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MH Belgium
by Diane Lefebvre
The highlight of the past year was the visitation by our directors general. Their presence, guidelines, and encouragement occasioned not only some physical changes in the house, but more importantly, some inner ones as well.
As for the house, we emptied our attic of the furniture left by the Sisters who occupied this former convent and passed on to others many religious articles, some left by the Sisters and some donated over the past ten years we have lived here.
We also radically pared down our personal possessions and the bric-a-brac in the house. The air became clearer, and we re-arranged the necessary items that remained. We also insulated half the floor space in the attic to diminish heat loss.
Jocko and Giulia participated in the Together for Europe sessions in Brussels and in Italy.
Various groups have visited our house, such as the Byzantine Fraternity of the Twelve Apostles, the Fraternity of St. Mark whose thrust is to memorize the Gospel of St. Mark bit by bit, using plain chant and accompanying gestures.
Then, there is the Fraternity of Tibériade, our “next-door neighbors” (not literally) whom we host for overnight adoration and an occasional picnic and where we attend Mass weekly. Fr. Marc Piret, their founder, spent time in Combermere last year.
As do each of our houses, we continue to receive Christ at the door and Christ on the telephone. An increasing number of priests and religious come for personal retreats, days of prayer, and poustinia, and volunteers also come to help in the garden or with household repairs.
We continue to distribute food which we receive from the food bank, and the families who benefit from the little we can offer also come for friendship and chitchat. One of the fathers has been jailed, and Cristina and Jocko have visited him. He periodically phones us for moral support.
Giulia assists at a seniors’ home most Sundays, wheeling residents who wish to attend Mass to the corridor. Yes, sad to say, the chapel was eliminated to install more rooms.
As is true of people throughout the world, we are surrounded by the culture of death. A dear friend came to spend a couple days with us for support in his grief over the suicide of his 49-year-old daughter-in-law. Lord have mercy!
Last summer was a time of heat and dryness. This united us to all the people in the world suffering from difficult weather conditions and natural disasters.
We gratefully received some passing rain storms, but we continued to need and pray for more. Jocko and Cristina valiantly kept the gardens watered, and we had to go to a spring about three kms (1.8 miles) away to fill barrels with water to supplement our meager supply.
On the positive side, we didn’t have a spring frost, and this resulted in a super-abundance of apples which we harvested to make apple sauce and apple juice for the winter.
MH England
by Margarita Guerrero
It’s been eight weeks since I arrived here on assignment. Time flies!
This is a busy house and paradoxically, one of great stillness. I’m sure I’m not the only one who would attribute that stillness to the daily opportunity for an hour of adoration and a half-hour of quiet prayer, besides the usual MH schedule of Mass, lauds or vespers, and the rosary.
As far as busyness goes, I arrived to a full house: the four staff plus a priest and seminarian friend. They stayed for about a week and were followed by a constant string of visitors, mostly priests and seminarians, some of whom came from a distance.
Other friends came for poustinia or a few retreat days—joining in our daily schedule, a meal, a visit, or as part of a pilgrimage. For example, we gave hospitality to a group from Germany on a walking pilgrimage to Our Lady of Mount Grace.
We’ve also hosted a couple of ecumenical groups, as well as giving a day of recollection to the Legion of Mary.
The common thread in these comings and goings seems to be a sometimes unconscious, other times articulated, desire to experience our family life.
Our bishop, Terry Drainey, was very clear that we should safeguard this unique gift, encouraging our director Cheryl Ann in her/our discernment as to how to incorporate our guests into our Madonna House communal life.
Tomorrow, one of our priest friends will come for his monthly 2-3 day poustinia; he’ll join us for Sunday supper during that time.
I’m aware of the sense of support our guests seem to receive and take home with them.
One priest friend, who along with a lay woman, has opened a centre for evangelization, mentioned how both poustinia and our communal life have been inspirational in structuring their apostolate and mission.
And another, a member of one of the ecclesial movements, finds the balance of our family life and poustinia restorative. He often phones with specific prayer intentions.
Catherine Doherty’s word for this house was “gentleness” and that is what I felt upon walking in to this place. It manifests itself in the interactions with our friends as well as the general manner and customs of the people.
I notice this gentleness among the staff, too. The general receptivity and openness that is extended to our guests is very operative among us—which is also quite restful. It is this respect for each person’s individual gifts and the acceptance of their weaknesses that both put us on a common plane and leads to unity and a deep listening to each other.
This was evident on one of our “staff days” as a profound discussion developed on everything from food to poverty, the chapel space, men and women living this Madonna House vocation together, and the present time, as we pray and suffer with the Church.
So, there you are: a taste of our apostolate and my first impressions: Family; Gentleness; Rest.
