labour, the Religious Life, the happy and holy life of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience; Work, Prayer and Silence. Here Trevor, from Queensland, Australia, milks Nora; and Lawrence from Wanganui, New Zealand, keeps his hand in at sheering sheep.